September in Sutton Bonington

September is always a busy month at Sutton Bonington Hall, and this year was no exception. 
Throughout the month we enjoyed a variety of different musicians entertaining our wedding guests.  Live music always adds a brilliant atmosphere to a wedding day.

Eleanor has played at the Hall several times before, and on a sunny Sunday afternoon she played through the civil ceremony as Hollie & Luke got married and then as the guests enjoyed a glass of Pimms on the lawn.



 

Later in the month after a civil ceremony Mango Acoustic had been booked to entertain the daytime guests prior to the arrival of their evening guests.  Luckily enough the weather was beautiful and Will and Charlie were able to set up in the gardens.

 

Our chefs as always served a wide range of delicious treats for our wedding guests.  A particular highlight being a fabulous white chocolate and raspberry tart - it's a perfect summer wedding dessert!

 

 

 



Incredible Winter Wedding Offer

If you are recently engaged or if you have been putting off wedding planning for a while now, why not consider a Winter Wedding.  Sutton Bonington Hall is running a fantastic offer currently whereby weddings booked now for January or February 2013 will not pay a Venue Hire Fee.  This is a saving of up to £960.  Just think what you could do with that extra cash!

Weddings in the Winter months are so well suited to Sutton Bonington Hall.  We have two working log fires that create not only fabulous warmth but also a really cosy atmosphere

We regulary served Mulled Wine and mince pies on arrival from the church, or after your civil ceremony at the Hall.  Or perhaps you would prefer a warm winter Pimms.

It would obviously be fabulous if it were to snow on your wedding day, it turns the grounds into a fabulous winter wonderland and would be an incredible backdrop for your wedding photographs.

To take advantage of this wonderful offer contact the office on 01509672355 or email enquiries@sutton-bonington-hall.com.  We would love to arrange a time for you to view the Hall and see for yourself how perfect it could be for your forthcoming wedding.

Planning for the big day? Plan for a great day!

Planning a wedding can be extremely stressful. Asides from wedding jitters, there is much to consider, including managing the budget and the expectations of extended family.

 

Some couples have a clear vision of where they want their wedding to be. Others are more relaxed, simply wanting an idyllic location that will look stunning on photos and ensure everyone has a great time. When it comes to making big decisions it is vital that the bride and groom are armed with as much information as possible. For example, when looking at where to have the wedding reception they should look around a number of venues, comparing the wedding packages available.

 

Whatever the choice, whether a country house or a lighthouse; there are factors to consider when choosing a wedding venue. For one, is it the right size for the wedding party? Too big and the wedding will feel empty and too small and it will feel claustrophobic for guests. Next, whether it is easy for all the guests to get to, and for those having to travel, can it offer overnight accommodation?

 

Another very important consideration is the cost of the venue. Many wedding venues will work with the bride and groom to try to reach a compromise, within reason, on their budget, but for those on a shoestring budget hiring a castle is probably out of the question.

 

The final, and perhaps most important factor, is whether the chosen venue has a date available! Some wedding venues get booked up months and even years in advance. However, for flexible couples who are willing to get married on a weekday or during the winter season there may be more flexibility over dates and discounts available.

 

To help with the stress of planning a wedding some venues are able to offer the services of a wedding planner. The wedding planner will take on board all of the wedding party’s wants and needs and ensure they are actioned, including helping to plan menus and decorate the room.

Afternoons in August

The weather might be turning chilly and Autumnal but let's reminisce on the events that took place at Sutton Bonington Hall in August.

Afternoon tea was incredibly popular this August, instead of a more formal wedding breakfast we served afternoon tea.  Three-tiered cake stands piled high with cucumber sandwiches or a delicious selection of cakes for guests to enjoy.  This style of wedding seems a very English style of wedding that really suits Sutton Bonington Hall, an English Country House with games of croquet taking place on the lawn!  The couples below even hired in vintage crockery and table cloths from Lily & Rose China hire to really add to the theme.

 

 

As lovely as Afternoon tea is, it is worth mentioning that throughout August our chefs created many fantastic three course wedding breakfasts.  The quality of the food they produce is very high, and so a real treat for all the guests who attended the weddings.

 

 

 

 

August also gave us one of the more unusual bands that were booked to entertain guests in the gardens after the wedding ceremony.  These were the ski band, their colourful shirts and fun music created a brilliant atmosphere.  Even people living in the village had commented on how brilliant it was to hear on a sunny summers day.

For us it was even funnier to watch them rehearsing in our office (which isn't huge!) while MJ was trying to catch up on the emails!!!



July at the Hall

We have a a brilliant, yet busy, summer - hence why I'm writing about July now!

Sutton Bonington Hall hosted several weddings throughout July but also a Ruby Wedding Anniversary lunch.  It was really special to see a long and happy marriage celebrated.  There were photos dotted around the Hall of their wedding day, and the Best Man had to do another speech! 

Of the weddings that took place at the Hall I have listed a few highlights below to give you an idea of the variety of the different weddings we have enjoyed this summer.

We were in awe of Gemma, one of our brides, who organised her wedding in just 2 months, while caring for her 3 year old son and twin baby daughters.  It was a fantastic day, and thankfully she did hire a nanny to help!

Rebecca's Aunty Pam had a busy time in the lead up to her niece's wedding as she had been tasked with making the wedding cake.  As you can see below we think she did a fabulous job and deserved the glass of champagne ...

 

July also saw one of the more unusual wedding themes we have seen - Squirrels!  This was a really fun idea to tie different aspects of the wedding together.  There was a message tree for guests to tie there messages to in the shape of acorns.  But to top it off here is the fantastic wedding cake!

 

 

We have also seen an unusal mode of transport to take the bride to the church in Sutton Bonington.  Luckily the bridesmaid owned a fun beetle

 

Getting hitched in style...

Wedding receptions are a great opportunity for friends and family to come together to celebrate. However with the average wedding costing £15,000 couples can feel the pressure to get everything right.

 

After the dress, where to host the wedding reception is probably the most agonised over decision. Finding a venue which can cater to the wedding party’s needs and help create the dream wedding is essential.  For many a bride and groom the wedding reception is the time when they start to relax; the nerves and jitters of the ceremony and speeches behind them.

 

When choosing a venue to host a wedding reception there’s a wide choice; everywhere from pubs to hotels to castles are available to hire. Before choosing, the bride and groom should consider whether the space available will work for their party; too large and the reception will feel empty; too small and guests will feel overcrowded and cramped.

 

For many the main consideration when choosing their wedding venue is costs. The price to host a wedding reception can vary wildly from venue to venue, though many places offer an ‘all-in’ package deal which includes catering, evening entertainment (such as disco) and bar staff included. For places which don’t have package deals, the bride and groom should be sure they know exactly what is included and the associated costs with any extras.

 

For some a deciding factor when choosing a venue is the location itself; beautifully manicured lawns and borders create a stunning background for wedding photos and help create cherished memories. For this reason many couples choose locations such as country houses, stately homes or other grand buildings to host their wedding.

The bride and groom may also want to consider whether their chosen venue offers accommodation; some guests may have travelled to attend the wedding and therefore need somewhere to stay overnight.

Our Ice Cream Tricycle

We have had brilliant fun preparing for our first outing of our Ice Cream Tricycle!  Our chefs enjoyed test driving it around the car park on a lovely sunny afternoon.  On the wedding day we set up the tricycle in the gardens here at Sutton Bonington Hall, complete with large sun umbrella and straw boaters for the staff.

The Guests loved the Ice Creams, choosing from Choc Chip, Vanilla, Toffee Crunch and Raspberry sorbet.  We found that Toffee Crunch was the most popular flavour! 

We will be using the Ice Cream Trike again on Tuesday and have since had several enquiries for future weddings.