We meet Louise and Sam who got married at Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa in Surrey. They tell us why the team at Nutfield were the deciding factor when choosing their wedding venue.
It was really important to us that our wedding venue was somewhere special, and stunning! We didn't want to get married too far from home but we wanted a place that felt like it was in the country, surrounded by greenery and very peaceful. We also wanted a venue where we were able to have the ceremony, the reception and the wedding party in one place, and which had hotel rooms so that guests could stay the night too.
Whilst researching we came across Nutfield Priory and got in touch with one of their event organisers called Steph who was very friendly and helpful and suggested we visited one Saturday so she could tell us about everything they could offer us for our wedding. When we arrived we were absolutely astounded at how beautiful and regal Nutfield is. From that moment we were then taken under the teams’ wings and never looked back. At the front desk we were whisked to the bar for complimentary tea and coffee. Steph gave us a tour and went through every detail, their wedding package covered almost everything we wanted without any hidden fees. Not only that but when we told Steph the date we were planning she was delighted to tell us that we were able to get an extra discount due to booking so far in advance!
We did make an effort to visit other wedding venues but when comparing staff friendliness, grandeur and cost to Nutfield they didn’t come close. Two weeks after our first visit we contacted Steph again to save the date for us.
We visited one of Nutfield’s wedding fayres and yet again they were able to help us pick our suppliers. We didn't have a theme for the wedding and didn't want to go too outrageous with the colours. We wanted things to be very natural so we went for cream and pale green colours with chocolate brown highlights.
We used Nutfield’s recommended florist, Willow Flowers By Design. We were very happy with the arrangements they did, especially considering my unusual choice of flowers! Calla lilies were my flower of choice as I find them so elegant; for a hint of brown in the bouquet I asked them to add some small pinecones and they did a fantastic job, especially the button holes.
Amber Eggledon did our photography and she was absolutely brilliant. She wasn't too intrusive on the day but she was still able to get all of the shots that we requested perfectly. 10/10 would definitely use her again.
For our cake we went with a Nutfield recommendation of Gorgeous Gems Bakery. We met her at the wedding fayre and I must admit that I was talking to Gem for ages about the different sort of cakes that she was able to make, an excuse really to keep trying her sample cupcakes which were stunning! Gem really impressed us with her versatility. Not only was she able to give us a good quote on a two tier cake decorated with iced calla lilies, but she was also able to make us some vegan cupcakes and coeliac cupcakes for the wedding party. We were later told that these were some of the best cupcakes our guests had ever eaten.
I found my wedding dress at Victoria's Bridal Boutique and I honestly can't recommend Victoria enough. From exclusive appointments, to suggesting styles that would suit me, to then recommending a seamstress who could modify the dress into my dream dress, it was the most amazing experience. Coupled with the fact that her mum was working in the shop too we had a wonderful girlie time, or rather 5 or 6 times (one of those visits was just because my mother wanted to see me in the dress again!) Victoria was so patient and friendly, she even got a bit teary at seeing me in the finished product; I can see why she won a customer service of the year award.
We picked The Tailored Tenors for our evening entertainment. To begin with we were unsure what we wanted, we didn't want a band but we didn't want a DJ either, we wanted something a little different, when we saw them at a local venue they were most impressive with a wide range of songs. Most importantly they were lovely and friendly and were free on the date of our wedding! They even sung 3 songs during the wedding breakfast.
We cannot stress enough how wonderful Nutfield and its’ staff are. The venue was stunning, the food was fantastic, the team always so friendly and accommodating and the small touches were delightful. The Champagne glasses for after the ceremony were arranged into two overlapping love hearts, and my father organised a surprise with Peter (who ran our day), the team baked a special dish for me as part of my dad’s wedding speech. A completely wonderful but unplanned treat. They truly made the day perfect.
