My husband and I were married at Ashdown Park on Saturday (6th December) in the Richard Towneley Suite and from start to finish we were made to feel so special. We broke with tradition and stayed together at the hotel the night before, we woke to find the beautiful grounds white with frost and some deer wandering around the lawns. After a very relaxed breakfast we parted to get ready at opposite ends of the hotel. Our champagne arrived bang on time whilst I was being pampered and preened and finally I got to wear the dress of my dreams.
I was told by so many people that I was the most calm bride they had ever met, I put this down to being able to forget about everything that was happening behind the scenes as Lauren & Richard (part of the wedding events team) were sorting everything out.
My day just got better & better... My groom cried when he saw me and said I looked absolutely beautiful! I thought it was the bride that was supposed to cry, but I was too busy grinning from ear to ear and trying to take everything in.
Our ceremony was fantastic especially as we asked my husband’s daughter to sing in place of a reading. Then I cried, along with most of our guests! Richard had been designated to be at our beck and call all day. One of his jobs was to ensure that the ceremony songs from my iphone were played in order and at the right time. I need not have worried, the timing was perfect for each and every song. I was obviously feeling so relaxed that I spontaneously punched the air when the registrar pronounced us husband & wife. Not very lady like eh?
Our wedding breakfast was fabulous, the food was exquisite and the waiting staff were extremely attentive, without getting on your nerves as so often can happen. Our glasses were topped up continually and our food was piping hot on arrival. Then to surprise everyone (except us) we had the fantastic singing waiters from “Encore Entertainment”. We had booked these after seeing them at the Ashdown Park wedding showcase and they had everyone fooled. They had all our guests on their feet, twirling their napkins and then finally doing the conga!
Our evening reception was equally brilliant and I for one spent most of it on the dance floor, only coming off to indulge in some more of that fabulous food for our evening buffet. Our wedding planner from the hotel, Lauren Peters, had also arranged for all our guests that stayed the night to enjoy a private breakfast with us the next morning. This was brilliant as we got to spend even more time with our family and friends, some of whom had travelled from all over the world to be with us.
From start to finish the staff followed our brief to the letter and everything was how I had imagined it to be, nothing on the day was out of place or missed or forgotten and this was all down the team. These guys know their job!
We were made to feel like royalty and this along with the gorgeous venue that it is, made our day so very magical. Everyone who was there has stated that it was the best wedding they have ever been to! Thank you to everyone at The Ashdown Park for making our wedding day absolutely perfect!
Mr & Mrs James x