Real wedding: A classic celebration at beautiful Blackwell Grange

Blackwell Grange has been a family home for generations, loved by its owners and steeped in history. Offering an exclusive-use barn wedding venue in a tranquil Cotswolds location, with elegant, contemporary interior design and exceptional attention to detail, Blackwell Grange is a stunningly special place.

In partnership with Blackwell Grange | blackwellgrange.co.uk

The lowdown

The happy couple: Amy Stride, 30, a finance director, and Matthew Stride, 32, a customer support specialist for sports data collection, who are from Sutton Coldfield.
Wedding date: Saturday 9 April 2022
Wedding theme: Simple and classic
Ceremony and reception venue: Blackwell Grange

The suppliers

Photographer: Noel Hibbert of Cotswold Pictures
Videographer: Zeus Films
Flowers: Dawn Keitley
Dress: Wedding Belles of Four Oaks
Groom's outfit: Moss Bros
Catering: Blackwell Grange
Cake: Boutique Baking Company
Rings: Ernest Jones
Entertainment: Harpist Jessica Louise Sutton and DJ Major Entertainment
Favours: Boutique Baking Company

The details

When and how did you first meet?

We met online on 16 May 2019.

Who popped the question and how did they propose?

Matthew, on the doorstep of our first home, on the day we moved in.

How long did it take to plan your wedding?

Less than eight months!

Why did you choose your venue?

After searching for a while, we instantly fell in love with Blackwell Grange and knew it was the perfect fit for us.

Was there an inspiration or a theme for your wedding?

We wanted to keep everything very simple, as the venue is already so beautiful.

Did you hire a wedding planner or was it a DIY affair?

Very much a DIY affair, or as Matthew likes to call it ‘ADA – Amy Did it All’.

What song did you walk down the aisle to?

‘Only Time’ by Enya.

What did you have for your wedding breakfast?

For our starters, we had Caesar salad with parmesan and herb crusted chicken; our vegan friends had summer vegetable carpaccio with lemon and basil vinaigrette, topped with toasted pine kernels.

Meat eaters had a main of grilled bavette steak, dauphinoise potatoes and a green bean and tenderstem salad with mustard dressing. Vegans enjoyed grilled baby courgettes, fennel purée and fine beans with toasted almonds and shaved fennel salad.

For dessert, we had vanilla and mango cheesecake with sugared popcorn, with a coconut version for vegan diners.

What kind of cake did you go for?

Our four-tiered cake had different flavours to please everyone. They included chocolate mud cake, salted caramel, lemon cake and vanilla sponge.

What was your first dance song?

‘I Get To Love You’ by Ruelle.

What was your favourite part of your wedding day?

After the ceremony, we had a couple of minutes alone in the back of the barn to allow us to take a moment to take everything in; it was very special.

Did everything go to plan?

Yes, not one hiccup.

What advice would you give anyone planning their big day?

Not to stress about the small things (the team at Blackwell Grange will take care of them). Ultimately, all that matters is that you’re getting married.

Is there anything you know now that you wished you’d known before the big day?

Luckily, we were very organised and both just wanted to be married. The best piece of advice we were given beforehand was to spend as much time together on the day as it goes by so quickly!

And finally, where did you spend your honeymoon?

We did our honeymoon before the wedding, as it was booked before we were engaged. We went to Orlando in Florida for two weeks. We enjoyed one week at Walt Disney World and one week at Universal Studios.

By Emma Luther

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© SoGlos
Wednesday 11 May 2022