Amy and Jay’s wedding day on 2 August 2024 was nothing short of magical, set against the stunning backdrop of the wedding Barn at Healing Manor Hotel. From the moment they arrived, they knew this was the place they would say ‘I do’.
The couple fell in love with the venue’s breathtaking grounds, the barn’s charming décor, and, most importantly, the warmth and hospitality shown by the team.
“We loved how stunning the grounds were to begin with, but then we spoke to Charlotte and fell in love with the place more. She was really kind and knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable straight away. After seeing the venue at multiple wedding fairs, we fell in love with the barn’s décor and the layout of the venue. It was exactly what we wanted for our guests and loved the outdoor area too. The whole place is stunning and we felt proud to have our wedding here.”
The couple’s brief for the day was a timeless yet modern feel, with a black and white colour scheme and a splash of green. Amy and Jay worked with Amy of Jack Loves Jill to create their look.
“Down the aisle, we had large glass vases with candles and white flowers inside. There was a white runner carpet and at the end of the aisle, a large black hoop with greenery and white flowers over one side and an LED sign with ‘The Holtbys’. Our cake table followed the same theme with a black hoop behind the cake with the greenery and flowers.”
The styling was complemented by florals from Sam at Stem&Co.
“Sam is an amazing florist who is so talented. She advised me on what was best for the theme of our wedding. Sam created our stunning bouquets and even advised me to put some vases in the centre pieces on the tables to use them as part of our décor – what a cost-saver! Sam is a genuinely lovely person and I was so happy she was our florist.”
The wedding day was captured in detail by James Williams Photography with second shooter Simon Yau.
“We chose James as we had seen him do many other weddings on Instagram and had only ever heard good things about him. He really didn’t disappoint! He was so friendly and by the end of the day, he felt like one of the guests. He was getting involved in all of the dancing and the singing as well as taking some incredible photos. The day after the wedding, we woke up to find over 140 photos already sent to us. We were so happy with his service and the quality to his work We can’t recommend him enough: top class photographer and best in the business.”
“Simon Yau was our second photographer and was there to capture the candid portion of the day. He got himself mixed in with the guests and we didn’t even know he was there for most of the day as he mingled in!”
In keeping with the modern, timeless vibe of the day, the bride’s dress was a Sophia Tolli creation from Coates Couture.
“As soon as I tried my dress on, I fell in love with it. It was like none other that I have seen before. It was layered which meant I could eat and drink as much as I wanted without worrying about the dreaded bloat! I added a pearl and diamante belt to add a bit of sparkle. I also had pearl hair grips in my hair and a pearly veil to add some more sparkle. The dress made me feel like a proper bride and I felt beautiful and comfortable as soon as I had it on.”
Amy added white, closed toe shoes with a pearl strap to add to the pearl theme. Her jewellery acted as her ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’.
“My something old was my Tiffany necklace, something borrowed was my best friend’s bracelet, my something new was my engagement and wedding rings, and finally my something blue was a blue garter.”
The bride asked hair stylist Mandy Deacon to create an elegant up-do.
“Mandy has been a close family friend since she and my mum went to school together. She has been my family’s hairdresser all of my life and was even with my parents when they found out they were pregnant with me. Mandy did a gorgeous up do, a large low bun with curls at the front to shape my face. Mandy is absolutely fab at what she does and all of our hair stayed in place all day: I wouldn’t have used anyone else!”
The bride’s stunning make-up was designed by Makeup by Rebecca Barker.
“Rebecca is such a lovely person and so good at what she does. She got involved in the wedding morning and was like another one of the girls. She created a look that was perfect for my wedding day – not too much but just enough to make me feel incredible and it lasted all day long! She is the best in the business and I’m so glad I had the privilege of having my makeup done by her.”
The groom chose his suit at House of Cavani in Lincoln.
“Jay opted for a black tie suit with a waistcoat. He looked so handsome!”
Amy and Jay’s love story began in August 2017 when they met in Kettering. Jay’s playful charm won Amy over during their first meeting, leading to their first date at a local Italian. By December, they were officially a couple.
In 2018, Amy moved to Dubai for work, and Jay quickly joined her. They enjoyed a sun-soaked life until Jay returned to the UK, and they navigated a long-distance relationship until the pandemic brought them back together. They eventually bought their first home in New Waltham in November 2020.
Two years later in 2022, Jay proposed during a sunset walk in the Cotswolds, to which Amy responded ‘Yeah, sure’.
18 months later, the couple married in a beautiful civil ceremony in the Barn, where Amy walked down the aisle accompanied by her father Keith to ‘Feels Like Home’ by Edwina Hayes. For the couple, the song perfectly encapsulated their journey together. As Jay had followed Amy across the globe for work, it proved that wherever Amy is, is home.
The ceremony featured a poem by Whitney Hanson, read by Amy’s mother, and a special reading from Jay’s auntie Laurie, which the couple had customised to make it even more meaningful.
Amy’s sister Hannah acted as toast master, making the day extra special.
“Hannah wrote short little bits to introduce us as a couple and everybody doing speeches. She also introduced the cake cutting and first dance. Everything she said was so funny and personal and our guests loved it. It was something a bit different and added something extra special to our day.”
After the ceremony, guests were treated to canapés outside while Martin Robinson, aka Mr Sax UK provided live music with a mix of soft jazz tunes. The atmosphere was relaxed and joyful, with everyone enjoying the beautiful outdoor setting at Healing Manor.
“During the canapés, we had a surprise magician (our best man’s husband and BGT star) Lewis Docherty-Clarke. We had no idea he was going to do any magic but it was a big hit with the guests! He is absolutely unreal and we’re very lucky to call him one of our closest friends.”
The reception continued with a three-course meal and speeches, which Amy describes as one of her favourite parts of the day.
“Other than marrying my best friend and spending the day with our nearest and dearest, my favourite part of the day was the speeches and the secret singing waiter! I love a speech and ours were tear jerkers as well as hilarious! I can’t wait to relive them through our video and relive the shock from the guests when the secret singing waiter ‘ruined’ my speech.”
Amy and Jay took part in Healing Manor’s wedding menu tasting a few months before their big day to choose their menu.
“We loved the food and it was such a struggle to get it down to only two starters, mains and desserts. We ended up opting for Tomato Soup or Scotch Egg, Duo of Beef or Chicken Stroganoff, followed by Brownie or Caramel Tart. The guests couldn’t stop talking about the food. Even now, we keep getting complimented on how stunning the food was on the day.”
“While the guests were being seated, my cousins Joseph Littlewood and Megan Forster did a few songs to welcome the guests into the Barn while they waited for me to arrive. Both are incredibly talented and will hopefully be famous in the future; Joe as an Indie artist and Megan as a theatre actress.”
“We also had John from the Silver Service Singers, who surprised the guests by ‘ruining’ the bride’s speech by falling over while I was speaking! The guests were all so shocked and my dad ran straight over to help him up. John got the party started ready for the evening.”
For their wedding cake, the couple were recommended Tricia Morris Cake Design. The three-tier cake featured buttercream icing, with three delicious flavours: Lotus Biscoff, Cherry Bakewell, and Chocolate Orange.
“Tricia’s cake baking skills are fabulous! The cake was incredible and tasted unreal.”
Mr Sax UK returned for the evening for a couple of sets that were more Ibiza and party vibes, perfect for getting the guests dancing.
“The dancefloor was never empty. When Martin wasn’t on, we used the local DJ that Healing Manor provided. He listened to what we wanted and played some absolute bangers! The guests were loving life on the dancefloor and me and Jay didn’t leave it all night – so much so some evening guests even commented they barely saw us.”
The first dance was to ‘You Are The Reason’ by Callum Scott and Leona Lewis.
“We made up a first dance from Instagram videos and incorporated lifts and confetti cannons too to make a WOW ending for the dance.”
Advice for other couples
- Enjoy every minute of it. The day flies by so fast – make sure that you don’t stress over the little things and just focus on how amazing the day is.
- Take a step back to look at your guests and how much they’re having a great time. You’ll never get this moment again.
- Make sure to eat the food as it’s outstanding, even if you don’t feel like eating because of nerves/adrenaline.
- Make sure to actively seek each other out and spend time together as a couple. People will try and pull you left right and centre, so try to stay together.
- Don’t hold back on asking questions – Hannah and Holly are there to help; they are fab!
- Photography | James Williams Photography + second shooter Simon Yau
- Venue | The Wedding Barn at Healing Manor Hotel
- Styling | Jack Loves Jill
- Florist | Stem&Co
- Caterers | Healing Manor Hotel
- Wedding cake | Tricia Morris Cake Design
- Dress + veil | Sophia Tolli via Coates Couture
- Groom | House of Cavani
- Jewellery | Tiffany
- Hair & MakeUp | Makeup by Rebecca Barker + Mandy Deacon Hair
- Entertainment | Silver Service Singers + Mr Sax UK
