Fancy a 13th century manor house for your wedding? The gorgeous Elmore Court in Gloucester may be the one for you! Read on to find out what Adele, Marketing & Events Manager, believes makes their venue unique!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I have been in the wedding industry for nine years. I started out with my own business as a stylist, creating designs and decor for couples alongside a well reputable florist. My passion for events grew, I loved the buzz of being at events and fancied another challenge so decided to turn my hand to the organising side of things. In my free time I like to take to the stage, singing, dancing and acting as part of a local theatre group along with keeping fit and socialising with friends.
What drew you to the wedding world?
My love for design and creating something spectacular. I have a passion for coming up with ideas and bringing visions to life. I like to be in a busy environment and am not afraid of hard graft. The satisfaction you get from seeing something through from start to finish, and happy clients, is second to none for me.
What do you think makes Elmore Court unique?
When you book Elmore Court as a wedding venue, you don’t just become another couple in the diary, you become part of the ‘Team E’ family. We make it our mission to ensure that each couple’s individual wants and desires are met and pretty much say anything is possible. Our customer relation is what we pride ourselves on, having an extremely close relationship with our couples from the minute they walk through the doors to the very last song on the dance floor. We are with them every step of the way, from ironing grandad’s shirt in the morning to cutting up the evening cake – anything you need, you can be sure that one of us is an ‘expert’ in it!
How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
Before the big day, we have two planning meetings with our couples to discuss and help with plans. Couples also get to come back to Elmore and enjoy a private tasting, where they can sample their chosen wedding menu. Alongside this, we usually hold two annual open days where couples can come back to pick up some wedding inspiration as well as talking to Team E. Overall, there is opportunity to come back and get to know your dedicated coordinator and the team on several occasions.
What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
A day full of love and laughter with your nearest and dearest. Mix this in with some exceptional food and drink and a grooving dance floor, and you have your perfect wedding day!
What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Elmore Court?
They all hold something memorable for us, as they are all so uniquely special. But if we were to choose, then we fell in love with a full to the brim of entertainment, cosy winter wedding last year. Live music was around every corner and styling to die for. Live performers on podiums in the Gillyflower, singing as you enter the room for dinner, roaring fires, champagne towers, games and sparkle… the atmosphere was off the scale!
Why should a couple book Elmore Court?
When you book Elmore, you book in memories that will last a lifetime. We are no ordinary house in the country. This house has something quite special and rare about it. With over an 800 year old heritage, built for celebrations, our beautiful big house is steeped in history. It’s important to us that it feels like a home from home, because that’s exactly what it is: a family home. And that’s not it – you also have use of our modern day, purpose built, sustainable, eco ballroom. A unique spin on a permanent marquee, the Gillyflower is a soundproof space where you can entertain. Our roots are deep in music and events and this is illustrated here, with a built-in, top of the range sound system and design, the Gillyflower is the perfect contrast to the house. Essentially you get two venues in one, with the flexibility to create your dream day with no limitations.
What’s the best photo spot at Elmore Court?
Under our Purple Birch tree, just as our cyclamen carpet is in bloom and the sun is setting.
What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Enjoy it! Make it fun, start early so you can savour the moment and not feel rushed.
How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
New developing CRM systems that are helping reduce the amount of administration time for the team. They are also offering couples some nifty tools to help with planning and easing stress for them too. For businesses, it means that coordinators have more time to focus on other areas of the business, helping it grow as well as giving more time to clients.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?
Don’t beat yourself up for feeling sad, allow yourself some time to grieve the date you had dreamed of and planned for so long. There are many challenges that come from this and emotions to follow.
Once you’ve given yourself some time to feel sad remember your wedding day is postponed not cancelled, and all of your family and friends will be so excited to celebrate with you when they can. In fact this extra waiting (and extra planning time) will make the celebration all the more joyous, and there will be so many more reasons to party after all this is done!
In fact, your wedding may not be on the date you originally planned but it is very likely to be even better than the original…
What do you love about Bridebook?
Their fantastic customer service and additional tools that help us monitor our enquiries.
Check out Elmore Court on Bridebook!