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Nick & Elli’s Day At Our Countryside Wedding Venue

Photo Credit: Steve Hobart Photography

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.

Kate & Ant’s Day At Our Essex Wedding Venue

The last real wedding story based here at our Essex wedding venue, featured the gorgeous Adele and Victoria. Today however, we’re looking at the most beautiful nuptials of the stunning Kate and Ant. The golden couple first met on Match.com before online dating had even really began, as Kate puts it, “way before Tinder or any other snazzy app like that. He still reminds me that I cost him £14.99 because you could only talk to people if you paid for membership”. Fast forward 9 years later, 2 years after a beautiful proposal in Brussels and they found themselves saying “I do” right here at That Amazing Place, the perfect wedding venue for a truly amazing couple.

The Venue

Like a lot of couples we find booking their big day here at That Amazing Place, our beautiful Essex wedding venue was the first venue they viewed and as is common practice here, they fell in love with it instantly but after looking at five other venues afterwards (just to be sure), it was Ant who finally suggested That Amazing Place.

Theme and Entertainment

When discussing the theme of their wedding, Kate emphasised the fact that she wanted it to be simple and earthy, “we used logs to create the outside isle and put pictures of us on each cluster. My amazing friends created the frame on the gazebo using flowers and voiles. It took them hours to do but it was just what I wanted! I couldn’t have done any of it without all of them.” They also used a lot of greenery and a few quirky touches such as personalised cider bottles, which were also used as name places and peoples meal choices. They also had a table plan made from recycled wood as well as a guest frame made, instead of the usual book for people to sign that’s now proudly hanging in their home. When it came to entertainment, they opted for a band called The Bandits. They found the musicians themselves and were lucky enough to have them learn a brand new song, especially for them, the beautiful “Next To Me” by Emily Sande.

Catering

Kate and Ant opted for one of our recommended suppliers to provide the catering on their special day and let’s just say, they weren’t disappointed, “They were fantastic, we had a sample meal beforehand and picked 2 starters (Brie & Bacon Tart / Mozzarella & Tomato tart) and 3 mains (Pork in cider puree / Chicken in white wine / Vegetarian) for our guest to pre order.” They then chose to use their wedding cake, made by the super talented Christin Marrington, as dessert for everyone; and what a wedding cake it was. With a mix of chocolate and lemon layers, it truly was a treat for their guests. They also enjoyed canapés after the service with pimms and in the evening, their guests were treated to mini takeaways. Add to this a champagne reception and it would seem their big day really did have it all.

From all of us here at That Amazing Place, we’d just like to say a huge congratulations once again to the wonderful Kate and Ant. We hope to see you back very soon celebrating your anniversaries.

Here’s Why Our Wedding Venue Is So Amazing!

Our Amazing Wedding Venue

Our Amazing Wedding Venue

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you may have noticed that we discuss quite a broad spectrum of topics; from wedding top tips to current trends and even the actual weddings that take place here at our country house wedding venue but today, we thought we’d take the time to talk about That Amazing Place itself. From our wonderful manor house to the extensive grounds in which we’re set, we’d like to welcome you to That Amazing Place, a beautiful country house wedding venue nestled in the heart of the Essex countryside. While you may know us as Hubbards Hall, we’re here today to tell you all about our wedding venue and just why we’re so, well…amazing.

Once upon a time, our grade II listed building was actually occupied as a residential property until its current owners, the wonderful Paul and Jane, decided to renovate and re-open it as the elegant venue that it is today. When it comes to That Amazing Place, many people know that we’re a wedding venue but what a great deal of people don’t know is that day to day, we’re also a boutique bed and breakfast. We offer fabulously luxurious rooms along with a variety of excellent facilities, including delicious breakfasts, amazing views and above all else, exquisite customer service. From business stopovers to family breaks, we have the facilities to really make your stay like nothing else.

As we mentioned above, the majority know us as the beautiful wedding venue in Harlow but the question asked by many is what makes us so amazing. Well, our extensive grounds and stunning interior aside, the fact that we’re an exclusive-use wedding venue really does make us stand out from the crowd. We understand only too well that your wedding day is something you want to share with your loved ones, both family and friends however, as much as you may wish to shout your love from the rooftops, we know that you won’t want to share the space with total strangers. It’s for this reason we decided to make it an exclusive use wedding venue to give you the space to enjoy yourself without the worry of unwanted guests spoiling your day.

That’s not all our cosy and intimate wedding venue has to offer however; we also have 12 deluxe bedrooms that sleep up to 25 guests, perfect for housing your guests the night before and evening of your big day. From King rooms to Double Deluxe rooms, we have a fabulous choice to suit everyone.

Last but most certainly not least, we wouldn’t be That Amazing Place without our dog-friendly policy. Unlike a great deal of wedding venues up and down the country, we allow you to bring your four legged friend along with you on your big day because after-all, they’re family aren’t they?

Now of course, we couldn’t possibly squeeze every ounce of “amazingness” into one short blog but we think that goes a little way to explaining just why our wedding venue is as popular as it is. For more information, simply contact us today.

Adele & Victoria’s Day At Our Essex Wedding Venue

Essex wedding venue

Real Wedding Blog – Victoria and Adele

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.

Photo Credit: Nigel Read Photography

The Night Before At Our Essex Wedding Venue

Essex Wedding Venue

It’s nearly here…your big day. Whether you’ve been planning for years, months or weeks, we bet it’s felt like an age. What’s more, we know only too well that it’s no doubt caused a little stress here and there too. After all that planning, you’re probably feeling a mixture of both excitement and nerves as the big day finally approaches. To make sure you’re not feeling too lost in all the excitement (or too caught up in all the nerves), we thought we’d share a guide we’ve compiled over time, talking to other brides, about the best way to relax here at our Essex wedding venue.

Wash your hair – regardless of whether you’re having a professional hairdresser do your hair, it’s well worth washing your hair the night before your big day. As crazy as it sounds, freshly washed hair is a hairdresser’s nightmare. Washing it the night before however, makes it much more manageable and easier to work with.

Pack for your honeymoon – if you’re off on your honeymoon straight after your nuptials then it’s a good idea to pack before your wedding. This means things will be organised way ahead of time, leaving you to focus on your big day. This also prevents any hideous revelations in the middle of your wedding that you may have forgotten something hugely important. There’s an easy way to make sure things are done and that’s with an old-fashioned checklist. We suggest you start this a few weeks before your wedding and simply re-check everything is packed the night before. No rushing, no stress and a relaxed feeling the night before – sounds perfect.

Last minute beauty prep – the night before your big day is definitely the night for finishing touches. This is the time to enjoy manicures, pedicures and generally spoil yourself. Luckily for you, doing that here at That Amazing Place couldn’t be easier thanks to That Amazing Salon. Our in-house spa is a sanctuary of relaxation and the perfect place to pamper yourself the night before. With quality treatments and beauty therapy, you’ll be in “beauty prep” heaven. It’s the perfect place too, to spend a little time with the guys and girls, enjoying a little last-minute gossip, sharing stories of your single years and imagining your future with the love of your life. We couldn’t think of anything more wonderful the night before your wedding.

Create your emergency kit – ok, so this may actually be more of “a day before” kind of task but nevertheless, it’s one that needs tending to, in order to ensure you relax fully the night before your big day here at our Essex wedding venue. When we talk about your emergency kit, we refer to a kit containing things such as Kirby grips, safety pins, your favourite lipgloss and of course, tissues. By getting this done, you’ll save the midnight stresses and potentially, a complete lack of sleep – the most important kind of course – your beauty sleep.

Here at That Amazing Place, a beautiful Essex wedding venue, we want you to have the time of your life. Having everything organised and indulging in a little pampering the night before, is the perfect way to do that.