Mega fun Coombe Lodge wedding day with sparklers and fireworks
What weather comes to mind when you think of an April wedding? Is it that gorgeous nearly-summer warmth or the hanging-on-to-winter April showers? For Emily and Ryan, their Coombe Lodgewedding was made even more gorgeous by the wonderful weather: a bright blue sky, but with a wind that made everything super atmospheric.
Coombe Lodge wedding venue
Emily and Ryan hail from Birmingham but fell in love with the idea of a Coombe Lodge wedding – and to be honest, we can’t blame them. Just outside of Bristol, Coombe Lodge is a country house venue on the edge of the Mendip Hills, and has an incredible view over the rolling greenery of North Somerset as well as across Blagdon Lake.
As part of your Coombe Lodge wedding, you get exclusive use of not only the luxurious ceremony and reception spaces, but of 12 gorgeous bedrooms too. This allowed Emily and her bridesmaids to stay over the night before, ensuring they could start their bridal prep nice and early. The whole vibe was lovely and relaxed, and included a gorgeous gift from Ryan in the form of a map of their love journey, as well as Emily giving her Mum and Dad a card that she’d written – they were so emotional that she ended up reading it out loud to them, which was super special to witness.
Across the way, Ryan and his groomsmen were getting ready too. I think they win the prize for the most different drinks available in the morning – as well as cider and Bourbon there was also a special flask of treacle toffee vodka for the Best Man!
Outdoors ceremony
Emily and Ryan chose to have their Coombe Lodge wedding ceremony outdoors. Guests were seated in the picturesque courtyard surrounded by bursts of daffodils, which Emily walked by to get to the bottom of the aisle. Of course, Ryan was waiting for her at the top, in front of the ornate archway and the signing table, and his face was a total picture when he turned around to look at her!
But there was someone else who demanded attention during the ceremony as well: the wind. Against the backdrop of that brilliant blue sky, the wind played with Emily’s veil, giving her some gorgeously dramatic silhouettes. Because her veil was super fine, too, the light hitting her face surrounded her in a soft, romantic halo!
Springtime romance
The loose theme for Emily and Ryan’s day was one of springtime romance, which included lots of greenery and big, blousy pale pink flowers. They couldn’t have picked a better venue for this than Coombe Lodge wedding, as the gardens are immaculate and the daffodils were in full bloom, resulting in an epic portraits session.
Their floral arrangements were also studded with baby blue, which they echoed in the bridesmaids’ dresses and the groomsmen’s suits. Both Emily and Ryan’s family even got in on the blue vibe too, which made for some excellent group photo synergy!
Laidback luxury decor
As well as the stunning flowers, there were other decor elements that perfectly brought Emily and Ryan’s vision for their Coombe Lodge wedding to life. They’d displayed wedding photos of family and friends in the hallway, as well as photos of memories they shared together – their first date, graduations, engagement, first house, and more! We also loved the luxurious twist they’d added to their table plan, where they’d attached the table names and seating to an ornate mirror with wax seals.
Sunset and sparklers
The reason we started this post with weather chat is – aside from the fact that we’re British, obviously – because it really did bless us with the best for Emily and Ryan’s day. Not only did we get a sensational golden hour, but we also got an epic sunset, with Emily and Ryan silhouetted against a fiery sky. We also loved their request for a champagne pop photo – look at how the bubbles in the sky look like stars!
The newlyweds then returned inside for their cake cutting and first dance, which officially opened the dancefloor – an invitation their guests didn’t need to hear twice. From that point on, there was always someone throwing a mad shape or five…which we always love, because dance floor photos are the best photos (something we feel so strongly about, we wrote a whole blog on it: you can check that out here.)
Finally, Emily and Ryan wanted their Coombe Lodge wedding to go out with a bang: so they had not only a sparkler send off, but an epic firework display too.
Bristol wedding photographer
If you’re planning a Coombe Lodge wedding and are looking for wedding photographers who are laidback enough to not micromanage the day, but fun enough to throw themselves into the thick of it, then we’d love to hear from you! Or maybe you’re getting married someone else in the area, and are looking for a Bristol wedding photographer to capture it all for you – either way, you can drop us a line here, and we’ll get back to you to chat all things weddings.
Suppliers
Venue: Coombe Lodge
Flowers: Loubee Floral Design
Suits: Tux & Tails Bristol
Cake: Rosie Shaw Cake Company
Hair: Kay’s Mobile Hair
MUA: Elamy Beauty Therapy Suite
Fireworks: Sky Rascal
Band: Velvet Soul
