For centuries, happy couples have shared their big day with their nearest and dearest. Fast forward to 2017 however, and the term nearest and dearest covers a lot more than just family and friends. It also happens to include our four legged friends too, who over the centuries have fast become more than just our pets; they’ve become part of our family too. As a result of our change in opinion, more and more pets are now being seen featuring on guest lists than ever before. If you’re thinking of saying “I do” soon, and feel like your four legged friend may want to attend, then you might want to take a peek at this fab piece on including your pets at your wedding…
That Amazing Place – a dog friendly wedding venue
Weddings are without a doubt, one of the most stressful and perhaps nerve-wracking times in your life. It doesn’t matter how well you plan, something can always go wrong; from weather worries to dress disasters. Having your dog there however, could just be the perfect way to ease those wedding jitters. That’s as long as you provide a comfortable setting for your dog too but don’t worry, we’ll let you in on a little secret later.
When it comes to the role you want your dog to play at your wedding, you’ll want to start considering their personality. Do they stress easily in crowds? If so, and you happen to be having a lot of guests, it may be better if they don’t come to the wedding or perhaps simply turn up for the photographs? The last thing you want is to put your best friend through undue stress on your big day. A good rule of thumb is to let your favourite furry friend attend for no longer than two hours. That way they get to join in the fun without getting tired or upset.
If you’ve decided that you’d like your pet there with you on your big day, then it’s going to take a little prep work. It’s not simply a case of having them attend. From the very basics such as getting them there to the more complicated questions; where will you put the poo bags? This however, is where having someone familiar on hand, can come in well…handy. They can help keep your pet company and take them away from the festivities when it’s time to go.
The question is, who are you going to ask without causing an argument? Well, luckily for you there just so happens to be a rather fantastic service offering a helping hand and it’s aptly named Walkies At Weddings. This wonderfully bespoke wedding service will have your dog brought to your wedding, kept company and taken to where they need to go, whether it’s the service itself or simply the photos after the service. They’ll also ensure your favourite furry friend is not only happy at all times but free from mischief which means no sneaking any food from the buffet!
Whether it’s a case of keeping up with the Jones’s or just simply that in this day-and-age, weddings are about splashing the cash; weddings on a smaller budget seem to have gained a reputation for being substandard. Here at That Amazing Place however, we’re here to tell you that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially with our top tips to help you give your country house wedding a million dollar feel.
Less is more – as they say, the enemy of elegance is clutter so when it comes to your wedding décor, we always suggest you stick to the mantra of “less is more”. Keep things streamlined and the overall look nice and simple as opposed to trying to create a huge amount of self-made details. Keep things white, ivory and all shades of grey and you’ll ensure elegance and simplicity all the way.
Be strategic with your floral arrangements – flowers are essential for any wedding but they’re also an area in which bills can quickly start to add up. Thankfully, there are ways to help keep the bills low and that’s by adopting a strategic attitude about where you’ll be placing the flowers and which flowers in particular to select. Scrimping on flowers on each table will ultimately disappoint you but you can cut down on flowers in other areas of the venue. Invest in one large statement piece that everyone will see when they walk into the venue and you’ll feel a lot happier while your wallet remains full.
Keep a lid on your guest list – instead of throwing a lavish wedding for hundreds and hundreds of people on a small budget, why not crop the guest list and let your budget spread further with fewer guests? You’ve no doubt heard of the term, spreading it thin? That’s exactly what you’ll be doing with too many guests, so cut the list of your country house wedding and enjoy more to spend on fewer people. Make it an intimate and unforgettable experience.
Indulge your creative side – though we strongly advise opting for a solely DIY feel; indulging your creative side a little could be a winning decision. Think invitations and even seating cards. You can find creative ways to take on these beautiful projects and give your wedding a very personal feel. If you don’t have a creative bone in you (and believe us, there are some out there who feel this way) then it may be the perfect time to call on your most creative friend.
Make a grand entrance – it’s important that you know your guests probably won’t remember an inexpensive linen, nor will they remember a lack of flowers here and there but they will remember their entrance into your wedding. Make their entrance something to remember with striking flowers, candles and other elaborate décor. Keeping this at the entrance will be the best place for them to really see and remember it. Always remember the entrance and exit of each event space.
Here at That Amazing Place, we have the perfect option for those looking to keep within their budget in the form of our Twilight Wedding Package. For more information, simply contact us today.
So, you’ve chosen That Amazing Place as your country house wedding venue. You’ve decided our country house wedding venue is the place for you. The question now is…when? The fact is, whichever point during the year that you choose to have your wedding, they’ll be both benefits and considerations to take into account. So, before you name the date, we thought we’d show you some seasonal considerations to help make the decision easier and allow you to tackle any problems beforehand. Here at our country house wedding venue, it’s all about smooth sailing after all.
Autumn weddings – autumn weddings are becoming more and more popular as people realise the true beauty of the season and how it can actually have an impact on your wedding. With nature providing the ultimate backdrop for some truly exquisite wedding photos, it’s a no brainer. You can enjoy some beautiful autumnal foliage in the background within our grounds here at That Amazing Place in dark and bright reds, as well as golden browns and dark greens.
Winter weddings – a lot of brides now dream of winter weddings, surrounded by soft, freshly fallen snow. While we all wish for the epitome of winter weddings, you do unfortunately have to consider the fact that snow isn’t likely to fall. Should you be lucky enough to see such a wonder, you’ll of course need to consider the fact that access could possibly become an issue, especially at a country house wedding venue. It’s therefore important that you choose a winter wedding venue that can be easily accessed, such as ourselves here at That Amazing Place.
Spring weddings – spring weddings will always be popular. It’s one of the most beautiful seasons in that the darkness of winter is finally over and the sunlight begins to show through. This time of year, has the added benefit of being neither too cold or too hot (if there is such a thing in the UK). The biggest threat during this season is of course the rain which means you’ll need to consider a venue where you can hold your entire wedding inside. Here at That Amazing Place, we have such facilities, which mean you could enjoy your ceremony, reception and even wedding photos inside should the weather take a turn for the worse. From sweeping staircases to log fires, we have it all.
Summer weddings – summer warmth can be ideal for weddings, ensuring your guests get to enjoy wearing lighter clothes and enjoy more flattering outfits without the fear of freezing. It’s worth noting however, that British weather is often incredibly unpredictable. So be sure to find a venue that can provide an inside space should you need it. Should you be so lucky to have the sun shine, then finding a venue that offers a beautiful outdoor space to say “I do” is a must and that’s something we’re easily able to provide here in our acres and acres of grounds.
Here at That Amazing Place, one of the things that makes us so amazing is the fact that we can provide the perfect venue for every eventuality. Come rain or shine, we can provide the perfect setting to say “I do”. Choosing your perfect wedding date however, is simply a case of personal preference. So, whether you’re a sun worshipper, a spring chicken or a British rose seeking the cooler climates of winter, we’ve got the perfect venue for you. For more information on dates available, simply contact us today.
It’s been quite a while since we shared a real wedding story from our Essex wedding venue so today’s blog post feels extra special. We’re looking at the beautiful nuptials of one of the loveliest couples we’ve had the fortune of coming across, the wonderful Victoria and Adele Hughes. Victoria and Adele met three years ago at Brighton Pride, August 2014 through mutual friends. Victoria said, “we all met up and the moment we saw each other, we fell for one another and haven’t really spent a day apart since” and the rest they say is history…
The Venue
When it came to choosing the venue, Adele and Victoria knew exactly what they wanted. Victoria explains, “We wanted somewhere solely exclusive to us. Adele had googled some places near to where we lived and That Amazing Place came up. As soon as we visited, we knew that it was the one.” Here at That Amazing Place, we often find the fact that being an exclusive use wedding venue sets us apart from so many others. Our country house wedding venue was indeed exclusively Victoria and Adele’s for their special day too and what’s more, Victoria added, “there was nothing we needed to do to the venue. It was perfect as it was”. Victoria pointed out they were after a “less is more” kind of feel. It wasn’t just the venue itself that drew them here, the service was also a big pull as they both complimented the service from Paul and Jane, “from start to finish, Paul and Jane always made us feel welcome and was more than happy to facilitate our needs. The whole day was just perfect and a day we’ll never forget.”
Theme and Entertainment
As we previously mentioned, the reason Adele and Victoria loved our country house wedding venue so much (exclusivity aside) was that they enjoyed the ‘less is more’ feel. Though their wedding wasn’t without a certain style with the pair opting for a real vintage theme, which included a fantastic sweet cart and a vintage photo booth. When it came to their entertainment, they used a company called JF Weddings whom they’d spotted at a wedding fair in Dunmow. He sang during reception drinks to entertain guests and also sang for their first dance. For the rest of the evenings entertainment, they hired a DJ to ensure their guests danced the night away.
Catering
For their catering, Adele and Victoria used one of our recommended suppliers, Premier Crew Hospitality. They chose canapés with reception drinks, which included mini prawn cocktails, Welsh rarebit, tomato and mozzarella skewers and vegetable spring rolls. They then enjoyed a BBQ for their wedding breakfast with an array of dishes to cater for their guests. Sarah at Premier Crew Hospitality even provided brioche buns for the burgers, along with gluten free buns at their request. For desserts, the girls chose chocolate brownies, Eaton mess as well as mango and passionfruit meringue. For the evening, they enjoyed mini takeaways with fish and chips in cones, chicken and pittas as well as pizza. Victoria had this to say about our recommended caterers, “what we liked about Premier Crew Hospitality was the fact that they were coming round to the guests with the evening food. Sarah and her team were superb and every guest went away happy and well fed.”
With Adele picking her suit from Asos, Topman and Curtis Hawes, and Victoria picking her bridal gown from Rock The Frock, these two beautiful women were guaranteed to look nothing short of stunning and the photos captured by the ever-talented Nigel Read Photography, only prove that fact. We couldn’t have been more pleased to witness such a beautiful ceremony and wish Victoria and Adele all the best for the future.
When you work a full time job, spend time with family and friends, partake in your favourite hobbies, even hit the gym on a regular basis, finding the time to plan a wedding can seem almost impossible. That is until you’re introduced into what we like to a call a little lunch break wedding planning. That’s right! We’ve got the ultimate checklist to help you get things done on what can only be described as your only downtime during the day – your lunch break. Think about it, you’re at your most productive at your work desk so why not utilise that productivity a little when it comes to planning your wedding?
The Dress – for any bride, finding the dream dress is a hugely important, if not the most important, part of the wedding. Searching for the right dress however, isn’t without its fair share of stresses and let’s not forget the endless hours searching for the perfect gown. It can be made a whole lot easier however, by first understanding that what you think you want and what you’ll end up with may be slightly different but of course it pays to do a little investigative work. This is easily done from your smartphone on the commute, or from your office desk at lunch. Whether it’s Pinterest or your favourite boutique, choose your favoured dress style and find the nearest places that stock it. Gather a few questions to ensure you’ve got all the information from your very first boutique visit and you’ll have everything you need to make it quick, easy and done in your lunch time.
Finding Wedding Suppliers – while this may sound like a mammoth task, one that simply couldn’t be achieved without hours of phone calls and planning, we’re here to tell you it couldn’t be further from that. Why? Because we’ve gone out of our way to collate a full list of wedding suppliers from florists, to make up artists, entertainment to photographers. Having worked with these suppliers before, we can not only recommend them but we can proudly say we’ve seen and vetted the quality of their work for you. What’s more, all of these suppliers have spent time working here at our wedding venue already which means not only are they used to the venue, but they know what works best too. Now if that doesn’t make your wedding planning easier, we’re not sure what will.
Write Your Invitations – it’s a job that gets put off until the very last minute but one that doesn’t need to be. You’re already at your desk so why not write out your invitations. For those who dread the drudgery of such a task, why not start early and simply write a few a day. It’s a job that can be made so simple, it almost goes unnoticed.
Organise Your Seating Plan – once again, this is an area in which we can help make things a million times easier. Yes, they’ll always be guests you’ll want to keep apart or together, an extra plus one here and there that you’ll need to accommodate but for the most part, this is where we can take a lot of weight from your shoulders by showing a variety of seating plan options when it comes to seating plans, depending on your amount of guests. All that’s needed from you is to seat your guests exactly where you want them, which we think you’ll agree, is the perfect little lunch-time task.
While most dream of an unlimited budget for their wedding day, the vast majority of us realise that’s not quite the case. With that in mind, most spend our time planning weddings simply by shifting one part of the wedding budget from one part for the wedding to another…decided you want more roses? Then pinch a little from your invitation budget. Simple right? Wrong! Tipping the scale in the wrong direction could have dire consequences for your big day. Thankfully, we’ve got the lowdown when it comes to wedding budgets; where to spend and where to save.
Food – food is without doubt a hugely important aspect of any wedding. The problem lies here when people try to create over-adventurous meals that look better than they taste. That’s why we always recommend the fabulous Magpie Catering or Premier Crew who not only create beautiful looking food, but food that tastes amazing thanks to the high quality produce they use and the quality of the produce is most definitely an area in which you don’t want to be scrimping and saving. One way to save a few pennies however, would be to opt for seasonal meals and produce instead of requesting hard to source food, as this can of course mount up in cost.
Decoration – décor is an area in which you can save and splurge at the same time. By this, we mean avoiding overdoing it in numbers but ensuring the decorations you do have look amazing. Focus the decorations in areas your guests will be mingling instead of wasting money on décor in an area that won’t be seen. Think stunning floral arrangements from the likes of Joanne Truby or Gracie Day Designs. Using a quality florist to create fabulous pieces where you need it most can mean saving on cost in terms of “amount” but can mean you splurging on the quality of flower.
Entertainment – while you may be shocked to hear it, entertainment is indeed an area in which you can save simply by taking advantage of our resident DJ’s, the fabulous Piano DJ. These guys are nothing short of amazing and what’s more, very reasonably priced to happy couples saying “I do” right here at That Amazing Place. From a fabulous pianist to an awesome DJ guaranteed to have everyone dancing, Piano DJ really do have it all.
Cake – your wedding cake is something everyone will be looking forward to seeing and no doubt tasting and as a result, is certainly not an area you’re going to want to cut corners. A wedding cake that looks amazing but tastes dreadful is only going to be a disappointment, well after the wedding itself. Ensure you employ a quality company who not only makes a great looking cake but uses the very best ingredients too. Save money but choosing a simple design and then simply decorate it with a few spare blooms from your florist. Simple yet elegant.
We understand planning a wedding, and more importantly sticking to a certain budget isn’t easy but it’s not impossible and with the talents of our events manager Angie, it’ll be easier than you ever thought possible.
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