From a bar on the King’s Road to a mile-long drive through 300 acres of Lincolnshire parkland, step inside Arabella Golby’s fairytale wedding to Paul Rein at Harlaxton Manor.
The Story So Far
We met in a bar on the King’s Road and got engaged in Capri 2 years later, in August 2024. My engagement ring is a trilogy pear I designed myself – Paul sourced the stones through a contact who works in diamonds, then had the ring set in Hatton Garden.
The Venue
We hosted our welcome dinner at Hambleton Hall, a country house hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the peninsula overlooking Rutland Water. We stayed there – together! – the night before and the night after, which gave us 36 hours to decompress.
We got married at Harlaxton Manor, a British country estate that combines Jacobean and Elizabethan architecture with baroque interiors. It’s a little bit Downton Abbey and Hogwarts on the outside and French chateau or Italian villa on the inside. We knew it was ours as soon as we turned onto the mile-long drive. The whole day happened there with 120 guests: ceremony, reception, wedding breakfast and after-party. We also stayed the night, and we were the only ones able to – they only have a bridal suite, so having the place to ourselves after such a whirlwind felt special.
Although Harlaxton has hosted plenty of weddings, I’d never seen a single photo of one before I googled it, so it felt like ours. I love that it isn’t oversaturated. Everything we chose came from our own taste rather than replicating anything done there before. I was also the first ‘content creator’ they’d had marry there, so I insisted on a few changes to how the day usually ran. I think they thought I was a bit mad when I asked to use the room they normally serve reception drinks in as my ‘content room’ – but I had a vision, and it paid off. There was no separate evening list, either – if you were invited, you were invited – and the whole thing stayed indoors, no marquee, no portaloos.
Fashion
For the welcome dinner I wore Oscar de la Renta – a white strapless midi with a full skirt and painted hydrangeas, our wedding flower – with silver Jimmy Choos. My main dress and accessories were Monique Lhuillier and my shoes were Roger Vivier; I had the shoes couriered from Singapore as they were the last pair in my size left in the world. They came back in stock 6 months later.
My evening party dress was a sparkly, structured mini by Isabell Kristensen, with equally sparkly René Caovillas. My something blue was a little bow sewn into the hem of the Monique Lhuillier, and I also wore an antique sapphire and diamond ring that belongs to my mother – my something borrowed and a bonus something blue.
Jewellery
Besides my engagement and wedding rings, my jewellery was all family heirlooms: the antique diamond and sapphire ring borrowed from my mother, pear-drop diamond earrings to match my ring – also my mother’s, which she officially passed down to me the day after the wedding – and Paul’s grandmother’s wedding ring.
Bridal Party
My bridesmaids wore pale blue dresses by Maids to Measure, who do lots of styles in the same colour, so each could choose the one she felt best in. Our flower girl and page boy wore Beatrice and George. I gave my bridesmaids a pair of Dior earrings – I’ve worn my own ‘signature’ Dior pair to death over 10+ years, so it felt appropriate.
Tablescape
The tablescaping was done by my wedding planner, Jane Riddell at Planned for Perfection, and our florist, Zoe at Flourish and Grace.
Food & Drinks
The reception began with Digby Fine English sparkling – Rosé and Brut – Pimm’s, elderflower and canapés: goats’ cheese bonbon with smoked relish; braised ox cheek and truffle; pork meatball with feta herb crumb, tomato and chilli dressing; smoked salmon and cream cheese blinis with roe; and British crab, crème fraîche and lime blinis.
Our 3-course wedding breakfast started with Wye Valley asparagus with crispy hen’s egg, pickled shallot, herb emulsion, whipped feta and dukkah, or teriyaki salmon with black sesame, pink grapefruit, wasabi, crème fraîche, dashi and charred cucumber. The main was Lincolnshire beef fillet with braised ox cheek croquette, fondant potato, maple butternut purée and crispy kale, or spiced baby aubergine with artichoke, chard, crispy chickpea and red pepper purée. To finish, an assiette of desserts: strawberry and vanilla shortcake; dark chocolate mousse with black cherry; and Granny’s baked egg custard tart with pistachio and nutmeg granola. My late Granny loved an egg custard, so naming the tart for her was intentional.
There was champagne for the toasts, then an open bar until midnight. Limoncello shots were poured down willing throats from 10pm.
Entertainment
The string quartet Halo Strings played during the ceremony and the 2-hour reception, working through songs from my favourite musicals, The King and I and Phantom of the Opera. My father walked me down the aisle to a string-quartet version of a song from How to Train Your Dragon, which I’d chosen after we first watched the film together on a flight to Singapore when I was 18.
Our live band, The Manhattans, played across a wide range of genres. Our first dance was Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts – we love country music. We also had a magician, Ricky Locke.
Beauty & Wellness
I did my own make-up – I know my own face best, and I’m glad I was brave enough to. My hair, which I’m less good at, was done by Bridal Hair by Sharon. I didn’t have any pre-wedding treatments or facials. I considered botox but, having never had anything like it, chickened out. I upped my Pilates from 2 classes a week to 3, used a CurrentBody LED mask 3 times a week, drank as much water as I could and did 10,000 steps a day. That’s it.
Honeymoon
We went on ‘minimoon part 1’ to the south of France straight after the wedding. Going away high on that just-married feeling is like nothing else. ‘Minimoon part 2’ is Santorini in September, and our proper honeymoon is next May, in Lake Como.
Advice
Chill out – you’ll enjoy the whole process more. I was tightly wound the whole time, so I know it’s easier said than done.
Try to let go. A few uncontrollable things didn’t go to plan – my husband’s buttonhole plopped to the floor mid-ceremony, which got a laugh – and we didn’t care, because we were too busy having the best day of our lives.
With thanks
Bride / Groom: @arabellagolby @paulleonrein
Venue: @HarlaxtonManor
Caterer: Harlaxton Manor @HarlaxtonManor
Dress: Monique Lhuillier @MoniqueLhuillier @MoniqueLhuillierBride / Isabell Kristensen @IsabellKristensenOfficial / Oscar de la Renta @OscardelaRenta
Bridesmaids: Maids to Measure @MaidstoMeasure
Groom outfit: Rhodes Wood (Rhodes_Wood_Ltd)
Flower girls & page boys: Beatrice & George at Children Salon @beatriceandgeorge @childrensalon
Florist: Zoe from Flourish and Grace @FlourishandGrace
Tableware: sourced by florist
String quartet: Halo Strings @HaloStringsuk
Magician: Ricky Locke @RickyLockeMagic
Band: The Manhattans @manhattansbanduk
Stationery: @Linden_Illustration
Wedding website: With Joy
Photographer: Rebecca Carpenter @RebeccaCarpenterPhotography
Videographer: George Hughes Films @GeorgeHughesFilms
Content creator: The Contented Co @the_contented_co
Wedding rings: Flawless @flawlessfinejewellery
Hair: Sharon @bridalhair_bysharon
Bridesmaid gifts: Dior
Wedding Planner: Jane Riddell @plannedforperfection
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