We meet Andrew and Laura Daisey who used a rather unusual theme to create a totally out-of-the-ordinary and truly memorable wedding day at Wood Hall Hotel & Spa.

A theme is a great way of shaping the overall look and feel of your big day and is perfect for tying together the personal elements of your wedding too, including the invitations, cake, table settings and favours. It is not always easy to decide on what your theme should be however, and some people take inspiration from what is on trend, a colour, an era, or a special memory – some choose to centre it on their venue’s style. Whatever you decide, try to go for something that makes your wedding day personal but do not get too hung up about it – you may find an idea from the strangest of places – just as Andrew and Laura Daisey did. 

“Andrew found a Lego wedding cake online – so we suggested it to my mum who was decorating the cake my Aunt had made for us, and she was up for the challenge! We bought all of the construction workers and trucks from eBay and mum made all of the bricks out of icing. It was a classic fruit and chocolate sponge four-tier cake with a real twist,” confessed Laura. While the couple both plead guilty to being big kid at heart, they were careful to incorporate their theme in very simple and unstated ways – keeping it to just the place cards and the grooms gifts. When it came to the décor for example, it was a lot more mature and refined, shall we say. 

All of the table linen was white as were the chair covers with the addition of satin silver organza sashes, which tied in beautifully with the tall cylindrical vases filled with clear stones, water and either peachy pink Juliette roses or white orchards and floating candles. Willow branches were also used – either on their own and decorated with tea lights or weaved into hearts and adorned with white roses.  
With both the wedding breakfast and evening reception held in the Vavasour Suite of Wood Hall Hotel, which enjoys a neutral colour scheme and is flooded with daylight, it was the perfect example of how to blend in and compliment your venue’s surroundings. 

The ceremony itself was on the front steps of the impressive looking Georgian county house, which also offers acre upon acre of stunning rolling Yorkshire countryside, while the reception drinks were held in the hotel’s charming Italian Gardens. 

“As we turned into the long drive and caught a glimpse of Wood Hall for the first time we instantly fell in love with it – the setting is just so idyllic and we loved how friendly all of the staff were. We visited many other venues and they did not even come close! It also happened to be just over 30 minutes from where we live in Wakefield. 
“We went for the exclusive use wedding package so we had full use of the house, grounds, bedrooms and spa. We managed to book the last weekend of May and when the day finally came around it was gloriously sunny. The setting was beautiful and from the moment we met at the end of the aisle neither of us could stop smiling – it was so special,” recalled Laura.

“Having all our closest family and friends watching on – some of whom had travelled from abroad and we hadn't seen in ages – was just totally overwhelming. As Laura said, the surroundings were magnificent and we were spoilt for choice when it came to our photos. Fortunately, Tim and Paul had shot weddings at the venue before, so they already knew of some really great spots,” added Andrew.

When it came to food, the couple had already decided on their wedding breakfast when they visited for the first time on that fateful day during a fayre. They had bite size portions of various options to try and as huge foodies with a chef on hand; it was very easy for the couple to talk through the options. “For starter, we had Parma ham salad or duck terrine, followed by lemon sorbet, and for main we had pork belly or chicken and chorizo, and to finish a sticky toffee pudding or chocolate and peanut tart. The food was amazing - the portions were just the right size and many of our guests commented about how delicious it was! I certainly did not see any leftovers and no one was left hungry!” stated Laura.

When it came to entertainment, they opted for a band called Helta Skelter, who play a range of pop songs from the last fifty years and apparently kept everyone dancing all night long – not bad considering they had 120 guests for the reception. Meanwhile, Miss Magic – a female magician, added that extra enchanting touch to their special day, breaking the ice by involving guests who did not know each other in her jaw dropping tricks. 

Other than throwing her bouquet, which Laura completely forgot to do, she and Andrew would not have done anything differently. We will leave the last words to them: “The service was fantastic! All the staff were so friendly and helpful – and fun! They were around just as much as we needed but not so much that they got in the way. Everything just ran super smoothly. It is genuinely hard to find fault with any part of the day.”

THE DETAILS

BRIDES’S DRESS: Essence of Australia Style d2124 from Limelight Occasions (01484 605185 / limelightoccasions.co.uk)
GROOM’S SUIT: Peter Posh from Limelight Occasions (01484 605185 / limelightoccasions.co.uk)
MAKE-UP & HAIR: Megan Green (07749 439950)
WEDDING CAKE: Laura’s mum (Diane Fair) and aunt (Helen Williams) 
DÉCOR & FLOWERS: Laura’s mum (Diane Fair) and aunt (Ann Cheers)
TABLE PLAN, INVITES AND WELCOME SIGN: Halo Designs in California via Etsy
ENTERTAINMENT: Magician ‘Miss Magic’ (07957 152222 / magickay.com); Band Helterskelter (07771 592223 / helterskelterrocks.com)
PHOTOGPRAHER: Tim & Paul (stottandatkinson.com)