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Tag Archive: award winning wedding team

We’re the best wedding venue Events Team in North East and Yorkshire again!

TWIA Regional Winner 2023

The Events Team here at Ellingham Hall is celebrating after being crowned Regional Winner for the North East and Yorkshire’s best events team category in The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) – for the second year running!

After we picked up the accolade last year, we didn’t really know what our chances would be in such a competitive category.

But thanks to our dedicated team members and our couples amazing feedback, we were handed the title again at a glittering awards ceremony in Gateshead last month.

All of our team members are excited to be recognised for the second year in a row, especially as TWIA uses couples’ feedback before making its awards decisions.

As an exclusive use wedding venue in Northumberland, it is an especially incredible achievement that we have helped the county stand out across the North East and Yorkshire.

Attention to Detail

Front of House Manager, Charlotte Langston, says she is proud of every member of the Front of House team.

Charlotte adds, “They work long and demanding shifts but never miss the attention to detail to ensure that a couple’s vision for their wedding day is fulfilled.

“I have watched the Front of House team grow in their skills and develop their relationships with one another which truly makes our workplace a happy and fun environment to be in. This energy translates to our couples and their guests allowing them to feel at home during their stay.”

A Fantastic Year

General Manager, David Fordham-Scott, says the accolade topped a fantastic year for the Northumberland venue.

“To win this prestigious award title is a real credit to our first class events team. But to win it two years in a row is truly outstanding. TWIA is such a fantastic platform as it is a customer-voted award which recognises the cream of the crop in the wedding industry.

“On a personal level, it gives our couples the confidence to know that they’re in safe hands and on a business level it provides welcome exposure and networking opportunities.

“I’m incredibly proud of not only the events team for achieving this goal, but everyone who works at Ellingham Hall. They are a fantastic team and pull together to ensure our couples experience an unforgettable wedding, which is why they are being deservedly recognised.”

Greatest Reward

Debbie Armstrong, Head of Weddings and Events, says the fact couples take time to nominate the team is the greatest reward for her and her team.

She adds, “We work so hard, paying attention to detail, with many hours spent planning with our couples, to ensure that as part of our Ellingham Hall Family they enjoy a unique and wonderful wedding day.

“From the moment of booking at the very start of their journey, and the excitement that brings to managing anxieties through answering questions, to the final hug before their departure, it is an honour to be part of their cherished forever memory. To have our couples take the time to vote for us through TWIA, and winning two years running, is the greatest reward for myself and my team.”

Icing on the Cake 

Executive Head Chef, John Blackmore, says “Winning this award has been the icing on ‘the wedding cake’ for the kitchen team.

“From creating the menus behind the scenes, to serving the dishes on the big day, getting this appreciation from the couples has been a very proud moment for the whole team.”

 

The team look forward to the National Finals which will take place on Wednesday 25th January and the unique Underglobe Venue in London.

Read more about how Ellingham Hall became TWIA Regional Winner 2023 which featured in Northumberland Gazette.

 

If you are looking for an award-winning venue to deliver your dream wedding, contact the team at Ellingham Hall today!

TWIA Regional Winner – Event Team of the Year Award!

TWIA Regional Winner 2023

The Events Team here at Ellingham Hall is celebrating after being crowned Regional Winner for the North East and Yorkshire’s best events team category in The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) – for the second year running!

After we picked up the accolade last year, we didn’t really know what our chances would be in such a competitive category.

But thanks to our dedicated team members and our couples amazing feedback, we were handed the title again at a glittering awards ceremony in Gateshead last month.

All of our team members are excited to be recognised for the second year in a row, especially as TWIA uses couples’ feedback before making its awards decisions.

As an exclusive use wedding venue in Northumberland, it is an especially incredible achievement that we have helped the county stand out across the North East and Yorkshire.

Attention to Detail

Front of House Manager, Charlotte Langston, says she is proud of every member of the Front of House team.

Charlotte adds, “They work long and demanding shifts but never miss the attention to detail to ensure that a couple’s vision for their wedding day is fulfilled.

“I have watched the Front of House team grow in their skills and develop their relationships with one another which truly makes our workplace a happy and fun environment to be in. This energy translates to our couples and their guests allowing them to feel at home during their stay.”

Ellingham welcomes a new General Manager

David Fordham-Scott

This month, we’re pleased to share the appointment of David Fordham-Scott as Ellingham Hall’s new General Manager.

David’s extensive hospitality experience spans over 23 years and it’s his knowledge, ambition, and commitment to the enhancing the customer experience which makes him the perfect fit for Ellingham Hall.

David is no stranger to the venue, as a small boy he often visited his Great Grandmother who lived in the village. David’s family also have strong connections with Ellingham, his uncle attended the Hall when it was formerly a Prep School and it wasn’t until his recent appointment with us that David learned his Nana and Grandad were actually married in the Chapel 62 years ago – talk about a small wedding world!

David explained; “Ellingham Hall is well-known in the industry as an unforgettable two-night wedding experience – a one I’ve always greatly admired. That combined with my family connections, love for the venue and value for customer service, means I’m thrilled to be part of such a dedicated and hard-working team.”

“I have a real passion for delivering first class customer service and providing couples with the most magical day of their lives; It’s so encouraging to know I’m joining a team who share my vision. Having only just started working at the venue this month, I’ve already been made to feel so welcome. It’s been a great few weeks and I already feel like part of the Ellingham Hall family.”

Anthony Hunter, said; “David couldn’t be more suited to working at Ellingham Hall. He prides himself on being customer focused and on delivering an award-winning wedding experience – all the things Team Ellingham continuously strive for.

Anthony had previously held the role of General Manager at the Hall for over 10 years. This month, Anthony has handed over the baton to David as he takes on a directorship role for the company. His new role is to further the growth, development and future direction of the business at Ellingham, alongside beginning work on our second wedding venue, launching in 2021.

David added; “I have known and respected Anthony for a long time and l am looking forward to combining our knowledge and experience to further develop the offering at the Hall, as well as working closely together on a number of upcoming exciting new projects.”

Ellingham successfully shortlisted second year running for National Title

Shortlisted second year running

Following on from being Highly Commended as Countryside Wedding Venue of the Year at the 2019 National Wedding Awards, we were delighted to be informed last month that we’d again been shortlisted from thousands of venues across the UK to be named among 8 finalists for 2020.

Rachel Barlow, Marketing and Communications Manager said; “We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for the award again this year. Since being so close to winning last year, we’ve worked hard at the venue on improving our experience for couples and also on the venue itself investing substantially in a number of areas at the Hall, many of them highlighting the wonderful Northumbrian countryside.”

It’s now down to public vote and the Team are calling on your support to help them lift the national title. To vote, click here – https://natweddingawards.co.uk/nominate/vote

It’s the support from couples, their family, friends and general followers of the venue which has allowed Ellingham to be crowded winners in a number of awards ceremonies recently and it looks like there’s no sign of them slowing down.

Anthony Hunter, General Manager said; “The support we’ve received over the last 18 months has been overwhelming. We have received back to award back nominations, have excelled in both the wedding and corporate sectors and we can’t thank everyone enough.

“We always knew Ellingham was a special place, but to be recognised on such a national scale is brilliant for the venue and all the Team working hard behind the scenes.”

The awards will be held later this year at a glittering awards ceremony in Leicester and we’ll be sure to keep you updated with news following the event.

Venue Named among the Best in the UK by Evening Standard

Ellingham Hall has started the year with a bang, having been listed in the ‘top 50 best wedding venues in the UK’ as shared by the Evening Standard.

Created by industry heavyweight Bridebook, the wedding planning platform directory listed Ellingham fifth in the UK above well established names including The Ritz London and Fulham Palace.

Hamish Shepard Founder and CEO of Bridebook said; “ Our team have searched high and low to find the absolute crème de la crème of venues – and these are the best we believe Blighty has to offer for 2020.”
The publication comes as a great start to the year following the success of the venue in 2019 with multiple award wins both on a regional and national scale.

Rachel Barlow, Marketing Manager at Ellingham said; “What a start to the year! Over the last 12 months we’ve worked hard on building the Ellingham brand and showcasing how truly special the venue is when it comes to offering two-night fully exclusive weddings. To be highlighted on a national level so early on in 2020 is a testament to the entire team and their efforts over the last 12 months.“

To see the full article by the Evening Standard please click here.

Anthony Crowned North East Employee of the Year 2019

We’re absolutely delighted to announce that our General Manager, Anthony Hunter, has been given much deserved recognition after being named North East Employee of the Year!

Anthony has been quietly working away here at Ellingham Hall for the past 10 years.

He was chosen to lead the way in turning the Hall into an ad-hoc place for weddings at the age of just 23.

Our owners, Aidan and Helen, told judges they spotted something special about Anthony when they first met him working for an outside catering company.

Helen overheard him talking to a fellow, older employee about the importance of his appearance. It was this attention to detail that helped them decide to offer Anthony the job as General Manager.

In the past decade, Anthony has led the Ellingham Hall family and helped turn us into a destination that has become renowned for its weddings and, in the past 12 months, one that is becoming known as a first-class corporate events venue.

It’s all part of his vision to help Ellingham Hall become a real beacon in the Northumberland community and in his time, we’ve grown from a team of three to a family of 40.

But it’s for a very personal reason that Helen and Aidan decided to put Anthony forward for the Outstanding Service category of the awards.

Just over a year after taking the reins, owners Aidan and Helen suffered a personal loss when their daughter tragically passed. Just 12 hours later, they were told that the Chapel at the Hall was on fire. The blaze ripped through that historic part of the building and meant weddings that were booked that summer were at risk.

But Anthony stepped up and took control, ordering a marquee that was placed on the lawn so that couples who were booked here would not have to find last-minute alternatives if they didn’t want to. He also went the extra mile to help those couples and their families and it became a wedding season to remember.

After picking up the Outstanding Service accolade, Anthony along with the other category winners, was put forward to the overall category of North East Employee of the Year and he won it unanimously.

We know Anthony is a great boss as well as a fantastic employee, but for his work to be recognised around the region is much deserved.

Anthony is very humbled by his award and says he didn’t expect to win his category let alone the top honour.

For us, he’s always been a winner and we all congratulate him and look forward to him leading us on to bigger things with plans for future builds in 2022!

Events team shortlisted for top award

This year we’ve been thrilled to receive several awards at the venue for outstanding beauty and for the opportunities the venue provides, not just to couples looking to book their dream wedding, but to corporate clients looking at venue facilities with a difference. Now, it’s our wonderful team who host all of our fantastic events who have hit the headlines.

Shortlisted as Regional Finalists at The Wedding Industry Awards 2020, our team has successfully made it through to the regional finals for Events Team of the Year.

Whether it’s starting from the very early planning stages of a wedding, to forming skeleton ideas for corporate away days, it’s our passionate team who turns these outline plans into reality, sharing experience, creative flare and always ensuring the highest levels of customer service.

Incredibly proud of every member of our Ellingham Hall family, we will find out on 11th November if our team lifts the regional title at a glittering awards ceremony in Newcastle’s Vermont Hotel and whether the Team will go on to the very grand National final.

The Team would like to extend a big thank you to every couple who took the time to nominate them during the voting stages and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the results.

Anthony shortlisted for North East Employee Award

North East Employee Award

Our General Manager, Anthony Hunter, isn’t one to boast! So, we’ll do that for him – because he has been shortlisted for a very special award.

Anthony has been named as one of only five to make the finals for Outstanding Service in the North East Employee of the Year Awards.

The annual awards aim to recognise and value the contribution employees make to businesses in the region by celebrating their achievements.

Among the categories is the award for Outstanding Service. The award will be presented to the employee who has consistently demonstrated excellent service, to fellow employees and clients alike, but who has also gone that extra mile.

The judges will be looking for:

  • Evidence of excellent customer service and going above and beyond.
  • Examples of how value has been added.
  • Feedback from customers regarding service given.
  • The impact the candidate has had on customer service in the business.

Anthony has been an integral part of Ellingham Hall for 10 years now, and we know he is always giving outstanding service – whether that’s towards the rest of his team or to our clients.

We will find out if Anthony is successful at a glittering ceremony on Friday 29th November at Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

We wish him the best of luck, but we know that whatever the outcome, Anthony is a star in all our eyes.

LTG Award

LTG Award

Gobsmacked! Delighted! Amazed! That pretty much sums up how we felt when we were told that we’d been given another award.

This time, we’ve joined an elite club by picking up the top accolade by the Luxury Travel Guide.

We beat off competition from across the UK to be awarded Wedding Venue of the Year in the historic venue category.

It means we’ve joined some of the most recognised names in the wedding industry, which is a real feat for such a small venue.

Now we know we’ve won a lot of awards lately. And every single of one of them is as important as the last! Most of those we have entered have required feedback from our guests, so they mean the world to us because it shows us we’re doing the right thing.

We will never rest on our laurels, however. We’re always making sure we improve where necessary and do even better than we are doing in many cases.

Our clients’ feedback is always what we love to hear and is hugely important. But it is nice when industry peers tell us they love what we’re doing.

We would like to thank all our past guests and corporate clients for all their kind words and input that has helped us collect a string of awards this year.

Celebrating two National Awards

We’re all celebrating at Ellingham Hall after being named runners-up at two prestigious National awards ceremonies.

Firstly, we were delighted to be named Highly Commended in the Best Independent Hotel/Venue category at the Corporate and Hospitality Show Awards 2019. Being the only North East venue shortlisted and competing against a large number of well-established and long-standing corporate venues, we were honoured to be recognised on such a national scale.

Our Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager Lynn said: “We’ve put in real effort to stand out in corporate hospitality. The venue only re-launched in the corporate sector late last summer, so be recognised in such a short space of time is a great achievement for our team”.

We were also runners up in the National Weddings Awards’ UK Countryside Wedding Venue of the Year category.

Again, shortlisted as the only North East venue in its category, we flew the flag for the region and were praised for our commitment to our couples and the first-class service we provide.

Our Wedding Marketing and Communications Manager, Rachel, said: “We’re extremely proud to be named Highly Commended in this category. It’s a real achievement and a testament to the countless hours our Weddings Team puts into making each and every wedding experience as special as the last.

We also wanted to take the opportunity to thank everybody for their kind comments during the selection process and for taking the time to vote for the venue since the shortlisted was announced in March.”

These achievements follow 18 months of recognition in wedding awards.

Our General Manager Anthony is delighted with the success. He said: “We have enjoyed real success and it’s always fantastic to be recognised by our peers for our hard work.

“We keep on proving how good our attention to detail is when it comes to weddings, which is now extending to corporate hospitality. It’s amazing how quickly we have made an impact in that sector in less than a year.

“There is a considerable amount of competition in both sectors, and I am immensely proud of what we are achieving. Unlike large venues that have separate teams, we all pull together as a family here at Ellingham Hall, and I’m convinced that is what is getting us the recognition our team deserves. We care so much about our guests’ big occasions – whether that’s a wedding or corporate event – that they receive an unparalleled service.”