Inside an Old Hollywood-Inspired Wedding at Bicester Motion, Featuring Vintage Cars and a Secret Marquee Nightclub

Welcome to Real Wedding Inspiration, where we collect and curate beautiful wedding stories. We invite Wedding Present Company couples to share favourite moments from their special day, and we have photos of every last detail.

Historic aircraft hangars, a racetrack and rows of gleaming classic cars set the scene for Antonia and Digby's wedding at Bicester Motion, a weekend that felt like stepping onto the set of a golden-age Hollywood film. Antonia knew the setting well, having posed in front of the very same hangars at the former RAF airfield for her Country Life Frontispiece. “I always thought it would make a stunning and unusual backdrop for the wedding,” she says.

Antonia shares how she and Digby set an English marquee wedding against the venue's iconic hangars. Expect a family Cartier heirloom woven into the bride's look, cocktails with motoring names, a pick-and-mix trolley named after the family dog and, of course, the favourite gifts from their wedding registry with The Wedding Present Company. 

Their venue, Bicester Motion, is where Antonia's mum works, and that shaped how they tackled the wedding planning checklist. “Both my mum and I were heavily involved in the planning process, which made partial planning the perfect option for us,” Antonia explains. Joanna Wilford Weddings & Events proved the ideal fit, “bringing my vision to life whilst being so organised and able to juggle the multiple suppliers and details throughout our wedding weekend,” she adds.

The look took its cue from the venue. “We went for a vintage, old Hollywood movie style wedding, with classic cars core to the theme,” Antonia says. “We also liked that we weren't tied to any suppliers so we could choose what we wanted.”

“My brother-in-law and his wife had used The Wedding Present Company and couldn't recommend them more,” Antonia says. The wedding gift range sealed it, including vouchers towards their honeymoon in Namibia.

The couple booked their showroom appointment for Digby's birthday and made a day of it, with Nyetimber in the showroom and lunch nearby. “Digby works in Coffee, so it was vital we got a fancy coffee machine,” Antonia admits. “The team even let us make our own coffee with their Sage machine, which we ended up putting on our list!” she laughs. “The showroom really helped us think about what we wanted to fill our new flat with, and how to create a beautiful space,” she explains.

Asked about their favourite presents, the couple put their full china set at the top of their wedding gift list. “We love hosting and cooking, so having a full matching set of everything is so exciting,” Antonia says, “and green is my favourite colour (and our wedding colour scheme).” A gold, feathered mirror from Pooky, a present from her grandma, sits alongside Soho Home crystal tumblers for Digby's whisky, colourful Neptune frames, champagne glasses from The Vintage List, hand-printed cushions for their bed and a beautiful vase.

The wedding present delivery day fell on their one-month anniversary. “We sipped on some of our leftover wedding champagne and opened them together,” she remembers. “We loved how they were perfectly gift wrapped, it felt like Christmas!”

The ceremony took place at St Edburg's Church in Bicester, close to Antonia's family, and she arrived in style. “I was driven to the church in a red vintage Alvis by my mum's boss, the CEO of Bicester Motion!” she says.

The reception followed at Bicester Motion itself, a unique wedding venue and former RAF base better known for its motoring heritage. “The huge aeroplane hangars make you feel like you're on a film set!” Antonia explains.

Drinks were served in front of an old hangar, then guests moved to a marquee on the airfield beside the racetrack and a Second World War watchtower. “We lit up the watchtower and the hangars in the evening, which looked amazing,” she remembers. On Sunday, everyone returned for a hog roast, games and a caricaturist.

Antonia's dress came from KYHA Studios, a design she spotted on Instagram the moment she got engaged and loved instantly. “I loved the simplicity of it with the low back and large train,” she explains. The standout accessory was a family heirloom. “I wore Digby's family's vintage Cartier tiara, which I took apart and wore as brooches in my hair,” Antonia says, “as I wanted to keep to my ‘classic with a twist’ style and wear it differently to tradition.”

For her evening wedding dress, she switched to Annie's Ibiza. “I wanted something very extra and sparkly compared to my wedding dress, and the silver tassels were so fun to dance in!” she laughs.

The bridesmaids wore mismatched sage dresses in satin, crepe and soft florals, and the flower girls wore traditional white. Each carried a single-flower bunch from Antonia's bouquet. “They came out with a shot tray and sparklers later in the evening,” Antonia remembers, “with my bridesmaid Sarah holding the diamanté-encrusted tray, and aprons with ‘Sarah's shots’.” Set to Girls Aloud's “Call the Shots”, it “went down so well, especially the Tequila Rose!” she laughs.

Digby's mum, a former wedding florist, did every arrangement for the weekend. “As our venue was non-traditional we wanted relaxed, countryside and natural style flowers with plenty of colours,” Antonia says. For her own bouquet, she gave her future mother-in-law one steer: “I wanted a natural and wildflower style with plenty of pinks and greens.” “We left the creativity in her hands and we were over the moon,” she adds.

“We want a nightclub” was the couple's brief to Original Marquees, who supplied the marquee and its round bar for the celebrations. Black lining, a giant disco ball and pink LED hearts waited behind a partition curtain until guests walked through just before the first dance.

Antonia's friend Ellie designed every piece of wedding stationery in British racing green, a nod to the venue's motoring heritage, with a drawing of the couple in a car on everything from the save-the-dates to the table map. Toy cars held the place cards, while the tables were named after the couple's favourite Bristol pubs and clubs. The drawing appeared once more on mini matchboxes, which made great wedding guest favours.

Jazz big band Down for the Count played the champagne reception, chosen “to tie into the vintage feel of the wedding,” Antonia explains, before Truly Medley Deeply took over for the evening. “They were truly amazing and the dancefloor was always full,” she adds.

For their first dance song, the couple wanted something to get the party going, choosing the Bee Gees' “You Should Be Dancing” because they love disco. It ended in a shower of silver confetti. On Sunday, Ukulele Simon entertained the barbecue crowd before Antonia's brother took over on the decks.

Antonia's favourite moments came in quick succession, starting with their getaway from St Edburg's. “Driving away from the church in the Alvis with the roof down and having a moment to ourselves as we'd just got married,” she remembers, “so special!” Soon after, she and Digby made a surprise entrance at the champagne reception in a grey replica Bentley from Hedley Studios, sunglasses on, to find ten classic cars lined up outside the hangar. The couple also put their own stamp on one of the best-loved British wedding traditions, cutting their cake with the family sword.

“On the day, make sure to schedule in ten minutes alone as a couple,” Antonia says. “For us, we had our caterers bring a tray of canapés and some champagne so we could enjoy it together before our champagne reception.” 

Wedding Planner: Joanna Wilford Weddings & Events, Reception Venue: Bicester Motion, Marquee: Original Marquees, Wedding Dress: KYHA Studios, Evening Dress: Annie's Ibiza, Evening Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Groom's Waistcoat: Neal & Palmer, Groom's Evening Suit: Gieves & Hawkes, Florist: Digby's mum, Stationery: Ellie (friend of the bride), Caterer: Oxford Fine Dining, Cocktails: Digby's brother, Champagne Reception Band: Down for the Count, Evening Band: Truly Medley Deeply, Sunday Entertainment: Ukulele Simon, Arrival Car: Hedley Studios, Photographer: V&H Photography, Wedding gift list: The Wedding Present Company 

A special thank you to Antonia & Digby for giving us permission to share their gorgeous wedding photos. If you would like to join them and be featured on The Wedding Present Company too, submit your wedding below:

The Wedding Present Company is a bespoke wedding gift list experience; couples come to us seeking the extraordinary. We offer a tailored and completely personalised wedding registry experience free of charge. Our team goes above and beyond to help you create a wedding list that is unique to both of you and full of items that you will love and use for a lifetime.