A perfect early October day, with the autumn sunshine and Indian Summer temperatures. A young couple in love, their crazy families and friends and a sumptuous Bedfordshire venue. It’s all too easy to say there were tears, but the evidence below speaks for just how much of an emotional wedding this one was.
Leila and Joe chose the wonderful Woburn Sculpture Gallery, situated in Woburn Abbey’s grounds. Originally constructed by Henry Holland between 1789 and 1790 for the 5th Duke of Bedford as an orangery and then as a display for the Duke’s personal collection of sculptures. Artfully-dressed corridors lead the visitor through wonderful panelled rooms centred around the incredible columned ballroom which can hold up to around 300 people
A morning of standard bridal chaos and champagne ended with a remarkably composed groom Joe, who looked after a somewhat emotional Leila, looking radiant in white. After a fairly traditional, if somewhat teary blessing and ceremony, there followed a beautiful Persian blessing.
Then it was drinks, family photos, a wonderful meal – and you really have never dined, until you have dined in the sculpture gallery, where it is impossible not to feel like royalty. More photos and then after cutting the cake, and narrowly avoiding cutting off a somewhat important body part of Adonis’s statue , it was time for some of the wildest dancefloor fun ever seen in the glorious venue. With a little cheating, even a magnificent sunset was rustled up, with Woburn Abbey as the magnificent backdrop