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A Quality Christmas Wedding is ‘Streets’ Ahead!

2nd February 2022

Chris and Sarah Quigley

Tuesday 7th Dec 2021

A confectionery treat made the Christmas Wedding of Chris and Sarah Quigley stand out, when they joined us in December. Quality Street was the theme of their wedding cake, which was inspired by their personalised ‘Quigley Street’ tins.

The theme was chosen after Chris proposed to Sarah in Budapest, when she sported nails in the colours of the chocolate’s wrappers. With the sweet treat’s association of Christmas and memories of her nails from the proposal, it was the perfect theme.

Chris and Sarah booked their wedding for December 2020, however lockdown postponed the wedding for a year. Sarah says, “In that time the Hall got even better. I was impressed that you invested so much into improvements, especially when you were forced to turn away weddings.”

Notes from the Bride

SARAH SAYS….

Why we chose Ellingham Hall

We viewed 5 or 6 venues in the Northumberland area and as soon as we walked into Ellingham Hall, we got the feeling it was the right place. It sounds clichéd but it’s true. We were planning a Christmas Wedding and we wanted somewhere that felt warm, and we loved the cosy feeling when we viewed it with all the fires lit. The exclusive hire was one of the big attractions as there wasn’t going to be another wedding going on at the same time; it was totally private.

The dress, cake and flowers

We used local suppliers and found them through word of mouth. Marrime Bridal in Jesmond provided my beautiful dress and veil, and our wintery themed flowers came from Sprig and Thistle who also brought our vision to life with a huge wreath above the fireplace behind the top table, beautiful chair drapes and centre pieces that matched our theme, as did our cake maker Chemily’s Cakes who incorporated our flowers and even some chocolates into the finished design.

Stand out wedding moments

We hired a saxophonist quite late on after seeing something on TikTok that we wanted to do, which was them playing me and Chris into the room before the wedding breakfast. They weaved in and out of the guests playing ‘Freed From Desire’! Everyone was on their feet clapping and that set the tone after the ceremony.

We had a cardboard cutout of our lovely dog! He’s a bouncy Cocker Spaniel and he would have ruined everyone’s dresses if he’d been there. We made sure other dogs of our guests got a little dog goody bag of treats to takeaway.

Sarah dazzled on the dancefloor when she donned a pair of fairy light angel wings. She says, “They were a present from my Mum on the morning of the wedding after seeing another bride-to-be wear them on a hen do!”

Best part of your wedding day

It’s hard to choose one thing but I’d say the most memorable bit was the ceremony itself and saying the vows. Our registrar was so lovely and sincere. It felt like I was in a bubble! Chris would say that too, I think, though he might say the party was the best part!

Your overall experience

The Ellingham Hall team were brilliant. We planned our wedding through lockdown, but everything was seamless and relaxed. I thought there’d be an endless list to tell a venue what we needed, but everything was organised in one meeting. We had the ‘night before’ meeting and it was so relaxed; nothing was too much trouble.

It was so magical because getting married in December meant the Hall was beautifully decorated and the trees were gorgeous. We were also the first couple to have the After Dark experience, it was cool and a really good touch. It was a like a mini-after party with our music because you can plug into your own Spotify list.

Our family and guests loved it, too. The night before our wedding it was great. No one had been to a wedding like it where you have the whole venue to yourself, and it spans across a few nights. It was a nice icebreaker for everyone, and they could make the most of the time off work. Everyone loved the food and we got so much feedback from that.

We enjoyed not having to share the venue with other guests like you would in a hotel, so even breakfast the day after felt personal and intimate.

We loved that because it’s not a hotel where you have to share breakfast with other guests the day after your wedding, and we didn’t have to hurry for a check-out time!

Everyone was really friendly, and your team would always be in touch, even through the difficulties of lockdown. It was like clockwork. You can tell the team arrange 3 weddings a week!

Advice to brides-to-be

Have a spreadsheet so you can keep in line with your budget and plan your day how you want it. Don’t be led by others and keep it to your own vision. You can’t cater for everyone and it’s your day that you want to look back on and have no regrets!

CREDITS

Margarita Hope Photography – https://www.margaritaphotos.com
Dan Lewis from We Were Here – videographer – https://www.wewerehereuk.com
Marrime Bridal – https://marrimebridalwear.co.uk
Chemily Cakes – https://www.chemilyscakes.co.uk
Sprig and Thistle florist and event stylist – https://www.sprigandthistle.co.uk
Suit Culture – https://suitculture.co.uk
Sarah Stonehouse makeup – https://www.instagram.com/f.a.c.emakeupartistry/
Samantha Jane Bridal Hair – https://www.instagram.com/samanthajanebridalhair/
Freak Music Agency (The Emperors Band) – https://www.freakmusic.co.uk

If you looking for a Christmas wedding as quality as Chris & Sarah’s, contact us today!

“Can I just say whole heartedly from myself and my husband Andy that we could not have had a better weekend if we tried and the majority of why it was so good was down to the beautiful venue and incredible staff who looked after us from start to finish!! Everything was perfection!!! We loved how you had thought about times for us to have moments just together it really was very special!! Everyone who worked our wedding no matter what part they played can you pass on our thanks as we felt we had the best team routing for us and looking after us on what was the best day of our lives!! Thank you is not enough!!”

Lois & Andrew Ord 17th June 2023
“All of our guests enjoyed their time, with many stating it’s the best wedding they have ever been to! For us it was perfect from start to finish, everything ran absolutely perfectly and nothing was too much for the Ellingham team! Honestly thank you so much, it wasn’t our dream wedding… it exceeded that by a million! Truly magical!”

Kelly & Sam Walton, 10th June 2023
“The Hall has such a lovely feeling and having our meeting at the same time as the corporate launch last year, gave a very different feel to what we usually have at other local networking events. The Chamber needs local venues that make the North East stand out, and Ellingham Hall is a venue that is a hidden gem.”

CLARE MCCABE, RELATIONSHIP MANAGER NORTH EAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
“I booked a lunch party at Ellingham Hall for a very discerning group comprising of generous supporters of a local charity. We were 27 people and we enjoyed a Champagne reception before a delicious three course lunch. Wendy and her team could not do enough for us, our every request was granted. Dietary requirements were very efficiently and creatively dealt with and the result was a most enjoyable event at a price I was very satisfied with. I would definitely use Ellingham Hall again for a function like this.”

Jon Radgick
“What stands you out from the rest is how pleasant and accommodating your staff are. What a team! Literally a flawless couple of days. I recommended you to Rosie and will be sure to continue recommending you to other family and friends. I would also add that the food was spectacular. The evening buffet is always lovely but the wedding breakfast was amazing. Thanks again for making her day so special” – Rob Marshall, Brother of the Bride

Rosie & Jiaxing Ma, 8th August 2023
“We have hosted a number of corporate events and the staff have always been superb in supporting us. Our guests are always delighted when they walk through the doors and get to spend a day in the beautiful surroundings. “

DIGITAL SPARKLES – NICOLA LITTLE (CHIEF SPARKLER & DIRECTOR)