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30th September 2024
18th May 2024
Gareth and Rachael hoped to find their perfect Church Wedding Venue in the beautiful Northumberland countryside.
Whilst the couple now live in Tynemouth, they previously lived in Northumberland when they were planning their summer wedding celebration. It was important they chose the right venue to fulfil their dreams because of the logistical considerations they had to make for their wider family.
Gareth says, “I’m from the Wirral and Rachael is from Lincolnshire so we needed somewhere with plenty of onsite accommodation as our families were travelling from all over the country.”
Throw in the fact that Rachael had also dreamed of a church wedding, and they both felt there was only one venue that could offer everything they dreamed of
Rachael: We both wanted a traditional wedding, so we decided to book a Church for our wedding ceremony. Ellingham Hall is perfectly situated next to St Maurice Church, and they could also accommodate our families for our two-night wedding celebration.
Gareth: By opting for a church wedding, we had the perfect excuse to hire a vintage car, even though we didn’t have far to travel. We chose a traditional wedding car and wanted to have some photos captured of Rachael’s arrival at the Church and also some portraits taken with the car when we arrived back at the venue for the rest of the wedding celebrations.
Rachael: I really loved the fact that the church was separate from the Hall as it gave us two different places to enjoy on the day. It was also handy for guests as they only had to walk a few minutes through the secret door in Ellingham’s grounds and down a country lane to St Maurice Church. There was a lovely little gate where the confetti was thrown and I thought the setting was gorgeous.
Gareth: We hired a string quartet to play during the ceremony which provided a lovely ambience. Once the ceremony in the church finished, the quartet then headed to Ellingham and played outdoors while we enjoyed cocktails and canapés on the lawn before the wedding breakfast. It was a lovely sunny day, and we made the right choice to have the live music in both the church and at the Hall.
Gareth: We didn’t know Two Night Weddings were a thing before visiting Ellingham Hall. They chatted to us about their two-night wedding experience, and we knew it would be perfect. We viewed four or five venues including Ellingham Hall’s sister venue Lemmington Hall. It too was beautiful, but we needed more accommodation as we had so many family members wanting to stay over for the wedding. Ellingham Hall was the perfect choice, as if we’d chosen one of the other venues, a lot of our guests would have had to stay offsite, which wouldn’t have been ideal.
Rachael: I don’t think many of our guests knew what to expect. I think they thought it would be the same as staying in a hotel. However, on arrival, when they found out that we had Exclusive Use of the Hall and grounds, they absolutely loved it. Having the whole place to yourselves is great because you can relax as if it’s your own home.
Gareth: Everyone was so relaxed for the whole weekend. It was lovely to chill on the wedding morning with my best man and groomsmen and enjoy a beer out on the private roof terrace before heading down to the church for our wedding ceremony
Rachael: Yes, our dog Finley was at the wedding. He’s a golden retriever and he wore a little bow tie, though it was hidden under his fur most of the time! We hired a dog chaperone to bring him to the venue, as he was only about nine months old at the time, so very excitable. It was a good thing that he was able to come along and interact with our guests and we could get photos with him.
Rachael: We go on lots of holidays and our tables were named after places we’d visited with the guests who were sitting on those tables. One table was named Bali, a place where we’d met some of our friends. Our top table was named Rome as that was the city where Gareth proposed to me. All the table names meant something personal to us both.
Rachael: Do all the planning beforehand, but on the day don’t worry about anything because it’s all in the hands of your weddings team. Just relax and enjoy your special day.
Gareth: I’d say to write everything down about what you want and add little bits as you go. We put our own personal touches on things, for example we arranged a game of rounders because Ellingham Hall has great grounds for outdoor activities. We played the game between the wedding breakfast and evening party. We made sure we had written down that we needed a rounders kit. Most importantly, enjoy the whole experience!
If you are looking for an weekend wedding venue in Northumberland or a dog friendly wedding venue, contact our team today to arrange a viewing appointment.
Photo – Phil Smith Photography
Video – Hello There Film
Church – St Maurice Church
Dress – The Ivory Room – design by Justin Alexander
Suits – Moss Bros
Bridesmaids Dresses – Azazie
Hair – Kara Scott Hair
Make Up – Anna McClen & Leanne Allen
Florist – Lavenders Blue
Band – Chameleon
Wedding Cake – The Little Cakery
Wedding Car – A B Wedding Cars
Stationary – Walter & Winnie Paper Studio
String Quartet – Simple Strings
Dog Chaperone – Wishbone Weddings
30th January 2026
Ellingham Hall was named National Winner for Best Historic Wedding Venue in the UK at The 2026 TWIA Awards.
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6th August 2026
A dog-friendly wedding venue was one of the essentials on Alex and Peter Richardon’s list when searching for the perfect venue to tie the knot.
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24th July 2026
The timeless appeal of a traditional wedding brought Rachel and Luke Harland to Ellingham Hall when they saw photos of the Hall in all its splendour.
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10th June 2026
Two worlds combined when Ellingham Hall welcomed Remy and Christopher Bridge for their cross-cultural wedding celebration.
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22nd May 2026
The proximity of St Maurice church to Ellingham Hall was one of the reasons why Paul and Bethany Kerfoot chose Ellingham for their church wedding in Northumberland.
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1st May 2026
Railway fanatics David and Sophie Allinson let off some steam after their wedding in Northumberland at Ellingham Hall.
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27th March 2026
Distance was no issue for finding their dream wedding venue, Ellingham Hall for a two night spring wedding.
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27th January 2026
A Scottish wedding theme was central to Ellen and William Mackey’s celebration weekend at Ellingham Hall.
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30th December 2025
We’re Home of the two night wedding – but Liv and Dan Hunter chose Ellingham Hall for an extended three night wedding celebration!
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28th November 2025
Ellingham Hall was the perfect blend of timeless charm and contemporary elegance, inspiring a warm and romantic autumn wedding.
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11th November 2025
Ellingham Hall named Regional Winner for Best Historic Wedding Venue in the North East & Yorkshire at The 2026 TWIA Awards.
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23rd October 2025
A unique wedding in winter in beautiful Northumberland with a horse-drawn carriage was the order of the day for Hannah and Ryan Fletcher. As was the decision to choose TWO dresses for the day!
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James & Megan Carding, 17th April 2025
“I have hosted seminars for over 30 years, all over the country at various well-known venues. At Ellingham Hall you remember everything, from the beautiful quirky venue which has retained its historic features, the friendly staff, great service and the delicious food and amazing coffee! The meeting room had good light and was the perfect size for our event. It was lovely to have use of the comfortable reception rooms too for breaks and lunch. I was very impressed with the extra spaces such as the basement games room and rooftop networking terrace. It is a hidden jewel in the North-East and I am planning to return soon for a private family event”
Amanda Chadwick, Senior Speaker/Presenter, Croner
Elle-Lea & Tom Richards, 24th July 2025
“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
Ellingham Hall is the most stunning venue, and we knew it was the one for us the moment we stepped inside. We travelled around 3 hours in search of the perfect venue, and after a long search without finding “”the one,”” Ellingham instantly stood out. The staff are absolutely amazing, they went above and beyond to help us create the most perfect day, and it truly was perfect. We honestly can’t thank them enough. From recommending suppliers (since we lived further away), to answering all our questions, to helping us set up for the big day, they were always there for us. We loved that Ellingham is a two-night wedding venue and that it’s exclusively yours during your stay, which made everything feel so personal and intimate. One of our favourite touches was the Poochie Parlour, our dogs are a huge part of our lives, so having a space for them meant everything to us. We’re really hoping they host another Dine & Stay around Christmas or Valentine’s, any excuse to go back! All our guests had such lovely things to say about the staff and the Hall itself. Thank you again for the most amazing day.
Jordan & Jack, 25th March 2025
“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
