Rachel and Nathan

“Both our families have been to many Goodwood Events such as Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival. I grew up with my late father taking me and my twin brother to the Festival of Speed over many years. Both Nathan and I felt it was a poignant way to remember him through his passion of motorsport. Fun Fact: Over 20 years ago he found a teddy bear on the race track at Silverstone and gave him the name Alain Prost after the French Racing Driver. Alain was part of the wedding day! 

“We’re members of the Goodwood Aero Club so are aware of how special The Kennels is. It is a beautifully intimate setting that offered us the personal and relaxed atmosphere we were looking for. We didn’t think twice. The Kennels also reminds us of our Red Fox Lab named Arthur. Whilst he didn’t attend the wedding, he was very happy with some balloons that came home with us. 

“From the outset we knew we wanted an intimate wedding. Classical style mixed with modern touches. The Kennels decor really spoke for itself and is in keeping with our style. From the Penguin books in The Music Room to the classical Artwork in The Library. The rich colours throughout worked perfectly with our foliage inspired flowers. Lots of ferns, herbs, eucalyptus to accentuate the stunning Goodwood Grounds.

“We got engaged in July 2021. Sunny Saturday morning (cup of tea in hand!) overlooking the River in Kingston-upon-Thames. Soon after we enquired straight away with the Goodwood Team. We knew we wanted to spend a long-time building connections and relationships with suppliers and brands. It was so important to us that every small detail had an association in some way. 

“We had a wonderful tasting session leading up to our wedding where we were able to taste some lovely food options and also pair them with our favourite wines. All the food including the canapés and late-night snacks were incredibly delicious and our guests were very complimentary. Our menu was:

Starter: Beetroot cured smoked salmon - horseradish buttermilk, beetroot ketchup, buckwheat crumpet. 

Main: Sirloin Steak - glazed beef ox cheek, parsnip, smoked potato purée, Sussex watercress

Dessert: Plum crumble tartlet - kirsch, crème Anglaise

“Emily from the Wedding Team was fantastic. She talked us through the options throughout the process and really understood the personal nature of our wedding. It really helped knowing there was someone to keep us on track with the planning. Always happy to help with such professionalism and smiles. 

“Kevin, The Kennels Sommelier, was fantastic at both our tasting and on our wedding day. We both love sweet wines and so it was really important for us to pick a great one to pair with our dessert. Kevin was incredibly knowledgeable and my grandad loved chatting all things wine with him. 

“The wider Kennels Team were also fantastic; Paula and Janie were incredible and made us feel right at home. Their kind, calming and warm approach made us feel at ease throughout the day. Everything was taken care of so perfectly and meant we didn’t need to worry about anything."

Favourite moments:

Rachel: “A couple of times I stood back and watched everyone enjoying the food and laughing with each other. That was special. Spending time together after the ceremony in The Library. Sipping champagne and listening to one of our favourite Melody Gardot songs. And can’t forget dancing with Grandad to some swing music!” 

Nathan: “There were so many memorable moments, I was very impressed with the staff and how they looked after us throughout the event, the food was amazing and the venue was really special. But my favourite memory of the night was having everyone together in such a warm and welcoming environment, and having the band there to celebrate and dance with everyone.” 

Suppliers:

Photographer - Olivia Judah Photography

Florist - Rococo Florist 

Entertainment - Reverse Reverb

Dress - Hannah Elizabeth Bridal