We couldn’t be more excited to tell you the wonderful story of Lewis and Becki and their beautiful day at our Essex wedding venue. This very happy couple wed right here at That Amazing Place not so long ago and with their permission, we’re telling the story of their big day. Becki and Lewis met five years ago after having been introduced at a friend’s birthday party. It was when they met that night they discovered a myriad of connections, from mutual friends to where they’d both grown up. How they’d gone so many years without actually bumping into each other was a conundrum but one they decided to see as fate. They’d finally crossed paths and fallen in love. Here’s their story of love and finally saying, “I do”.
Photo Credit: Derek Anson Photography
The Venue
Both Becki and Lewis visited That Amazing Place during one of the Wedding Fairs we hold throughout the year. In their own words they, “instantly fell in love with the venue. From the moment we walked in, we knew it was the one. It had such a lovely feel to it and everybody was just so welcoming. Angie was extremely helpful from the moment we met her.” It wasn’t just our beautiful venue that captured their attention, nor just the venue that made their wonderful day as spectacular as it was. Becki explained, “Paul and Jane made us feel like family and nothing was too much trouble. They were more than happy to help whenever we needed them. We loved how relaxed and comfortable it all felt. That Amazing Place felt like a second home. The day itself ran so smoothly, thanks to Angie. She made us feel totally at ease and ensured everything came together just as we’d planned. We were really keen on having a relaxed wedding without the structure and formalities you usually see and thanks to That Amazing Place, it was achieved perfectly.”
Theme and Entertainment
When it came to the theme of their wedding, they wanted something to reflect their “quirky” natures and so avoided anything too traditional. They opted for a 1920’s vintage theme, which saw, “all the boys dressed in tweed suits with feather button holes. The bridal party wore maroon coloured dresses with feather and flower bouquets. We were keen to hold our wedding party in a manor house as opposed to a barn or marquee, as we felt it went well with the theme.” They even borrowed our candelabra’s for the table centerpieces, which were then draped in pearls to really create the 1920’s feel.
When it came to their entertainment, they took the advice of ourselves here at That Amazing Place and went with the incredibly talented Piano DJ. As a surprise for their guests, they hired a saxophone player. They also enjoyed an hour of old school anthems, which saw their entire wedding party hit the dance floor until the very end. Becki said, “we both spent the whole night on the dance floor and loved every second of it.”
Flowers
Their flowers were supplied and arranged by a florist in Norpar Barns, Esta Bocking, The Workroom Florist. Going along with their quirky theme, they chose flowers combined with feathers. The happy couple were incredibly pleased with their floral arrangements and were even pleasantly surprised when Paul, the owner of That Amazing Place (not a lover of flowers himself) actually confessed to loving the arrangement on the staircase, only highlighting the amazing job their florist did.
Photo Credit: Derek Anson Photography
Dress
Becki chose her dress from a shop called Grace and Lace in Chelmsford. An American designer called Lusan Mandongus designed her dress. It was made of ivory lace and boasted an embellished belt with open back detail. The jeweled belt and headband were additional creations by the boutique and brought Becki’s vision to life.
Catering
The happy couple actually found their caterers at our wedding fair, choosing the famous Magpie Catering. Just as they did with our venue, they knew instantly Magpie was the one. Lewis explained, “They were so accommodating when it came to dietary requirements and adapted dishes to cater to everyone’s needs. The food was outstanding and so many guests commented on how much they enjoyed their meals. Lizzie and her team were all so lovely, we would recommend them to anyone and everyone!”
Special Moments
Any wedding day is special but they’ll always be those extra special moments and for Becki and Lewis, that began with the walk down the aisle. Becki’s most memorable moment started when she walked out of those back doors here at That Amazing Place, “seeing Lewis and all of our family and friends waiting for me.” The couple had hoped for an outdoor wedding so to have the incredible sunshine that we did this past summer was a huge blessing. Marrying under the gazebo was the icing on the cake. For Lewis, his memorable moment was seeing Becki walking towards him as he stood, waiting under the gazebo. When I heard ‘Ho Hey’ start to play, “I couldn’t help but turn around to get a sneak peak of my wife to be. When I saw her I was in awe of how beautiful she looked. The second most memorable moment was probably splitting my trousers on the dance floor!”
Photo Credit: Derek Anson Photography
Here’s to the happy couple. We hope you have many years of wedded bliss and hope to see you again here at That Amazing Place soon, perhaps celebrating your first anniversary? If you’d like more information on our Essex Wedding Venue, simply contact us today.
If you’re a regular reader of our blog, then you’ll know we love nothing more than sharing a real wedding story. With That Amazing Place being so busy over the summer however, we found ourselves a little preoccupied with blushing brides and some devilishly handsome grooms. With a gap left to fill, we thought it was about time we shared with you another very special story and what a way to jump back into it than with the fabulous Lauren and Laurie, who chose our Essex wedding venue as their venue to say “I do”.
Having spent 8 years together, the wonderful duo decided it was about time they waltzed down the aisle, committing to ‘for better or worse’ in front of their loved ones. Having met at University, this wonderful pair became best friends before the romance blossomed, making their union all the more special. We were truly thrilled to share such a special event with such a wonderful couple. What’s more, we couldn’t be happier to bring all the details to you, our readers, of their special day.
Photo Credit: Victoria Cadish
The Venue
When it came to choosing the venue, Lauren and Laurie chose That Amazing Place for a number of reasons. Lauren felt, “comfortable there as soon as we arrived for our viewing.” They wanted a venue with history and a chic interior and That Amazing Place most certainly ticked those boxes. Lauren said, “That Amazing Place had the most beautiful grounds for an outdoor wedding and the inside of the house has been styled and decorated so well that it really fit our simple yet chic vision”. The happy couple were also fans of the size of our country house wedding venue, claiming it was the perfect size to make the day feel personal. It also encouraged guests from both sides to mingle.
Photo Credit: Victoria Cadish
Theme and Entertainment
When it came to their theme, Lauren says there wasn’t a theme per say, “I wouldn’t say that our wedding had a theme. I just wanted it to look attractive. We also wanted to use decorations and props that we hadn’t seen at other weddings.” The couple felt That Amazing Place was a total blank canvas giving them free rein to play around as much as they wanted. They wanted flower heavy décor without the worry of clashing with the rest of the venue and that’s exactly what they got; their colours including white and lilac with white, gold and black on the stationary.
Before you even entered the venue, guests were presented with a stunning welcome sign made by Quill London, “it was made with a swag of fresh roses and foliage. We wanted guests to get a feel of the wedding before even entering the building. The welcome sign, invites and seating plan all included the same name motif and style to keep it consistent.”
The wedding breakfast marquee housed 6 long tables for all guests with a giant balloon on each table. Each table had a runner effect of roses and hydrangeas (white and lilac). The table name placements were created using gold wooden calligraphy cut outs and the favours were gold heart pins from Macmillan Cancer Support. A real touching addition and so important for Lauren and Laurie, “most weddings we go to, people leave the wedding favours or forget them. It was really important to us that the money went to a worthy cause and one that all of our guests could relate to.”
Last minute changes are never something any bride or groom wants but Lauren and Laurie thought fast. Having their ceremony on the hottest day of the year meant the possibility of guests getting a little too hot (not something that’s ever said very often here in the UK). Thanks to their quick reflexes, guests were made to feel super comfortable with a quick purchase of Spanish style fans just days before the big day itself. They were also treated to the exquisite sounds of an Apollo Strings Quartet who provided music while situated alongside the gazebo. In Lauren’s own words, “they were magical”.
Décor
Family means a huge amount to Lauren and Laurie which is why they included family frames, “we wanted to include those who couldn’t be there and also wanted to celebrate our grandparents and parents marriages. At the front of the entrance we displayed wedding photos in gold frames. It felt so lovely having photos of those who couldn’t be there with us.”
They also had a fabulous donut wall instead of a sweet cart or table, as they wanted something a little different. It was actually made by Lauren’s dad and it looked amazing, “it went down a treat. It was painted lilac with gold calligraphy and the donuts were from Krispee Kreme.” Instead of a love sign, they also displayed a ‘Til Death Do Us Party’ sign that lit up. Everyone loved it and it featured heavily in the photography. Lauren felt it transformed the lounge into a party room instantly and she wasn’t wrong.
To keep the guests comfy, they also provided everyone with flip-flops so there were no excuses not to get themselves on the dance floor.
Catering
For their catering, they used the fabulous Premier Crew Hospitality. They opted for mini burgers, mini fish pie and mini bangers and mash along with sweet potato rostis. The wedding breakfast consisted of a roasted red pepper and tomato soup, chicken wrapped in Palma ham for mains and a trio dessert of vanilla cheesecake, chocolate brownie and Eton mess. In the evening, guests were treated to bacon and sausage baps. When it came to the catering, Lauren said, “the food was delicious and service sublime.”
While there are a million more details we could share about their special day, we thought we’d leave it up to the pictures to really show you just what a fabulous, once in a lifetime experience it was for them. We couldn’t have been happier to share such a special moment in such a wonderful couples life and from all of us here at That Amazing Place, we wish them the very best for the future. For more information on our Essex wedding venue, simply jump online and contact us today!
When it comes to choosing your wedding venue, we know the initial glance can make or break it. Thankfully, our stunning country house wedding venue really does have the wow factor, which is why countless couples book to say “I do”, every single day. While this may be enough for some, here at That Amazing Place, we like to go that extra step further. From the wedding venue itself, to what goes on behind the scenes; we want to not only satisfy the wonderful guests and happy couples we have here, but blow them away. So how can we show that we go above and beyond at every chance possible? By showing you that we’re recognised for doing so. That’s right! Here at That Amazing Place, we aren’t just a beautiful wedding venue, we’re an award-winning wedding venue.
In recent months, we’ve received the hotel and spa awards from the famous Lux magazine. We’ve also received a rather prestigious certificate of excellence from Acquisition International Magazine. More recently however, our hard work has paid off in the form of yet another certificate of excellence, this time from the fabulous TripAdvisor.
TripAdvisor is of course, a well known review based website which means without your wonderful words, without the fantastic reviews we so regularly receive, this award simply wouldn’t be possible. For that, we thank you. It’s only down to the kind words of yours that we’ve been awarded such a title and we couldn’t be more appreciative.
So what exactly does this award mean, aside from That Amazing Place being an award-winning wedding venue? Well it might help to first explain what the certificate is. The certificate of excellence was actually founded in 2010 specifically to reward hospitality businesses that deliver great service on a consistent basis. This is judged by the reviews given on the TripAdvisor website which means it’s a worldwide recognised certificate. From review ratings, overall ratings and quantity along with recency of reviews; all is considered before the award is given to any establishment. To make you realise just how fantastic this award is, here’s how each hospitality business qualifies:
Must maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five stars
Must have a minimum number of reviews (therefore preventing just one great review from allowing someone to qualify)
Must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least twelve months in total
With this in mind, it’s easy to see just how hard it is to receive such an award. In the day and age of social media, with good (and bad) reviews being as easy to leave as it is to drink your first morning coffee, it just highlights the amazing service we provide consistently throughout each year.
So, what else is there to say apart from, thank you to each and every one of you. If you’d like to hold your wedding here at That Amazing Place, an award-winning wedding venue in Essex, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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