Bridgerton-Inspired Suits help make Autumn Wedding Perfect!
Kyle & John
21st September 2024
Dear Reader, popular TV show Bridgerton was the inspiration behind the stunning suits worn by Kyle and John Blackburn-Wood when they married at Ellingham Hall last September.
In true Bridgerton wedding style – ‘love never plays by the rules!’ The couple decided they didn’t want to wear formal morning suits, but instead, wanted to stand out from their guests during their two-night autumn wedding.
“At the time, I wore a suit every day for work” says John. “We didn’t want to wear traditional suits; we wanted something which was dressy but looked different.”
Seeing the hit Netflix show, inspired the couple to come up with the stand-out attire for their big day. And while the suits were a talking point for surprised guests, they were also surprising for John and Kyle.
“We had our suits custom made in India, and they were the most comfortable suits we’d ever worn” explains Kyle.
John adds, “We were intending on changing for the evening reception because we thought they might be uncomfortable to wear all day. However they were really comfy, so we kept them on.”
“As they were cream, we were terrified they would get dirty quickly, but they fared well, as they still looked spotless at the end of the wedding day,” Kyle adds.
Notes from the Couple
Did you tell Guests about your Suits before the Wedding?
John: Nobody knew about the suits until the day. We just told everyone that we’d gone for something different – no one guessed our style.
Kyle: There was panic from us right up to the day about whether we had done the right thing. But we feel we made the perfect decision.
John: That was probably the biggest thing that made me nervous before we walked down the aisle. I was thinking, “What’s everyone’s reaction going to be to what we’re wearing?” But our guests were all blown away, they thought we looked fantastic.
What made Ellingham Hall your Dream Venue?
John: We originally viewed a venue near to where we live in Rowlands Gill. We liked the fact it had accommodation, and our guests could stay over. I’m from Cumbria and Kyle’s family are from South Shields. We were very close to booking, but then we realised that there could be three or four weddings taking place on the same day and we didn’t want that.
Kyle: We came across Ellingham Hall, and the minute we arrived we knew it was perfect. We loved everything about the two-night wedding experience and the venue offers lots of luxurious accommodation. The grounds for the kids were perfect too.
John: We loved the idea of the two-nights. When we went to view, we were told that an imaginary key would be given to us the night before night and then you hand it back on the morning after. I loved the idea that we were not going to bump into other wedding parties, as the Hall and grounds are exclusively yours during your wedding celebration.
Kyle: It was like our own home for the weekend. We only had close family stay with us the night before. Our parents had met before, but our brothers and sisters had not. It meant there was no awkwardness on the day as everyone had time to get to know one another and chill the night before. At breakfast, everyone was mingling which was lovely to see.
So, your Family enjoyed the Night Before Celebration?
Kyle: Oh yes. No one segregated like you get at most weddings. Some people have made new friends because they had time to get to know one another. In fact, many have stayed in touch and we’re having a garden party for them. It’s lovely and it meant there was no panicking. I was surprised at how relaxed everyone was on the wedding morning.
John: My grandma is 86 and she mentions the wedding and Ellingham Hall all the time. She said it’s the best wedding she’s ever been to and that she’ll ever go to. Her comments stood out a mile for me.
Why did you choose an Autumn Wedding?
John: We normally go on holiday in September; it’s part of our anniversary. It’s also my birthday, but the wedding wasn’t centred around that.
Kyle: And neither of us are sun worshippers. We didn’t want it to be a red-hot weekend. The weather was perfect.
John: We’ve been to weddings in the summer and as you’re all dressed up in a suit you just want to get indoors to cool down. We didn’t want our guests to feel uncomfortable with the heat.
And your Speeches hit a Different Note!
Kyle: We didn’t do the standard, traditional speeches. We had singing waiters who sang them for us. We don’t do tradition at all!
John: The singing waiters were great, and we also booked a string quartet who played as we walked down the aisle as well as a live band and a DJ for the evening party.
Tell us about your Wedding Day?
John: The team at Ellingham Hall were brilliant. One person who stood out to me was Matt. There could have been an issue, as there was a mix up with one of our suppliers. We didn’t know what to do and Matt came up with a solution. He brought us an option to show us and said that if we didn’t think it was right, not to worry. But his idea was perfect, and we were extremely grateful to him.
Kyle: Nothing seemed to be a hassle. You could tell his priority was to ensure we were happy. It’s those small details that you remember.
What’s your advice to couples planning a wedding?
John: Don’t overlook the small details. We added personalised touches such as shots on the table and some people who didn’t drink them, took them home. We also put together little party packs for the kids as their wedding favour. We bought glow sticks for the evening and flip flops for anyone whose feet were sore. It’s those extra touches that our guests still mention.
Kyle: The day goes so fast, make sure you take time away at different points in the day to spend time together. Dru, our photographer, gave us that tip. He was brilliant and had lots of advice. We took 5 or 10 minutes away four or five times just to walk around and take everything in. We were so pleased we did.
John: We also made a point to get up in between each course of the wedding breakfast to go around and talk to people. When we look back, it was the only time we really got to make sure we spoke to everyone.
Kyle: Our last piece of advice is not to walk down the aisle too quickly. We didn’t realise how quickly we walked, but some guests said that they missed us walking down as we were so fast!
If you are looking for a Bridgerton Wedding setting or an Autumn wedding venue in Northumberland contact our team today to arrange a viewing appointment.
Wedding Day Suppliers
Photographer – Dru Dodd
Registrar – Northumberland Registrars
Suits – Designed bespoke in India
Hair – Hair There and Everywhere by Sian
Bridesmaids’ Dresses – WED2B
Florist/Stylist – Great British Bash
String Quartet – North East Soiree
Singing Waiters – Waiter Surprise
Cake – The Cake Garden
Band & DJ – Knight Muse provided by North East Soiree
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