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A classy, exclusive wedding venue that’s also homely!

27th October 2022

Cai & Daniel

21st June 2022

When it came to Daniel and Cai’s saying I do, the couple needed an exclusive wedding venue that had to be stress-free.

While Daniel’s family only had to travel from around the North East to Northumberland, Cai’s nearest and dearest had to fly over from America for the special celebration.

But, says Cai, it was a fantastic decision – and Ellingham Hall ended up being the perfect venue for our wedding. Indeed, all our guests are still taking about the amazing two-night celebration!

Cai shares with us her experience and how she and Daniel chose us as their perfect wedding venue for all the family.

NOTES FROM THE BRIDE…

Where are you both from?

I’m from Pennsylvania, USA and Daniel is from Sunderland in Tyne & Wear.

How did you meet?

We met in the States on 21 June 2016. Daniel was going to the University of York at the time. I was in college as well and we met at the university where we were both working that summer. It was love at first sight. We got engaged on 21 June 2021 and married exactly 365 days after our engagement day.

Why did you decide to move the UK?

I’ve been living in the UK continuously since September of 2020, at which time we were in Cambridge, and I was doing a Master’s degree. Originally, the plan was to go back to the States after we got married, but the time away from my home country made me really want to stay. I’ve just been loving the UK more and more, so I am very happy here.

Why did you choose your dream wedding in Northumberland?

We wanted to get married in the UK, but I knew it was a huge task as I had no idea where to begin. I was looking at venues, when I saw Ellingham Hall on Bridebook directory. I was looking for somewhere that would be least stressful. I was willing to pay for professionals to take care of me, guide me through the process, but still create an amazing experience. As more than half of the guests were coming from overseas, the fact that we could stay over two nights and spend quality time together, meant I thought, “OK, we must go and visit!” I didn’t consider or tour any other venues following our viewing!

So, you it must have been the perfect venue for you?

My mum, Daniel and I visited, and as we were waiting in the lounge area for a member of the Ellingham Hall weddings team, there was a great chemistry with the place. It is the perfect combination of being classy and exclusive but also cosy and homely, without being intimidating which we loved.

You had a Native American prayer for your wedding. Why was that?

I am not a Native American, I am half English and Dutch, but I feel that the Native American spirituality is really special. I love its appreciation of life and nature, and the whole sentiment of that prayer is what I really love about aspects of the US, like Native American culture. I like the fact that the wedding is this ancient legal ceremony that I wanted to keep sacred. But I had that bit of the prayer in to tie it to what I feel spiritually.

Did your family enjoy their stay after their long trip?

It is a cliché, but so many Americans do just think English culture is so, I don’t know, nice, exciting, pretty. Giving people an opportunity to go to a new country meant we were everyone’s favourite! Obviously, the grounds of Ellingham Hall are so beautiful and the accommodation’s so nice, it was a really great opportunity for my side of the family. This was their first experience of the UK, and everyone just adored it. As we were able to chill and chat with everyone the night before, it really helped everyone relax as it was the first time, we’d all met – it was a great icebreaker!

So, it was a better choice than a hotel?

Definitely! It wasn’t just a case of standing around listening to the ceremony for five hours and then going home, we were able to relax with each other and make precious memories together for our wedding which is so special.

And did they also use your photo booth?

Yes, we wanted a bit of fun, and it was an idea to segue people from the Hall to the outdoor rooftop lounge. Our guests really enjoyed that and the stunning views of the Northumbrian coast!

If you are search for an exclusive wedding venue in Northumberland for the perfect wedding celebration with family and friends, contact our wedding planning team today.

Credits

Photographer – Chocolate Chip Photography

Registrar – Northumberland Registrars

Hair – Stephanie Gayle Bridal Hair

MUA – Dani MUA

Dress – Morgan Davies Bridal

Evening Corset – Karolina Laskowska

Suits – Trotter & Deane

Florist – Lavenders Blue

Cake – The Cake Garden

DJ – Icon Entertainment

Photobooth – Blush Booth

We just wanted to say the biggest thank you for giving us the best weekend of our lives. From when we first stepped into Ellingham Hall in June 2022 we knew we wanted to be married there! It is truly the most magical place and the excitement we felt instantly was insane!

Throughout the whole planning process we could not have imagined having a better team to be working with. Communicating with you guys was so easy, and thank you so much for answering my endless questions constantly and reassuring me all the time haha!

The wedding tasting and open houses were fabulous in the build up and we just knew from these that our wedding weekend was going to be amazing!

On that Friday afternoon/evening on our arrival, we felt so comfortable and confident with everyone working at Ellingham. Everyone truly worked so hard to make us feel comfortable and relaxed prior to the big day.

Our wedding day itself was truly the best day of our lives. The way the co-ordinators worked with our suppliers and our plans to make sure everything was perfect was incredible. The food throughout the weekend was absolutely spectacular and we can not believe how insane the cocktails were! The whole venue is so beautiful and elegant and we couldn’t have imagined having our day anywhere else.

What truly set you guys above and beyond were all of your staff. You are truly the most incredible team who went above and beyond to make sure everyone had the best day, and we can never thank you enough.

Megan and Sam Burgess, 23rd September 2023
“We’ve had so many compliments from family about our wedding. Some of our guests hadn’t heard of Ellingham Hall before our weekend wedding. I think some guests were wondering why they were at a wedding the night before, as a lot of weddings are only one day. But everyone just absolutely loved it. The team at Ellingham were great. Matt received a lot of compliments on the Friday night. Lots of family said how great he was. In fact, there were loads of compliments about the entire team, they all did a fab job. And everyone complimented us on the food. My friend, Joanne, said it was the best wedding food she had ever tasted. We had just under 100 guests during the day of the wedding and that’s a lot of people to serve, especially with the choices. But it was all brilliant.”

Dominic & Mark Graydon-Close, 15th June 2024
“Thank you so much for helping us have the wedding of our dreams! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day (or 3!) Our guests had a blast and we were blown away by how everything turned out. We especially appreciate your flexibility and willingness to answer all our questions. Special shootout to Alicia and Wendy for all their help on the day. Thank you so much!”

Caitlin & Chris Newman, 18th November 2023
“Nick and I just wanted to say the most enormous thank you for making our day so special. The whole thing felt completely effortless whilst being executed perfectly. We were made to feel at home from the moment we arrived, with a massive thanks to Beth, Debbie, David and Jeff who were all completely faultless. Their attention to detail and acknowledgment of things important to us was exceptional. Debbie, thank you so much for making me feel at ease when I was so nervous!

We are especially grateful that you went above and beyond to decorate our tables perfectly at short notice and adapted last minute table plans. Nothing felt like too much effort, we really can’t thank you all enough for helping to make our day so special.“

Chloe & Nick Gardiner, 4th May 2024
“The venue exceeded our expectations. Not only did it offer uniqueness, but exclusivity was a key factor in booking. The main Hall offered lots of space for us to work and we found the delegate rates very competitive. The venue comes highly recommended. “

Lisa Davidson, HR Director – Connect Health
We can’t believe that it has been a month since you helped us tie the knot! We just wanted to o send huge hugs and a MASSIVE thank you to David, Debbie, Wendy, Alicia and the entire team at Ellingham for the most unforgettable wedding (Lauren’s mam is still crying!)

We have spoken every day since with each other and our friends and family about how we couldn’t have wished for a better couple of days and although Ellingham is a magical venue, that is truly because of you guys. Everything from the food, to the service, to the running of the day itself was an absolute dream and totally exceeded anything we could have hoped for. No request was too much and every single member of staff is an absolute credit to your team – it really is no wonder you guys are THE BEST Wedding and Events Team in the North East (Congratulations by the way! – thoroughly deserved!).

A massive thank you again to each and every one of you for making our wedding so magical, we can’t wait to come back up and see you all again!

Lauren & Chris Phillips, 26th October 2023

A classy, exclusive wedding venue that’s also homely!

Cai & Daniel

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