Author: Sarah Kellum
Getting to know – Lauradana from Wedding Creations
Tell us a bit about yourself and your styling?
My name is Lauradana and I started Wedding Creations UK 12 years ago as a styling service and in 2019 I added floristry and bespoke signage to this service also! I aim to offer an all inclusive service to not only minimise any stress in the lead up and on the day for my couples, but to also ensure their day is cohesive throughout.
What made you decide to go into styling and florals?
I love the buzz of weddings, I get such a kick out of bringing an entire wedding day vision to life for a couple. I love doing both as they require such different skills and I feel like each wedding is totally different. After many years of offering solely styling to my couples, I often found myself getting frustrated that the florals they had booked weren’t quite right for the vision and so I decided to learn florals from someone that I hugely admired (Sinclair&Moore). I have since offered them in my service and I couldn’t be happier that I took the leap to do this!
As we are approaching the festive period, how would you suggest creating the perfect Christmas tablescape?
First decide on your colours for this year are you traditional (greens and reds) or more modern minimal (monochrome) or Scandi vibes (woods and nudes) for example. Once you’ve settled on the colours you’d like then have a look around your home for things you already have that you could layer up on your table. I personally love a country chic style Christmas as I live in the Cotswolds so I would dress my farmhouse table with a lovely scented garland that would sit on top of a textured oatmeal runner. I’d then use lots of candles to take the table through to evening, and nestled in amongst the foliage blocks of wood (similar to those at Hyde actually!) to raise sharing plates and boards above the decor as after all the food at Christmas is what we’re all here for isn’t it! Little details like personalised place names made out of rosemary circles to look like mini wreaths would sit on top of oatmeal napkins and perhaps adding a little note to each guest recounting a favourite memory from that year. Something personal always goes down well!
What would you say is a must have styling item/prop?
Candle holders! In every shape, size and metallic! They’re an absolute essential and come with me to every single wedding!
What do you love the most about styling Hyde House Wedding Days?
Hyde house has a great layout with a separate ceremony space, drinks reception space and then wedding breakfast area which is actually quite rare to find, especially having them all be so beautiful too! I love styling these separate spaces as it gives guests a full journey throughout the day with continual surprises as they see a new space for each ‘event’ as the day unfolds.
What are your top tips for couples when it comes to deciding on colour schemes/ designs and concepts?
Don’t get caught up with what is hot right now. Stay true to what you both love and have a day that reflects you both. Those are by far the best days! Also allow your suppliers the creative freedom to get excited about your day and come up with new ideas for you!
Can you share some of your favourite work from HH Weddings?
There are so many but here are a few:
Joanna Brooks Photography
Pear and Bear Photography
L- Pear and Bear Photography | R- Rebecca Carpenter Photography
What are your favourite trends and what do you think will be the big trends for 2025?
For 2025 more couples are being brave with colour combinations and I LOVE it, I’ve got some very exciting colour schemes for 2025!
Texture is also a big one with silk fabric being very popular. I think bows will be just as popular as they were for 2024. I think we will start to see mono-bloom groupings and more architectural-led floral designs creep in too.
Getting to know- Our Head Chef, Dan
What made you decide to be a chef?
The first chef job I fell into was while I was travelling. I loved the atmosphere in a kitchen and the overall the environment. As this progressed into a career it became about working alongside like-minded people, with similar passions and bouncing ideas around. I was attracted to the execution, perfection, attention to detail and intricate precision that you need as a chef and my journey with food is forever evolving and changing, from the style of food I create, to the flavours.
I took inspiration from my extensive travelling as a child where I was able to experience a variety of cuisines and was immersed in different cultures. Mothers Sunday roast, baking with grandparents, visiting markets along the coast were all things I loved to do.
I just love the way food brings people together and how it can initiate conversation.
From our new 2025 menu, which dishes are your favourite?
I like to try and bring everything to the table when it comes to writing the menu for Hyde. I understand that the menu has to cater for a wide variety of people and so I try to tick a lot of boxes that meet the different needs of our clients and have something for everyone.
My favourite aspect of the menu is the canapés. I use canapés to showcase different techniques, ingredients and flavours. I love designing them and creating new combinations and twists. They are also a great way to encourage people to taste and experience new foods.
My top choices for canapés from the 2025 menu are the bourbon glazed tempeh, potato pave with truffle and caviar, treacle cured salmon with pickled pear, lotus root and créme fraiche, whipped goats cheese on crisp bread with redcurrant marmalade and the lobster salad with squid ink tapioca.
For starter, I would have the whipped feta with charred asparagus and I really like the sharing concept and so my main course choice would be either the feasting mustard and garlic crusted sirloin of beef or the slow cooked shoulder of lamb, with spiced parmentier potatoes and za’atar roasted carrots with chickpeas and pomegranate. For dessert I would choose the caramelised white chocolate cheesecake.
What are your top tips for couples when making their menu choices?
Go with the things that you want. Go for more adventurous canapés and lots of sides with different variations to elevate the feasting experience.
What do you love the most about being the head chef at Hyde House?
My favourite thing about being head chef at Hyde is the happiness that my food brings to people on their special day and the flexibility and creative freedom to do the food I want.
Hitched at Hyde- J&W
Tell us a bit about yourselves – how did you meet and what is your proposal story?
Will and I met at work and were a couple for around 8 years before we got engaged in 2021. We had booked a night away at Foxhill Manor in the Cotswolds to celebrate my 30th birthday in November 2020, however due to lockdown we had to reschedule 3 times. We eventually stayed at Foxhill Manor in October 2021 and whilst I was getting ready for dinner Will got down on one knee and proposed. Even though we had spoken about marriage before, the proposal was a complete surprise and even more special that we could celebrate in the Cotswolds.
What made you choose Hyde House as your wedding venue?
Will and I live in Manchester but we always say the Cotswolds is our happy place, so we knew straight away it was where we wanted to get married. I wanted quite a traditional English wedding, but with the option of personalising the venue with our design choices. As our guests were travelling from across the country, having accommodation on site and nearby was also important to us.
We visited Hyde House on an open day and fell in love immediately. The main house was stunning with two modern barns to decorate how we wish. Being a foodie, I wanted our wedding meal to be special, and the food I tasted at the open event did not disappoint. We loved the venue so much we rang back the next day to reserve our date.
What drew you towards having a winter wedding day?
When I was at university, I used to work for a wedding catering company in my spare time. I still remember the magical feeling the winter weddings gave me, from the cosy drinks receptions to the candlelight dinners after the sun had set. I knew from then I wanted a winter wedding to re-create that magical feeling and bring my winter wonderland vision to life. Plus there is always the added bonus of not worrying about the weather on your wedding day!
Your day was so beautiful with so many gorgeous and well thought out touches. Who were your talented suppliers and what made you choose them?
Every single one of our suppliers were just outstanding. I had found most of them through Instagram and the Hyde House supplier list, and knew their style was just what we wanted.
My glam squad consisted of Lauren Gosling for hair and Amy Rose MacDonald for makeup who made my whole bridal party look so beautiful on the day. Hannah Culley made our delicious wedding cake and Lou Paper designed all our stationery, both invitations and on the day.
Styletopia, along with Stow Flower Shop, brought our vision to life and decorated Hyde House beautifully with winter foliage, adding warmth with black tapered dinner candles and gold accents throughout the venue. Styletopia encouraged us to think about sustainability in our wedding, so instead of traditional favours, we opted for cocktail hour and instead of a guest book, all our guests signed a bauble to hang on our Christmas tree which we can use to decorate our home for years to come.
Our photographer Pat Partridge was one of our best decisions we made. His laidback style suited our vibe for the day, and his interaction with us and the guests meant he really captured the joy of the day.
We had Joe Pike play the piano from the ceremony through to the wedding breakfast. I walked down the aisle to Alicia Keys “If I ain’t got you” which Joe played so beautifully, it filled me emotion as soon as I heard the intro. For the party afterwards, we hired Velvet Soul, a disco, soul and funk bank, who were amazing – I didn’t stop dancing all night!
How did you find the planning process and did one of you take charge of was it a team effort?
It was definitely a team effort, Will is a much better planner than I am and he really helped organise us and the suppliers to bring my vision for the wedding to life.
What were each of your favourite moments from the day?
The ceremony was a surprise to us both at how meaningful and special it was, as we both had thought our favourite moment of the day would be dancing, having fun and celebrating with all our friends. From the music played by Joe Pike, to the readings from our close friends and family, the ceremony was a beautiful moment to celebrate our love. We did still have a blast dancing with everyone in the evening though!
Tell us something we wouldn’t know about your wedding day from the pictures?
They say a picture paints a thousand words but it can’t portray how delicious all the food was on the day. We opted for confit salmon to start, belly pork for main, apple crumble tart for dessert and, for a fun option, we went for fried chicken and chips for the evening food. Every single guest we spoke to said how amazing the food was – it really was outstanding.
After the wedding breakfast, Pat took Will and I outside, along with a few friends, for a champagne spray photo. The whole series of photos from that moment are epic, but what they don’t show is us all waiting for a second bottle of fizz to arrive, covered in champagne, wind was blowing a gale, but not caring and just having fun, dancing and singing to Cher – Believe.
What would be your words of wisdom for future Hyde House couples?
Jenna: Leave as much time as you can to get ready in the morning so you arent rushing. You will go into the ceremony calmer, and it will help you be present throughout the day. I had a small bridal party of 3 bridesmaids, and we had such a chilled morning, it really helped me relax and enjoy every moment.
Will: Just enjoy everything about it! All our suppliers and everyone at Hyde House made everything so simple and ran smoothly from planning to the day itself.
Getting to know- Haze Lea Floral Design
Tell us a bit about yourself and your style of floristry.
I live in Fairford with my husband, 18 month old daughter and Bordernese dog and have been a florist for 10 years now. I would say my style of floristry is perfectly imperfect, organic English country garden. Large blousy blooms paired with plenty of delicate bouncy varieties and a smattering of lesser known/ more surprising varieties for good measure.
What made you decide to be a florist?
A need to have a creative outlet which would allow me to also be self-employed! I didn’t know anything about flowers back then but took the chance & booked on to a 6 week floristry course anyway. I fell in love immediately!
What was it that drew you to working within the wedding industry?
Weddings offer so many more opportunities to be creative with colour palettes & large designs. Each wedding is so different and personal it’s impossible to get bored! I also love to meet new couples and get excited about their plans with them.
What do you love the most about designing and creating florals for Hyde House Wedding Days?
The Grange and the Barn provide the perfect canvas for ANY look, style or colour scheme, there is so much scope to truly transform the space to however you want, and that’s exciting!
What are your top floristry tips for couples when it comes to deciding on colour schemes/ designs and concepts?
Be true to yourself and try not to get swept up by what’s trending on Pinterest/ instagram. If you really have no idea where to start don’t worry, ask your florist or stylist for help. I actually love it when a couple isn’t set on a colour scheme. For me it’s a fun challenge to delve a little deeper during our consultations so I can interpret & construct bespoke palettes to suit.
What are your favourite trends and what do you think will be the big trends for 2024?
As always classic white weddings will always have their place. Oranges & peaches are still going strong in 2024 but this time with an interesting pop of blue/ lilacs added in. I think more couples are beginning to lean towards a more vibrant fun & happy mix for their palettes. Sunset tones seems to be a palette that is gaining momentum which simply turns to a more muted moodier version for the autumn months. All of which I am 100% on board with!
And lastly, can you share some of your favourite florals from Hyde House Wedding days?
Ana Parker Photography | Natalie J Watts Photography
Dinner Date Nights at Hyde House
Here at Hyde House, we know that food is one of the most important parts of your big day. We want you to feel confident that you’re in safe hands with our wonderful in-house catering team, so we are proud to offer all of our couples the opportunity to attend a Dinner Date Night.
Our Dinner Date Nights offer the chance for you to sample a selection of our wedding breakfast options, as well as the opportunity to try our wines, fizz and a cocktail (or two!) To make the evening extra special, we have a selection our wonderful recommended partners, such as stylists and florists, who decorate the The Barn and live musicians to create the perfect atmosphere. The Hyde House team are also on hand to answer any queries you may have, or just to have a catch up on all things weddings!
To give you a taster of what you can expect from your upcoming Dinner Date Night, we wanted to share with you some gorgeous imagery taken at two of our most recent events by Pear & Bear Photography and Tom Durn Photography, and you can find the full list of suppliers involved at the bottom. Happy scrolling!
Hyde House Partners:
Rustic tables- Valley Furniture Hire
Glassware and Cutlery- R&R Weddings and Events
Stylists and props- Wedding Creations
Napkins- The Vintage House that Could
Stationery- Lauren Daisy
Photographers- Pear and Bear Photography
Music- James Sax
Autumn Inspiration at Hyde House
It is no surprise to us that the Autumn months are such a popular time of year to get married at Hyde House. With the seasonal blooms, textured foliage, the softening, golden light, the turning leaves on The House and all of the cosiness that comes with the cooler days, there is so much to make the most of. And last year, our couples really did make the most of all of those things and more and having been sent a handful of really incredible galleries we just had to share some of their images with you.
So, whether you’re having an Autumn/ Winter Wedding day with us or are thinking of booking a Wedding around this time of year, we hope that you can find lots of lovely inspiration below and with a few weekend dates still remaining for this coming Autumn, do get in touch with us on
team@hyde-house.uk
to find out the offers we have available!
Top Left- Ana Parker Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design; Top Right- Alba Turnbull Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design; Bottom Left- Pear and Bear Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design; Bottom Right- Lucie Watson Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design
Top- Pear and Bear Photography, Foxy Buds; Bottom Left- Alba Turnbull Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design; Bottom Right- Ana Parker Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design
Top- Pear and Bear Photography, Foxy Buds; Bottom- Ana Parker Photography, Etiquette Events, Haze Lea Floral Design
Top Left- Patrick Partridge Photography, Forest and the Flowers; Top Right- Lucie Watson Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design; Bottom- Pear and Bear Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design
Top Left- Ana Parker Photography, Wedding Creations; Top Right- Lucie Watson Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design; Bottom Left- Patrick Partridge Photography; Bottom Right- Ana Parker Photography, Wedding Creations
Lucie Watson Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design
Patrick Partridge Photography, Forest and the Flowers
Alba Turnbull Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design, Every Event Hire
Top Left- Lucie Watson Photography, Lou Paper; Top Right- Abla Turnbull Photography; Bottom Left- Patrick Partridge Photography; Bottom Right- Ana Parker Photography, Etiquette Events, Wedding Creations
Top- Pear and Bear Photography, Foxy Buds; Bottom- Pear and Bear Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design
Ana Parker Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design, Etiquette Events, Wedding Creations
Left- Lucie Watson Photography, Hannah Culley Cakes; Top Right- Ana Parker Photography, Haze Lea Floral Design, Bottom Right- Patrick Partridge Photography, Forest and the Flowers
And can we talk about that Autumn light?
Top Left- Pear and Bear Photography, Top Right- Lucie Watson Photography; Bottom Left- Patrick Partridge; Bottom Right- Ana Parker Photography
Hitched at Hyde- K&C
Tell us a bit about yourselves- how did you meet and what is your proposal story?
Kristy – Craig and I met through a mutual friend in our second year at Plymouth University. We left Uni together, moved to London and have since bought our first home together here. We’ve been together 10 years this year! Craig proposed in February 2022 during storm Eunice. We were in Cornwall, where he is from, and he was pestering me to go for a cliff walk despite the horrendous weather so I thought he may be planning something. We lasted about 1 minute outside before he got down on one knee and we quickly ran back to the car for shelter and warmth. It was an easy yes.
What made you choose Hyde House as your Wedding venue?
Craig – The Cotswolds is an area of the UK that we have spent lots of time together and it’s also in between Cornwall and Dorset, where our families are from. We set a weekend aside to travel from London, packing in viewings in the hope of finding the one. As it turns out, Hyde House was the second viewing we had and blew the other out of the water. We cancelled the rest of our bookings and paid our deposit that weekend.
Kristy – We just got that feeling at Hyde. The contrast between the traditional house and the blank-canvas modern barn spaces alongside the the stylish bar, and bedrooms – we felt like it had a bit of everything. No detail had been missed and we just knew it was the venue for us.
What drew you towards having an Autumn Wedding day?
Craig – An autumn wedding had always been our plan. We were realistic about how unpredictable the weather in the UK can be and we knew we would be upset if we chose a summer date and it rained. So, with that in mind we decided that an October wedding felt a bit less pressurised weather-wise, and we could plan for the whole day to be inside. We were very lucky that on our wedding day the weather was mild, and our guests were therefore able to overflow into the outside space, which was lovely.
Your day was so beautiful with so many gorgeous and well thought out touches. Who were your talented suppliers and what made you choose them?
Kristy – We felt incredibly lucky to have some of the best suppliers pulling our dream together. Most of them we either found via Hyde’s recommended supplier list or through Instagram. We chose Katherine (Haze Lea Florals) for our flowers, as they were the most important ‘extra’ for me. Katherine fully got our vision, and we are still receiving compliments about her stunning arrangements to this day! Styletopia styled our wedding, and we loved the sustainability aspect of ‘renting’ their props, and using their faux florals for the big pieces so nothing went to waste. We chose Matthew Bee (Cotswold Guitarist) for our ceremony and reception, and Apollo Soul for the evening and we couldn’t recommend them both enough, they were just incredible. Our cake was made by Hannah Culley’s Cakes and was a huge hit with all our guests – we are still munching on it from the freezer months down the line. And finally, our getting ready team comprised of Lauren Gosling Hair and Amy Rose Make Up both of whom bought the fun but chilled vibes whilst making all of the girls feel amazing.
How did you find the planning process and did one of you take charge or was it a team effort?
Kristy – The wedding planning process has a bit of negative press, and we were worried that we would find it overwhelming and stressful, but we couldn’t have had a more opposite experience. I’m a ‘planner’ and had the vision in my mind/on my Pinterest board of what I wanted the day to look like so definitely took the reins initially. But once I had narrowed the searches down to a couple of options, Craig (the more decisive one!) stepped in and made final choices. When we got closer to the big day, the details came back to me and I really enjoyed making styling choices, sourcing stationery and gifts for our families etc.
What were each of your favourite moments from your day?
Kristy – It was genuinely all amazing. I loved getting ready with my best girls and my Mum, listening to music, and feeling fully pampered. Then the moment I saw Craig at the end of the aisle was just so special. Honestly, every moment was full of joy and love, and I’ve never smiled so much in my life.
Craig – I think the moment we walked into the wedding breakfast, ‘signed, sealed, delivered’ blaring, everyone waving their napkins in the air was just awesome. But every moment was amazing, we just had the best day ever.
Tell us something we wouldn’t know about your Wedding Day from the pictures?
Craig – Me and the groomsmen very nearly didn’t make it in time! We rented a house for the weekend before the wedding and were checking out the morning of, and we accidentally dropped the key somewhere on the stone driveway so had to spend way too long searching for it. Luckily, we found it and were on our way, but it was a bit hairy!
Kristy – During the reception drinks, someone knocked into my friend who was stood close by and holding an espresso martini… It went all down the front of my dress. Luckily, I was so high on cloud nine, I was genuinely not that bothered. My bridesmaids and I escaped up to the bridal getting ready room and with a steamer and some plain cloth, managed to get the worst of it out!
What would be your words of wisdom for future Hyde House couples?
Kristy – Trust the process. It’s easy to overthink your choices in the period from booking suppliers to your day arriving as it’s usually a fairly long wait but remember that you made your decisions for a reason. Somebody said to me that the only person who knows ‘what your wedding should look like’ is you – so if something goes wrong (and it probably will), no-one else will know, and on the day, you will be so elated, you also won’t care.
Craig – Make the most of the fact that everyone you and your partner love is under one roof. It’s such a rare opportunity. As well as others, make sure you carve time out to spend with each other because the day really does fly by.
Photography- Lucie Watson Photography