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Real Wedding: Laura and Chris’s Story

Weddings, Real Weddings

Laura and Chris married in October 2014 at Highgate House. The couple chose a beautiful purple colour and combined their theme with the groom’s love of Lego. Read all about their special day here…

Tell us your story (how did you meet, how did he/she propose?)

We first met at school at the age of 4! We were in the same class together right up until we were 16 but hardly spoke to one another. Chris asked me to the school prom and we started ‘going out’ soon after that. The proposal came eight years later. Sadly, not the most romantic of tales but it was a total surprise which is always pretty special. It happened in the car in a car park before a date evening at the theatre!

What made you choose us as your wedding venue?

We went to visit a few venues and Highgate ticked all the right boxes for us. I have family all over the world and was keen to have everyone stay under one roof. We loved the character of the Baronial hall and the size of the Coote room meant we were able to accommodate the large number of guests we wanted. We wanted a traditional wedding without a church and the Baronial hall was the perfect alternative.

Which suppliers did you use?

Style Events, Stables Florists, Teresa O'Neill Photography, Melody Cakes, Will Grey Magician, PicMe Photo Booths, 4Tissimo String Quartet and Capone Band & DJ.

On the day, what were the best bits & what made the day memorable?

The day was orchestrated so smoothly by the staff, we didn't have to ask for a thing. Everything was thought about and taken care of. For me, I will never forget being stood with my dad between the library and the Baronial Hall and hearing the string quartet begin playing Stand By Me just before I walked down the aisle. The Baronial Hall was the perfect setting for the ceremony. It was beautiful to be stood in the bay window. As we said our vows, a colourful little butterfly flew in and landed on the window. Lots of the guests spotted it! The evening reception was great fun, my in-laws put together a huge sweetie stall which was so impressive. We had a photo booth and a magician too as well as a live band. Everyone enjoyed their bacon rolls and chips later in the evening too!

What was your vision/theme and how did you make it happen?

We had a purple colour theme which went through everything right from the invitations to the table settings. We made our own table name cards by printing everyone’s names onto wooden shapes which we covered in purple patterned paper and threaded with purple ribbon. Chris loves Lego so we had a Lego theme on the back of our cake as well as jars filled with Lego for the favours. Everyone enjoyed building their Lego before the meal!

How was the food on the day?

We had sandwiches brought up for the bridesmaids and I before the ceremony - these were brilliant and such a good idea to keep us going! We sadly missed the canapés as we were having photos taken but I hear they were very nice. The wedding breakfast was lovely, everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it. We had Tomato soup, Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings and Veg, and Chocolate Parfait (which was especially delicious!) The bacon and chips went down very well later on too. We enjoyed having everyone together for breakfast the next day- it meant the celebrations lasted that bit longer.

What/who helped during the planning process?

I had lots of notebooks and files where I printed off all my emails and invoices/ letters. I'm not one for a spreadsheet but having everything kept in one place was a great help. I loved looking at bridal magazines and blogs too for inspiration.

What's the best advice you can give a couple planning their wedding?

Keep in mind your main priorities when planning and try not to do things just to please other people. Also, enjoy it because it's so much fun visiting wedding dress shops and sampling cake; and you only get to do it once!

What (if any) comments would you like to add about us and the staff involved in your big day?

I could not praise the staff at Highgate enough. All my questions on email leading up to the day were answered straight away. Everyone was really friendly and helpful when we arrived the day before. All our guests were made to feel very welcome. Chris (the master of ceremonies) was so professional on the day. He knew exactly what to do and everything was planned and timed so meticulously - we didn't need to worry about a thing.

"With so much character and charm, Highgate House was the perfect setting for a truly special and memorable day. We had the best day of our lives, celebrating under one roof with our friends and family. The day was made all the more wonderful by the attentive and thoughtful team at Highgate."

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