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Woodland Wedding turns into Middle Earth!

14th July 2025

woodland wedding

Eleanor & Matthew

8th April 2025

A Lord of the Rings wedding theme isn’t something you see every day. And with Eleanor and Matthew Nesbit unable to travel to Middle Earth, they chose Northumberland’s Ellingham Hall for their enchanted woodland wedding instead!

“The Lord of the Rings is an important piece of literature for me, and I knew I wanted to incorporate it into our wedding,” says Eleanor.

Before making any plans for their enchanted woodland wedding, the couple had to find a venue. “The idea for the theme was in the back of my mind while we were searching for a venue, but finding the right venue was more important,” Eleanor explains.

As they arrived at Ellingham Hall, the grand aesthetic of the Hall and the scenic grounds looked perfect for their plans. However, they thought it may be too expensive.

Eleanor says, “It looked amazing travelling up the driveway and seeing the reveal of the Hall. We thought it would be out of our price range. But after looking at other venues, Matthew was clear: he didn’t care how much it cost! He wanted to get married at Ellingham Hall.

“We loved it. It’s got an upmarket feel, but at the same time, it’s homely and not pretentious. It’s amazing. And we chose to marry on a Tuesday as it was easier for our family who were travelling from all over. It turned out that it wasn’t as expensive as other venues we’d looked at which was a real surprise to us.”

Notes from the Bride

Why did you choose Ellingham Hall?

One aspect that we really appreciated about Ellingham Hall was that they made the effort to appeal to the groom as well as the bride. It has real character and a bold vibe. It is perfect as it has dedicated areas for the groom/groomsmen along with the Ellingham Suite, a place for straightening ties and beers with the boys’ pre-ceremony. Lady B’s bridal suite was spectacular. I really felt like a princess in there and having all that beautiful space for my girls to get ready and enjoy bubbles was a nice touch too. It was also clearly a stunning looking venue: glam, classy, unique, grand, it really ticked all the boxes. There were fantastic outdoor areas for guests to mingle, too

What did you think about the Two-Night Wedding Experience?

We loved the two-night wedding experience and felt the whole event was great value, given all we got and the setting. We also felt the Ellingham team were professional, attentive and knew exactly how to run a good wedding! This was important to us as this wasn’t something we had planned before. Feeling we were in good hands was reassuring.

Why did you choose a Lord of the Rings Theme?

Lord of the Rings is a huge passion for both of us, as it’s a story of friendship, goodness and perseverance. These themes are deeply meaningful and symbolic and are such a great source of immersion and joy. We wanted to incorporate this into the day to really make it our own.

The aesthetic was whimsical, ethereal and natural. The musical score is so beautiful it was easy to include much of this in the ceremony, wedding breakfast and general background music. We especially loved our table names of Middle Earth locations; our ceremony set to ‘Concerning Hobbits’ and our spectacular cake – complete with Middle Earth map and elven writing!

What Special Touches did you add to your day?

The entertainment we booked was fantastic. We heard from all our guests that the archery and axe throwing were so unusual to have at a wedding; not many people had tried it before! This went down really well with our guests and as a bonus it was in keeping with our theme.

Our band was another highlight. The feedback from guests was that it was one of, if not the best band they’d seen at a wedding. We would go to watch them again whenever they perform!

Did you enjoy your Two-Night Wedding Experience? 

Absolutely! It really elevated the whole experience. Having all our nearest and dearest gather on the night before enabled everyone to meet and mingle, making new friends and breaking the ice before the wedding ceremony. We organised a quiz for the night before and this was a brilliant way to get guests talking and bonding as a whole group. We also enjoyed stretching the experience out over the two nights. Everyone should have a two-night wedding, it is a big celebration after all!

What did your guests think about your Enchanting Woodland Wedding?

They said it was magical, very well executed and very ‘us’. The feedback we received was that it looked beautiful and was so befitting with the look and feel we were going for. It wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill wedding; it really was Eleanor and Matthew’s day.

People especially loved the trees and candelabras in the Chapel, as they really made it feel like you were dining (and later dancing) in an enchanted woodland grove.

What’s your Advice to couples planning a Themed Wedding?

Build up a robust base of ideas/knowledge to work from – the more detail, the better. Enlist the help of arty types! My Mother (who is an artist) was crucial in helping with designing and creating pieces that we used on our woodland wedding.

Be honest and descriptive to your suppliers, they want to help you create your vision. Make use of their expertise and communicate with them the direction you want things to go in. Visual inspiration is key.

If budget is an issue, try to create things like table decorations, flowers and favours yourself, or just stick to key elements of your theme to give an overall look, small nods to your chosen theme across the whole day can be very effective.

Throw yourself into it! All the funky little details and idiosyncrasies are where the magic happens. Embrace each element of your chosen theme, it’s a great way to express your personalities as a couple. And it gives guests an amazing, unique experience that will stick in the memories for years to come.

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

 

Wedding Day Suppliers 

Photographer –  Thatweddings

Videographers – Big Day Productions

Registrar – Northumberland Registrars

Florist – The Enchanted Florist Durham

Tree Supplier – The Whole Schbang

Bridal Gown – Nuziale Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses –The Pretty Infinity

MUA – Nichola Hope Makeup

Hair – Mink Studios

Suit – Hotspur 1364

Cake – Fathima’s Cakes

Musicians – Paul & Cath (friends of friends)

Axe Throwing & Archery – Battleaxe Sheffield

Band – AMV: Union Street

 

 

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