And it’s here (!!) – our Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibition at Thorp Perrow, North Yorkshire on Sunday 12th May 2013 – FREE ENTRY – 12pm till 4pm.
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This is a brand new exclusive use wedding venue and private stately home that we are opening to the viewing public for just one day only – and this you have to see! Even if you already have your venue booked, this is still for you. Come and make a day of it, visit our marquee full of absolutely outstanding wedding vendors (the very best in the business, I promise you), enjoy the beautiful gardens, ornamental lakes and the stunning arboretum, and explore the never before open stately pile.
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Think Atonement, think Gatsby… and you are halfway there…
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“At Thorp Perrow you’ll find trees covered in blossom, carpets of bluebells and bold drifts of wild flowers.”
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This wonderful house has only very recently been opened to the public for weddings (having previously only been used as a private home) can hold up to sixty people for smaller events such as lunches and dinner parties. For larger occasions a marquee can be attached to the house or erected at the front of the house close to the lake.
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Come and visit the team behind these images as well as a collective of the region’s very finest suppliers this Sunday.
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On site this Sunday you’ll be able to sample the talents of Buttercream Cupcakes,
If you would like to beat the queues, gain speedy entry and grab yourself a FREE Brides Up North Welcome Pack packed with little treats from Brides Up North, the regions’ best bridal glossy mags well as some fab on-the-day-only exhibitor discounts – while stocks last only – you can pre-register for VIP Bride to Be access now. What are you waiting for?
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To register for a free Brides Up North VIP Bride-To-Be Goody Bag fill in your details below, marking YOUR EVENT VENUE OF CHOICE e.g. “THORP PERROW” in the subject line and quoting “VIP”. You can collect your VIP Bride-To-Be Goody Bag upon entry to the Luxury Wedding Exhibitions. Only the bride need register for larger groups.
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You can also email julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk if you do not wish to use the contact form. Goody bags are limited and subject to availability. We operate a first come, first served policy.
Exhibitor enquiries for all Brides Up North events in 2013 – please email contact@bridesupnorth.co.uk – and brides to be, you can also pre-register for all of these events NOW! Click here.
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Thorp Perrow, North Yorkshire – Sunday 12th May 2013
(Luxury Wedding Exhibition)
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The Bowdon Rooms, Altrincham – Sunday 19th May 2013
April 26th, 2013 |
Brides Up North: UK Wedding Blog
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We first met today’s bride and groom Amanda and Aaron when I featured their beautiful Lake District engagement shoot here on the wedding blog (click here to catch up) and now we join them – along with some rather brilliant Brides Up North Featured Suppliers – to celebrate their colourful and opulent big day in the North East.
Enjoy your Friday Brides Up North, the weekend starts here!
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Amanda says: Aaron asked me to marry him on 29th April 2012 at Aira Force, a waterfall in the Lake District, and we married on Sunday 10th March 2013 at Langley Castle.
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We searched for a long time for the perfect wedding venue. We knew that we wanted to have the ceremony in a castle, but we also wanted 5-star service, top-notch bedrooms and facilities, and exclusive use on the day. Langley Castle offered that and more. The service went above and beyond our expectations and the rooms were incredible. We couldn’t have chosen a better venue for our wedding. It was perfect!
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We kept it fairly traditional with top hats and tailcoats and added a bit of Western flair, as I am originally from Texas. For the evening reception my bridesmaids and I all rocked our cowboy boots and we served TexMex for our evening buffet. We chose a colour scheme of dark purple, ivory, bronze, spring green and emerald green. We wanted to incorporate some colours of a peacock as Langley Castle has peacocks on the grounds.
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I wore an ivory Melissa Sweet ballroom-style gown. I bought the dress in America because I wanted to go shopping with my sisters and my mom who live over there.
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My bridesmaids wore dark purple halter-neck and floor-length gowns made of mostly a floaty chiffon material from America. We also had ivory furry boleros for when we were outside in the snow. The groomsmen wore tailcoats and top hats with dark purple cravats from Slaters. Aaron wore an ivory cravat to match my dress.
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My favourite part of the day was the ceremony itself because that’s what it’s really all about. Aaron and I had space for a reading during our ceremony, but we decided to personalise it by each saying 25 things we love about each other. They were sweet, funny, quirky, and all from the heart which really symbolizes our relationship as a whole. It also helped us to keep from shedding too many tears!
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Our videographers were A&G Productions who were absolutely fabulous. Our photographer was Lee Scullion, who honestly is the best photographer we have seen (and we interviewed a lot before we chose him!). We had numerous compliments from our friends and family about both Lee and A&G Productions about how professional and friendly they were. Not to mention the fabulous results from Lee! With Lee Scullion it isn’t just about the photographs, it’s how he makes you feel comfortable, his sense of humour, and all the little touches and surprises he has up his sleeve. We had a photo booth as well, Limelight Photobooth Hire, who went out of their way to provide us with the Western-themed background we were looking for. They also had a few little surprises for us and I’m so happy we went with them.
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Our flowers were provided by Lorna from No Ordinary Floral Designer in Chester le Street. She provided exactly what we wanted and we couldn’t be happier with her results. My bouquet was full of wildflowers, some dark purple calla lilies, rosemary, thistle, tulips, and a couple peacock feathers to keep with our peacock colour scheme. The bridesmaids had smaller versions for their bouquets and the moms each had a little corsage to match.
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We had a three-tiered square cake with three different flavours- carrot, chocolate, and vanilla- because we couldn’t choose which one we liked best!
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We tried to incorporate both Texas and England into our wedding, since Aaron and I come from two very different places. Our favourite special touch was our handmade bespoke party favours provided by Sammylou Gifts. They were rustic wooden hearts and on one side was the Texas flag, and on the other was a Union Jack. Each one had a tag with the guest’s name and our wedding date. They were a unique and perfect way to incorporate our background and be nice little keepsakes! Sammylou is based in Somerset, they have free shipping within the UK and they can provide almost anything you can dream of so they were the best choice for us!
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We had Andrelli as our string duo during our ceremony, and they were fantastic. They incorporated classical music as well as pop which was perfect for our ceremony. We had a live band for the evening reception, Chameleon, who blew us away with their talent. They even learned our favourite country song to play for all the Texans who attended the wedding. It was amazing!
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After the wedding we went to Disneyworld, Florida and then Maui and Oahu. The honeymoon was so much fun and they places we stayed were outstanding!
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There are a lot of preparations, stress, and anxiety that go into planning a wedding. The best advice that I can give to other Brides Up North is that on the day of your wedding, don’t worry about the little things, or the things you might have forgotten, or if something comes up that was unexpected. Just enjoy every single moment, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, and soak up everything you can.
February 19th, 2013 |
Brides Up North: UK Wedding Blog
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Have you been living under a rock?
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If not – and especially if you follow the blog over on Twitter and Facebook – you’ll probably have guessed that I am just a little bit excited about our newest SUPER show on the block, theBrides Up North Bridal Bonanza Grand Wedding Exhibition at the gorgeous 4* Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield, County Durham.
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Whoot!
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We are very proud to run OFFICIALLY the largest and most exciting FREE ENTRY bridal exhibitions in the North East (our last epic event at Hardwick’s sister hotel, Ramside Hall, attracted over 2,000 visitors in one afternoon – now that’s big!) with two specially choreographed professional fashion shows and almost (and sometimes over) 100 exhibitors at each, tempting on the day discounts and stuffed goody bags tailor made for each event. I might like things big and exciting, but I also like them personal.
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And yes, you read that right, the events are FREE ENTRY. Cos I love ya, baby.
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So, get the first of our huge North East events firmly in the diary (in indelible pen please) and come along to support the most fabulous wedding suppliers in your area – I only work with the best, dahlings – for an inspiration packed afternoon of all that is pretty, new and super gorgeous in the wedding industry. And the most important bit? Local to YOU.
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VIP Bride-To-Be registration is open at the North East’s Most Exciting New Bridal Event – The Brides Up North Bridal Bonanza Grand Wedding Exhibition at Hardwick Hall Hotel – Make sure to reserve your VIP Goody Bag while stocks last.
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Sunday 24th February 2013
The Brides Up North Bridal Bonanza Grand Wedding Exhibition
To register for a free Brides Up North VIP Bride-To-Be Goody Bag fill in your details below, marking “Hardwick Hall” in the subject line and quoting “VIP”. You can collect your VIP Bride-To-Be Goody Bag upon entry to the Bridal Bonanza.
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You can also email julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk if you do not wish to use the contact form. VIP Bride- To-Be Goody Bags are limited and subject to availability. We operate a first come, first served policy.
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And can I vouch for the beautiful 4* wedding venue that is Hardwick Hall Hotel? Well, I chose it to host my own wedding day back in October 2012 – a smattering of images below – and what’s a better recommendation than that?!
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My team and I work really hard for months in advance to make these events really special for our visitors (we started planning this event back in August)! Just some of the wonderful wedding people you will meet on Sunday 24th February 2013 include…
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Brides Up North (of course!), Beckwith Events,
Belle Bridal Magazine,
Cavanagh Couture,
Celebration Cakes,
Chiyo McMillan Photography,
Cordelia & Co,
Damian Hall Photography,
Dandy Events,
Daniel Lewis Photography,
Debenhams Wedding Gifts Metro Centre,
Eve Photography,
Exclusively Yours,
Gray Events Ltd,
GS Studio Photography,
GW Holmes & Son, Ideal
Photos,
IsaBelles Brides,
Just Perfect,
Kellen Dance Academy,
Kellys Event Boutique,
Limelight Photobooth Hire
, Little B Stationery,
LMS Events & Entertainments,
Lovedub Cars,
Martin Ker Photography,
Mia Sposa Bridal & Menswear,
Mobeus Jewellers,
Nigel Playle Photography,
Paul Lytton Magician,
Pure Wedding Stationery,
Roger Burlison Photography,
Rosemount Designs,
Ruby Shoes,
Sarah Ford Textiles,
Sareli Jewellery,
Snaparazzi Photo Booths,
The Psyche Department Store,
The Wedding Guide,
Village Photography,
What Katy Did Next,
Grange Photography,
Wild & Wonderful,
Kiss The Bride Magazine, Love Is Sweet Company,
Greenwoods,
Vision Hair & Beauty,
Wedding APP UK,
Wedding Pages,
Enchantments Florist,
Susan’s Bridal,
Millennium Limousines,
Elliott McCarthy,
Glitz and Glamour Hair & Makeup,
LPG Endermologie Clinic,
Jeff Dingle,
Everything But The Dress,
House Of Fraser, Molton & Brown and many more… .
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So, with that lovely lot waiting for you en masse, we’ll see you on Sunday!
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NEW EXHIBITORS – we are about to close sales for this season. To be a part of the magic and for exhibitor and pricing details please email me at julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk ASAP. Front page ads are just about to run across every huge title in the North East area.
January 7th, 2013 |
Brides Up North: UK Wedding Blog
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So. I’m a little confused. It appears to be January 7th, the Christmas decorations have come down (in fact, due to our home and office move, ours never went up – sob!) and I’m not sure if I can’t quite believe that it’s already January 7th, or can’t quite believe that it’s only January 7th.
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This Christmas season and (especially) this first week in January has been the busiest time ever here at Brides Up North HQ. And we are loving it! Visits to the blog are looking seriously healthy (hello to our new readers, welcome!) and numbers over on our lovely Twitter and Facebook pages are swelling. We look set to pip the 10,000 point soon over on Twitter! Wow. Join the party over there too!
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After a busy few weeks behind the scenes we also have some amazing new talents to add to our Featured Supplier Directory over the next few weeks and introduce to you here on these pages too. Brides Up North would be nothing, nada, without the fabulous regional industry that supports it so wholeheartedly, and I am thrilled to be able to spread the news about these great wedding suppliers right on your door step. Forget that train ticket to London, spend the cash on sparkly shoes instead! That’s my kind of budgeting.
January will see a little more hibernation from me, as I get ready to welcome our first Brides Up North baby in a couple of months time, and that unfortunately means no jaunts to the capital to see who picks up the prizes in the two awards ceremonies that I was honoured to judge this season – The Wedding Industry Awards (this Wednesday) and The Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards (this Friday). Aside from the fact that I have no sparkles and sequins to fit – and only sparkles and sequins will do – Champagne is off the menu and I get a little cranky past 9pm these days. I hope that you all have a wonderful time and I’ll see you next year – when Champagne, sparkles and sequins will be very much back on the agenda! I only judged the Southern categories and those that didn’t include my Featured Suppliers, so I am rooting for my home grown talents to bring home the shiny mantelpiece furniture! Go guys!
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Just because I’m being a little quieter this month, that doesn’t mean that things here on the wedding blog will be! If anything, I’m overcompensating (I’m like that). I have an action packed schedule of gorgeous ready for you and am putting the finishing touches to those inspiration packed bridal events that I mentioned earlier. Take note: this season is going to be good.
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I also am joined in our new office by our first member of staff (say hello to Kate, I’ll be introducing her properly later on) who’ll be helping with bookings and generally being scarily efficient and organised, so at last I have someone to bounce my (sometimes crazy) ideas off! If you come across her, as always, give her a kiss from me. Thing’s ain’t slowing down around these parts. Why would they? We’re Northern… we like challenges!
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Before we get too excited with all things new though, lets take a moment to look back and recap on the fantastic Brides Up North Christmas Party, with some pretty pictures from friend of the wedding blog, Ruth Mitchell Photography.
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On a cold, foggy night in December, over 150 (!) of the regional wedding industry’s finest (some travelling for up to four hours to be there – you guys are amazing) descended upon the beautiful stately pile that is CWC Events’ latest baby, and brand new Brides Up North luxury wedding venue, Thorp Perrow, North Yorkshire.
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Brides to be: if you haven’t booked your venue yet – you HAVE to check this place out. Contact Clive at CWC Events who not only knows how to prep the perfect “advanced canapé”, but also has extremely good taste in wedding venues and will be more than happy to assist.
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We came, we cocktailed, we quaffed champagne, we feasted on those gorgeous canapés, we posed, we caught up and we partied. And – I don’t say this lightly – it was truly fabulous (and very Christmassy).
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Massive thanks must go to the superbly talented Joanna at Twisted Willow Floristry, who worked tirelessly to turn the beautiful grand rooms into a floral paradise with her own “twisted” take on Christmas. Twinkling trees, blood red blooms, flickering candles, piles of juicy apples, pale pink roses entwined around storm lanterns and a rather marvellous twiggy amaryllis Christmas tree festooned the place and created a wonderland. Just the look we were going for!
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Live carols at the piano along with the dulcet Christmas swing tones of Glen Roughead (he’s seriously good) filled the air, followed up later with classic crackling Christmas and party tunes from Vintage 78 DJs’ decks. Looking for music for your big day? Look no further than these two original acts, whether it’s smooth swing or an authentic retro vibe that you are going for. You can catch both of them at some of our Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibitions this season.
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Kelly’s Event Boutique lent their event dressing skills to provide some poser tables around which we could, er, pose, and Robineau brought along the tastiest mince pies to compliment CWC Events’ smorgasbord of delights and spicy mulled wine.
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Steven from Forever Film was there to capture the action as it unfolded – more from him later on – and the girls from Limelight Photobooth Hire brought their roomy booth to capture the sillier moments. Catch up on those photos by clicking here.
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All in all, a cracking night in at Thorp Perrow, and one that I think the wedding industry will remember for a while. As I fell into bed – absolutely cream crackered – at 2:30am, I felt really proud to know such a bunch of people who know how to party so fabulously.
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Until next time!
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If you would like to see this amazing wedding venue for yourself, and it’s even better in the summer, then make sure to diarise our first ever Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibition at Thorp Perrow on Sunday 12th May 2013. Over 40 of the region’s finest luxury suppliers will be in attendance in our marquee, and the house will be open for viewing too.
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NORTH YORKSHIRE: Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Exhibition at Thorp Perrow, North Yorkshire– Sunday 12th May 2013 (12pm – 4pm, Free Entry) -The one everyone is dying to see, this newly-open-to-the-public venue throws open it’s doors with it’s first ever bridal event this Summer. Bring a picnic, you won’t want to leave!
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If you would like to beat the queues, gain speedy entry and grab yourself a FREE Brides Up North Goody Bag packed with treats from Brides Up North and sponsors like House of Fraser, Debenhams, Belle Bridal Magazine, Yorkshire Bride as well as HUNDREDS of pounds worth of on-the-day-only exhibitor discounts – while stocks last only – you can be an early bird and pre-register for VIP Bride to Be access now. What are you waiting for?
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Simply use the contact form below, stating “THORP PERROW” in the subject box and “VIP Bride To Be” in the body section. Only the bride need register for larger groups.
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You can also email me direct at julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk if you do not wish to use the contact form.
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EXHIBITOR ENQUIRIES: Exhibitors will be strictly limited by category and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. All ten Brides Up North events in 2012 were sell outs on exhibitor space with a record attendance for every venue. Consequently, we expect demand for these shows to be very high. Get in touch as soon as possible to guarantee your place.
December 18th, 2012 |
Brides Up North: UK Wedding Blog
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I can’t believe only a week has gone by since the Brides Up North Christmas Party at the gorgeous Thorp Perrow (which was just a little bit merry and twinkly and amazing, even if I do say so myself)! The last week seems to have flown by, but also feels like a lifetime ago! It’s still chaotically busy here at Brides Up North HQ (I think I’m mentally in May 2013 already!) and I’m certainly looking forward to putting my feet up a little bit over Christmas. I hope that you have some nice plans to do the same…
…especially if you partied in our Limelight Photobooth last Tuesday night. You may not want to show your face in public again for a while…
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Enjoy! More photos from the ‘do of the season coming up soon.
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Plenty more where they came from too. Bribes will be accepted.
