Hannah explains, “Unfortunately it wasn’t a great summer in 2023. But for our weekend wedding celebration, the sun was shining, which was perfect!

The team at Ellingham Hall said it was the first chance they’d had that year to use the barbecue the night before, so we were incredibly lucky to be able to enjoy that.”

NOTES FROM THE BRIDE

Why did you choose an Outdoor Wedding?

We’ve always dreamt of getting married outdoors; we love the fresh air and sunshine. But we knew if we went abroad, not all our guests could travel, so it would have meant they missed out, which we didn’t want to happen.

Was it difficult finding your perfect Outdoor Wedding Venue in the UK?

We did explore a lot of venues that could offer an outdoor wedding ceremony. Ellingham Hall was the third venue we visited, and from the minute we arrived, we knew we didn’t need to see any others. We cancelled the other venue tours we had scheduled because we both got an instant feeling that Ellingham Hall was the right venue for us.

You could tell by the team who showed us around, that they really cared and were proud of their venue, which was something we didn’t experience at the previous venues we visited. We left feeling really excited and we loved the luscious lawns and walled garden. The appeal of the amazing grounds and the fact they were exclusively ours for our wedding weekend meant it gave us the perfect option to get married outside.

Tell us about the Weather on your Big Day!

The weather was beautiful, thankfully, and we were married outside on the front south facing lawn. It wasn’t sunny on the day we viewed Ellingham Hall, but we just knew it would look perfect in the summer sun – and it did. All our guests enjoyed the outdoor experience which included a relaxing barbecue the night before and lawn games on the wedding day. With guests from Greece and Dubai, they were happy that they could enjoy the outdoors, as they’re all so used to it.

What did your Guests think of the Grounds at Ellingham Hall?

They loved the grounds and enjoyed everything about the setting, including the treehouses and the woodland. The guests were outdoors as much as possible, sitting around the fire pit and relaxing on the Chapel Terrace on the Friday evening and again on the wedding day.

Most of our guests enjoyed drinks in the sun, before taking their seats for our lawn ceremony. We also hosted our drinks reception outdoors too and hired an ice cream cart as an extra treat. It was only the wedding breakfast and our evening reception that took place indoors in their incredible Chapel.

Even now, people still mention our wedding and say it’s one of the nicest they have been invited to. And they still talk about it being one of the sunniest weekends of the year. They have really great memories of our wedding.

Did you enjoy having a Two Night Weekend Wedding?

We really did, a Two Night Wedding Experience  was something we’d never heard of before. The fact we had people travelling from so far and they could relax and enjoy the entire house over the weekend was amazing.

It was great that so many were able to stay onsite with us. Some stayed close by in the village as we had so many guests. Those who wanted a bit of quiet time, had their guest rooms and various spaces within the Hall and grounds to go to. And because of that, our guests still mention how much they enjoyed having exclusive use of the whole venue. Getting the grounds and house for a weekend is just amazing.

What’s your advice for anyone planning an Outdoor Wedding?

Pray for good weather! Honestly, though, you can’t do much about that. But if you have a vision, just go for it. We were lucky to be getting married at Ellingham Hall because every single member of the team would bend over backwards to help you get what we wanted. They team always have a back-up plan to be married indoors, should it rain, which is so important, too. Plan for it and hope the weather behaves!

If you are looking for outdoor wedding venues in Northumberland or an exclusive two night wedding, contact our team today to arrange a viewing appointment.

Credits

Photographer – Sarah Jane Ethan Photography 

Registrars – Northumberland Registrars

Bride Dress – The Wedding Dress Company

Make Up – Rebecca Cook

Hair – Carly Taylor

Florist – The Little Flower House

Harpist – Helena Pearson

Band –  The Folk Soul Bros.

Singer – Annabel Pattinson

Cake – The Master Cakesmith

Ice Cream Vendor – Luxury Vending