Meet Our Couples | Isabelle & Reith

How did you meet?

Isabelle and I met at university. We both joined the kayaking club and properly met for the first time during a surf kayaking trip down to Perranporth, Cornwall.

Isabelle quickly realised that kayaking wasn't for her, with the boat turning over and getting stuck upside down in the water. One of Isabelle's bridesmaids (Steph) had to dive in and pull her out!! Despite the lack of actual kayaking, Isabelle stuck around for the social scene and before you knew it, we were dating.

What led up to the proposal?

We'd discussed getting married for a while, so much so that we went ring shopping together to get an idea for the style Isabelle might like back in the autumn of 2024. Unknowingly to Isabelle, I managed to purchase the ring Isabelle had her eye on and all that remained was to actually propose. Isabelle had already dropped subtle hints that she didn't want to be proposed to at home. She also isn't a big fan of public spectacles, so I knew a restaurant or something similar was off the cards. I'd made my mind up that a nice walk with a great view would be the best time and place to propose. The only problem was that I'd bought the ring in November and trying to find a guaranteed sunny day in the winter is not the easiest. So, the ring sat all winter, in the one place I knew Isabelle would never look, on top of our fridge in a metal tin labelled "Reith's Snacks".

Then one day towards the end of march the following year, Isabelle asked what we should do at the weekend. After looking up the forecast and seeing it would be sunny, I persuaded her that a drive over to one of her favourite spots (Old Harry Rocks) for a walk would be a good idea (of course I took the ring with us). I'd decided that I'd propose while standing at the trig point which sits about halfway around the walk and has a great view overlooking the English Channel.

Unfortunately, it turns out that on that day Old Harry Rocks and the trig point a bit further along the coast were a lot more popular than I'd expected. So, I held onto the ring in my bag waiting for the right time. Eventually we crested a hill and with no one else around I knew now was the time. Isabelle had also decided that now was the time to stop and take a photo of the view, so I suggested that it would look a lot better if she just walked a little further down the path. Then while she set up for the shot I got down on one knee and asked the all important question.

What drew you to Abbots Court and how did you know it was the venue for our wedding?

We were looking for a wedding venue where we'd be able to get ready on site and somewhere our families could meet and get to know each other better before, during and after the big day. Although we were not set on an outdoor wedding, having plenty of garden space for our guests to enjoy throughout the day was also important to us.

When we looked around Abbots Court it ticked all our boxes, particularly the lovely big garden where our guests could relax and take in the Dorset countryside. The large pavilion space with its oak framing, hanging decorations and big windows out onto the patio and the gardens with the large array of flowers meant that the venue already looked fantastic before buying any flowers or hiring stylists (something that could not be said about all the venues we'd looked around!). Lastly the house, which could house both Isabelle and I’s immediate family throughout the weekend from Friday morning all the way through till Sunday evening was the cherry on top. This space allowed us to relax into the weekend and a space to come down after the excitement was all over. It also provided a great space to chat into the evening with friends and family who had come to help with the setup and rehearse for the big day.

Which spaces at Abbots Court did you use?

House – For both our immediate families to stay for the weekend. Grooms apartment and separate staircase is a great addition which we made the most of to ensure we didn’t see each other before the ceremony.

Victorian Stables - We'd actually planned to have our ceremony outside under the pergola in the walled garden and the drinks reception in the garden / patio. However, on the day the weather was against us and it was an easy decision to switch to the stables which provided the perfect backdrop for our vows.

Covered Courtyard - For the same reason as above the drinks reception was moved to the covered courtyard where firepits had been lit and the string quartet could be heard, regardless of where you stood.

Pavilion - For Wedding breakfast, cocktail hour and party!

Patio and Garden - During the wedding breakfast and into the evening the wind died down and the rain stopped, allowing our guests to enjoy the garden and patio throughout the evening. We were also able to head out and take some couples photos as well as a big group shot with all our guests.

What was your experience with food, drink and entertainment?

We hired Chilli Pepper Catering to provide the canapés for the drinks reception and food for the wedding breakfast. The canapés were delicious and Isabelle and I managed to get 10 minutes alone after the excitement of the ceremony, congratulations and photos to try each one. They were all amazing and even one of our guests who is gluten free managed to get some canapés, as a special portion had been arranged by Chilli Pepper (without us asking) just for him.

Chilli Pepper also provided all the food during the wedding breakfast, with an extra special surprise for me at the end as Isabelle had arranged a sticky toffee pudding as a surprise as we’d ultimately decided on another pudding for the wedding breakfast but she knew how much I enjoyed it during the tastings.

Drinks were all provided by Abbots Court with a drinks package to cover the drinks reception and wedding breakfast. We then had an open bar staffed by Gavin and Pascal who kept the drinks flowing into the evening and made sure everyone had a great time. They also learned our His and Hers cocktail drinks, both of which proved very popular!! (His = Queens Park Swizzle, Hers = Passion Fruit Martini Mocktail).

With our drinks packages and one of the "His and Hers" drinks we included non-alcoholic options as Isabelle is not a big drinker and we had several guests who were also not drinking. We had lot of compliments on this throughout the night, having the options for non-drinkers being significantly more exciting than your standard water, coke, fanta options.

Entertainment was provided by a string quartet (Bossard String Quartet) before, during and after the ceremony as well as a four-piece live band (Friday feelin’ / Hyper fly) who kept the dance floor packed throughout the night and we received many compliments from our guests, many of whom are keen dancers!! The band even learned our first dance song (Stargazing, Miles Smith) with the first verse sung in the slowed down moonlight version and the remainder of the song sung in the original version. This allowed the two of us to dance along slowly at the start before the band picked up the pace to encourage everyone else to join in.

Did staying at Abbots Court with the on-site rooms for the weekend make the celebration feel special?

Having free roam of the house and having the spaces where we could relax, get ready for the big day and wind down the day after really elevated the whole weekend and made Abbots Court a no brainer when it came to booking. Having the house and accommodation on-site was a key factor in selecting Abbots Court in the first place and having so many rooms, with them all being maintained to such a high standard, meant that there was plenty of space for both ourselves and our immediate families to stay all the way through from the Friday till the Sunday. In the evening on Saturday Noush, evening wedding events manager, made sure that a fire had been laid and lit in the living room. Giving our families space to relax after the celebrations in such a cozy space.

Looking back, what are your favourite memories from our wedding and what advice would we share with other couples?

Once we'd spent most of Friday setting up, helped by all the team at Abbots Court as well as some of the suppliers, we had a full rehearsal of the day. From ceremony to wedding speeches, entrance music to cake cutting location. After which we had the rest of the evening to ourselves. My brother is a chef by trade and arrived fully prepared with enough lasagna, garlic bread and brownies to feed an army. Between ourselves, our immediate families and friends (who were on-site to support the rehearsal) we could all sit down to a delicious meal and chatter long into the evening. Would fully recommend making the most of the time before and after the big day as Abbots Court House provides the perfect space to make a full weekend of it!!

In terms of memories from our wedding day itself, the walled garden at Abbots provides an amazing space which is both directly connected to the party, while feeling private and intimate. Isabelle and I managed to take five minutes to ourselves to take everything in while strolling through the freshly cut lawn and blossoming flowers in the garden in early June. I'd recommend that any couple find 5 or 10 minutes here and there throughout the big day to spend some quiet time together.

Lastly, as everyone kept telling us, the day goes by in a flash so try and enjoy every moment surrounded by friends and family. We really did have the best day! 

Photography courtesy of Pip & Clo | Dorset Wedding Photographers