Froyle Park Wedding
Summer Vibes at Froyle Park Wedding
Loralie & Dean
Outdoor Perfection at Froyle Park, Hampshire
Picture this: the sun is shining, chirping birds, warm breeze and sun-drenched gardens, this was the beautiful backdrop for Loralie and Deans wedding celebrations at Froyle Park.
Froyle Park is a 16th century Georgian manor house nestled in the heart of Hampshire, set within 80 acres of beautifully manicured parkland. It is an exclusive use venue which gives you the freedom to bring in your dream team, or use one of Froyle Parks own carefully selected suppliers. It can host up to 300 guests and provides two areas for your ceremony. The Great Hall can seat 130 guests, it has ornate wood panelling, a grand fireplace (perfect for a winter celebration) and is drenched in sunlight from huge windows with views out to the tranquil gardens. Or you can enjoy an outdoor ceremony in the chic courtyard, which has a well-established cherry blossom tree as the centre piece before drawing you to the stone-coloured dome where you make your marriage vows. It offers plenty of outdoor seating (240 guests) with elegant white chairs overlooking splendid views of the South Downs countryside, and sometimes the odd flock of sheep too!
Unlike a lot of dry hire venues, Froyle Park has onsite accommodation for the couple the night before, and a beautifully appointed bridal suite for preparations in the morning. A sumptuous king-size bed awaits you, and a dedicated hair and make-up area with rows of mirrors and perfect light. I know I talk about light, a lot, but it is so important for hair and make and can make such a difference in photos. Many venues have warm spotlights that create under eye shadows and a colour cast – Froyle Park have absolutely nailed this detail! Overnight accommodation is included within it’s dry hire price, with availability for 66 guests to relax in comfort in spacious self-contained rooms. I know I would rather stagger a few feet to a gorgeous comfy room than wait for the Uber to find me at midnight.
Saying “I do” at Froyle Park
On this incredibly sweltering hot day, I swear it was hotter than the sun, Loralie and Dean choose the stone dome as the place to say their I do’s. Fiona Curry Flowers created a stunning floral arrangement for the dome edge, further enhanced with white drapes that perfectly framed Loralie and Dean when they made their vows. The drapes were held in place with delicate floral wraps, and the silver lanterns were a subtle yet perfect finishing touch for this Froyle Park wedding celebration. The colour scheme was sophisticated and understated in subtle pinks, lilacs and off whites, a theme which carried through to the soft pick bridesmaid dresses from Lace & Favour.
Loralie looked stunning in her off white lace mermaid style dress from Pure Couture Bridal, it fitted perfectly and exuded elegance. When Loralie stepped out to see her bridesmaids, their reactions were emotional, as were her two brothers, who escorted her up the aisle. I feel so privileged to document these moments.
Along with her brothers’, Loralie had an extra member of the bridal party in the form her adorable cavapoo (another bonus for this Hampshire wedding venue). He looked so gorgeous in his black and white tux collar and behaved perfectly, just the right amount of cute without stealing the show from our beautiful bride.
The Hampshire registrars are always lovely, but there is one actual real-life couple who are just the sweetest and always make the ceremony feel truly personal. They shared some heartfelt advice to Loralie and Dean, advice they themselves had been given on their wedding day some 40 years previous; “Relationships are like the branches of a willow tree, sometime you have to bend otherwise you will break” I love this sentiment.
Celebrating in Style at a Hampshire Luxury Wedding Venue
After the ceremony Loralie and Dean skipped their way through the courtyard with a perfectly timed kiss and hands in the air celebration, the energy of their day was epic, think Ibiza party vibes, which to be fair with the heat on the day it really did give off Ibiza vibes!
Post ceremony the guests enjoyed canapés and drinks in the much-welcomed shaded patio area, only sneaking out for group photograph duties. I understand how important it is to have photos with your loved ones. To help with this I send out a questionnaire prior to your big day which has a guide list of 12 groups, this helps focus on key guests and takes 15 minutes out of the reception time. This is always a winner as the bride and groom have more time to celebrate with their family and friends.
As a venue, Froyle Park has an abundance of photo opportunities for newly married couples. The manicured lawns, the South Downs views, and the main house always gives me South of France vibes. It’s off white brick work, elegant water feature and rows of lavender lining the path create a gorgeous backdrop, this venue is a photographers dream, especially when you have an amazing fun and chill couple to work with. As with groups, I aim to keep couples’ for 15 minutes of relaxed photo time, focusing on their natural connection creating authentic, colourful images with genuine emotions and moments.
Party at Froyle Park, Speeches & Sparklers
The wedding breakfast takes place in the Grand Ballroom, with a capacity to seat 300 people, Loralie and Deans guests had plenty of room to stand up and dance as the newlyweds entered were announced to an actual Ibiza dance anthem, clapping, singing and huge dip and kiss. Guests were treated to heartfelt and humorous speeches, one of my favourite parts was the story of how they met, they were just 15, and the classic punchline, “Oi, Dean Carter you’re well fit!” – Just brilliant, I’m sure they didn’t imagine that encounter would lead them to this day.
The food for the whole day was provided by the amazing team at Kalm Kitchen, a Foyle Park preferred supplier, from fabulous canapes to the sumptuous main meal, through to the evening buffet, all of it was so tasty, and they are jolly nice people too.
The evening dancing was a treat of epic dance anthems provided by Johnny Ross Music and the bonus of saxophonist too! The dancefloor was busy with guests happily busting their moves to the 140 bpm, what a party! As the night drew in we ventured onto the patio area for sparklers, this was no mean feat to arrange when you have 80 merry guests! Froyle Park have everything on site to make sure this can be done safely, and with extra help from wedding planner extraordinaire, Stacey Page, it all went off perfectly.
What an epic, energy and laughter filled Froyle Park celebration, wonderful suppliers too, a day I will not forget anytime soon! Extra shout out to event planner Stacey Page. Truly professional, discreetly working away ensuring the day ran smoothly and a great sense of humour, a bonus on a busy day.
