Cotswolds wedding
India & James
Held in the hills of the British countryside, India and James’s weekend-long wedding was infused with romance from its inception, the couple’s “I do’s” backed by stunning Somerset scenes. Read on for India’s description of her dream nuptials, complete with four outfit changes and two pairs of most-loved LR shoes!
Photography by Benjamin Wheeler and Wish Wish Wish
“In the last couple of years we’ve spent a lot of time in Somerset and have totally fallen in love with the beauty and charm of the area. It’s become so special to us, so to have everyone we love come to the area for our wedding felt totally magical. I found Belcombe Court on Instagram and when we realised it was just next to Somerset we knew it would be the perfect venue. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and we particularly loved that they only do a handful of weddings each year."
“We hosted different parts of the day across the grounds so we could create a ‘journey’ for our guests, with each part having a different feel and an element of surprise. I’ve always adored Georgian architecture and the golden stone buildings (think ‘Bridgerton’) that characterise The Cotswolds — it doesn’t get much more quintessentially countryside.
“Having our wedding there also meant that we could incorporate some of our favourite places nearby into the celebrations. Across the weekend we stayed at Babington House, a boutique hotel and members club, where we have many happy memories. We hosted our rehearsal dinner there and it’s where I got ready with all of my bridesmaids. We even started the wedding day with a swim!”
“It was a dream and total no-brainer to wear Loeffler Randall shoes for the wedding! I owned a number of pairs already and they really are just perfect — so comfortable, whilst being ultra-chic, cool and feminine. They’re also ideal for walking on grass!
“I find platforms to be so easy to wear, especially for dancing, so I was looking for some to pair with my second and third looks. They both ticked that box, but were also different in their style — Natalia is more playful, whilst Roz is more understated. Both pairs made me feel absolutely amazing and received so many compliments.”
“I had a very clear vision from the start and knew that I’d work with the Own Studio to bring it to life. I was keen to lean into the romance of the venue, and I wanted to wear something that would be chic, timeless and really reflective of my style.
“I took inspiration for my dress from countless sources — items from my own wardrobe, the Own Studio’s pre-existing designs, and dresses from other beautiful brides. I loved Bettina Looney’s wedding dress, which featured the most perfect puff sleeves. I met her during the process of designing my own gown and showed her to toile fabric I’d chosen, and she suggested adding in a scooping low-back to make the silhouette more timeless — she was spot on!
“We spent many fittings tweaking my dress to perfection. I’m so happy with how it turned out and grateful to the team that made it happen. It really is the most intricate and highly-skilled process. It’s so fun looking back at the sketches and fitting photos, seeing how it came to life.”
“I will never forget the happiness I felt being on the dancefloor! Without a doubt the best time of my life so far.”
“It was a dream and total no-brainer to wear Loeffler Randall shoes for the wedding! I owned a number of pairs already and they really are just perfect — so comfortable, whilst being ultra-chic, cool and feminine. They’re also ideal for walking on grass!
“I find platforms to be so easy to wear, especially for dancing, so I was looking for some to pair with my second and third looks. They both ticked that box, but were also different in their style — Natalia is more playful, whilst Roz is more understated. Both pairs made me feel absolutely amazing and received so many compliments.”
“We really wanted the day to feel very ‘us,’ so we paid a lot of attention to the details! For the ceremony, our order of service featured a remake of the first Valentine’s Day card I gave James back in 2015. My sister opened the ceremony with a moment of reflection — a nod to meditation, which we both practice daily. Music is so important to us so we had a gospel choir sing some of our favourite songs during the ceremony.
“I thought embroidery was a beautiful way to bring in some more sentimental and personal elements — both my husband and I had hidden embroidery in our outfits with our initials and wedding date. My veil was embroidered with a variety of motifs including our star signs and the motto also engraved in my engagement ring. The motifs also appeared on our flower girls dresses, which were designed and made by myself and two of my bridesmaids.
“Everyone knows I love a tablescape so I focused lots of attention on getting the tables perfect! We had everyone’s initials embroidered on their napkins and each guest had a little card under their plates with a positive mantra. The vases on the tables were designed by me in collaborations with the brand Bias Editions.”
“I will never forget the happiness I felt being on the dancefloor! Without a doubt the best time of my life so far.”
