After riding that cloud-nine-feel of getting engaged over Christmas and New Year the realisation of planning a wedding hit me head on in mid-January. Even though I work in the industry my vision was clouded by the ring-finally-on-finger euphoria and I thought (possibly like many other couples) that we had loads of time to find a venue and start making plans.
However, when Andy and I started to seriously discuss timings we narrowed when would like to say our “I dos” down to a three-month-window next spring; being April, May, June 2019. Now, if you’re quite happy to have a long engagement, or perhaps, aren’t too fussed about what time of the year you get wed, you don’t need to panic just yet. For us it was a case of timing the wedding to fit in with a season that we like, months that would work well with our jobs, and also avoiding the peak summer season price hike – we, like the vast majority of brides and grooms, don’t have a bottomless budget and therefore are taking care to spend wisely.
With this in mind, we have also done the unthinkable and booked a, wait for it…Thursday wedding! We figured those that love/like/just about tolerate us will be willing to sacrifice a day’s annual leave to celebrate our special day with us – and, as a thank you, we will be investing the saving we made by opting for a week day into elements our guests will most definitely benefit from – being the food, booze and entertainment!
Middleton Lodge Fig House – Gary Walsh Photography
So, where oh where will the big day take place? Well prompted into panic mode we went to view three venues which I know of and love; and so really it was a case of gauging Andy’s feelings on these. New addition to the stunning Middleton Lodge Estate in North Yorkshire, The Fig House was a front-runner from the off. Fresh and fabulous, this stunning Georgian inspired building is set to start holding weddings in the coming months, and we both loved the fact that none of our family or friends would have got hitched there before. Better still, The Fig House is concealed within a breath-takingly beautiful walled Kitchen Garden, and visions of beers and Bellinis on the lawns had us hooked. However, back home when we mulled things over, logistically it was going to be a struggle for us with pretty much all guests being from our home-city of Sheffield and even further south. Those of you on the venue search around the North Yorkshire area though must absolutely check out The Fig House and wider Middleton Lodge Estate.
Saltmarshe Hall – Aden Priest Photography
Next up was gorgeous Grade II country house, Saltmarshe Hall, located in rural East Yorkshire. What I adore about this venue is its grand façade and gorgeous interiors, which offer an air of luxury and opulence, and yet it feels a real home from home, instantly welcoming and exclusive. Having recently added more stunning bedrooms to its offering it was another strong contender, with its light and airy reception rooms and speak-easy style bar adding extra ticks. Though in the end, for us, we felt we needed just a bit more space for the size of our wedding party (and also to accommodate Andy’s dance moves without people getting injured!) However, again, if your wedding venue search area covers East Yorkshire, please do look up this truly beautiful Hall.
The West Mill – Richard Murgatroyd Photography
And so that brings me onto our third and, as it turns out, winning venue – The West Mill in Derby. I’d never visited this place in person prior to our viewing but I’d often spent far too long staring at images of it, either via real weddings featured here on the blog or those I found on Instagram. What drew me to it was its cool, industrial luxe style and I thought (and hoped!) this would be right up Andy’s street too. Cue a wonderfully personal show around by owner Andrew, and we were sold.
Richard Murgatroyd Photography
The space within the Grade I listed former cotton spinning mill, situated next to the river Derwent, is nothing short of exceptional with space to wed, dine and party across four fabulous levels, plus outdoor space too – oh and eight brand new gorgeous on-site bedrooms.
Richard Murgatroyd Photography
Not only did we fall for its appearance – we’re talking barrel vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls and cast-iron beams – but also its flexibility. Andrew and the team encourage West Mill couples to make the day their own, helping along the way with supplier recommendations, cool props and décor in abundance and highly-skilled caterers.
Richard Murgatroyd Photography
As one would expect with such a spectacular offering, the venue is popular which means dates are in demand. School holidays looming in the months we were set on didn’t help (turns out those pesky teachers with their inside knowledge book years in advance!) and then there’s a littering of Bank Holidays too – aka gold dust for wedding couples! So, as mentioned, to remain within our specified timings and within budget, we snapped up Thursday 2nd May 2019. We didn’t set out thinking that we would have a week day wedding but, as many people preach, a wedding is sometimes about comprise – and if this meant getting the timing and venue we wanted, so be it! The cherry on the cake being that we saved on the venue fee and that our wedding will roll into the May Bank Holiday and so (*raises voice nice and loud for all to hear*) our guests can get five consecutive days of freedom for booking just two days annual leave – not that I’m trying to sell it to them, or anything!
Catch up on Rachel’s proposal story here.