In the past 12 months we’ve documented a notable shift in the volume of couples opting to book weddings on weekdays rather than opting for previously popular weekend dates.
And with couples saving an average of £1,679 by not booking a Saturday wedding it’s not difficult to see why, as a nation, we’re losing our love of the weekend wedding.
More of us are working flexibly these days too, so taking a day or two off mid week is no big deal anymore as many people will compensate by working the weekend instead.
The core theme of 2017-2018 is choice. Couples have more choice these days and flexibility is the trend of the Century.
But don’t take our word for it.
We met to discuss the weekday wedding trend with the team at South Farm.
South Farm lies on the borders of Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, and has been holding weddings for twelve years now. This well-established wedding venue boasts beautiful grounds, a gorgeous country farmhouse and lovingly converted barn buildings, as well as its very own organic smallholding providing much of the produce used for wedding breakfasts.
South Farm has experienced something of a weekday revolution over the last couple of years and, in fact, this wedding venue is now booking more weekday weddings than weekend dates.
James Paxman, Managing Director at South Farm says: “it is becoming more and more apparent that couples are keen to embrace a greater degree of flexibility around the date they choose for their wedding as it enables them to secure their dream venue at a fraction of the cost that weekend dates can command. We have long advised our couples never to underestimate how much people will want to come to their wedding, regardless of the day of the week, and we are seeing many couples now looking to take advantage of the lower venue hire fees offered on Mondays-Thursdays.”
Tip:Bridebook Business profiles that include pricing details receive 10x more enquiries than those who do not. Be transparent with your wedding venues weekday wedding costs.
The pricing structure at South Farm means that couples with their heart set on booking their wedding day at their dream venue can do so at a much lower cost midweek than they can on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday if they are able to be flexible. The savings this can afford couples means that they can free up their budget for other wedding costs, such as the all-important dress, booking other suppliers and even their honeymoon.
Because budget is so important, the South Farm team puts together a detailed and comprehensive cost estimate for each couple at their very first meeting.
James says: “as a venue we are completely transparent with regard to our costings; publishing all our prices and availability online, which helps hugely when couples are planning and budgeting for their big day. In fact we find, on average, that a couple’s final account is actually lower than their original estimate. By helping the couple manage their wedding costs with a working cost estimate, we enable couples to focus on the details and finishing touches for their wedding day whilst being fully informed of variations at all stages. At this first meeting we are also able to demonstrate to couples how much a weekday wedding can potentially save them.”
Holding your wedding during the week at South farm could mean a saving of up to £4,000.
Tip: Regardless of how big or small a saving you could offer, wedding venues nationwide could explain what these kinds of cost savings could mean in real terms to wedding planning couples using Bridebook’s wedding budget estimate. You’ll surprise and delight them, and hopefully secure a weekday booking off the back of it.
Does having a weekday wedding mean that couples have to compromise?
At South Farm couples receive the same standard of service and catering options including a full range of menu choices and dedicated planning support in the lead up to their wedding day, regardless of the day of the week. If budget-savvy couples really can enjoy a greater choice of dates at a lower cost and enjoy the same quality of wedding day, it seems like a no brainer to us.
South Farm has also seen some of their recommended wedding suppliers follow suit and offer lower prices to clients for week-day bookings rather than weekend dates.
James says: “some of our suppliers, such as photographers and entertainers are now offering a price structure that reflects our own, with weekday bookings representing greater value for the same service compared with weekend dates. We expect that the industry will follow suit as couples increasingly demand high standards of service and greater price flexibility.”
So does that mean that weekend weddings are fast becoming a thing of the past?
“Despite the fact that weekend weddings command a higher venue price they still remain in demand, particularly in the summer months, and are usually the first dates to book up, however couples with a more flexible approach are taking advantage of our week-day venue fees. In 2017 we booked 93 weekend dates and 139 week-day dates at South Farm which demonstrates a shift in industry trends with lots of couples taking advantage of the pricing structures for weekday weddings and making great savings.”
These are interesting times for the wedding industry and South Farm are certainly seeing a shift in wedding day decisions.
The Bridebook.co.uk Wedding Awards 2018 results are in, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this year’s winners!
Determined by reviews of their past couples, these florists, photographers, caterers, venues and general dream makers, have each been crowned the 2018 Bridebook Wedding Awards Winner in their respective category.
Congratulations to all the winners, and a special shout-out to all our suppliers who won a Certificate of Excellence for their contributions to the wedding industry in 2017. If you’re looking for your dream team, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these Certificates displayed on their Bridebook profiles!
And to the couples still planning their wedding, who knows if one of these champs will help put together your dream wedding…
See all the winners of The Bridebook Wedding Awards below:
Winner: Dodmoor House – “Winning the award has definitely resulted in our venue receiving more enquiries from Bridebook and we have also held the number 1 search position in Northamptonshire for more than six months.”
Winner: The Wellbeing Farm – “It has certainly helped raise our reputation across the North West – we’ve been incredibly proud to say we were the winners of the North West Venue of the Year! It has been an amazing accolade and experience.”
Winner: Quantock Lakes – “When we received the news, we were thrilled to share our Venue award win on our Facebook page which we pinned to the top of our page. The post has reached over 10,000 people and received over 1,300 clicks. The exposure we have received from the award has been phenomenal and we enjoy using the Bridebook hashtag regularly on both Facebook and Instagram. We have sold many weddings this year through our Bridebook listing and award. The award has helped install confidence in couples coming to view Quantock Lakes for the first time as Bridebook is trusted and well known by many couples.”
Winner: Larchfield Estate – “We were so delighted to be chosen as the NI venue of the year, it has meant a lot to the team as shows that our care and hard work ensures our couples have the best day. Our enquiries through Bride book have increased in the last year and I am sure the award has helped raise our profile within the industry.’
Winner: Samantha Jayne – “The experience was fantastic. Simple to enter, great to market to clients etc. Winning was freaking AMAZING! It’s been a huge opportunity to create more awareness about my business, gain more clients and grow my business! I’d highly recommend that other businesses take part. It’s the best form of advertising! Clients and prospective clients love to see that you are doing well and this gives them more confidence in your ability to provide your service to them!”
Bridal Beauty of the Year
Dani Roberts Makeup
Winner: Dani Roberts Makeup – “It has boosted my confidence in myself that I am making my clients happy and with the title behind me it also increases confidence in future brides to book me and know they are going to be in good hands!”
Cake Maker of the Year
Cakes by Nina
Winner: Cakes by Nina – “Wherever I’ve mentioned I have won 2018 Cake Maker of the Year people seem to have heard of Bridebook and have congratulated and recognised the reward. It’s a wonderful award to win because it is actually based on what your customers actually think of you and it is lovely to know what people truly think of your work.”
Winner: GDC Weddings & Events – “Winning my award has given clients more confidence in booking. I’ve had lots of enquiries and actual booked Events since winning. A fantastic status also to have won this prestigious award!!”
Dress & Accessories Supplier of the Year
Sarah’s Wedding Boutique
Winner: Sarah’s Wedding Boutique – “We really enjoyed entering the Bridebook awards 2018. Unlike a lot of awards in this industry, this award is based on actual feedback from our customers rather than a panel. Our customers really got on board and wanted us to win too so they were happy to write a review for future brides to read. (It was lovely for us to read them too!)”
Entertainer of the Year
The Wedding Crècherz
Winner: The Wedding Crècherz – “Winning the Bridebook wedding awards 2018 meant the absolute world to us. It opened up so many opportunities for us, and added gravitas to our name and branding.”
Florist of the Year
Mrs Bouquet Floristry & event styling
Winner: Mrs Bouquet Floristry & event styling – “We display our award on our desk in the showroom and take it along to any wedding fairs we attend. Our upcoming brides absolutely loved that we won & of course our previous brides were ecstatic to say they had award winning suppliers.”
Winner: RLA Wedding Designs – “When I found out that I won I genuinely cried! I was so overwhelmed. Winning has boosted my confidence and given me a great platform. To say I am a national winner gives all my potential customers the faith and trust to book with me and also gives my current clients the ability to say that their invites were created by an award winner!”
Transport Supplier of the Year
Churchtown Wedding Cars
Winner: Churchtown Wedding Cars – “Being the UK’s transport provider of the year is an amazing accolade and we proudly display the logo for our customers to see. It gives them the confidence that our past brides and grooms have enjoyed an amazing experience and they can read the reviews too.”
Videographer of the Year
Veiled Productions
Winner: Veiled Productions – “Winning Videographer of the Year has been brilliant for the business. I’ve certainly had more bookings through Bridebook this year than last year – couples like reading from past clients and hearing about their experiences with us, on their wedding day and after watching their films back. It shows we are a trustworthy wedding supplier too which is so important when planning a wedding.”
Bridebook is the UK’s number one free wedding planning app, with over 16,000 registered wedding businesses and more than 100K couples planning their wedding with us.
A Valentine’s Day Playlist was in order, so the Bridebook team put together our favourite love songs, from different decades, genres and swooning styles.
The new year is well underway and we’re already looking forward to wedding season 2018. Based on predicted trends it’s going to be a bold and beautiful year.
A few teasers have already landed on our desks with regards to popular wedding photography styles and wedding themes thanks to brave couples choosing to marry in January! And so we’ve gathered trends from the hottest wedding photos we’ve seen in this chilly month so far.
We’ve also scoured leading design publications to see which visual trends are leading the way in photography now, and how colour and artistic themes could influence the wedding photography landscape this year.
Here goes…
Wanderlust – documenting our great escape
When does a trend stop being “trendy” and become a way of life?
Wanderlust = life, right?
Wanderlust travel photography will of course continue its upward trend as the need for silence, solitude and wellness dominates trends for 2018. And with overseas weddings now more popular than ever before it’s no surprise that destination wedding photographers with a diverse geographic wedding portfolio are hot property.
Wedding photographers can inspire 2018 couples by showcasing shoots from beaches, countryside, mountain tops and more. It’s a great way to leave potential new clients with a lasting memory of your wonderful wanderlust-inducing work.
Portraying a carefree lifestyle, escaping the grind and ‘telling your own story’ is set to remain a popular theme amongst smartphone photographers and Instagrammers.
The irony of travelling to remote places to escape whilst documenting that solitude on social media does not elude us, however it demands behavioural psychology investigative work than we’re not qualified to provide at this stage.
Conceptual realism and surrealism
A preference for the surreal over reality is a trend that’s set to continue from last year into this, and it serves as a means of escape from political, economic and environmental world concerns.
However the desire for realistic, authentic and believable images in a world where media content is freely invented and shared is more important for both photographers and consumers now than ever before.
2018 photography is about blending incredible experiences with raw, uncut nature and adding a dose of human imagination to the mix to provide people with the escape they’re so looking for.
Be creative with your wedding photography but ‘keep it real’. We’re fortunate to work in an industry designed for capturing raw emotion from real subjects in photographs. With skill and experience, wedding photographers can create dreamy wedding stories within the realm of reality.
Banishing stereotypes
Male stereotypes are being challenged and many brands are looking to tackle overt masculinity by introducing more complex, gentle and emotionally astute representations of the gender.
As wedding photographers, you have an advantage here. You’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to capture these kinds of raw emotions in a pleasing, gentle and natural way…
“Accept me for who I am” is a visual trend based on challenging stereotypes. Expect to see photographers inside and outside of the wedding industry capturing women and men as ‘their true selves’. The interchanging roles of genders will also be a focal theme for many creatives.
And it was all…purple
This year’s must-know (and must include) colour is ultra-violet purple.
Pantone has officially named it colour of the year for 2018, and describe it as “a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.”
This colour inspires and represents the exploration of new technologies, the cosmos, artistic expression and spiritual reflection.
It is a colour that we often associate with mindfulness and meditation; offering an escape for those seeking refuge in an over-stimulated world.
We’re expecting all shades of lavender, plum and other purples to be popular too, not only in design, branding and photography but in homewares and fashion too.
Wedding photographers…if life gives you lavender fields, you’re one lucky shooter.
However you can still show that you’re at the cutting edge of photography trends by making sure that any wedding you shoot that does incorporate this colour is featured at the top of your portfolio and on your homepage.
Incorporating this Pantone is good for securing bookings from style conscious couples and great for getting you noticed prior to wedding awards in 2018.
Bold and brave colours in general are “in” this year, leaning away from the more natural palette of 2017. However a great way to make ultra violet purple less brash and more crowd pleasing is to combine it with greenery (Pantone’s 2017 colour of the year), greys and more neutral tones for a pared back yet on trend wedding look.
Space is ace
In keeping with our ultra-violet year, fantasy and space are set to grow in popularity across all consumer based industries, including photography. Shutterstock has seen a massive increase in search demands for fantasy characters and the most savvy photographers and videographers are already honing in on space-themed conceptual realism by enhancing an already starry night sky, for example.
Conceptual realism can be best described as imagery that looks real, even if the idea does not seem to be so.
This fantasy theme will continue to be seen in branding developments, including the use of vivid colours, creating a sense of escapism from reality.
#nofilter
Unfiltered images are expected to enjoy a long awaited revival after what we’re now creatively calling “the age of the #filter”. This style is also known as Dead Pan and was popular in the 50s, and it involves subjects represented as they are – raw and ready.
You’re ready to visually delight the critics of 2018
Wedding photographers – it’s time to develop your photographic style and more so, your portfolio, in keeping with this years hot visual trends.
Stay relevant, stay popular and earn critical acclaim.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
Wouldn’t it be incredible to know exactly what a couple is looking for in a wedding venue before they even visit?
Truth be told, a lot of the time, couples don’t really know themselves what they deem most important in a venue until they’ve visited a few and have come to realise what they are, and are not willing to compromise on.
What we can prepare for, however, is the fact that all of us are influenced one way or another by trends, and by what we’re seeing more of in shops, fashion and in wedding shoots.
Trends aren’t unique to each industry – they don’t develop in silos. They’re present in the clothes we wear, the interior decor we lust after and the media we consume. And whether couples consciously opt for a ‘fashionable’ wedding or not, they’re likely to incorporate accents of trends that they themselves may not have even noticed.
By subtly incorporating ideas from predicted 2018 trends in your wedding venue you can position yourself as a relevant and desirable place to wed.
And one of the best things about being a wedding venue is that you can work with other local wedding suppliers to transform your space. You can offer fellow suppliers an amazing venue to exhibit their finest work at, and in return, you benefit from having your venue perceived as on trend – no matter how traditional the foundations are!
Incorporating 2018 wedding trends into your venue
Here are 4 key wedding trends that you need to be incorporating into your wedding space on open days to win more bookings.
1. Open spaces and industrialised architecture is a key trend for 2018 weddings
Ok, so most typical UK wedding venues aren’t going to be dripping in natural, industrialised architecture but you can easily fake it, and include metallic touches to your events rooms and open spaces in a sympathetic and unobtrusive way.
Consider working with local wedding decor suppliers who can provide copper chairs, lanterns, candle holders, cups and cutlery.
Tip: 2018 has seen us move away from rose gold accents in favour of industrial look copper.
For your next wedding fair or open day, work with your preferred supplier to set up an industrial themed corner which would appeal to couples who’re looking to incorporate this trend.
Fairy lights are the perfect accompaniment to an industrial theme as are green garlands – drawing on last years trend. Soft draped fabrics work well to counter the harsher metallic look and add a fairytale feel.
Treat your wedding space like an exhibition and provide a couple of different trends and expressions to suit different tastes. By featuring a trendy theme alongside a more traditional one you’re appealing to couples awareness of ‘what’s hot’ without moving too far away from the typical ‘white wedding’ idea.
2. White and green is still in… just add marble
In addition to copper and metallic details, a super hot wedding trend for this year is to add marble aspects into the mix.
Some wedding venues have the marble monopoly, like Holkham Hall…
By adding white and green tones to floral décor a wedding venue like Holkham Hall can become very current very easily.
For those wedding venues with less natural marble to play with, partner with wedding decor suppliers who can bring marble themed table runners to your next wedding fair or open day…
Or perhaps a marble inspired seating plan with matching place setting cards…
A really impressive way to incorporate a marbled theme in your wedding space is to work with a local wedding cake maker and ask them to produce a marbled cake with wow factor…
3. Keep it light and minimal
2018 weddings are all about natural light and stripping things back to basics.
Leaving ceilings and walls neutral and minimalistic allows more couples to envisage their dream wedding day, and it enables you to work with local wedding suppliers to add the kinds of details we describe above.
Metals and marbles are quite dominating materials to have in a wedding theme therefore it’s important not to add too much elsewhere.
Focus on making the most of natural light and offering a simple, polished space that couples can build ideas on.
4. Blank canvas venues that couples can make their own
Following on from above, it’s now more important than ever for couples to have freedom and options where building on their wedding theme is concerned.
Yes, you can offer ideas and help paint a picture of what their day could look like with the help of like-minded wedding suppliers, but there will always need to be a little room for movement.
Be yourself… AND be the wedding venue that 2018 couples want
Couples will on some level be influenced by popular themes that they may not have even known were on trend because of exposure to them; exposure in the media, in retail and in the ideas wedding suppliers offer. That’s a fact.
It’s important to work with what you already have, own your venue style and compliment it. How does your wedding venue space tie in with the popular trends above?
Don’t try and be everything for everyone but make sure that you’re not alienating couples by refusing to be anything other than traditional.
Incorporate trends with a little help from supplier friends and you’ll be surprised how much a little modern vision can help couples to decide whether you’re the wedding venue for them this year.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
Looking for venue inspiration for your upcoming wedding? Look no further! Bridebook.co.uk (your go-to wedding venue finder) has compiled a list of the most amazing wedding venues in the UK.
Browse the list below, and click the links to explore them more. You can even message each of these beautiful venues asking for some more info!
While you’re in wedding venue wonderland, be sure to personalise your wedding venue search with the filters that matter to you. Set your filters to “Luxury” or “Lovely Grounds” or “Castle” to see some jaw-dropping wedding venues near you, or set your filters to “Rustic and Barn” or “Exclusive Use” for some beautiful and heartwarming options. The variations are endless!
The Keeper and The Dell, a wonderfully secluded, outdoor wedding venue in Norfolk, is a beautiful collective of a traditional canvas marquee located in a pretty woodland dell, an 18th-century Gamekeeper’s barn, camping gardens, firepit and wood cabin. This is one the most amazing wedding venues in the UK!
Caswell House, the Cotswolds, offers a unique ambience with the perfect mix of rustic romance surrounded by breathtaking scenery, stunning barns and exclusive use of the immaculate grounds.
Askam Hall is a country house hotel in Cumbria, brought into the 21st century, with a converted barn featuring rustic oak ceilings and stone walls paired with modern lighting and beautiful glass doors. This is one of our favourite glass house wedding venues.
Ever After, a unique outdoor wedding venue on the banks of a Dartmoor river, showcases an open-sided oak and stone barn, glass-roofed outdoor rooms, a bespoke marquee, and an 18th-century luxury honeymoon cottage.
River Cottage is a 65-acre organic farm tucked amongst rolling hills on the Dorset and Devon border, offering the beautifully restored Threshing barn, the famous farmhouse, a yurt and walled gardens for use on your special day.
South Farm, the perfect setting for a quintessential English Country Wedding in Hertfordshire, is home to a lovingly restored Grade II listed house, beautiful Tudor barn and lovely summerhouse set in stunning gardens. Guests will enjoy prize-winning menus utilizing produce grown on-site.
Doxford Barns is a truly unique barn-wedding venue, located in the heart of coastal Northumberland on a private and secluded country estate. The best part…exclusive use to you and your guests spread over three days!
Packington Moor is set within a 700-acre livestock farm in Staffordshire and includes The Malt Barn and The Oat Barn, farm-to-table wedding meals, a restored honeymoon suite and a nearby Coach House for additional lodging.
Carbis Bay, a modern British boutique hotel located on the coast in Cornwall, is set within a 125-acre estate with sub-tropical gardens and a private beach.
Tunnels Beaches is a stunningly unique location found on the Devonshire coastline, featuring a hand carved tunnel through a cliff leading to a stone terrace overlooking a hidden private beach.
Angel House, a Grade I listed Regency Town House in East Sussex, has a stunning seafront location right on Brighton and Hove border overlooking the Angel Peace statue out to sea.
Artists Beach House, with original arts and crafts detailing, is situated just above Tankerton Beach and a short walk from the fashionable fishing town of Whitstable in Kent. The Whitstable Street, a geophysical phenomenon, located below the property offers a stunning backdrop.
Titchwell Manor, steps from the golden beaches of Norfolk, is a Victorian manor with secluded walled gardens, log fires, spacious contemporary bars and lounges, beautiful dining room and outdoor terrace.
Sudeley Castle & Gardens was once home to Henry VIII’s final wife, Catherine Parr. Experience the royal treatment in this historic Tudor castle in its’ own Cotswold valley, in Gloucestershire.
Lough Eske Castle is a fairytale five-star refurbished castle-hotel located in Ireland outside of Donegal Town.
Aikwood Tower, a unique Scottish castle five-star wedding venue outside of Edinburgh, is the perfect marriage of ancient and modern.
Fasque Castle, one of the top country house wedding venues in Scotland, has a unique blend of opulence and comfort with a choice of large reception rooms, exclusive use bar, 19 luxurious bedrooms and a high-spec dining kitchen with adjoining terrace.
Amberley Castle is a genuine medieval castle in West Sussex, with stone walls, 12 acres of gardens (with peacocks and alpacas!) and tower views of the nearby village.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa occupies two Grade II listed buildings with distinguished Georgian and Victorian facades originally built in the 1800’s and situated in Bath a World Heritage Site.
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, a luxury wedding venue in a Grade I listed building in the heart of Bath, boasts an all-new Wedding Garden for use on your special day.
The Bingham, tucked away by the river in Richmond-upon-Thames, this chic London boutique hotel is a romantic destination with a contemporary and elegant interior.
Brunswick House has become a central London landmark. Inside its lofty Georgian interior, the panelled rooms are packed with salvaged curiosities, magnificent chimneypieces, brilliant cut glazed entranceways, sparkling chandeliers and beautiful antiques in each room.
The Dolls House, located in London a stone’s throw from Islington Town Hall, makes a spectacular setting for any wedding reception offering a truly unique and glamorous location.
Fulham Palace, a one-of-a-kind historic London wedding venue, is situated in a beautiful riverside location with sumptuous gardens, a private chapel and multiple versatile and elegant event spaces.
Hotel Café Royal, located in the heart of London, features The Pompadour Ballroom that is ornately gilded and beautifully restored, offering an outdoor terrace with views of Regent Street.
Weddings at QMUL is a brand new venue providing a unique setting for a wedding day like no other! They offer flexible spaces for the perfect wedding in London.
The Lanesborough is moments from Knightsbridge, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park in London. This hotel’s flawless surroundings are the very definition of a fairytale wedding venue.
Rosewood is in the heart of London just steps from Covent Garden. Guests arrive through an archway that opens into a grand Edwardian courtyard, offering the perfect start to your memorable day.
The Savoy, a Fairmont-managed five-star hotel, is one of the most celebrated of London landmarks featuring the iconic Lancaster Ballroom and various private entertaining spaces.
St James’s Hotel & Club, a five-star boutique hotel located right in the heart of Mayfair, London, offers the opportunity for you to host an intimate wedding fit for royalty.
The Trading House, a Victorian space with an eclectic feel in the heart of London, features a grand central bar, incredible tapestries and taxidermy, and reimagined retro dishes.
The Zetter Townhouse is a 13-bedroom eclectic Georgian townhouse with an award-winning cocktail lounge, choice of event spaces, and bespoke food and drink menu located on the historic St John’s Square in London.
Hedsor House is a stunning exclusive use Georgian mansion with over 100 acres of private parkland, located in Buckinghamshire just a short distance from London. Take advantage of the 24-hour stay over party option, your guests will love the nightclub lighting and cocktail bar, a great twist on the traditional décor.
Foxhill Manor, a private manor-house hotel, is one of the Cotswolds’ most amazing wedding venues. The highlight being The Ballroom, which opens directly onto a terrace and gardens with amazing views of the Vale of Evesham.
Pynes House is an exclusive use, a country house in Devon set on its own 37-acre park. Steeped in history, it is believed to have inspired Barton Park in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Gosfield Hall, a stunning Georgian manor house in the glorious Essex countryside, offers grand and ornate reception rooms, Queen Charlotte’s Gallery with a 120-foot long aisle and Marquis of Buckingham’s Ballroom.
Leez Priory’s magnificent Tudor mansion located in Essex is one of the most sought-after wedding venues in the country.
Knowlton Court is a gorgeous country house manor with regal character, surrounded by hundreds of acres of charming parkland, near Canterbury in Kent.
Castle Green Hotel is situated in Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, surrounded by breathtaking views of rolling countryside, Lakeland fells and the remains of Kendal Castle.
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Lakes District, has its own lake in 100 acres of private grounds with options to hold your wedding in the conservatory or a marquee.
Orangery Wedding Venues
Babington House is a Grade II listed manor house with an 18th century chapel in the heart of Somerset.
The Manor, a beautiful country mansion with vaulted ceilings built in 1235, is set within 12 acres of the exceptional British countryside in Somerset.
Pennard House, set on the last south facing slope of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, is the epitome of dreamy English elegance with a Grade II listed Georgian manor house, extensive landscaped gardens and a converted 18th-century coach house.
Sparkford Hall is a private mansion on 23 acres of beautiful parkland, orchards and gardens in Somerset. Exclusive use of numerous bespoke event space and accommodation options, including the option to party until dawn in the private basement nightclub!
Washingborough Hall, set within beautiful secluded grounds with mature gardens in Lincolnshire, has its own private entrance to the village church and offers the newly completed Winston Room with an elegant orangery wedding venue style backdrop.
Wilderness Reserve radiates all that is beautiful and unique, offering a stunning Grade II listed Georgian manor house, extensive grounds and fabulous backdrop all sitting in the rural and rustic Suffolk countryside.
Ettington Park Hotel, in Stratford-Upon-Avon in Warwickshire, is a magnificent romantic gothic mansion built from six types of Cotswold stone and housed on a 40-acre estate.
Axnoller is home to three stunning large private houses with a mix of contemporary and antique features, set in 100 acres of rolling countryside in West Dorset.
Bignor Park epitomizes rural elegance in the heart of West Sussex, featuring the Greek Loggia, part of eleven acres of beautiful grounds, formal gardens, sweeping lawns, a temple and zen pond.
Cowdray House is a spectacular country house in West Sussex, surrounded by historic parkland, including Cowdray Ruins.
Iscoyd Park, a newly restored award winning Georgian country house in Wales, is surrounded by 18th Century Parkland, stunning gardens and a beautiful church on the estate.
Valentina’s Lost Orangery, an exclusive manor house in Wiltshire, harbours an inspired history and impressive fairytale-like grounds with gardens, a thatched boathouse, and orangery. This is without a doubt one of our favourite orangery wedding venues in the UK.
Thyme, a beautifully restored Southrop Manor Estate on the Oxfordshire Border in the Cotswolds, is the perfect setting for your quintessential English country wedding with a beautiful village church, manor house, and Medieval Tithe barn.
Gidleigh Park Hotel, an exclusive use country house hotel in Dartmoor, boasts fabulous views and a two Michelin Starred chef for a food and wine lovers dream wedding.
Bridwell House & Deer Park is an elegant Georgian house set in 100 acres of breath-taking parkland, featuring the house, a chapel, parkland, old stables and magnificent views across the Culm Valley in Devon.
Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons is situated in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Great Milton. It is one of the country’s most cherished manor house hotels with stunning gardens and a two Michelin star rating.
Hipping Hall, a boutique bolthouse, sits between the beautiful English Lake District and the rugged Yorkshire Dales, offering the perfect exclusive wedding venue for your intimate affair.
The Crown Inn, a 16th century Inn steeped in history and recently renovated into a stylish pub with rooms, is located in the heart of enchanting Old Amersham in Buckinghamshire.
Lord Crewe Arms is an Eleventh-Century Abbot’s Guest House in County Durham with vaulted rooms, flagstone floors, summer gardens, and famous northern hospitality.
The Sheene Mill is a magnificent 16th century Grade II listed water mill set on the River Mel in Cambridgeshire, with a view of the old mill pond and landscaped gardens.
The West Mill is a Grade I listed former industrial mill in Derbyshire dating back to the early 1800’s, restored and converted into a beautiful wedding venue.
Dreamland, located on the Kent seaside, is a completely unique wedding venue, unlike anywhere else in the UK, where an amusement park soaked in history can be the backdrop to your memorable day.
Combermere Abbey, a 900-year-old estate in Shropshire, offers exclusive use of the beautiful walled gardens where The Glasshouse, a truly unique fan-shaped building is surrounded by a fruit tree maze. There is also the impressive Walled Garden Pavilion with an impressive star-lit ceiling. Definetely one of the most beautiful glass house wedding venues in the UK.
Nutbourne Vineyards, West Sussex, is one of the premier wine producers in the South East. The grounds include a timber built wine lodge nestled within the vines, an old windmill, 360-degree balcony, outdoor fire-pit, and tractor-drawn carriage for guest arrivals or vineyard tours.
In addition to these amazing venues, try entering your location and seeing which venues are nearest to you. Filter the results by what’s important to you and you’ll be sure to find gems of all sorts for your wedding!
If you’ve set up a wedding website for your wedding business, you’re in the SEO game.
And with the search landscape guaranteed to become more competitive throughout 2018 you need to make sure that you aren’t ruining your chances of ever ranking well; regardless of how much time and effort you want to spend on developing your website ranking right now.
Ensuring that brides and grooms can actually find you is pretty darn important and being able to rank highly without having to pay for the privilege is an art. However it’s a logical and systematic art form that is actually pretty easy to nail – if you know the basics. Here are some simple things you can do – or not do – to improve your chances of becoming a major player in the SEO sphere and to reduce your chances of sabotaging your wedding business (eek)…
1. Choose your keywords wisely
There’s a place for broad keyword phrases but your main focus in 2018 has to be local keywords.
Broad keywords are classed as general words or phrases, such as “weddings” or “wedding venue”, and they’re highly competitive. Yes, it’s good to include these generic phrases in body content but you should set your primary keyword phrase for each page as something specific and where possible, local.
An example of local keywords could be: “wedding venue Ware, Hertfordshire”. This local term should be set as your H1 or H2 (depending on how your website is tiered). These are the first and second headings on the page you’re choosing to edit and they will signal to crawlers what your page is about and the specific keywords that relate to your topic.
People are more search savvy than ever before and they’ll type highly specific requests into Google and other search engines. Think about it; when do you ever search for the phrase “restaurants”. You’d have a job sifting through your options unless you searched for “restaurants near me” or “restaurants in Soho, London”.
Meta data is the ‘language of search engines’ and it’s what Google-bots will read to find out what your pages and posts are about.
Meta data is essentially just keyword phrases and words describing the contents of each page on your website, and each page should have its own unique title tags, meta tags and page description.
Your images rank alongside your content so you also have to make sure that you include Alt tags so that images are fully optimised.
If you’re using a content management system like WordPress, you’ll have access to this information and will be able to formulate and input your own tags and descriptions. However if you’ve created your website via a developer using a custom built CMS, you’ll need to contact them to request unique meta data on each of your website pages.
3. Anchor text ensures that internal links don’t drift from the core topic
One of the easiest ways to improve your SEO is to use anchor text wisely.
Links to other pages on your website or external pages should be optimised so that Google knows why they’re being referred to another source. Inconsistencies in subject matter and links that don’t flow between relatable topics signal to Google that there’s dodgy link business happening on your website. For example, we might choose to send our readers to a related SEO post, so I’d include an anchor text link in this phrase: find out more about the latest SEO techniques for wedding pro’s in an earlier Bridebook post.
We’ve told Google and our readers what the page is about before we’ve sent anyone anywhere.
Top tip: broken links harm SEO efforts. Regularly check all site links to make sure you’re not harming your website ranking over something so easily solvable.
4. Don’t run before your website is crawled
In order for Google to rank your website in the search engines or update your ranking after you make improvements, Google bots need to “crawl” your website. In simple terms, they need to find and scan your content before they can index it (or add it into search) so that it can be discovered by potential clients.
To ensure that your website is regularly crawled, check that you’ve created a sitemap and that your sitemap is submitted to Google Webmaster Tools.
By default, every WordPress post and page is indexed so once again, you’ll only have to request the above are completed manually if you’re not using WordPress CMS.
5. Keep up the (good) content
So you already know the importance of website content. Not just any content but regular, informative, keyword rich and user friendly content.
It’s getting competitive out there in the big wide world of wedding websites but you can still make a big impact on your sector by leading the way with rich content.
Boring, badly written content is picked up by Google bots and they can detect spelling mistakes, bad grammar and poor syntax which is bad news for your website and will harm rankings.
Approach wedding website SEO improvements with determination (but patience) this year
SEO is a long term (in fact, lifelong) strategy and you won’t experience instant results; even if you made every possible positive change today.
Sure, you’ll see some results quickly but others may take months or even years – quite simply because we’re all dependent on search engines and the process of crawling, indexing and ranking.
Are you interested in finding out more about the advanced SEO predictions of 2018?
Whether you’re an SEO expert, are brand new to the search engine game or would rate yourself somewhere in the middle, you should know that Moz is a fantastic reference site.
And Moz co-founder Rand Fishkin has a new year tradition which is to predict SEO trends for the coming year. And he’s more often than not correct (or at least not entirely wrong) with his predictions which is no mean feat in the unpredictable landscape that is search engine optimisation.
No one loves weddings as much as we do. We can promise you that.
And it’s not just because of the white dress or the flowers or the cake – although we do love cake-, but because of the magic. The wedding magic that can electrify the shyest of guests into dancing queen mode and make the toughest of grooms shed more than just a tear or two at the altar. Let’s face it, it’s that magic that makes weddings as special as they are.
And who is there to witness it all? The photographers!
This year, we challenged hundreds of Bridebook’s best wedding photographers to one simple task: Send us your most unique, outrageous, tender and funny wedding photos from your 2017 weddings and share those special moments for all to enjoy!
So without further ado, here are some of the very best wedding photos of 2017, and the ones we thought had that extra special something!
Click the link to each artist’s Bridebook profile if you would like to see more from them, or book them for your own special day!
Last year’s colour theme of the year was Greenery and we definitely saw a surge in brides and grooms opting for green decor and garland style floral installations.
The Pantone colour of the year is always a strong indicator of wedding trends to come so expect to find couples requesting fifty shades of purple this year!
We think it’s the most beautiful colour for weddings – adding a calm sophistication and often regal touch to any tableware, flowers or decor, and there are a lot of ways to incorporate accents of this colour in a wedding theme or to go all out and let the purple reign.
Now is the time to start thinking about designs, decorations and photographs that incorporate ultra violet purple to ensure that you position your wedding business as relevant and on trend in time for peak wedding season.
Here are a few ideas to inspire you to incorporate this 2018 wedding trend in your wedding supplier collection…
Purple wedding flowers
Perhaps your clients will want to really embrace the ultra violet vibes…
Or perhaps they’d prefer to mix ultra violet with more subtle lavender tones…
Will the newly engaged couples you work with opt for strong purples and deep velvet ribbons…
Or splash the brightest purples across garlands and amongst greenery for a bold look that builds on last years hot trend…
Keep it simple for couples who don’t want to spend a fortune on purple centrepieces…
And why not recommend that couples use lavender as a cost effective way to add a bohemian edge (and a beautiful scent) to a purple wedding theme. They’ll appreciate your advice and will trust you more for it.
Purple wedding cake
Design beautiful wedding cakes that combine deep purple with a marbled effect – another hot trend of 2018…
Swot up on these types of dessert table delights. The “help yourself” dessert table is set to replace traditional wedding breakfast desserts in 2018…
Purple wedding decorations
Feature photographs of an elegant, purple themed wedding breakfast table on your wedding website to capture the hearts and minds of trendy 2018 couples…
Include purple paper lanterns in your product portfolio for couples wanting accents of colour rather than swathes of it…
Or be very clever and show couples how effective purple lighting can look alongside sophisticated whites and crystal table decorations…
We just love these lavender mason jars…
Purple wedding stationery
Showcase bright and elegant wedding invitations on your website that incorporate purples but remain traditional in style…
Show 2018 couples that you also cater to contemporary stationery themes with this bold, dramatic and stylish purple invitation…
And add beautiful botanical wedding invitations to your purple collection – always a crowd pleaser…
Ultra violet purple and gold – the edit
Purple and gold look so great together. We wouldn’t be surprised if Harry and Meghan opt for a similar dramatic yet expensive-looking theme.
For a truly regal look add elaborate gold metals to your wedding collection…
Gold cutlery is hot stuff and we’ve seen a rise in requests for it over the past year or so. With the arrival of purple as a key colour of 2018, expect a surge in requests for gold tableware and purple glassware and chargers – this style of table setting is going to be hot property…
Or prepare for couples to flip the colour scheme around and opt for purple tablecloths and gold chargers. We love this look for a winter wedding whereas the above could work all year round.
It’s time to stock up on colourful ideas for your wedding business
We have it on good authority that ultra violet purple will be making an appearance on engaged couples Pinterest boards any day now – and it should certainly be splashed across yours too if you want to be seen as a hot and relevant wedding supplier this year.
We guarantee that your competitors will be considering when to place their first order of purple flowers now, as well as researching where best to source ultra violet purple table decorations like napkins, plates, tablecloths, glassware and chargers. And we’ll soon see the leading stationery companies showcasing purple themed wedding invites.
Get ahead of the game and start investing in ultra violet wedding decorations and ideas now to luxe up your portfolio and win the hearts (and bookings) of couples this year.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
All those things you promised yourself you’d do differently last year can finally be put into practice and you could make 2018 your best year of weddings yet.
That is, as long as you’re prepared to make positive changes now.
Here are 3 things that the most successful wedding suppliers of 2018 will be doing right now and throughout 2018. If you want to have a winning year too, you’d best get started…
1. Be stringent with time management and communications
Think back to how busy you were during peak wedding season 2017. Wouldn’t it be incredible if you could be equally as busy this year but without the added stress of feeling like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day?
Streamline your communications now and you’ll soon notice how much more efficiently you’re managing your time, and how much more you’re able to get done. We strongly recommend that you write down a basic communication plan and stick to it as closely as you can. It could look something like this:
Enquiry: respond via email within 24 hours (tip – prepare a template and include personalisation fields)
Follow up email / phone call: if you haven’t heard back since the initial enquiry, schedule a follow up email and / or phone call 5-7 days later.
First meeting: organise a first meeting to discuss ideas and secure the booking. At this meeting, inform your clients of how you prefer to work in terms of ongoing communication between now and their wedding day. Perhaps you could share a Google document with the couple and ask them to input all of their ideas and requests there, and let them know that you’ll be free to discuss all ideas exactly 12, 10 or 8 months before their wedding day – whichever schedule works for both you as the wedding supplier and for the couple in question.
Ongoing communication: set your second meeting (whether face to face, skype or phone call) and schedule a final pre-wedding meeting with the couple so that they feel comfortable knowing that you’re in control of things. This also helps you better manage your time.
Prepare for ad hoc email communications and phone calls but try to keep all communications direct and concise – it’s simply a better use of everyone’s time.
2. Be clear on your goals
What do you hope to achieve in 2018, both personally and professionally? It’s important to consider what a better wedding business and a better life means to you, and to think about how these elements tie together.
If you’re challenging yourself to generate more revenue and more bookings but are also determined to secure a better work-life balance this year, you’ll have to consider building a bigger team to free up your time. Is this financially feasible?
Carefully consider your objectives for this year and document three clear goals for you to work towards and remind yourself of regularly. Checking in monthly will provide reflection; enabling you to see how you’re progressing and helping you stay on track.
Tip: you’re much more likely to do something if you write it down so even if you work alone, note down your goals and display them in your office so they’re clear for you to see!
3. Build your online presence
It is getting more and more difficult to get noticed online but it’s absolutely essential that you try and that you’re consistently dedicating a fair proportion of your time to doing so.
Consistently produce and upload fresh, new, high quality content and stay abreast of new developments in SEO. If you’ve already got a great website and are present on social channels and online wedding planning tools like Bridebook, consider working with a local SEO consultant or digital marketing specialist to boost your presence and further build authority in search results.
Local pros can be found on Linked In and on specialist freelance sites like UpWork, but be careful to ask for examples of work and demonstrable experience before engaging a freelancer as specialist sites don’t always mean specialist services!
We’ll be sharing our top SEO tips right here, at Bridebook Business Hub, throughout the year so if you’re keen to have a go at becoming an online marketing pro yourself, stay tuned for hot new tips and tricks.
It’s time to change the game
To make a positive long-term impact on your business it’s essential that you focus on making small changes today. These super achievable game changing tips will make your life easier and your business better. Start today and become this year’s winning wedding supplier.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
Welcome to this week’s Supplier Story! ‘Supplier Stories’ is an original Bridebook Business article series, where we go behind-the-scenes and into the wedding world through those that know it best – the experienced and talented venues and suppliers across the UK.
So whether this is your first story or 10th, enjoy as we look into the industry as a whole, and celebrate a true story in itself! Who says couples have all the fun?
The Granary Estates’ Supplier Story:
This week we shine the spotlight on Lynne, Marketing Co-ordinator at The Granary Estates. This beautiful venue comprises two rustic barns joined together by a modern glass walkway. The Granary Girls manage to attract couples from all over the world to celebrate their special day in this equally special setting. The Granary Barns opened in April 2013 and this dynamic young team are taking these stunning barns from strength to strength – read on to find out how!
So without further ado, Lynne over to you!
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello! We are the GG’s (aka The Granary Girls) and we are the team behind the award-winning Granary Estates! The Estates consists of two venues located on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border; The Granary Barns and The Polo Club Dullingham. With its classic flint walls and original timber beams throughout, our 18th century Granary Barn is the perfect setting for a relaxed and intimate wedding day. The Polo club in Dullingham offers space, flexibility and versatility for those looking for a blank canvas. We operate all year round, sharing our love and passion for all things wedding!
2. Share the story of Granary Estates?
The Granary Estates opened its doors in April 2013 and has continued to grow ever since! We have just completed our fifth summer wedding season, seeing our newlyweds travel from as far as Australia and America this year.
Mr. Taylor, owner of The Granary Estates, grew up on the farm and had the idea to renovate the barns after attending a family wedding on the site. By implementing a stunning glass walkway, we were able to link both the smaller Flint Barn and the main Granary Barn, creating an exclusive venue space with bundles of natural light and flexibility whilst maintaining the barns natural charm and character.
3. What’s your favourite part of the venue?
We love every part of the barns but if we had to choose, there’s something very special about The Flint Barn. The untouched, original timber beams give the barn an intimate and warm atmosphere as guests arrive at the venue. The flint walls add a rustic charm and are the perfect backdrop for the many civil ceremonies that take place here.
4. What drew you to the wedding world?
Working in weddings and events we understand how important it is to make sure our couples are stress free and able to enjoy themselves on the lead up to and on their big day. A persons wedding day is one of the most important and special days of their lives and we are honoured to be able to be a part of that. Being in the wedding industry, we enjoy working with people and find great job satisfaction in helping others to achieve their ultimate goal, whether it be through helping them to source a photographer to helping pin the button hole on to the groom’s lapel at the last minute!
5. What do you see as the biggest challenge in the wedding industry currently?
Nobody can escape just how fast technology and the online industries are growing. It’s quite a hard topic to pin down, but we feel that as much as Pinterest is a fantastic platform to explore with its various ideas, planning and inspiration, this can sometimes work as a negative for some brides/grooms when planning their wedding. We feel that having these aspirational ideas from the beginning can sometimes put pressure on newly engaged couples to create the ‘perfect’ wedding. We love to encourage creativity and those all-important personal touches here at The Granary Estates and will always try to help and guide our couples if they are struggling with certain decorations or styling options. We ultimately want their wedding day to reflect them as a couple as this is what makes a wedding unique to them.
6. What wedding venue trends are you seeing in the industry?
In the past few years we have noticed an increase in historical and industrial venues; those venues that can offer space and versatility to couples who want to create a wedding totally unique to them. The tradition of the bride’s family paying for the wedding is slowly fading out and in its place, we see far more couples paying for the wedding on their own. We can therefore understand how couples are preferring to have the flexibility to pick and choose certain elements of the day, being far more knowledgeable with budgets and how they can make the day work better for them. We believe this is why venues with built in character and interesting aesthetics have become more desirable as in a lot of cases there is more freedom with regards to decoration and on the flip side, less need for additional styling of so desired.
7. What is the biggest challenge you face on the wedding day itself?
Our main goal on every wedding day is to ensure that our soon-to-be-wed couple are happy, relaxed and are enjoying every minute. Every wedding is as important as the last and as a luxury venue, we ensure our high standards are met with great communication throughout the planning process within our team and external suppliers. There are no dress rehearsals on a wedding day and we have just one chance to get it right! We go in to every wedding day fully prepared and excited to watch them celebrate one of the best days of their lives!
8. How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
There has been a massive change in how we market and advertise in the industry over the past 3 years. As social media platforms, blogging and online interaction show no signs of slowing down, we as a business have had to adapt and embrace these changes. Couples are now able to plan their weddings from anywhere in the world, on any device which has totally changed the wedding and creative industries. We like to use our social media to inspire and interact with our followers, making their experience fun, creative and helpful.
9. What has been your biggest time saver this year?
As our company continues to grow, we have been able to expand our Events Team and welcomed Victoria in July this year. Victoria has been invaluable in helping to provide additional support to our Events Team in both practical and administrative duties and has also quickly become an integral role in the running of weddings and events at the barns.
10. How do reviews affect the industry?
The first thing we all do when booking a holiday or checking out a new restaurant is to read personal reviews about the place in question and this is the same for your wedding venue! Reviews are a fantastic way to share experiences and give personal insights in to what others could expect. We love to hear from our past couples sharing their thoughts and memories from their big day.
11. How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
We begin building relationships with our couples from the very first phone call, email or initial meeting. After the first contact with them, we always encourage our couples to come and have a look around the venue which gives us an opportunity to meet and discuss their big day in more detail. We always endeavour to find out more about what makes them unique, how they met and what their aspirations are for the big day. We are always available to talk to and to give advice where needed to ensure our couples are happy and making the right decisions for them.
12. What do you think makes The Granary Estates unique?
Without blowing our own trumpet, we feel it is our team which gives the Estates its uniqueness.
We are a young, dynamic and friendly team here at The Granary Estates and have a fantastic working relationship with all of our suppliers and industry colleagues. As a team, we are dedicated to our various job roles and are passionate about what we do. We always strive to continue to grow and develop individually and with the business so we can share our knowledge and expertise with our brides and grooms.
13. What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
Friends, family and fun! By now you have planned everything, managed to get all of your friends and family to the venue and created the day of your dreams – now you need to enjoy it! It’s important to be able to relax and enjoy the day you have dreamt of and nothing makes for a better wedding than happy newlyweds, good food, chilled drinks and a busy dancefloor!
14. What’s your favourite wedding memory?
A favourite memory that stands out from this year has to be when a couple shared the news that they were expecting not one, not two but three babies!! We were let in on the secret as the groom planned to share the news in his speech and we were thrilled to see everyone’s reaction in the barns! Jaws hit the table, tears were shed and glasses were raised, turning the day in to a quadruple celebration – a great moment to have been part of!
15. What do you love about Bridebook?
We find Bridebook is extremely easy to use, with clear navigation tools and a clean, minimal design all backed up by a supportive team. Having images located at the very top of our listing is fantastic as photographs are the best way to have an immediate impact and to display the venue. The response we receive from our Bridebook page is great with daily enquiries and a strong online presence in our region.
A huge thank you to Lynne for sharing her Supplier Story. See the rustic Granary Estates in their Bridebook profile.
Want to feature in your own Supplier Story? Get in touch with Beth at [email protected].
If you are looking for an Asian wedding venue in London, you’ve come to the right place!
Wedding planning is a very exciting time, but with so many amazing wedding venues out there how do you know how to choose the right one? A brilliant place to start (if we do say so ourselves) is Bridebook’s wedding venue search – it’s the biggest in the UK.
There, you can search all of our venues and filter the results to meet your wedding needs. You can set your capacity, and tick other requirements such as “Asian” or “Exclusive Use” to help find the venues that are right for you! We’ve compiled some of our top picks available through the directory below, because we’re lovely like that.
5 Star Venues
For the most discerning bride and groom, you can’t go wrong with this selection of top-notch wedding venues.
Celebrate your wedding day with confidence, as the team at Sheraton Park Tower take care of all your needs! This beautiful Asian wedding venue in London is located in the heart of the city, perfect for you and your guests.
If you want to throw a luxurious wedding, The Dorchester is a great choice! Located on Park Lane, this venue will wow your guests with its elegance and luxe!
Unusual Venues
If you’re looking to wow your guests with something different then these wedding venues are for you.
What best way to throw a memorable wedding than to host yours at the Natural History Museum? Knows for its amazing atmosphere, this is one of our favourites on the list!
The Landmark in an absolutely gorgeous wedding venue. With high ceilings and banquet rooms boasting with natural light, this could be the one and only place for you to tie the knot.
The perfect escape from London is only a stone’s throw away. De Vere Devonport House is one of favourite wedding venues in the UK, and we’re sure you and your guests will love it!
Golf Clubs
You don’t have to be a golf lover to host your wedding at one of these two gorgeous venues.
Your dream wedding should be put together by a dream team. C and L Country Club specialise in hospitality and decorations, so you can rest assured you and your guests will be happy.
If you have family travelling from a long way, why not host your wedding at Sofitel Terminal 5? It’s luxurious and it’s grand, so your wedding party will surely be a memorable one.
Get your guests from the plane to the party by hosting your wedding at the Heathrow Marriott Hotel! Elegant and spacious, your party will be one for the books!
Country Houses
Get married in style at one of these beautiful wedding venues just outside London.
Well what a year it’s been! We’ve seen oodles of happy couples choose to tie the knot in beautiful locations and with it, we’ve gazed in awe at some of the incredible wedding photographs we’ve seen shared online.
If you’re getting married next year (or if you’re just addicted to beautiful wedding photography like us) grab a cup of tea, sit back, relax and flick through our collection the best wedding photos of 2017.
It might just inspire you to check out one of these wonderful photographers or at the very least, follow them on Instagram and continue to oggle the beautiful wedding images they share.
Have you always envisioned a grand and dramatic wedding? Are you seeking a bit of royal wedding action in your life? These stately home wedding venues are the closest you’ll get – and they’re pretty special too!
These impressive manor wedding venues will have you begging for more as you become a King or Queen for your big day. However, if you’re looking for something a little more low-key, use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search and use the filters to find your perfect setting!
One of England’s greatest estates, Holkham is a majestic Stately Home that will leave your guests in awe as they contemplate the luxurious Marble Hall, the Saloon, and the Statue Gallery along with many other outstanding rooms. Whichever space you choose, the experience will always be memorable.
Located in Essex, the exquisite Gosfield Hall has plenty of venues suited for each step of the ceremony. From the wedding breakfast in The Marquis of Buckingham’s former ballroom, to the actual ceremony in Queen Charlotte’s gallery, everything is covered for your big day.
For a fairytale wedding, there is hardly a better venue than Prestwold Hall. This majestic Stately Home offers three splendid locations to tie the knot, including the church for a religious ceremony, the library inside the estate, and the gardens for an outside affair.
This beautiful Grade I listed building overlooks it’s own lake and 35 acres of grounds in the picturesque Essex countryside. Boreham House offers a gorgeous oak carved ceremony room and a marble reception area, so you can experience being Lord and Lady of the Manor for your wedding day.
The striking exterior of Hengrave Hall will whet the most demanding of wedding venue appetites, as this breathtaking Tudor mansion wedding venue boasts 350 acres of parkland as well as it’s very own church in which to say your vows. You won’t need much persuasion after visiting this stately home!
Just when you think you’d like to find the perfect stately home wedding venue in the West, we call upon Orchardleigh House & Estate! Not only is the elegant house up for grabs, but also the Italian-style Walled Garden with a gorgeous light-filled Orangery may be the ideal place for your ceremony in the spring and summer time.
Stonehouse Court Hotel is a 17th Century stately home venue that dreams are made of! It hosts a plethora of flexible spaces in which to celebrate with your nearest and dearest, including the newly-refurbished Caroline Suite – a stunningly romantic banqueting room that backs onto the private gardens.
Could a hotel be the perfect spot for you and your beau to tie the knot? Check out our top picks for hotel wedding venues in the UK!
Port Eliot will blow you away with it’s breath-taking Georgian Orangery, it’s elegant Boathouse on the river banks, and it’s traditional reception rooms oozing with charm. As the historic seat of the Earl and Countess of St Germans, this enchanting stately home truly is a fairy-tale setting.
Gorgeous high ceilings and elegant decor welcome you as soon as you walk into Lartington Hall. On offer is 75 acres of parkland, a stunning Chapel space and the heavenly Ballroom, creating a magical setting for your grand wedding.
Hertfordshire’s Ashridge House is a rather royal affair, as it was once home to Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. On it’s own 190-acre estate, this manor wedding venue boasts high ceilings, exquisite decor and the grand staircase as a gorgeous focal point.
Dating back to 1760, Brocket Hall Estate is set in picturesque countryside and boasts three fairytale venues for your stately home wedding. The Ballroom is at the heart of this stunning venue – the opulent ceiling was painted by Sir Francis Wheatley, and it was the first place in England to be introduced to the Waltz. How romantic!
Irnham Hall‘s spacious Orangery and it’s very own Church are perfect settings for your ceremony, followed by a glass of bubbly in the Walled Garden. Continue your celebrations in the stunning Summer House before retiring to the onsite luxury cottages with your nearest and dearest.
What a choice you have with the breath-taking Blenheim Palace, where you can choose between several different settings. Literature lovers – here’s The Long Library, complete with grand organ and 10,000 books, or there’s The Saloon, a French-decorated State Dining Room. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Bringing together a stunning stately home, a rustic barn venue in the woods and dramatic parkland backdrops, Cambo Estate really does suit all tastes! This Scottish oasis oozes charm and tradition to create the wedding day of your dreams.
This gothic revival castle will really sweep you off your feet! Allerton Castle is a jaw-dropping setting, some key features including the Grand Staircase on which to utilise for a dramatic bridal entrance – amazing photo opportunity right there!
Suffolk’s gem of a venue Belchamp Hall is a gorgeous red-brick structure with a long sweeping driveway, stunning stained glass windows and a nearby church in which to say your vows. It’s a must-see.
Looking for a stately home wedding venue with a modern twist? Kimberley Hall is the place for you – a historic house including a stylish West Wing with chic decor and state-of-the-art-lighting. This venue will light up your life!
Penshurst Place and Gardens is a one-of-a-kind stately home venue that lies in a glorious village in Kent. This enchanting Medieval house offers three unique banqueting rooms, not to mention the perfectly manicured gardens where you can take a romantic walk after you tie the knot.
The spectacular lake-fronted Stoneleigh Abbey is an impressive mansion wedding venue with a rich history. Choose from a range of banquet halls, reception rooms and timeless settings in which to host your wedding day – all with stunning views over parkland.
Leigh Court‘s Great Hall is truly the heart of this venue – with it’s surrounding double staircase and striking pipe organ, there isn’t a better place to have your ceremony. And if you haven’t fallen in love with it yet, the rest of the 19th Century Greek-style decor throughout the rest of the building won’t disappoint!
With 20 acres of luscious gardens and surrounded by endless Northamptonshire countryside, Holdenby House is one to remember. The state rooms of this traditional setting scream grand and romantic – what more could you want?!
No fairytale wedding is complete without the backdrop of Capesthorne Hall! As one of the most prestigious venues within Cheshire, this Jacobean-style building combines history, grandeur, and a touch of contemporary charm too.
The magical Welsh venue of Plas Dinam Country House makes the ideal setting for your grand wedding. Float through this beautiful Grade II mansion, have drinks in the wildflower meadow, and feast like Kings and Queens in the glass-roofed Old Stables. Lush!
Sennowe Park is Norfolk’s delight, offering the stunning Long Room or the Winter Garden for your bespoke ceremony. With a luxury marquee on the grounds and gorgeous views across the land, you can party the night away at this grand stately home venue.
Haven’t found the venue for you? Use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search and click the filter for ‘stately home’ if you would like a grand wedding day!
Welcome to this week’s Supplier Story! ‘Supplier Stories’ is an original Bridebook Business article series, where we go behind-the-scenes and into the wedding world through those that know it best – the experienced and talented venues and suppliers across the UK.
So whether this is your first story or 10th, enjoy as we look into the industry as a whole, and celebrate a true story in itself! Who says couples have all the fun?
RSA House’s Supplier Story:
Photo Credit: Guy Collier
This week we’re shining the spotlight on Rosalind Craven, Wedding Co-ordinator at RSA House. Set amidst the daily hustle and bustle of of London’s West End, RSA House is a hidden gem in all its Georgian splendour. Each room is completely unique with its own tale, making it a remarkable place to say ‘i do’ on your very special day.
So without further ado, Rosalind over to you!
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I still sometimes cannot believe my luck that I have fallen into the wedding world as it has always been a dream to work in such a creative and diverse industry, and the perfectionist in me loves nothing more than a flawlessly planned event!
Asides from wedding planning and marketing, I enjoy discovering new places to eat with friends, spending time in the countryside or by the coast, listening to all sorts of music and a new hobby this year has been practising calligraphy – which comes in handy when couples are missing a placecard or two on the big day!
2. Share the story of yourself and RSA House.
Since starting in the events industry I have worked in many different types of venues and organised over 150 weddings. Having tried working in the corporate events sector, I found myself coming back to weddings because I missed the more personal relationships you build with people and the creativity and challenges involved in planning such intricate events. Working at RSA House particularly appealed to me because in addition to having such a fascinating history, all of the profits from the events go back into supporting the brilliant work that the charity does.
3. What do you see as the biggest challenge for couples planning their wedding?
I would undoubtedly say that the biggest challenge for couples these days is the overwhelming amount of choice that there is in the wedding market. Then on top of all these decisions to make, people often tell me that they get pulled in every direction by family members and friends who want to help. The most important thing to remember is that it is YOUR day. The final decision lies with you so remember that you don’t have to please everyone!
4. What wedding venue trends are you seeing in the industry?
One trend that I am particularly loving for winter weddings at the moment is a move towards choosing more homely, filling and charmingly simple dishes for the wedding banquet. Our last wedding at RSA House requested a bespoke dish for their main course of ‘Bangers and Mash’, which went down a treat with their guests on a cold December day! It was such a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and everyone really enjoyed the food.
5. What advice would you give to a couple who is just starting to plan their wedding?
The first step is to find the venue and pick a date! Once the venue is secured, then you can ask your wedding coordinator to give you lots of advice about the best suppliers to use in that area. Venue coordinators will be able to help you in lots of areas, not just related to the venue and catering.
6. How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
Although the amount of choice that technology has generated for couples these days can seem a little daunting at first, it is hard to imagine how people used to plan a wedding without Pinterest! All of the information you could possibly need is right at your fingertips and couples have access to a wealth of advice and support from industry experts along the way. Forums are also a wonderful way to be able to chat to other newly engaged couples who might be going through the same experiences as you.
7. How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
As I look after each wedding we have here at RSA House, it is lovely to be able to see every wedding through from the very first enquiry to the day itself. During the planning process couples are welcome to organise the day via email or in person – whatever suits them best. I often work with a lot of couples who live abroad so even if they cannot visit us in person, I can get to know them and what’s important to them over the phone or Skype.
8. What do you think makes RSA House unique?
The thing I love most about how we work at RSA House is that in addition to personally looking after every couple that books with us, I am also there on the day to ensure that every little detail we have discussed throughout the planning is always carried through to fruition. Having worked in several different venues, many may offer a coordinator to help you plan the day but there will be a different person present on the wedding day itself. Having that consistency of communication is such a crucial part of creating the perfect wedding day.
9. What do you think makes for an unforgettable wedding?
The best weddings I have seen are when the couple really put their personal stamp on the day. Letting your personality shine through things like the decorations, music, entertainment and food is one way to make your wedding day truly unique. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and often it’s the smaller touches like personal family traditions that make the day memorable for everyone.
10. What’s your favourite wedding memory?
It would be impossible to name just one favourite memory from the weddings I have organised. However, the best feeling is when you see the couple truly relax and enjoy their day. Nearly all couples say that their wedding day goes by so quickly, so the last thing you want is for them to still be worrying about timings and logistics. It is the most rewarding feeling when they wholly put their trust in you and just enjoy every moment of their day.
11. What do you love about Bridebook?
There is such an overload of information available about weddings these days that it can be overwhelming for newly engaged couples who don’t know where to start. Bridebook is a fantastic way to keep all of your planning in one place and get helpful suggestions on how you can take things step by step.
A huge thank you to Rosalind for sharing her Supplier Story. See the stunning RSA House in their Bridebook profile.
Want to feature in your own Supplier Story? Get in touch with Beth at [email protected].
Bridebook Business Hub has been created for you, the wedding industry professional. We want to make sure you have the skills and resources you need to build a strong digital presence and market your wedding business with confidence. From couple insights and trends to social media and lead generation (and much more), the Bridebook Business Hub is a one-stop shop for the all the latest news and top tips to power your wedding business.
As well as this, we look to provide supportive and educational insight into the industry. We do this by working with our Bridebook data scientists and by partnering with leading experts, inspirational thinkers, and thought generators.
Is there a Business topic you’d like to be discussed or a business concern you currently have? Pop Beth an email at [email protected] and she will give you a helping hand.
Please contact Beth at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding updating your Bridebook profile, the Christmas engagement season or Bridebook Business.
Do you stay close to home where your family and friends are? Do you both have family and friends from the same area or are your loved ones spread across the country?
Do you choose to stay in the UK or do you search for a wedding venue overseas?
Finding the answers to these kinds of questions can prove quite stressful and it’s at this early stage of your wedding planning journey that you’ll soon learn that you can’t please everybody – and you shouldn’t have to!
It is up to you and your partner to choose a wedding venue location that you both love. And trust us; the people closest to you will travel wherever they can to be there.
Here are five tips to help you both choose where to have your wedding, whether you’ve been dreaming about this day all your life or if it’s all new to you.
Five tips to help you choose where to wed
1. In the UK or abroad?
The first thing you’ll need to decide as a couple is whether you want to get married in the UK or abroad.
If you both picture your wedding day on a beach in beautiful sunshine, it’s safe to assume an overseas wedding might be best to avoid disappointment!
In contrast, those wishing to get married in a church will most probably need to stay in the UK.
It’s also worth considering which of your guests may not be able to travel before deciding to wed abroad. It may be that elderly grandparents or very young children would have to stay home.
Ultimately, it’s about where you both envisage saying your “I do’s”. There will always be compromises to make along the way.
2. If in the UK, do you stay close to home or marry further afield?
If you’ve decided the UK is where you’ll be saying your nuptials the next thing to consider is whether you’ll get married close to home or further afield.
Many couples will choose somewhere that means something to them; so close to where they grew up or somewhere they’ve been as a couple that holds wonderful memories.
Others might just love the idea of a particular place they currently don’t know much about.
There’s no right or wrong way to decide on where to choose a wedding venue, just do your research. Find out what accommodation and local amenities are close to the areas you like so that the decision is practical as well as emotional.
3. What does your ideal wedding venue look like?
Although choosing a wedding venue location can be tough, most couples will have a good idea as to the type of wedding venue they want.
Do you dream of a stately home in the Cotswolds or a chic hotel wedding venue in the centre of busy London?
Perhaps you’ve always wanted a rustic barn wedding or love the idea of getting married outside.
By pinpointing a particular type of venue you both adore you can more easily choose and rule out locations that won’t suit.
4. What style of wedding do you dream of?
How formal or informal do you want your wedding day to be?
It’s helpful to know whether you’re seeking out opulent grandeur to host a more formal, black tie wedding breakfast or whether you’re looking to create a relaxed affair. Are you thinking five course sit down dinner or a help yourself buffet?
What is your usual style as a couple? If you’d label yourselves as a sophisticated pair it makes sense that your wedding day would reflect this about you. If you’re a more casual couple, you’d probably hate nothing more than a formal wedding.
5. DIY or all inclusive
Many wedding venues will help you plan your entire wedding day and will have a list of pre approved wedding suppliers for you to use.
Some wedding venues will offer a much more DIY approach and offer couples the chance to find their own suppliers and arrange the setup of their wedding day themselves.
Most UK wedding venues will offer a bit of both; offering wedding planning support to those who need it and offering a degree of flexibility in allowing you to build your dream day as you wish.
It’s important to understand how much flexibility and support is available to you when visiting your shortlisted venues.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re going; it’s who you have beside you that really matters”
Choosing where to get married should be a fun and exciting experience, and ultimately, you know that wherever you choose will be perfect because it’s yours…both of yours.
One Aldwych is a luxury 5-star boutique hotel and wedding venue situated in the heart of Covent Garden; one of London’s most vibrant and upmarket areas.
For those in search of a stylish city wedding at a venue bursting with history and character, and effortlessly exuding a sophisticated atmosphere and charm, One Aldwych could be The One for you.
An architectural showstopper boasting breathtaking interiors adorned with fine art and exquisite ornamental design pieces, this wedding venue is something very special. One Aldwych is best suited to couples who are really looking to go the extra mile and create an unforgettable wedding day that guests will be talking about for years to come.
Step into the light and bright contemporary entrance hall and prepare to begin your journey – both in marriage and in the exploration of one of London’s most prestigious wedding venues.
Exploring One Aldwych Hotel as a wedding venue
Invite your wedding guests to gather in the Lounge at One for welcome drinks, where contemporary artwork will undoubtedly make prevalent talking points.
Allow guests time to peruse the collections whilst you finish getting ready in the elegant and stylish bridal suite. Take a breath; you’re about to marry the One in your picture perfect wedding venue in one of the most fabulous cities in the world.
Take your final, ‘single person’ steps as you wind your way through the beautiful, art-adorned halls and corridors towards the Adelphi and Novello rooms; the most romantic setting in which to take your vows in front of family and friends.
Surrounded by contemporary art and large windows, say “I do” in style against the backdrop of busy London life.
Take each other’s hands and head over to Eneko at One to celebrate your nuptials in style – the hotel’s modern basque restaurant run by acclaimed, three Michelin-starred chef Eneko Atxa. This space is relaxed and inviting yet sophisticated; minimalist design prevails, and it feels distinctly ‘London’ through the achievement of a contemporary-cool atmosphere.
In fact, this beautiful restaurant was recently awarded the ‘Best Restaurant or Bar Design 2017” at the annual Restaurant and Bar Design Awards 2017 for its innovative and modern design.
With the help of award-winning in-house florist, Mark Siredzuk, you’ll dress this contemporary space with bold floral arrangements that transform Eneko at One from restaurant to wedding venue in a floral flash.
Marvel at the floating mezzanine wine bar as you sample a selection of wines from chef Eneko’s very own family winery near Bilbao; posing for photos and catching up with your guests.
Available for exclusive hire and seating up to 110 guests, you’ll make your way to the exquisitely dressed tables and can sit back and relax knowing you’re about to experience some of the best food London has to offer. Your guests will be in awe as they enjoy Eneko Atxa’s Signature Menu to the sound of your chosen wedding music.
Invite evening guests to join you (up to 150 guests in total) as the tables are abandoned in favour of the dance floor, and take a moment; look around and realise what you’ve achieved. A five star London wedding planned to perfection and executed flawlessly thanks to you, and the expert wedding planning team at One Aldwych.
Building your dream wedding at One Aldwych
The dedicated events team at One Aldwych Hotel can help you plan as much or as little as you’d like for your special day.
World-class chefs will work with you to build exceptional seasonal menus and they’ll ensure that you and all of your guests are taken care of – irrespective of dietary requirements.
Award-winning in-house florist, Mark Siredzuk, is on hand to design beautiful bespoke floral arrangements that will really bring your wedding space to life. His pieces can be found throughout the hotel, within The Lobby Bar and in each of the hotel’s luxurious bedrooms.
Additional spaces available for wedding hire include:
The Dome Suite – suitable for very intimate weddings only, The Dome Suite is an elegant, top floor sitting room with stunning rooftop views of London. It offers the option to seat 12 for a wedding breakfast or 25 for a wedding ceremony.
The Lyceum Room – a contemporary space filled with beautiful artwork, ideal for an intimate wedding reception or wedding breakfast.
Key Features:
Catering for weddings of up to 110 people
Central London location in vibrant Covent Garden
Licenced for civil weddings and partnerships by The Westminster Register Office
Houses 350 pieces of unique art
Professional wedding planning support
Bespoke weddings
Food to meet your dietary requirements (including dairy and gluten-free)
Packages start at £180 per person
One Aldwych makes for a truly spectacular London wedding venue. Is this The One for you?
Find out more about One Aldwych on their Bridebook profile and start your wedding journey today.
Are you still looking for that utterly breathtaking country house venue in the West of the UK? We’ve simplified your search by choosing 15 of the best country houses in the area that will make your jaw drop.
If you want to find more, use Bridebook’s Venue Search and click ‘country house’ in the filters for more stunning venues like these!
With modern and luxurious amenities combined with a 750-year-old structure oozing grandeur, Elmore Court is the ultimate country house in the West. Luscious views over the Cotswolds will sweep you off your feet!
This newly restored Georgian country house with stunning Devon surroundings is a versatile venue for your big day. Shilstone offers plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces, all of which are truly romantic.
In the midst of the Devon countryside stands Huntsham Court, a truly spectacular venue with striking looks. It takes advantage of 5 unique and spacious reception rooms so that you can enjoy the banquet of your dreams in this manor house setting.
Pennard House has a unique country house environment where you can enjoy the experience of a lifetime with your nearest and dearest. Picture an elegant outdoor ceremony followed by the ultimate wedding party – all with a postcard picture backdrop.
At Bridwell Park Estate there is plenty to explore, as it’s set in 100 acres of dramatic parkland. Not only does it offer the house for exclusive use, but also a chapel, orangery and stables so you can host the most spectacular wedding day in a venue with a difference.
Overlooking Somerset’s Quantock Hills and gorgeous landscaped gardens, St Audries Park is a fairytale manor house that dreams are made of! Sweeping staircases, breathtaking high ceilings and an airy Victorian orangery makes it one of the most sought after manor houses in the West of the UK.
7 acres of perfectly manicured gardens is home to Manor By The Lake, a charming structure with an unspoken quirk. Utilise this stunning building as the backdrop to your special day, before settling down in one of the 12 individually designed bedrooms that scream chic luxury. You’re welcome!
On the border of Bristol lies this one-of-a-kind Victorian country house with 18 enchanting acres of garden. Berwick Lodge is a boutique hotel full of elegant and stylish decor, not to mention the impressive water fountain in the courtyard.
Smedmore House is a seaside manor house on the Jurassic Coast resonates Georgian beauty at its finest. Say your vows in the stunning summer house, enjoy drinks in front of roaring fires, and get awesome photo opportunities on the nearby beach.
A combination of heritage and luxury meet to form the opulent Lucknam Park – the retreat you deserve on your wedding week! Distinguished bedrooms, fine dining, a relaxing spa and a close attention to detail make this country house venue the experience of a lifetime.
The striking coach house and walled gardens of Ballyscullion Park is situated in a picturesque setting in Northern Ireland. Venture into the 18th Century stable block, where you will find classical function rooms to be your blank canvas. Don’t forget the luxurious marquee for more extravagant wedding receptions, too!
The family-run Sparth House Hotel is a truly romantic backdrop for your wedding. Surrounded by glorious woodland in the Lancashire countryside, your guests’ jaws will drop as you float through your wedding day in this spectacular venue.
The cosy yet stunning Nanny Brow is the perfect country house for an intimate wedding. Views over rolling hills will take your breath away while you indulge in the finest foods, to create the most memorable and personal celebration you could hope for.
In the heart of the Brecon Beacons, this Regency Mansion is home to a charming dining room and a Celtic-style banquet room, however is just one of the two fairytale wedding venues on offer. Otherwise, take advantage of the Medieval Gatehouse with 530 years of history, which makes a dramatic compliment to the main structure at Porthmawr Country House.
Denton Hall is an 18th Century manor house in the idyllic setting of rural Yorkshire. Rich history is combined with luxurious chandeliers and sweeping staircases to create romantic grandeur for those pursuing an outstanding country house in the West.
Didn’t find the country house venue you’re hunting for? Are you looking elsewhere in the UK? Simply search for a venue on Bridebook.co.uk by typing in your preferred location and clicking ‘country house’ in the filters.
Remember, you can use Bridebook.co.uk to help you with all the other parts of wedding planning including your wedding budget and wedding guest list.
