We all know the saying, 'if at once you don’t succeed try and try again,' well someone who knows that feeling all too well is our handsome groom, James, from this jaw-droppingly beautiful wedding at Woodhill Hall.

After some trials and tribulations of dating and then a long distance relationship (along with many happy memories between the pair) James decided it was time to pop the question to his beloved girlfriend Hazel.

“In 2016 October, James took me to Iceland for my birthday because I’d always wanted to see the Northern lights. He planned to propose to me on my birthday under the Northern lights, but unfortunately, nobody can control the weather and there was no sign of the Northern lights, so plan A wasn’t successful. He then went with an alternative plan, as he booked up the Lava restaurant in the Blue Lagoon and planned to propose during the meal, but I changed my mind at the last minute and decided I didn't want to go eat there, and picked a different restaurant for my belated birthday meal, so his plan B was ruined too. He eventually proposed to me privately in our apartment bedroom in Iceland. He got down on one knee and took out a vintage looking sapphire ring and asked me to marry him. I was in tears and also couldn't believe he was actually asking me to marry him. He also told me his dad bought his mum the ring to celebrate his birth, the ring has stayed with his family for 30 years. It was the best ring to ask me to become his family. I loved the meaning behind the ring so much and I want to carry on as a tradition.”

From a not-so-perfectly planned proposal to the wedding that Hazel had always dreamt of, the two tied the knot on the 12th May 2018 amidst the picturesque setting of Woodhill Hall.

“I wanted to have the ceremony outdoors, but the weather forecast didn’t look good for three weeks before the wedding date, so the master of the ceremony said we would let the groom decide whether we would have the ceremony outdoors and keep it as a surprise for me. The florist even set up the wedding arch indoor the day before. Fortunately, the weather was so perfect in the morning. James decided to give me the best wedding I have dreamt of, to have an outdoor ceremony. His decision took up to six strong men (including James) to lift the very heavy wedding arch outside through a small door. They did a great job, and everyone was so happy that they had forgot to keep it as a surprise!”

“There was no other place like Woodhill Hall, which fully reflects our personality! To top it off, it’s dog-friendly and as my dog, Elvin, is such a character it really meant a lot for us to have him share the day with everyone!”

“I would definitely recommend the venue to everyone, it gave us the best experience from the moment we got in touch with the venue until after the wedding. The staff was so friendly and welcoming, the food was absolutely divine!”

What was your highlight of the day?

"The ceremony was definitely my highlight of the day. I love to see all our families and friends get together in one place witnessing me marry the man I love! I’m really grateful most of my close friends from secondary school came all the way from Hong Kong to share the moment with me! We have been missing out each on others lives for 11 years! Their presence and smiles warm my heart and it makes me realize how lucky I am," said Hazel.

"My favourite part was actually everything after the ceremony. Everyone just seemed so happy, family and friends were all so nice to us. They were eating, drinking and sharing stories. Later on, they were dancing and lots more drinking, but importantly everyone just seemed so happy and pleased for us," said James.

Searching for your wedding venue and love the look of Woodhill Hall? Then find out more about this gorgeous setting in our dedicated online venue guide. For more wedding inspiration, take a look at the latest issue of Belle Bridal Magazine available online now.