Alex and Kim’s love story began over a shared passion — dancing. “We’re childhood sweethearts,” Alex explains. “We met about 13 or 14 years ago at a local dance school. I’d been at a different school, but I came along to dance with one of Kim’s friends and that’s how we met.” Kim laughs: “He danced with my friend for a few years before we really got to know each other.”
The couple had looked at several venues before finding the one that felt just right. “We’d seen barns, pubs, a few other places,” Kim recalls. “Then we saw Wood Horana online — it looked really pretty. My mum came with us on the first visit, and we hadn’t really pictured our perfect wedding, but as soon as we drove down the big driveway, we thought, ‘Oh, it looks nice.’ And then we saw the manor… it was completely different to anything else we’d seen. As we went around on the tour, we just kept thinking, ‘This is it. It just feels right.’”
For the couple, the planning process was a shared adventure. “Everything was decided together,” Kim explains. “We didn’t hire anyone for styling — we wanted it to reflect us. We hadn’t been to many weddings, so we didn’t really know what to expect or what traditions we had to follow. It was very much a celebration for us.” Alex adds: “The venue and the dress came first, and then we built the rest of the day around that. Romantic was the word we chose to describe everything — from the decor to the mood. It just set the tone for the day.”
Food played a big role in their celebration, particularly given the family’s dietary preferences. “The majority of my family, including myself, are vegetarian, so that was important,” Kim says. “There were so many options. I had a lovely pasta dish, Alex had something different, and the canapés earlier in the day were perfect. And dessert — I’m a bit of a chocoholic — the brownie was probably the best I’ve ever had!” Alex adds: “For me, the meal was definitely a highlight. We had a sweetheart table and three long rows of tables, mixing families up so everyone could chat and laugh together. It worked beautifully.”
With just 50 guests, the day felt intimate yet relaxed. “We didn’t feel pressured to entertain anyone,” Kim says. “Because most of our guests are local, it was easy to step away for photos or to eat our canapés without feeling rushed. Planning that breathing space was so important.”
As ballroom and Latin dancers, the couple felt a little pressure about their first dance. “People assumed it would be a show-stopping number,” Alex recalls. “But we wanted it to be simple and personal. We just got on the floor, played our song — At Last by Etta James — and enjoyed it without worrying about steps or choreography. That made it really special.”
Their advice to other couples is simple: “Do what you want,” Kim says. “Don’t feel pressured by traditions or the number of guests. For us, 50 people was perfect. Write down your top priorities — for us, that was photography and accommodation — and focus on those. Everything else falls into place.”
Reflecting on their day, Alex sums it up in three words: “Beautiful, easy, perfect.” Kim agrees: “Nothing ever felt too much to ask, and months later people still say to us, ‘It was just perfect.’ It really was.”
