Tilly and Simon's wedding at The Moat House in Acton Trussell was relaxed, colourful and full of personal details. Their day included a light filled ceremony in the Orangery Restaurant, book inspired centrepieces, travel photographs, a meaningful first dance and an evening champagne spray beneath the fairy light tree.
The Moat House is a venue I know very well, and Tilly and Simon's wedding was a lovely example of how personal a day there can feel. Their ceremony took place in the Orangery Restaurant, a bright and welcoming space that worked beautifully with the colours and atmosphere they had chosen for the day.
Their styling brought together old books, travel photographs, warm colours, gold glitter and disco balls. It was thoughtful without feeling overdone, and it reflected them as a couple in a way that felt natural and relaxed.
Tilly and Simon in New York, where they got engaged before their Moat House wedding.
"We got engaged back in 2024 on 11th August while in New York, at the start of an epic road trip driving Route 66. It was a complete surprise and we were at the top of SUMMIT with a view of the whole of Manhattan.
Simon did an excellent job of offering to take a photo for someone else, for a photo of us in return, so we got this fab photo, minus the silly shoe coverings."
"We looked at three other venues actually, Keele Hall, Pendrell Hall and Barlaston Estate, but ultimately none of them could beat The Moat House.
We were drawn to it because of its beauty inside and out, which we knew would make for some brilliant photos. The staff were super lovely, answered all our questions and were really accommodating of requests as well."
"Initially, we thought we wanted to have our ceremony upstairs in the Colin Lewis Suite, but due to the stairs it would have meant my dad could not be there.
However, I would not have changed it anyway because the Orangery is such a light and vibrant space and really worked with our colours in the end."
This is one of the things I love about The Moat House. There are different options for ceremonies and celebrations, which means the day can be shaped around what matters most to each couple. For Tilly and Simon, the Orangery Restaurant gave them a bright, accessible and welcoming ceremony space that suited the feel of the day beautifully.
"I always had in mind that I wanted a dress like my Grandma had to my Grandad on her wedding day, as every time I see a photo of her in it, I think how timeless and beautiful she looked.
For a long time I was on the lookout for a satin dress with some big puff sleeves and had a huge Pinterest board filled with similar dresses. It just so happened that one day, while looking, I came across some dresses from the designer Jesus Peiro and I knew they matched the style I was looking for.
I searched for a stockist in the UK, as they are based in Barcelona, and came across Lulu Browns, which is only ten minutes away from where I grew up. I think I tried five dresses before this one, but knew as soon as I saw it in the shop that I would love it, so it was a done deal very quickly."
"In terms of styling, I wanted to do something that said something about our personalities, but also reflected how we wanted our guests to feel on the day.
We both have a love of reading, so I thought that having old books as centrepieces would work well, along with the photos of us on our travels throughout the years, as travelling is definitely our biggest passion and we are always in a new place.
We both also love how reading a book in winter with the fire and pouring rain makes you feel super cosy, so we chose colours to match with that vibe, alongside the fact that orange is my favourite colour.
However, it was also then important to us to show to our guests that we wanted them to feel upbeat and bring on the party in the evening, so the gold glitter and disco balls were really just a nod to that as a bit of fun."
"I am not one to stand on tradition, but it was such a special moment before the ceremony when we did the bridesmaid reveal, as they all looked so happy and I felt very supported by my girls."
"Our first dance song was Always by Atlantic Starr, which we chose because of the beautiful lyrics that really fit a wedding, but more because I associate it with my Grandma and Grandad.
As we lost my Grandma in 2018, it felt really important to have a connection to her on the day, as she was one of the most important people in my life."
Tilly chose the photograph below as her favourite image from the day.
She also loved that so many photographs showed how relaxed and fun the day was, including a brilliant documentary moment of her maid of honour helping with Deep Freeze.
One of my own favourite photographs from the day was the champagne spray beneath The Moat House fairy light tree. It is one of those evening spots that couples often love, and it brought a fun, celebratory feel to the later part of their gallery.
"I think the main thing to help with it being as relaxed as possible was that everything was prepared in advance, and that all our vendors were so professional and calm.
I think we are both quite relaxed people, but knowing everything was in hand because people knew what we wanted and knew how to deliver that was really key."
This is such good advice for any couple planning their wedding. A relaxed day rarely happens by accident. It usually comes from good planning, trusted suppliers and allowing enough space in the timeline for the day to unfold naturally.
"Take all the opportunities to visit, look around, use recommended suppliers, and ask any questions that you have. The Moat House are so good at delivering an exceptional and personalised package that no question is too big or silly."
The Moat House is a beautiful Staffordshire wedding venue with so many lovely options for photographs, from the Orangery Restaurant and Colin Lewis Suite to the gardens, water, courtyard areas and fairy light tree in the evening.
As a recommended supplier at The Moat House, I know the venue well and understand how to make the most of the different spaces throughout the day, whether you are planning an Orangery ceremony, portraits by the water, relaxed guest photographs or evening images beneath the fairy lights.
If you are planning your own wedding at The Moat House and would like relaxed, natural and elegant photographs that feel true to your day, I would love to hear more about your plans.
Venue: The Moat House, Acton Trussell
Florist and styling: Little Events
DJ: TCK Entertainment
Bridal dress: Lulu Browns
Suits: Chester Menswear
Make up artist: Alice.Oliviamakeup
Hair: KH Hairdressing
Cake: Scumbles