A glittering affair at Iscoyd Park

Iscoyd Park in Shropshire made the perfect backdrop for a late-autumn wedding for childhood sweethearts Fran and Tom

Photography: Katie Ingram

A late autumn wedding at Iscoyd Park

To track down her dream dress, Fran had to make a trip across country to Hull, but it was worth the effort. ‘It was quite the journey, but my local bridal boutique in Worcestershire no longer stocked the style I’d set my heart on,’ she explains. ‘I always thought Iʼd want a big ballgown as I’m quite figure conscious and would never have imagined wearing something slim fitting. However, every dress I tried on made me feel a bit frumpy and I knew I wanted something I hadn’t seen 100 times before!

‘As soon as I tried this dress, though, I knew it was the one. It was absolutely covered in tiny pearls and sequins and so heavy, but I loved the way it sat on my body and I was slightly obsessed with the bell sleeves. I also loved that in some lights the dress looked white and in others it was silver. It felt traditional but also super-modern – the perfect mix in my book.’

In fact, the whole day was a blend of tradition and contemporary styling, with a ceremony and classical choir at St Maryʼs Church, then a disco ball sensation at Iscoyd Park in the evening.

‘We didn’t have flowers in the church apart from on the altar,’ says Fran. We had 144 guests and the church is tiny, so we didn’t want to try to squeeze in flowers as well! Instead, we lit lots of candles around the church, including scented ones from The White Company to give a lovely atmosphere.

‘At Iscoyd Park itself we had the most stunning flower arrangements put together by Mat at Red Floral Architecture who understood my vision from the get-go. I wanted some shock value in the marquee but, at the same time, keeping things classy but fun.

‘I have a mild obsession with disco balls so I asked if we could incorporate this into the ceiling fixture. Mat suggested adding giant (fake) white roses, which I was sceptical about, but the end result was breathtaking. There’s an amazing photo of my nan walking into the marquee and seeing it for the first time – her face was priceless.

‘My mum is amazing with cakes, so I roped her into making our vanilla, chocolate and lemon three-tier cake. I wanted a marbled effect that was still very simple, which she did brilliantly. Mat made it more spectacular by topping it with a hydrangea and placing in on a clear cake stand surrounded by water, rose petals and… floating disco balls!’

Setting a budget

‘List three things that are important to you,’ says Fran. ‘Ours were the venue, flowers and entertainment – and that’s where you should spend the most money,’