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Venues & Receptions

Got the Brollie Ready?

Ruth preparing for her wedding in the complementary Bridal Room at Hylands House

Thomas Harper, Hirings Team Leader at the award-winning wedding venue Hylands House, gives tips on how to beat the great British weather.

Rain in the morning, hot and sunny in the afternoon, storm clouds in the evening – this could be just one day of weather conditions in the UK.  Every cloud can have a silver lining though as long as we are prepared.  Here are a few tips to ensure your wedding shines through despite the rain.

• Select a venue that has space and beautiful backdrops for photography both inside and out.  Pick one that has lovely garden vistas and rooms that look stunning on their own, even without a theme.

Pennsylvania castle estate launches twlight weddings for the 2017 season

castle

Pennsylvania Castle, one of the South West’s most sought after wedding destinations, launches its Twilight Wedding Experience for the 2017 wedding season.  Situated along the beautiful Jurassic Coast, on the Isle of Portland, Pennsylvania Castle offers an extraordinary setting for weddings.  The Twilight Wedding Experience taps into the trend for more informal, yet intimate weddings – something the events team at The Penn is seeing more and more of.  

Summer Weddings at The Black Swan

Summer Weddings at The Black Swan

Steeped in history, the centuries-old Black Swan Hotel at Helmsley dates back to Tudor times and is a charming country wedding venue that simple oozes character.

Set in the heart of one of North Yorkshire’s most picturesque market towns, there is always a warm welcome here. This delightful hotel once a coaching inn, boasts period features including inglenook fireplaces and dark oak beams, with antique furniture tastefully blended with contemporary, colourful design touches and original artwork.

Host your dream day at Hoar Cross Hall

For a truly memorable wedding day you need a truly memorable setting and Hoar Cross Hall, set in the heart of rural Staffordshire, is certainly somewhere that can't fail to impress. You’ll cherish your wedding photos with the magical backdrop of this magnificent stately home, with its striking architecture and beautiful gardens. Set in 50 acres of quintessential English countryside, including mature woodland, rolling parkland and a unique Italian water garden, this Grade II listed country retreat is certainly a place where wedding dreams can come true.

Memorable weddings at newly refurbished Crowne Plaza Felbridge

Crowne Plaza Felbridge

The elegant wedding and banqueting suites at the Felbridge Hotel and Spa at East Grinstead, Sussex are undergoing a stylish top-to-toe refurbishment in line with its £3million rebranding as the Crowne Plaza Felbridge.

Whether planning a small intimate wedding or a more lavish affair, the hotel has luxurious rooms catering from 10 to 500 guests, and all numbers in between; it’s also licensed for civil ceremonies so the entire wedding day can be held in one beautiful place. The courtyard and gardens also provide the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs creating lasting memories of a special day.

D Resort Gocek is a perfect spot for a wedding

Spa

When thinking of the ideal place to pledge your lives together – why not look towards ahidden paradise of the Mediterranean known as Gocek, which is home to a most extraordinary hotel.  Boasting an archipelago of beautiful islands and a luxurious, yacht dotted marina, D Resort Gocek is a stunning destination with a backdrop of dramatic forest-clad mountain ranges unique coves, picturesque islands, fascinating historical sites, superb beaches and traditional market towns - this is the perfect destination to celebrate your wedding. 

The Day of your Wildest Dreams: Bespoke Weddings at Cliff Barns Ranch in Norfolk

Cliff Barns Ranch in Norfolk

Deluxe country ranch, Cliff Barns is Norfolk’s ultimate escape for the most unforgettable, day of your life. Tailoring your big day to every individual idea and unique wish, say “I do”and celebrate in style in the cool surrounds of Cliff Barns, designed by Shaun Clarksonand set across four acres of unspoilt Norfolk countryside.

The inspired eccentric English country home clearly displays the vision of the incomparable interior designer Shaun Clarkson and set designer Russell Hall, think wild taxidermy, cowhide sofas, Aztec rugs, tartan and vintage floral fabrics and river rock fireplaces offset with tee-pees and wooden wagon-wheel chandeliers. 

The Ceremony

The on trend country-style wedding

flower display

Gone are the days of simply picking a colour for your wedding day. Today’s couples not only tend to select a whole colour palette, but they also work to a theme when styling their dream wedding.

A trend appearing in more and more weddings is shabby chic / country garden with plenty of bunting, old apple crates and paper pompoms helping to achieve the look.

Have a look through some of Hylands House wedding styling ideas for your own country themed wedding...

• collect old jam jars, decorate with lace and twine and fill with gypsophila to display around your wedding venue

Choose a Venue for all Seasons

Thomas Harper, Hirings Manager, Hylands House, Chelmsford, Essex gives advice on how your wedding can be a total success whether there is snow on the ground or if you are basking in a heatwave. 

To give extra flexibility to your wedding date, it's good to look at venues that are suitable for a once in a lifetime event -  no matter what the season.  Some places such as Hylands House also have price scales when it is less expensive to hire in the Autumn and Winter. With our British weather it is good to look at venues that can handle all four seasons in one day!

The Five Most Important Wedding Venue Tips

The Banqueting Room at Hylands House

Thomas Harper, Hirings Manager at the Award-Winning Hylands House, Essex, gives the top tips on what to consider when hiring a wedding venue. 

It can take time to find your perfect wedding venue so ensure you start planning for it as soon as possible. Work out you budget and see as many locations as you can to gain a greater idea of what is available so that you do achieve your dream wedding.  

1. Location

Historic venue offers ideal setting for dream weddings

dream weddings

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL HALLS PROMOTES GRAND SCALE WEDDING OFFERING

An historical central London venue is expanding the range and breadth of its offering to brides to be, promoting an extensive list of caterers and services to offset its grand backdrop.  

The Royal Horticultural Halls Lindley Hall, which first opened in 1904 and regularly hosts events for London Fashion Week, international car launches and major exhibitions, is a popular venue for luxury and grand scale weddings due to its expansive, prestigious backdrop.   The Hall’s period features, which include an Edwardian glass vaulted ceiling space, and an impressive North Annexe which can be dressed as a bar or separate chill out area, comprise 875 square metres of customisable space (equivalent to 450 guests).  

Top tips to plan the perfect winter wedding  

Hampton Court

Jo Jennings, Events Manager at Hampton Court Palace – cared for by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces – offers brides-to-be some top tips to plan the perfect winter wedding  

1. Utilise the early sunset to enhance your venue with lighting – this can be so effective and can really create an atmosphere for your guests to enjoy 

2. Enhance the seasonality of winter with your choice of flowers and décor. Using Christmas trees as your table plan is a fun alternative to a sensible easel – simply hang the different table names off the branches 

The nine most unusual places to get married

The nine most unusual places to get married

Weddings are all about garnering memories that can be remembered and cherished forever. Getting married in a venue that’s a little less ‘run of the mill’ than traditional church and registry office venues can certainly help craft a magical and memorable wedding. If you’re looking to tie the knot in a quirky location, the following nine most unusual places to get married might give you the inspiration you’re looking for.

 

1. Themed castle weddings

The Vault offers weddings and events in new function room

A UNIQUE leisure facility run by people with autism and learning difficulties is now taking bookings for weddings and other events.

The Vault, formerly the Rivers Edge Hotel in Gateshead, is set to become the UK’s first hotel for young people with a range of learning difficulties. Last month it unveiled an American style diner which serves the public and local businesses.

Now the development has moved on a stage further with the opening of its new function room, which will cater for weddings, meetings and other occasions.

The room will hold up to 120 people and has been designed to give young trainees the chance to learn about another aspect of the hospitality industry.