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COUNTRY HOUSE WEDDING IN LINCOLNSHIRE

November 10, 2018

“Amy – you are truly one in a million, absolutely everything covered and all of our dreams realised.  You really are an exceptional person.  This simple thank you card cannot possibly contain enough words of gratitude for all that you did for us to make our wedding weekend perfect, we thank our lucky stars that we found you.  Your planning, preparation and attention to detail were first class.  Thank you so much for being our wedding planner”.

WEDDING PLANNING JOURNEY

It was obvious from the beginning that Sharon wanted a ‘wow’ wedding with so many personal details in place during the day – a stunning winter wedding that was celebrated towards the end of January.  A woman that certainly knew what she wanted from the very beginning, a full weekend of wedding celebrations and that is what she got.  A meal for 40 on the Friday evening, followed by a stunning wedding day with 65 day guests and 120 evening guests, then the following day, Sunday lunch for 45, followed by a light evening buffet.  Such a fun and great couple to work with – now affectionately known as ‘H&H’.

Whilst I already assist with a large number of the weddings at Washingborough Hall, Sharon needed that extra wedding assistance and a bespoke ‘partial support’ package was put together for her.   My knowledge of being the Director of Romance at the venue for four years obviously helped incredibly as I knew what worked, as well as what could and couldn’t be done – huge thanks to the whole team at the hall xx

Sharon and I had many a meeting going through stationery, styling, food, drink and the overall look of their wedding.  We even travelled to Cambridge to meet a stationer and had such a fabulous day.  We actually didn’t end up choosing that stationer, but the lovely Lucy from In the Details instead who is based in Rutland.  Sharon’s wedding stationery was very classic, timeless and elegant, it was all about the font and the way the card felt.  I feel like a stationery guru after this wedding!

Sharon and Dave met with one of the head chefs at Washingborough Hall on a couple of occasions to discuss their bespoke menu which was just gorgeous.   Their main course consisted of pan fried fillet of beef bourguignon, dauphinoise potatoes, wild mushroom duxelle, red wine jus.  Dessert was an Assiette of puddings – caramelised apple tarte tatin with clotted cream, chocolate and orange mousse and lemon sorbet in a brandy snap basket.  They switched their starter for canapes which were Salmon blini with horseradish crème fraiche, dill and black pepper, Chicken liver parfait, red onion marmalade, Arancini ball with sun-blushed tomato and black pudding.

Flowers and lighting were extremely important to Sharon and Dave as well.  It was also fabulous to secure the amazing Blue Topaz Strings to play throughout the day.  This was the third wedding I have worked on them with, such lovely girls – thanks Anna.

How did you and Dave meet?
We were introduced by mutual friends, Janette and Steve Borsberry, we were encouraged to have a ‘blind date’.

How did Dave propose?
Dave got a Valentines card and on the back of the card there is the normal writing about the card, etc and he underlined special words and letters to say “Will you marry me”?  I didn’t even notice initially and Dave had to prompt me to read it again, then again and in the end, he said “have you read the entire card”?  When I’d finally worked that out, he had a card prepared for a “yes” answer or a “no”.  I never opened the “no”, and I couldn’t be happier.

Sharon delivered all of her wedding bits to me, including her gorgeous dress a couple of weeks before the wedding.  So many gorgeous things filled the spare room!

WEDDING EVE

The night before their wedding they had a lovely private dining meal at the hall with sharing style dishes of cottage pie and fish pie, with a berry pavlova for dessert.

Sharon asked me to do welcome letters for all of their guests as well as personalised slippers being put in their rooms.  Pamper kits were also put in the toilets for their guests.

Describe your style?
Romantic

THE WEDDING DAY

Such a fun morning for Sharon and her daughter Stacey whilst getting ready at the hall, Janette, who got them together, is also a makeup artist so she did her makeup (as well as being a guest).  Hair was done by SAKS of Lincoln.

Lanterns were put in the gardens and flowers were created to match Sharon’s vision, along with her cake arriving.

Flowers were everywhere, even in the toilets.  Sharon’s colours were soft greys, green, blush, ivory and pale apricot.  A last minute decision was to add Lily of the Valley to Sharon’s bouquet which was just perfect and we can’t thank Rob enough for the flowers.

Blue Topaz Strings arrived and played throughout guests arriving, the ceremony, drinks and canapes reception as well as the wedding breakfast.

A gorgeous civil ceremony took place in the Dining Room with such gorgeous florals by Robert Stubbs, everything looked just perfect.

Champagne followed, with canapes, then winter pimms, photos and confetti.

What memories will you always cherish about your wedding planning?
We were made to feel so very special from the minute we booked our wedding and on the actual weekend itself, literally everything was perfect, from the Friday night through until the Monday morning, everything was organised by Amy to absolute precision.  Literally everything was perfect.

A beautiful wedding breakfast followed and then more champagne and some incredible speeches.  Hand selected wines were chosen for their meal.

Day went into evening, with music provided by one of their guests who was a rat pack style singer.  Uplighters made the room look just stunning.  Sharon and Dave’s first dance was performed live by their musician – All of Me, by John Legend.  Sparkler craziness happened, followed by their delicious evening food.

What did you most enjoy about working with Amy?
I literally handed over the organisation baton to Amy, she understood what our vision was and encouraged and led me down the most fabulous path from invites to music, cake, etc.

The following day Sharon and Dave had Sunday lunch with the remainder of their guests followed by a light buffet in the evening.  Later that week they headed off on their honeymoon of a lifetime to Thailand.

What part of your wedding day did you enjoy the most?
I really enjoyed the morning of our wedding, I was so excited I decided to come down and eat breakfast with the guests that had stopped the previous evening. It was a fabulous / amazing experience where lanterns were being placed, flowers were going into place, etc.  It really was a priceless experience.

What advice would you give to any bride (or groom) whilst planning their wedding?
Enrol Amy, honestly, if you have Amy on board your event will be absolutely over and above what you had envisaged.

Five words to describe Amy?
Incredible | Awesome | Calming | Magnificent | Amazing

Only five words to describe you, wowsers – that was difficult!  You truly are one of the most amazing, thoughtful, caring, considerate, professional, and of course gorgeously elegant ladies I have had the pleasure in knowing xxx

There is no more I can say really about the lovely Sharon and Dave’s wedding back in January, just thank you, totally overwhelmed and always remembered (in lots of good ways).

THE DREAM TEAM

Wedding Planner – Amy Thorne of Amaranthyne Weddings
Photographer – Paul Heathcote Photography
Florist – Robert Stubbs
Hair – SAKS of Lincoln
Makeup – Janette Borsberry of Annabels Beauty
Wedding Dress – Enzoani – Harrogate Wedding Lounge
Shoes – Emmys of London
Wedding Rings – Berrys of Leeds
Bridesmaid Dress – Red Carpet Ready
Grooms suit – JS Tailoring of Lincoln
Confetti – Shropshire Petals
Wedding Cake – Fiona Milnes of Cakes by Design
Wedding stationery and seating plan – In the Details
Outside Lighting – Lincolnshire Lanterns
Daytime music – Blue Topaz Strings
Evening Singer and Disco – Ben Stretton
Uplighters – QL Entertainment

Exclusive Wedding Venue – Washingborough Hall Hotel

Amaranthyne Weddings
Exquisite | Elegant | Exclusive
Beautiful weddings across Lincolnshire, Rutland, the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire and the whole of the UK

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