Helped by their wedding planner, Philip and Anna make the most of the classic elegance of the beautiful Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa for what turned out to be the perfect day surrounded by the people they love most.
There is so much pressure and expectation for your wedding day to be perfect, and yet you only get one chance to get it right, which is why a wedding coordinator is instrumental to offering help and insight in to your planning. That is why when you get married at a Hand Picked Hotel you will be assisted by our dedicated wedding planner and his or her team.
“I love sitting with couples and helping them plan for their big day and making it as stress free as possible,” says Sammie Farquhar of Nutfield Priory Hotel & Spa. It was Sammie that helped to guide along Anna and Philip, who had a relatively intimate spring wedding with 48 close friends and family.
“The ceremony took place in the Gibson Room, and Anna walked down the aisle with her stepson on one arm and her daughter on the other to an instrumental version of A Thousand Years. The overall colour theme was silver and there were thistles and cream roses in the bows of the chairs – the very flowers Philip bought Anna on their first date. The room looked stunning – it was well thought-out and very romantic,” adds Sammie.
The wedding breakfast was in the Gibson Room, too, with the top table in front of the original marble fireplace. “Philip’s son was his best man and did the most amazing speech that had the whole room in tears, including me. Their day was perfectly planned and was a celebration of love,” Sammie reveals.
Sammie must take the credit, too, however, as in Philip’s words Nutfield Priory delivered on every aspect. “With any event like this you assume someone has forgotten something, or something will go slightly wrong, but not on our special day. Sammie and her team were faultless, and I should have totally switched off because together they were totally ahead of the game. The food was exactly as we were promised with special dietary requests delivered. In fact, every element was unbelievably organised and perfect.”
The couple fell in love with the unique Victorian country house as soon as they walked through the doors. They loved the location – set high on Nutfield Ridge affording breath-taking views of the Sussex and Surrey countryside, the atmosphere – no doubt enhanced by the fine paintings, furnishings and many original Neo-Gothic inspired features, the number of reception rooms and licensed areas for civil ceremonies, and perhaps more importantly, they really clicked with their wedding planner.
“We felt totally comfortable and confident with Sammie from the very first meeting. We had lots of guests from Sweden, where Anna’s family is from, to see us get married, so it was so important that the day ran as smoothly as possible, and it did. The sun came out, everyone who was important in our lives turned up, and it would be hard to pinpoint one moment in a perfect day, but when Anna said ‘I do’, it was up there,” concludes Philip.
Hand Picked Hotels are very proud to be a part of such an important milestone in couples’ lives, which is why we always offer unlimited access to a personal wedding planner before and during the big day. We can best advise what reception rooms and licensed areas will suit your needs, as well as offer a range of wedding packages with menus tailored to you and your guests’ preferences, and even recommend suppliers to assist with your special day at Nutfield Priory in Redhill, Surrey.
