We asked three of the best wedding venues in the North West to share their favourite wedding stories from last year

Jinesh & Hitesha at Carden Park

When two ceremonies are better than one

Cheshire's Wedding venue of the Year, played host in the summer of 2018 to a beautiful fusion wedding for Jinesh and Hitesha. The couple had both a traditional Hindu ceremony as well as a civil ceremony, both taking place on the same day with an evening event to celebrate.

The Carden Suite provided a large and flexible space for the traditional Hindu ceremony and evening reception, a completely relaxing area, fitted with a stage and room for a spacious dance floor with optical mirrors turning into screens.

The acres of Cheshire countryside provided a perfect backdrop for the civil ceremony, which took place outdoors on the front lawn. The bride made her way down the aisle to sounds of an acoustic band, performing the lyrics to Lumineers song 'Hey Ho' under the summer sun.

The evening celebrations were kicked off with a first dance to Frank Sinatra's 'Under my skin', the couple welcomed 280 guests surprising them with life-sized caricatures and a photo booth to capture memories of the night.

Jinesh and Hitesha advise future brides and grooms to, "Enjoy the whole process and try and not to stress! We were very strict with our budget and kept track of all costs otherwise things can spiral, but remember there are always a few costs here and there that you don’t account for so keep some buffer in your budget.

Use Carden staff to help - they are so knowledgeable and know what will work and what won't. Chances are they will also find a solution! We very rarely heard the word 'no' ". Carden Park's newly appointed wedding executive, Sarah Povey, is there to guide couples from the moment they enquire, to the big day. Carden Park go the extra mile, offering an on-site florist 'Blooming Beautiful' and hairdressers 'The Hair Room'.

With a rising number of weddings no longer just a one-day event, the 198 bedroomed country estate lends itself as a perfect venue to make weddings last longer.

Photographs courtesy of Shane Webber Photography: shanewebber.com

Carden Park Hotel - Cheshire's Country Estate Broxton Road, Nr Chester, Cheshire, CH3 9DQ

w: cardenpark.co.uk t: 01829 731 506 e: stevie.simpson@cardenpark.co.uk

Stevie & Danielle at Colshaw Hall

When I first met Danielle, I was attracted to absolutely everything about her, her beauty, her personality, her quick wit and definitely her confidence. I got to know her more during Friday drinks after work. I think it was obvious to everyone around us that we had a special chemistry!

Danielle quickly became my best friend (we went on to run a business together and even have the same friends). We never get bored of each other’s company or argue. I soon realised this is rare and that I had found the person I will spend the rest of my life with. Five years after meeting, I took her to the location of our first date and proposed. She was in utter shock, it was pouring down with rain, but she said yes!

I had always dreamt of a having a countryside wedding with my closest friends and family. Something with character that stood out from the rest. When I arrived at Colshaw Hall I knew at the top of the driveway that it was the one, we absolutely fell in love! Everything was within walking distance, we could all stay in the hall overnight. It had everything to offer and more.

On the wedding day, the Colshaw Hall team were amazing. They made sure everything went to plan. Shelley calmed my nerves in the morning and Ian the Toastmaster was fantastic too. In fact, every single member of staff went out of their way for us. Even our guests commented on how impressive they all were.

When I walked up the aisle in the ceremony room, I was so emotional, seeing all my friends and family there to celebrate with us. I burst into tears when I saw Danielle. I couldn’t wait to for her to become a Carden! We took our vows and walked out as a married couple accompanies by a string quartet - it was very romantic.

Our wedding breakfast was a short stroll from the ceremony room. Red Floral Architecture did our flowers and I knew they would look sensational, but I was blown away. I burst into tears (again) when I saw the Peel Suite as it really was breath-taking. Meanwhile, our guests enjoyed a drinks reception in the walled gardens, basking in 29-degree sunshine!

One of my favourite parts of the day was Danielle’s speech. She was so nervous, but it didn’t show, and she absolutely smashed it! Danielle was stunned by how amazing the food was. She said it was by far the nicest food she had ever tasted in her life. We would recommend Barrett’s Event Catering in a heartbeat.

After the wedding, we took time to walk around the grounds and gardens taking it all in. We chose Jeff Langhorne for our shots as we love natural images and he captured the moments at their best- sometimes we didn’t know the photographs were being taken! Our party really got started in the evening with an entertainment set by Six15 complete with sax and percussion for a “Hacienda “touch.

The start of our new chapter was amazing. From start to finish the venue looked like a fairy- tale wedding. As Danielle puts it, it was by far the best day of my life, not only did I get to marry the most beautiful women in the world, I got to do this at what I believe to be the most stunning venue we could have wished for.

We wouldn’t change a single thing!

Colshaw Hall Country Estate Stocks Ln, Over Peover, Knutsford WA16 8TW

w: colshawhall.com t: 01565 724060 e:enquiries@colshawhall.com

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William & Grace at Merrydale Manor

William and I met at Leeds University and had been together for nearly eight years before we decided to tie the knot. William proposed to me in the rain forest in Barbados which was followed up by a romantic dinner at The Cliff restaurant.

We moved to Alderley Edge in 2016 and started to search for the perfect wedding venue in Cheshire. We were ecstatic to find Merrydale Manor, as it really suited our style and taste. For us, it was the perfect blend of country manor exclusivity but with crisp, contemporary interiors. We loved the fact that we could stay the night in the manor house and that we had the whole country estate to ourselves.

During our time at Merrydale Manor, we were introduced to wedding planners – Irlam Warburton Events. William and I are really busy people, William is a company director and I am a children’s intensive care nurse so there’s not a lot of downtimes. After meeting Georgina and Megan from Irlam Warburton Events we knew that having them to plan and organise our wedding was the way forward. We were confident that we would get the wedding we wanted. They really brought our ideas together and nothing was too much trouble. They also introduced us to and arranged some of the best suppliers!

Our wedding theme was natural, simplistic and classic. We had nude tones, sparkling glass, white flowers and greenery that really looked spectacular. The flowers were designed by Red Floral Architecture and they were simply stunning.

On the morning of the wedding, I felt ridiculously calm! The sun was shining, and everything was in place. I knew I was in great hands, so I just wanted to enjoy every second. I loved getting ready for the wedding with my bridesmaids. They originate from all different parts of my life and I treasure each and every one of them. They were all incredible from planning the hen do and all the extra little touches that made the day incredible!

My dress was a personalised Pronovias Atelier from Knutsford Wedding Gallery. Because it was so elegant in its own right I didn’t need to accessorise and wore my hair loose to fit with the natural theme. The bridesmaids looked beautiful in their nude floor-length dresses.

Another reason that I chose Merrydale Manor was that they made it possible to have our golden retriever ‘Theo’ as our ring bearer. I think there was some slight chaos orchestrating this, but something I was wonderfully unaware of until afterward! When I saw William at the top of the aisle, I was overcome with love and excitement. As I got to the top I was lost for words and holding back tears of happiness! We said our vows and were played out to a string quartet.

Our drinks reception in The Merrydale Suite was breathtaking. Dean Mac played throughout the wedding breakfast whilst we dined on the most delicious food by Barrett’s Event Catering. In the evening, we had the Gatsby Band who were EPIC, followed by a six15 DJ set who really got the party in full swing.

The whole day and evening came together amazingly, and the sun shone all day! Our photographer Jonny Draper shot the most amazing photos to treasure. The team at Merrydale Manor and Irlam Warburton Events were on hand to cover every little thing so that it was pure enjoyment for us and no stress!

My advice for any future Bride or Groom to remember that it’s your day and your dreams ARE possible!