HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Anna & Josh
Having first imagined their nuptials under endless Tuscan sunshine, Anna and Josh found Italy at home. The Yorkshire couple held the wedding of their dreams at Middleton Lodge Estate, replete with elegant walled gardens and all the charm of la dolce vita. Read on for every detail behind their bespoke ceremony now from "princess shoes" to "I do."
Photography by Alex Wysocki
"We originally wanted to get married in Italy, imagining an outdoor ceremony beneath endless sunshine. We explored lots of venues across the country, each one beautiful in its own way, yet something never quite clicked. Despite living in Vancouver, we’re homebirds at heart and as we’re both originally from Yorkshire we felt getting married at home suited us more.
"We viewed only two venues in the UK and the moment we arrived at Middleton Lodge, we felt this was the place we were meant to get married. The walled gardens were breathtaking, and the Fig House had a gentle Italian charm that echoed our original dream. Combined with the elegance of the Main House, it became clear that we had found the perfect setting for our day. We were drawn to the sustainable ethos at Middleton Lodge Estate and fell in love with the tasty cuisine — much of it grown right there in the very gardens where we exchanged our vows."
"I’d had my eye on the Camellia heel for a while — to me, they’re true 'princess shoes,' made with beautiful fabric and tied with a bow. I wanted shoes that would pair perfectly with my dress but also something I could wear for future events. They were unbelievably comfortable and so pretty — the perfect bridal shoe, complementing my dress in every way."
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"I’d had my eye on the Camellia heel for a while — to me, they’re true 'princess shoes,' made with beautiful fabric and tied with a bow."
"My Jenny Yoo dress was nothing like what I originally imagined. I thought I wanted something plain and simple, but when I tried on those minimalist silhouettes, my bridal party quickly pointed out that they didn’t feel special enough or truly suit me. A wedding is the one day you get to wear THAT dress, the one you’d never have reason to wear anywhere else.
"Since I’m not a lace or sparkle kind of girl, I still wanted something that felt authentic to me. That’s what I loved about this gown: even though it made a statement, it remained beautifully understated. The fabric draped flawlessly, the design felt elegant without being over the top, and best of all it had pockets.
"I styled the dress with a cape, also from Alexandra Anne Bridal. The puffy sleeves added a bold, playful touch, and I loved that I could take it off easily to switch up my look throughout the day. Paired with my shoes and a simple veil, it all came together."
"I loved how so many of the details truly represented my husband and I as a couple. We put our own twist on things, swapping champagne after the ceremony for Pimms, which gave the day a relaxed garden-party feel. Our wedding stationery was especially meaningful to me, as it was beautifully designed by my incredibly talented maid of honour and felt so personal.
"Our wedding favours were charity pin badges, along with a donation made on our guests’ behalf to a charity very close to our hearts. We placed disposable cameras on every table at the reception to capture candid, in-the-moment reactions, and had a Polaroid camera for the guestbook, which everyone really enjoyed.
"I also absolutely adored our floral arrangements created by the wonderfully talented Winter and the Willows — the colours, tablescapes, and overall styling were stunning."
"I loved how so many of the details truly represented my husband and me as a couple."
"Planning the wedding from a different time zone made communication a bit challenging at first. Thankfully, my husband created a very organized spreadsheet that kept us on track with everything we needed to arrange. One of my favourite parts was choosing the colour palette and floral style — I loved creating moodboards to share with our florist. My wonderfully talented maid of honour designed all of our invitations and stationery, and collaborating with her on the vision was such a joy. Selecting our food and drink was also a very fun part of the whole planning process and the tastiest."
"From the butterflies fluttering around my bridal suite the morning of, to the beautiful breakfast my bridesmaids prepared, the day felt perfect from the very start. Some of the most special moments were our vows and the ceremony itself, we were so lucky to have the glorious sunshine so my dream of an outdoor ceremony came true. The speeches were unforgettable too."
"Later, my husband and I slipped away for a quiet walk through the walled gardens. Having that little moment just for us - to reflect, and soak in the beauty of the venue, was truly magical."
