Arabella Golby is, by trade, a woman of evidence. As editor of the Journal of Aesthetic Nursing – the UK’s leading double-blind, peer-reviewed journal for the doctors, surgeons and dentists of aesthetic medicine – she spends her days weighing claims and adjudicating proof. Outside the office, that discipline is rather more selective. “I’ll get up early for Pilates, a flight, or the Eurostar to Paris,” she says, “but everything else I’ll circle back to later” – a category that, for some time, included her own wedding.
After her fiancé, a business psychologist, proposed during a trip to Capri in August 2024, the couple were in no rush, and a long engagement suited them. Nearly two years on, the date is approaching fast.
Now, everything is now ticked off the list, and her Harlaxton Manor wedding is very nearly there. We caught up with Arabella as she puts the finishing touches to her English country wedding – three dresses, a string quartet and a magician included – for a behind-the-scenes look at how she’s bringing it all to life.
At a Glance
Location: Harlaxton Manor
Wedding date: July 2026
Guest count: 120
The Venue
How did you start your venue search?
I have always wanted to get married at Blenheim Palace. I grew up nearby, and it has hosted so many family occasions over the years that it holds a lot of memories for me. Unfortunately, our timeline collided with their renovations – and while we could still have held the wedding there, scaffolding wasn’t quite part of my aesthetic vision.
We only ever viewed two venues. Harlaxton Manor was the first I found after letting Blenheim go; I think I googled something along the lines of “beautiful old stately home, pretty rooms, 120 guests.” It had everything we wanted and more – the true definition of a hidden gem.
What were your non-negotiables?
- Not too far from London
- A venue as beautiful inside as it is out (so many are one or the other)
- Room for all 120 guests for the entire day – no separate evening list; if you’re invited, you’re invited
- On-site accommodation, at least for the two of us
- The wedding breakfast and the dancing both indoors (absolutely no marquees, no portaloos)
- Several rooms, so the day can move through the house rather than stranding everyone in one space for hours
The Dress (and the Other Two)
What styles are you drawn to?
Feminine and classic, usually with a little twist, so I wanted something traditional but still a statement. I’d initially pictured a plain satin dress with a high neck and lace sleeves – the classic Kate Middleton brief – but none of the (endless) versions I tried on had enough impact. Beautiful, certainly, just too understated. Nothing made me think “oh, wow, there I am” until we found mine.
The dress I chose goes well beyond what I’d imagined. Well, I have three dresses: one for the welcome dinner the night before, the wedding dress itself, and a party dress for the reception. My evening look is far more playful and sparkly, and although the two are by different designers, they feel related – a natural progression, organic and intentional at once. There are mirrored elements, so the evening dress reads as the flirtatious, party version of the main one. I can’t wait for people to see it.
I also have more pairs of shoes than I have feet – or bridal events – to wear them to, though I keep reminding myself that white is a versatile colour and I’ll wear them again. Time will tell.
How has your personal style shaped your bridal look?
Every part of every look feels like me. Having a clear vision was both a help and a hindrance: it’s reassuring to know exactly what you want, but you’re forever holding a real dress up against the one in your head, and that isn’t always easy to communicate to a stylist. After about 80 dresses, we found it.
Favourite Finds
Venues:
- Blenheim Palace
- Harlaxton Manor
- Hambleton Hall (for the welcome dinner and the nights before and after)
Designers:
- Monique Lhuillier
- Oscar de la Renta
- Isabell Kristensen
- Roger Vivier
- Manolo Blahnik
- Rhodes Wood
- Agent Provocateur
Beauty:
- Parfums de Marly
- Chanel Beauty
- Armani Beauty
- Rare Beauty
Suppliers:
- Planner, Jane Riddell, Planned for Perfection
- String quartet, Halo Strings
- Magician – Ricky Locke
- Band – The Manhattans
- Photographer – Rebecca Carpenter Photography
- Videographer – George Hughes Films
- Cake – Clare Ellen Bakes
- Flowers – Flourish and Grace
- Stationery – Linden Illustration
Advice
If I could say one thing to myself before I started, it would be: get on with it. Don’t tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow – you always say that, and you know you won’t. Reply to the email now. Build the Pinterest board now, rather than taking sporadic screenshots you’ll never find again when you actually want them.
And book a planner. I honestly don’t know how we’d have managed without Jane Riddell at Planned for Perfection. There’s a stretch where every decision feels enormous and they arrive one after another, endlessly. That part passes.
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