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The Statement Dress that puts the ‘Black’ in Black Tie!

23rd March 2022

Alex & David

Tuesday 16th Dec 2021

When Alex and David Reed began looking for the ideal place to celebrate their wedding; it became apparent that they’d need to look further afield than their home turf in Lancashire and decided on a picturesque Northumberland Wedding Venue.

They quickly realised that they were looking for something timeless; but with a quirky twist. With a strong affinity to the North East (Alex studied in Newcastle for 4 years and they both love the area), they discovered Ellingham Hall and the rest is history.

Having been legally married in October 2020 (after 13 years of being together) the couple were keen to celebrate with their friends and family. Their legal marriage had taken place at the Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy in London as a nod to Alex’s late father who was appointed an MVO (Member of the Royal Victorian Order) in 1990 for his services to the Queen. This honour meant that Alex and David were entitled to marry at the chapel; however due to the Covid pandemic, they were only able to celebrate with 15 people.

Alex explained that “whilst the legal marriage was incredibly special, we really missed having all of our loved ones there – so we knew that we wanted to have a proper celebration.”

The couple, who live in Lytham St. Annes, had originally planned to have their legal marriage and celebration within six weeks of each other; however, Covid had other plans. With their celebration at Ellingham Hall postponed from December 2020 until December 2021, like so many other couples, they had to wait a little longer to celebrate at the Northumberland Wedding Venue with their nearest and dearest!

Notes from the Bride

ALEX SAYS….

Why we chose Ellingham Hall

After looking around a few venues in Lancashire that were very traditional; we quickly knew that we were looking for something that had the wow factor. We were quite picky in the sense that we wanted a venue that was classic, but with some quirky character. We visited Ellingham Hall on one of its open days and we were immediately blown away by the venue. The building itself is just stunning – and teamed with the fact that it offers exclusivity for two nights (which is uncommon); we knew it was perfect. We also loved the fact that the majority of guests were able to stay on site in the Hall itself and in the cottages on-site.

The Statement Dress

When looking for my wedding dress, I didn’t set out with the intention to wear black. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Black is my favourite colour – so the novelty of looking for a white dress was quite exciting. When I arrived at the wedding dress shop (The Ivory Dressing Room) with my mum and Maid of Honour, we immediately saw the black dress hanging up. It was suggested that I try it on as a joke, but when I came out of the fitting room to see my mum starting to tear up; it became less of a joke and more of an actual contender. I did try on a few white dresses that were more traditional; however, nothing felt as ‘me’ as the black wedding dress. With a bit of moral support, I decided to take the plunge and go for something different. It was the very first shop I visited and the very first dress that I tried on – so it was meant to be!

Guests Reaction to the Dress

It definitely had the shock factor! I don’t think anyone was expecting a black wedding dress – despite a little note on our invitations that tried to discourage the ladies from wearing black. It seemed to go down well though – and it really fitted so well with our black tie/winter glam dress code.

Best part of your wedding day

It was all amazing! The best moment was arriving at Ellingham Hall knowing it was going ahead because we had to postpone it 18 months earlier due to the Covid restrictions. It was only meant to be six weeks apart from the legal wedding in London! But I would say that without Ellingham Hall, the day wouldn’t have been what it was. David only wanted a small wedding but after the ceremony, where a mutual friend of ours acted as celebrant, he immediately said it was amazing.

Your overall experience

The Ellingham Hall team are incredible and we can’t praise the team enough – they were absolutely amazing. Some venues can feel like a wedding factory with tight turnarounds and the feeling of it being one in, one out – but we certainly didn’t have that experience at Ellingham. If we could do it all again, we definitely would. It makes us feel sad that we probably won’t ever return to Ellingham for another wedding – but we’re already lining up a trip to stay in one of their gorgeous cottages.

Advice for brides-to-be

Don’t sweat the small stuff. You can have a set vision of what you want, but even if something doesn’t quite go to plan, you’re so in the moment that you won’t even notice it. Just try to focus on the things that really matter – your day will be amazing no matter what!

If your looking for a Northumberland Wedding Venue with the wow factor, contact us to arrange a private viewing appointment.

CREDITS

Esme Whiteside Photography – https://www.esmewhitesidephotography.co.uk

New Venture Wedding Films – https://www.newventureweddingfilms.com

Celebrant – George Jolliffe (friend)

The Ivory Dressing Room (dress by Pronovias) – https://theivorydressingroom.co.uk

Lisa Jones Hair And Make Up – https://lisajoneshairandmakeup.co.uk

The Whole Sch-Bang Venue Styling – https://www.thewholeschbang.co.uk

The Lytham Cake Company – @thelythamcakecompany

Moss Bros Suits – https://www.moss.co.uk

Bridesmaid Dresses TFNC – https://www.tfnclondon.com

AMV Agency (Livewire Band) – https://amvlivemusic.com/artists/livewire

“Thank you so much for helping us have the wedding of our dreams! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day (or 3!) Our guests had a blast and we were blown away by how everything turned out. We especially appreciate your flexibility and willingness to answer all our questions. Special shootout to Alicia and Wendy for all their help on the day. Thank you so much!”

Caitlin & Chris Newman, 18th November 2023
“We like to do something different, and Ellingham Hall is certainly out of the ordinary. We had a fantastic time for our staff party and team building. The activities were fantastic and enabled us to get our teams mixed up and get everybody bonding and having a good time together in an amazing environment. We would recommend Ellingham Hall to anyone, the guys here are fantastic.”

Ben Quigley, Group Chief Executive – Everything Different Marketing
“Ellingham was the second venue we looked at and as soon as we saw it we knew that’s where we had to get married. We travelled 2 hours to get here with many of our guests coming further than that. We were looking for a venue that could offer the whole day there and would suit a wedding of 33 people which most local venues around us didn’t. Our guests couldn’t believe how beautiful the whole place was and everyone commented on such an amazing find! There are no hidden costs and everything is clear on their website which seems to be a rarity when looking online at different venues.”

Leah & Steven Williams, 6th February 2024
“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
“Nick and I just wanted to say the most enormous thank you for making our day so special. The whole thing felt completely effortless whilst being executed perfectly. We were made to feel at home from the moment we arrived, with a massive thanks to Beth, Debbie, David and Jeff who were all completely faultless. Their attention to detail and acknowledgment of things important to us was exceptional. Debbie, thank you so much for making me feel at ease when I was so nervous!

We are especially grateful that you went above and beyond to decorate our tables perfectly at short notice and adapted last minute table plans. Nothing felt like too much effort, we really can’t thank you all enough for helping to make our day so special.“

Chloe & Nick Gardiner, 4th May 2024
“The hall catered for everything we needed, from the luxury entrance rooms, to the grounds outside, which we used to talk with clients in more detail afterwards. It was exactly what we wanted to allow us to host a presentation of this size. Guests were welcomed with a selection of drinks and canapés in the entrance hall and then again on departure. The seminar itself took place in the Chapel, while the dining room and drawing room provided the perfect spaces clients to relax.

Michael Sage, Director, Sage Wealth Management

The Statement Dress that puts the ‘Black’ in Black Tie!

Alex & David

Notes from the Bride

Why we chose Ellingham Hall

The Statement Dress

Guests Reaction to the Dress

Best part of your wedding day

Your overall experience

Advice for brides-to-be

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