A Wedding Weekend in Bath – Historic Venues, A Floral Wonderland & An Alien Invasion?

Cate and Will (no, not those ones, but Ella Hartig royalty nonetheless) hosted their weekend wedding in Bath, a real treat for both their English and American guests. Bath is Will’s hometown, and they wanted a celebration there to show that there is so much more to the UK than just London – and I have to say we really delivered. Their weekend started with a welcome party at the historic Roman Baths, before moving to Hamswell House for its quintessentially English vibe and countryside views.

This is the story of their celebration, complete with historic wedding venues, the most incredible marquee decor, and an outer space themed afterparty (yes, really)!

A Wedding Welcome Party at The Historic Roman Baths in Bath, Somerset

If you’re looking for a venue in Bath to kick off your wedding weekend, the historic Roman Baths are just about as epic as they come.

It was a special occasion for everyone, but an especially incredible experience for all of their American guests who flew in for the wedding. Cate surprised her father during their first look by wearing her mum’s bridal dress which was such a gorgeous touch, and as the evening went on they and their guests enjoyed a harpist, flying finger food and a couple of speeches in the absolutely iconic setting. 

I’ll never be over the memory of the gorgeous evening glow as the sun set and all the firebowls were lit around the teal water – just the perfect welcome event to warm everybody up for what was to come. 

Your wedding welcome party has two main jobs: to introduce your loved ones to the location of your wedding and set the atmosphere for the coming events, and to allow you and your guests to mingle, break the ice and get comfortable before the big day. Choosing an epic venue like the historic Roman Baths is the ideal way to say ‘welcome to England’ for overseas guests, and a curated but relaxed evening of drinks, nibbles and chatter in a beautiful setting is sure to settle everyone in. 

Can you get married at the Historic Roman Baths?

The short answer – yes! Bath’s Historic Roman Baths are available for private hire for weddings as well as other events, but bear in mind the Great Bath itself can only be used before or after the museum’s opening hours. During the day it’s a tourist attraction, so you can choose either sunrise or sunset if you want to say your vows there.

If your guest numbers are small you can also dine overlooking the Great Bath, but if you have more than 80 guests you’ll need to use one of their inside spaces. Personally, I think the Roman Baths work best for welcome parties like Cate and Will’s, as you get to enjoy the absolute best of the venue.

Cate and Will’s Wedding Day at Hamswell House

The following morning, Cate and Will’s wedding at Hamswell House continued the theme of classic, historic English venues. Bridal prep took place at The Gainsborough in Bath, which has its own access to the ancient bath waters. Bridesmaids wore emerald green, and Cate was radiant in long-sleeved lace.

Their ceremony took place in the gardens of Hamswell, with a great tree as the backdrop. Florals by The Way To Bloom guided the procession down the aisle and climbed organically into the tree, a pathway of huge white hydrangeas whose fluffiness contrasted perfectly with Cate’s simple cala lily bouquet. 

Rolling countryside views, a fun red phone box, and chic parasols over lounge seating were the highlights of the drinks reception that followed, along with fresh oysters and themed drinks. The drinks were very important at this wedding, with 3 signature cocktails (one for Cate, one for Will, and a spicy marg for their dog Reggie!) and bespoke beer tap heads in honour of Reggie – Good Boy IPA and Bad Dog lager were on the pre-dinner menu.

Guests were invited to take their seats by a monogrammed fabric sign featuring a green foliage design, setting the scene for what they would find inside the incredible marquee where they would dine into the evening. Now, let’s just take a moment for that marquee…

A clear roof decorated with a foliage ceiling really invited the outdoors in, interspersed with chandeliers for a touch of glamour. Every detail was considered, from those gorgeously coloured table linens to the patterned charger plates and candlelight runners. The place cards were hand calligraphed envelopes with each guest’s name on, and when opened they revealed hand written postcards from Cate and Will.

US guests received vintage UK postcards and vice versa, a sweet nod to their transatlantic relationship. It was an incredibly personal touch from the couple and the guests loved it. 

Bear in mind that while these personal, handwritten touches are always really appreciated and a truly lovely idea, in reality they can take ages to do. It took Cate and Will a really long time to handwrite 150 heartfelt postcards, but they made a schedule to do a couple each week for a number of weeks – rather than being left with all 150 to write a week before the wedding! If you’re thinking of doing something similar for your wedding, take a leaf out of their book and plan, plan, plan to make it an enjoyable task rather than something you end up resenting.

See more of Cate and Will’s wedding weekend in Bath in my portfolio.

More highlights of their wedding evening at Hamswell House were:

• The father-daughter dance! Let’s be honest, sometimes these can feel a little forced – but this one was epic. The drapes in the marquee pulled back to reveal the dancefloor, all the guests from the dinner tables came over to watch, and Cate and her dad did such a fun dance to Reach Out by The Four Tops – it was short and sweet, perfectly heartfelt and a good time for everybody
• Cate’s evening outfit – once this gorgeous little number went on, she was really relaxed and ready to party! Outfit changes are, of course, optional, but I’ve never known a bride regret one…
• Espresso martinis! Who doesn’t love a little coffee-alcohol pick me up to get them in the mood for dancing

A Surprise Wedding Afterparty – Space Themed!

Will and I had been secretly planning a surprise for the afterparty, and this was such a fun element of the day that really made this wedding their own. Cate and Will both love space, and one of their early dates had taken them to a space show in Las Vegas (where they met) – we tried to emulate this vibe with lots of neon and laser, creating an out-of-this-world afterparty that was a huge surprise to Cate and all their guests. 

We even custom built an air lock which all guests went through on arrival, and changed into space suits to board the McBoswell Mission. The DJ played songs from different decades, transporting guests through time and space, and the groomsmen dressed as aliens and brought out jello shots for everyone. It was such a crazy contrast to the beautiful, considered elegance of the wedding day, and all about letting your hair down and having an amazing time.

You know you’ve thrown an epic party when you’re sure your guests will be talking about it for years to come – and your wedding planner too! We don’t have favorites but this after party was something I won’t forget, it was just so different and unique to Cate & Will and such fun to plan!

The Survivors Brunch

After their space expedition the night before, guests attended the survivors brunch on a terrace overlooking Bath cathedral – super relaxed, in another fab historic location, with the only goal to reminisce on the memories they made the night before. It was really gorgeous to see everyone bonding and the couple’s lives from both sides of the world merging over the course of the weekend, culminating in what felt like one big family gathering at brunch. 

There is honestly nothing better as as wedding planner than witnessing these wholesome, heartwarming moments, and knowing you helped to create them. Cate, Will and their loved ones will cherish their wedding weekend in Bath for a lifetime.

If you’re thinking of planning your own wedding weekend in Bath or another historic part of the UK, I’d love to help you curate a celebration that feels like it could only ever be yours. Whether it’s a classically British countryside wedding or something utterly unexpected (or a bit of both, just like Cate and Will!), I’m up for planning with visual impact, epic guest experiences and the most personal of personal touches. 

Get in touch to check our availability.

All images from Cate and Will’s weekend wedding in Bath by Rachel Takes Pictures.