< PreviousLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide VENUES 10 © stock.adobe.com/Igor Finding the perfect venue for your wedding can be tough, particularly with so many stunning stately homes and buildings to choose from. 12 ÁExclusively YOURS ESCAPE TO A CHERISHED COUNTRY ESTATE IN THE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE, EXCLUSIVELY YOURS FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY. Norwood Park offers an array of ceremony and reception spaces carefully tailored to suit you from intimate ceremonies of 40 guests to large ceremonies. NORWOOD PARK events@norwoodpark.co.uk www.norwoodpark.co.uk | 01636 302099 Ceremony 40 - 160 Wedding breakfast up to 160 Evening up to 250 Outdoor Weddings up to 140 Bedrooms 17+ Book a private viewing today Photographs courtesy of Esther Triffitt Photography Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide VENUES 12 L incolnshire is a county spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful wedding locations, with a wealth of stately homes, hotels, and famous locations where people have tied the knot. However sometimes having too much choice can make it hard to decide on which is ideal for you. Googling “wedding venues in Lincolnshire” brings enough results to fill pages and pages, and visiting them all would probably have you still trying to decide on the day of the event itself! When it comes to choosing what is right for you, the first thing you need to do is decide on the theme of the wedding and the type of guests you expect to be in attendance. Is this going to be a disco or party event with a lot of children for example? If so, then you might want a venue that can set up a marquee outside where there is more room for a dancefloor and for kids to run around and not cause chaos. On the other hand, a wedding of adults in smaller numbers might be perfect for renting out the wing of a stately home, where the chefs can whip up a truly high-class banquet for your guests, and where the slower dancing can take place surrounded by old architecture. Either way, the first task is cutting down on what exactly you are looking for, and that should include incorporating pricing and size into the mix, because weddings can get expensive and not every venue is priced the same way. Ensure to set a solid and realistic budget, not forgetting to include all the potential ‘extras’ you may want, as the costs for these can spiral. As you begin your venue 14 Á © stock.adobe.com/IVASHstudiowww.lincolnshiretoday.net 13 Ayscoughfee Hall is a beautiful Grade I listed building set in five acres of unique public gardens ideal for your photographs. This intimate venue, just minutes from Spalding town centre, is licensed for civil ceremonies for up to 40 people. Included are the services of our friendly team and exclusive use of the south facing Garden Room for light refreshments before and after the ceremony. There is ample public parking nearby for your guests. Ayscoughfee Hall Churchgate, Spalding, Lincolnshire. PE11 2RA tel: 01775 764555 email: weddings@sholland.gov.uk www.ayscoughfee.org More than just a hotel. Located in the leafy victorian surroundings of Peoples Park in Grimsby, but only a short stroll from the centre of our busy town and historic docks, Millfields is perfectly placed for visitors to North East Lincolnshire. With 27 well appointed Bedrooms, a Restaurant with A la Carte menu and a Bar offering a range of Guest Ales, Wireless Internet Access and Free Onsite Car Parking, Millfields is the perfect place to stay all year round. Your Wedding Day should be one of the most important days of your life. So whether you are planning for your Special Day to be an intimate family affair or a large celebration for all your friends, we have the facilities to accommodate up to 60 guests seated for a daytime function and up to 125 for your disco/buffet in the evening. Our beautiful Grade II listed Victorian town house located between Grimsby Town and the picturesque Lincolnshire Wolds provides an intimate and characterful venue that can be exclusively yours. Millfields Hotel, 53 Bargate, Grimsby, N. E. Lincs. DN34 5AD T: 01472 356068 E: info@millfieldshotel.co.uk W: www.millfieldshotel.co.uk Book our wedding venue We're here to make your occasion specialLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide VENUES 14 journey, it will be vital to keep in mind what is and is not included, and how the price of the big day might change based on whether you will need to source external catering or whether you will need to select suppliers from a specified list. Once you have an idea of what you are looking for, the next thing we would suggest is making a shortlist by visiting the websites – and social media – of several venues in the area. A lot of these places should be proud of their beautiful surroundings and décor, so they should be happy to show off weddings there in the past, photos, and Instagram posts. Take a look at what has happened there before and how it all looks, and use that to narrow the list down to a smaller number that you will visit in person. And you do need to visit in person – ideally more than once. Photos don’t always do a good job representing how a place really looks, and what often overlooked aspects like the lighting are actually like, so ask to be shown around and given the tour. Something to consider is the season of your wedding as well, because certain scenery will look better in certain months, and there is little point expecting green trees in November. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to take photos of your own to consider later and ask lots of questions. From checking whether the venue is available for exclusive hire, in case any other weddings may be taking place in other areas on the day, to whether crockery and linen are included in the price, to enquiring the time from which you can access the venue for setting up, writing a list of all your queries to take along with you to the venue will prevent you forgetting anything important. While doing your research, there are a © stock.adobe.com/Anastasiia 16 Á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| www.stallingboroughgrange.co.uk | events @ stallingboroughgrange.co.uk Stallingborough Grange Hotel, Riby Road, Stallingborough, Grimsby, DN 41 8 BULincolnshire Today Wedding Guide VENUES 16 number of things to check and consider, such as capacity. If you can make a rough guest list this will immediately help get rid of options that are too big or small. The size of a venue can really impact the enjoyment of the event, with a venue that is too small creating a stuffy and overcrowded feel, but somewhere too big will feel cold and discomforting. With couples nowadays opting to invite a more intimate number of people to the ceremony and subsequent meal, with a larger group invited to a party in the evening, ensure to check capacity for both daytime and evening events, and whether different areas can be utilised for each. Ease of access is also important. Consider where your guests are coming from. If they are not local, or the venue isn’t, choosing a location that is easy to get to, has plenty of parking, and accommodation on site or close by will be helpful. If you have older relatives you want to be there too, think about how far they will be able to reasonably travel. The more remote the venue you choose, the smaller your RSVP list will likely be, especially for guests only coming to celebrate at an evening-do, who are unlikely to want to drive for hours. If you have no clue at all what kind of venue you should choose, try looking up imagery from other recent weddings and consider both new and long-loved trends. You may find for example that you are drawn to the currently very popular rustic vibe, featuring the integration of nature inspired elements and a sense of earthiness. In that case a barn wedding venue would be perfect. However, if you are a fan of glamour, an impressive stately home could work well. You could also consider your personal style choices. If you are a fan of a modern look for 18 Á © stock.adobe.com/shunevichwww.lincolnshiretoday.net 17 Museum Boston’s beautiful, medieval Guildhall can be the setting for your special day. Have your ceremony in the stunning banqueting hall, used for centuries for celebrations and have your photographs taken in any of our wonderful historic rooms. Boston Guildhall Museum @bostonguildhall For more information please contact us guildhall@boston.gov.uk www.bostonguildhall.co.uk South Street, Boston, PE21 6HT (01205) 365954 LAID BACK LUXURY IN THE HEART OF THE LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS Skendleby Hall Let us deliver your perfect day and make memories with you whether it’s champagne and roses or naturally white and green, we will help with the ‘sparkle’ on your special day at Skendleby Hall. Our team are very experienced and every attention to detail is delivered. If you are looking for a unique venue and want to enjoy wonderful views with very warm hospitality, then do book a show round. Contact - Amanda Batham our General Manager: 07939 508636 or Rea Edwards: 07730 954 611 Email - skendlebyhallevents@gmail.com New website coming soon! For special offer quote WF001 Only the Best for You MAKING YOUR DAY SPECIALLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide VENUES 18 example, a warehouse wedding may be ideal. Basing your venue on your hobbies and interests is also an option. If you are an amateur sommelier for instance, a vineyard wedding could be on the cards, or if you have a green thumb, somewhere with gorgeous gardens where a marquee can be set up nearby could be a good choice. Following the pandemic, when outdoor weddings became more commonplace – because they had to be – couples were pushed into thinking about alternative venue options, and with this people are becoming more creative with their choices. Considering your choice of wedding dress, and how it will match the venue, and potential weather, may also help you narrow down venue options. Whether you have your heart set on a Cinderella gown, boho frock, or something sleek, dresses will all have certain settings they look best in. Don’t forget to consider the bathroom aspect here as well, as it is easy to overlook forcing a ballgown into a small 20 Á www.oldwheatbarn.co.uk The Old Wheat Barn Beautiful, rustic, barn weddings on our farm in Lincolnshire sally@pinkpigfarm.co.uk © stock.adobe.com/ctvvelvewww.lincolnshiretoday.net 19 Located in the picturesque village of Messingham, North Lincolnshire, Messingham Lakes is one of the areas premier wedding venues. Messingham Lakes offers the ideal venue for your wedding and the grounds provide wonderful, romantic scenery for those all-important photographs. We are fully licensed to hold civil ceremonies and offer you the convenience of hang your ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception all under one roof. Ceremonies can be held upstairs in our conference room overlooking the golf course for up to 50 guests and in our main function room for up to 120 guests The perfect setting for your big day! www.messinghamlakes.co.uk | info@edenresorts.co.uk | 01724 762945 or why not choose to have an outside ceremony which boasts panoramic views over the grounds. Messingham Lakes also offers a range of beautiful and recently restyled lodge accommodation which can be booked alongside your big day for both you and your guests. Choose Messingham Lakes as your wedding venue and from beginning to end you will be looked after by our in-house wedding coordinator, dedicated to making your special day a truly memorable one. Our friendly, professional team will be happy to offer help and advice to ensure your celebration runs smoothly and put together a tailor made package just for you.Next >