Month: December 2021

Venue Showcase: 41 Portland Place

In the heart of stylish Marylebone, 41 Portland Place is beautiful Grade II* listed Georgian Townhouse. The perfect setting for an intimate and exclusive Central London wedding. The fantastic location, sophisticated rooms, excellent food, and dedicated event management team will ensure you leave with treasured, everlasting memories.

We talked to Olivia Parrott, Sales & Marketing Manager at 41 Portland Place to find out more this grand and elegant venue, set at in the heart of London.

Tell us about yourself!

I have been in the weddings world for over 5 years! In my spare time I love to binge watch my favourite series on Netflix (I may or may not be able to re-enact every episode of friends… oooops!) I love socializing with friends & family, hitting the best brunch spots and exploring new places.

What drew you to the wedding world?

How personal it is! The feeling of making couples dream wedding days a reality is what sold it. Seeing the look on a couple’s face when they walk into the venue will never ever get old.

What do you think makes 41 Portland Place unique?

Our approach is to adaptable and flexible, we know each and every couple is different which means our approach is different. 41 Portland Place is one of London’s finest exclusive Georgian Townhouses. It is surrounded by elegant grandeur and in the heart of Marylebone, the Grade II* listed Georgian Townhouse is the ideal setting for a stylish, exclusive and chic London wedding. We are with our couples every step of the way and the relationship doesn’t end after their wedding day at RSA, we have created real amazing friendship with alot of our couples

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How do you get to know your couples before the big day?

We get to know them as people! Regular drink catch ups, video calls, venue visits, supplier visits! Getting to know the family is also a big thing for us too!

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What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?

Personality! Having seen more marvellous weddings than we can mention, the team here at 41 Portland Place know a thing or two about personalizing weddings so if you’re looking to put your own stamp on your big day, you’re sure to find some inspiration, or a little extra confidence to do your own thing, right here!

What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Trust your venue and your suppliers, they are experts and will go above and beyond to create the most incredible day for you!

What do you love about Bridebook?

The support from the incredible team, they are always so lovely and will go above and beyond always!

What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at 41 Portland Place?

This is a hard one as we have seen so many memorable weddings! I remember a summer wedding which was hosted on the tranquil terrace which just oozes sophistication and is the perfect spot to enjoy a refreshing summer cocktail with friends & family shaded from the sun by gorgeous olive and eucalyptus trees. By night, the space transforms into a fairy light lit oasis in the city. The client opted with a relaxed family feasting BBQ style menu followed by an interactive dessert station, a chef’s favourite!

Why should a couple book 41 Portland Place?

For this, I would say actions speak louder than words and have a look at testimonials! However, knowing their wedding contributes to the Academy of Medical Sciences charity which is funded research to improve health which is more important now than ever, is an incredible thing to know. Booking 41 Portland Place means you are in for a fun and memorable time planning the most incredible day of your lives and that we promise.

What’s the best photo spot at 41 Portland Place?

The Terrace!

What part of your business are you most proud of?

Our incredible behind the scene team, the people who make dreams a reality and it wouldn’t be possible without every single one of the team

How do you feel technology is changing the industry?

In an amazing way! Virtual tours, Instagram, wedding videos and galleries of images allow couples to imagine their day even more

What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?

If your wedding cannot go ahead postpone do not cancel, we are all in this together and talk to your loved ones. We will get through this and your wedding celebrations will be more amazing than ever before!

A huge thank you to Olivia Parrott for answering our questions. Check out 41 Portland Place on Bridebook!

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Looking for more venues in London? Find your unforgettable venue by searching venues here.

Are you looking to promote your beautiful venue to our community of couples? Contact our Venue Consultant team at business@bridebook.co.uk

Venue Showcase: Plas Dinam Country House

Plas Dinam Country House is a truly beautiful historic mansion set in the hills of Wales. Exclusive use, DIY, with amazing glass roof Stables for your evening party and exclusively yours for at least 2 days.

We talked to Louise Edmunds, the Wedding Coordinator at Plas Dinam Country House to find out more this unique and amazing venue, set at the foot of glorious Welsh hills with spectacular views

Tell us about yourself!

I am relatively new to the Wedding Industry but my previous experience was working in Hospitality in the UK and France. I have had a great summer with Plas Dinam as wedding coordinator, loved every minute of it, and can’t wait for next year. I am a big outdoor lover and when possible will be out running, mountain biking or trying new wild swimming spots. During the winter I try to fit in a ski trip, and get back out in the snow. A few years ago I also joined the Army Reserves, so throughout the year I spend a few weekends training with them. I am expecting my first child in a few weeks, so trying to get ready for the next life adventure!

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What drew you to the wedding world?

I absolutely love the creativity of the wedding world, and I was lucky enough to find a job at a venue that is unique in what it offers to couples as well as being a beautiful place to work. It is great to work with couples from day 1, from when we show them around to their wedding day. It is such an exciting time for them and all the positive energy is in abundant on the day, you can’t not be happy doing this job. I love to the see the flower creations, the food menu choices and especially the chosen wedding dress and outfits. Every wedding is different.

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What do you think makes Plas Dinam Country House unique?

It is a family business and we want every couple to make it their own. We encourage them to use all the grounds and space at Plas Dinam, from the beautiful glass roof stables to the tennis courts and the secret lake for wild swimming. It is like renting a big home for a family holiday as well as getting married at the same time. We have fire pits, a pizza oven and BBQ, to croquet on the lawn. There is plenty of space for the couples and guests to explore and really settle into the house for a few days. From Day 1 of showing the couples around our venue I work with them to help with the planning of their day. I am there on the day to make sure it all goes smoothly, they don’t have to think about anything, and just enjoy it.

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How do you get to know your couples before the big day?

I love getting to know the couples and their families, and we love to show them around as much as possible. I am always on hand via emails and zoom calls. We will do a planning meeting at Plas Dinam a few months prior to their wedding day so they get to look around a final time before coming back to get married. This can normally be combined with their food tastings which happens in the Stables, and is a great time for them to really feel like their wedding is happening.

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What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?

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Having all your friends and family together to celebrate.

What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Wedding planning is fun, please don’t stress over it. It will all come together on the day with our support.

What do you love about Bridebook?

Bridebook have been great throughout covid-19, thinking of new ways to advertise and help us, with monthly phone calls and assistance looking at our listing to make it couple friendly. Bridebook are a great way to start the planning process for your day.

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What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Plas Dinam Country House?

The couples getting married make it memorable. Their personalities and their ideas that they put into the day really make it for me. Our first wedding in June this year was very memorable, they had postponed 3 times due to covid and we were so excited for them to be getting married. They were such a fun couple, they had great friends and family with good chat, and all loved to party.

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Why should a couple book Plas Dinam Country House?

So the couples can spend a few days with their friends and family staying in a large Country House, relaxing, eating, drinking and getting married. They have the whole grounds exclusively to themselves and a beautiful glass roof stables to hold their wedding meal and party. They can arrive and completely make it their own. No pressure from anyone, it is their day and they can have it how they want.

What’s the best photo spot at Plas Dinam Country House?

In the Wild Flower meadow or the old greenhouse

What part of your business are you most proud of?

All of it, we have a great team that work super hard to make sure everything is perfect.

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How do you feel technology is changing the industry?

We have seen the increase of virtual tours since covid-19, but it is a positive- being able to offer a tour over zoom from the couples comfort of their lounge has been wonderful. We have been able to give them a real view of the venue and grounds, they can ask all the questions and still come away wanting to book with us.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?

It is super tough having to postpone or not know if it will go ahead, but we are on hand to support you. We can help with any suppliers, and assist in finding new dates. It is still your wedding day so we want it to be special, and being able to spend it with family and friends is so important. Do not take too much stress on, relax, and it will happen.

A huge thank you to Louise Edmunds for answering our questions. Check out Plas Dinam Country House on Bridebook!

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Looking for more venues in Wales? Find your unforgettable venue by searching venues here.

Are you looking to promote your beautiful venue to our community of couples? Contact our Venue Consultant team at business@bridebook.co.uk

Venue Showcase: Tudor Barn Eltham

Tudor Barn Eltham is Set in acres of beautiful Instagrammable parkland and gardens, and dating back to 1525, the Tudor Barn is the perfect place for special celebrations. We’re ready to host your wedding.

We talked to Jade Hayward at Tudor Barn Eltham the to find out more about this hidden gem of a venue.

Tell us about yourself!

I have been in the wedding industry since I was 17 years old! Approaching 8 years now. I have a beautiful little girl who gave birth to during the pandemic and in my free time I love to design posters, birthday cards, photobooks as well as photography.

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What drew you to the wedding world?

Simply by chance! I worked in central london for 2 years and could no longer deal with the constant bad energy and the need to get everywhere 100 miles an hour! A friend of mine actually asked me to do some photography for her sons holy communion at Tudor Barn Eltham and I fell in love with the building. Such a beautiful little gem right around the corner from where I live.

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What do you think makes Tudor Barn Eltham unique?

I find some venues are like a conveyer belt whereby they just want 7 weddings a week sometimes more than 1 a day and that is just simply not what we are about. Tudor Barn Eltham is a family run business and each and every wedding is unique and becomes a part of history as Tudor Barn Eltham is the last remaining Tudor Barn in London dating back to 1525. We want to be a part of our couple’s planning process, we want to help them decide which table plans will work best, which colour schemes work beautifully with the barn and all the little bits in between. We have found this approach not only puts our couples minds at ease but makes what can be a very difficult planning process so much easier and dare I say it… lot’s of fun!! We want them to not only remember the big day but remember just how exciting it was to plan with our team.

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How do you get to know your couples before the big day?

Our events team offer 4 meetings with our clients, on the viewing we are able to understand who they are and what they want which really helps us begin our planning process, after they are invited to a tasting which again helps us understand what type of food and drinks they like and offer our advice to what we think could work for their big day. We then offer a planning meeting where the clients have access to their function sheet and it’s almost a step by step checklist of what they need to do, this allows us to understand exactly what they want from their big day in terms of decor, entertainment, timings etc and again we can focus in on these areas. Finally, at the final meeting we can look at all the tiny little details which we know our client’s would love to have as we have built a relationship with them for on average 9 – 18 months! On the day of the wedding we will know everything we need to know about our couples to ensure their day is perfect.

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What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?

I think everyone’s idea of perfect is unique and that’s what makes a wedding perfect, your own very unique, different ideas coming together to create a day that truly represents you and your partner.

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What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Be prepared for anything to happen! Sometimes the best things can come from it

What do you love about Bridebook?

How we can show off our venue as the unique wedding venue as it is with ease!

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What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at The Petersham Hotel?

We held a wedding a few years ago and the groom was a firefighter who actually attended the grenfell tower tragedy – he was a real life hero! Seeing him and his colleagues in their dress uniform’s it was truly something special.

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Why should a couple book Tudor Barn Eltham?

To become a part of history in a beautiful unique 16th century barn

What’s the best photo spot at Tudor Barn Eltham?

Within the stunning gardens by the Moat Bridge

What part of your business are you most proud of?

The staff

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How do you feel technology is changing the industry?

I feel that everything is becoming more digital! We totally expected this change and we are moving with it and taking it all in our stride! We will continue to have a personal 1 to 1 approach for some parts of the planning as we believe this is really important.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?

Love conquers all! You will have your perfect day and your family will be so excited to be able to celebrate an amazing milestone in your life with you.

A huge thank you to Jade for answering our questions. Check out Tudor Barn Eltham on Bridebook!

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Looking for more venues in Kent? Find your unforgettable venue by searching venues here.

Are you looking to promote your beautiful venue to our community of couples? Contact our Venue Consultant team at business@bridebook.co.uk