If we asked you to name the most memorable wedding of 2018, what would you say? Harry and Megan’s perhaps? Well, here at That Amazing Place, we have a wedding that stole the show. Marrying on the same day as our favourite red headed prince himself, we introduce Nick and Elli Gunn. Nick and Elli had been together 8 years before they got married, after having met through a mutual love of photography and German shorthaired pointers. Here’s their big day at our countryside wedding venue.
Photo Credit: Steve Hobart Photography
The Venue
Choosing a wedding venue for some can feel like a mammoth task. The trips to and from different venues, some miles away and others at the most inconvenient of times – just so you can fit it in. For Nick and Elli however, it was a different story. Nick explained, “being a wedding photographer for the last 8 years means I’ve seen many of the venues in and around Essex but I’d never worked at That Amazing Place. It felt so clean and gave that feeling of being in someone’s home.” Nick and Elli chose to get married in the garden and despite the nuptials of a certain prince and his American princess, stole the show, “Our wedding was the same day as the wedding of Megan and Harry but obviously, our wedding was much better ha ha.”
Photo Credit: Steve Hobart Photography
Theme and Entertainment
In terms of theme and flowers, it was kept very country and very natural. Being a wedding photographer certainly had its benefits and allowed the couple to step away from things they’d seen done time and again, “we wanted to try some things different to what we’d seen on a regular basis. For our flowers we opted for a natural country garden flower with that just picked look.” Nick and Elli also enjoyed our resident DJ along with a pianist who entertained their guests all day long.
Photo Credit: Steve Hobart Photography
The Dress & Suit
The couple both looked nothing short of exquisite on the day thanks to their fabulous sense of style. Elli, Nick’s fellow photographer bride wore a Demetrios dress from a bridal shop in Ongar, Essex while Nick himself opted for made-to-measure country clothing from Butlers Stewart, complemented perfectly by handmade boots by Filli Fabbri, an Italian riding boot manufacturer, very appropriate indeed as the couple also share a love of all things equestrian.
Photo Credit: Steve Hobart Photography
Magical Moments
Nick and Elli’s magical moment came when they both walked across the lawn, down to the lake and gazebo toward the aisle. Nick said, “as we approached the red carpet, I pointed out to Elli that all of our friends and family were there. Then all of a sudden, they all started clapping together.”
From that magical moment, the happiness continued and the beautiful couple became husband and wife. While the pair are both happier behind the camera, rather than in front of it, we think it’s safe to say the photos, taken by the talented Steve Hobart are nothing short of amazing. Here’s to the happy couple, we wish them many years of happiness together and hope to see them once again, only this time to celebrate an anniversary or two.
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.
Autumn will soon be upon us at That Amazing Place, a country house wedding venue nestled in the heart of Essex, and what a season it is. Autumn is all about bringing the outside in so why don’t you celebrate the annual falling of the golden leaves by featuring beautiful coppers, burnt oranges and even rust tones in your wedding colour scheme?
Autumn Inspired Centrepieces
Autumn is the perfect time to start keeping things natural, highlighting the beauty of the season in your autumn wedding décor. Look at seasonal fruits and vegetables such as red apples, pumpkins and even wheat (perfect for those wanting a more country inspired wedding) in order to form running centerpieces. You can ensure they pack a real punch by piling them on top of things such as wooden crates and positioning them at the entrance of your venue as well as along any mantelpieces available.
Autumn Inspired Floral Designs
Your flowers play a big part in your wedding, and as such, will play a big part in your theme. If you plan on opting for the theme of autumn throughout your special day then we suggest you ask your florist to preprare something appropriate. Use autumn inspired flowers in bloom, focusing on the warm reds and golden tones. Tie in a little hessian and lace too. You may even want to team your flowers with some trailing ivy and allow them to cascade romantically from your wooden crates. This is where choosing a country house wedding venue such as That Amazing Place can make all the difference. With our extensive grounds, you’ll find the venue itself will even tie in with your theme and it’s all thanks to Mother Nature.
Add A Human Touch
We always love a natural touch when it comes to a wedding but let’s not forget, there are also some fantastic manmade accents that could be added to help with your autumnal wedding theme. Think about copper framed lanterns, metallic cutlery and even industrial style chairs. They’ll help lift your autumn inspired wedding theme and give it a much sought-after rustic style that’s becoming more and more popular.
The That Amazing Place Autumn Wedding Quickfire Top Tips…
Fill pumpkins with ice to use as wine coolers on tables
Use toffee apples as table decorations and treat the children once your wedding meal has finished
Pine cones are a great decoration, especially when sprayed in golds and warm reds; they’re also affordable too!
Chestnuts are another great addition, especially when displayed in traditional jam jars or used to surround the base of candles.
Keep your invites in line too with leaf motifs in autumnal colours, or even gold for a more luxurious feel.
Tree stumps are becoming more and more on-trend as people have them inscribed as memorable items or treasure or as a “Mr and Mrs” display. If you have tree stumps big enough, you can use them as additional seating outside during outdoor games or as a wedding cake stand.
When it comes to creating an autumn wedding theme here at our Essex wedding venue, the options are endless. If however, you feel you need a little more advice, then please don’t hesitate to contact our wedding planner Angie who’ll be only too happy to accommodate and offer advice and guidance every step of the way.
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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