With award-winning food and impeccable but friendly service, the magnificent Edwardian country house that is Crathorne Hall Hotel proved perfect for Andy and Lucy’s spring wedding.
When Andy and Lucy decided to tie the knot their first thoughts was a New York City wedding. While there is plenty of advice available online for British citizens and a few options for getting married in NYC, as you can hire an officiant and exchange vows at pretty much any location, they decided to marry in the UK as they wanted as many close family and friends as possible to attend.
The next decision to make was whereabouts in the UK. Lucy takes up the story: “We have always loved York and the Lakes, and visited many lovely venues in both areas but nothing ticked all our boxes. We then visited Crathorne Hall Hotel in Yarm, North Yorkshire. We met with Beth, the wedding coordinator, and she was amazing and so helpful.
“We had a walk around the 15 acres of private grounds with captivating views of the Leven Valley and instantly knew this was the right wedding venue for us. We could see where our pictures would be taken, how all of the children would love running around and playing amongst the trees, and that the size of the hotel was perfect to accommodate all of our guests.”
That was in September 2016 and with 18 months to plan their big day they had plenty of time to arrange all of the finer details. In fact, the couple needn’t have worried at all, because we are assured the team at Crathorne made the entire experience stress free. “I would highly recommend this grand and stately home as a wedding venue or somewhere to celebrate any celebration in fact,” advised Lucy.
“The suppliers we used were accommodating too, and reassured me when needed. We should give particular praise to our photographer, Steve McDonald, who managed to get every shot we asked of him whilst making everyone feel at ease. His work is absolutely amazing and his passion for photography is infectious.
“My make-up was done by Beatrice Holli Mett, who really is an artist. Her make-up is brilliant; she is a lovely person and makes you feel completely relaxed. Equally, Lisa from LJ Hair did a fantastic job. She took my vision and made it happen. “And lastly I should thank House of Chocolate who handmade our wedding favours. It was the nicest chocolate I have tasted for a long time.”
Given their wedding was held on 4 May, Star Wars Day (May The 4th Be With You), it set the precedence on the theme, albeit discretely. To that end, the invites were inspired by the George Lucas’ movies, the tables were named after characters, while said favours were chocolates in the shape of them, and the children each had a light sabre.
We will leave the last words to Lucy: “From arriving the evening prior to our big day right up until checking out was faultless. The food and service was first class. The preparation and presentation was spot on. And the staff did everything they could to make our day perfect. Put simply, it was everything we hoped it would be.”
THE DETAILS
FAVOURS: House of Chocolate (07791 282259)
HAIR: LJ Hair (01642 244007 / ljhair.co.uk/)
MAKE-UP: Beatrice Holli Mett (email: [email protected])
PHOTOGRAPHY: Steve McDonald Photography (07900 436790 / stevenmcdonaldphotography.com)
