You do, the couple and the love that you share. At the heart of each bespoke design I create is your unique story, your personalities and individualities; your wedding needs to celebrate the two of you.
Where you chose to host your union is a key feature to ensuring you create a day that is all about you and impacts those first impressions on your guests. I am always shouting about our fabulous North East region; its beauty, its heritage, its innovation, its people and all the amazing venues we have right on our doorstep; it never fails to charm.
Over the last decade I have planned weddings for Brides, Grooms and families that live and work all over the world; I get incredibly excited when a couple are returning to their regional home of the North East as they not only want to create a wedding that encapsulates their journey but really flaunts our region to their new friends and family that would be visiting the North East for the first time, and our venues never disappoint. We have Northumberland castles galore, the refinery of privately-owned stately homes, exclusive boutique hotels, ultra-cool urban spaces and farms and barns aplenty but we’ve also got some rather unique, atmospheric, jovial and quite exquisite offerings that provide couples and guests with something a little bit different.
Newcastle Castle is a new wedding venue; the site is where the story of Newcastle all began, steeped in 1800 years of history, built to protect the borders, it boasts the most commanding views in the City. You literally can become King or Queen for the day as the Castle becomes exclusively yours; imagine taking your vows in the Chapel or overlooking the iconic Tyne Bridge then entertaining in the Goal; which guests do you want to put in the stocks?!
I am originally from Hartlepool and my first weekend job was in the newly built Historic Quay where the oldest floating British warship HMS Trincomalee now resides, and you can take your vows afloat this magnificent ship in the Captain Cabin before celebrating in the Sir William Gray Suite; the National Museum of the Royal Navy offer a completely bespoke service.
Further up the coast in Whitley Bay, St Mary’s Lighthouse stands proud on its own island looking out over our beautiful coastline. You can add a spot of rock pooling and seal watching to your day; tell your guests to pack their wellies! Inland, there is the ever enchanting Alnwick Gardens and Tree House and other wonders such as Hexham Winter Gardens, The Garden Station and Beamish – there literally is an endless list of seductive venues.
This year brings even more choice, the North East has a rich mining heritage and we will gain new and unique spaces created through regeneration and celebration of our mining past which I look forward to sharing with you. Having lived and worked in the Midlands and London and with the better half coming from South Wales, I honestly appreciate the North East region and the abundance of choice it presents. Such variety provides incredible opportunity enabling a couple to design a day that really reflects who they are and make their wedding day truly special.