Clare & Marc Taylor were married at Stanley House Hotel & Spa. Thanks to their photographers Ashton Photography for supplying their images.
We visited lots of venues in search for the perfect place to get
married. We had a few requirements in mind, such as the whole ‘weekend
experience’ with both spa and accommodation, but the main component of our
search was that the reception room was a single room with open space. We wanted
to be able to see all our guests together.
As soon as we entered Stanley House
Hotel and Spa we were made to feel welcome, despite having a large number of
family members in tow! The staff dealt fantastically with our questions and we
knew instantly this was the place we wanted to get married. The beautiful drive
to the venue combined with the sweeping staircase were key factors and the
large barn room fitted perfectly with our single room requirement.
We had centred our search around the
North West with local family members in mind. We were both born in Blackburn
with the majority of our families still living locally. Stanley House was the
perfect choice. It meant that many of our wedding guests didn’t have far to
travel. Even more fittingly it enabled us to marry in the church where I was
baptised without having to travel a long distance between the church and venue.
When we came to
book, because the reputation of Stanley House is outstanding, we
didn’t think that our ‘dream date’ would be available
18 months before…but it was. We booked the venue three weeks after getting engaged in January
2015 and married the May Bank Holiday 2016, which was also our six-year
anniversary.
There were a variety of reasons for
choosing Stanley House. We liked the combination of modern features with the
sweeping staircases, chandeliers,
beautifully furnished restaurants and bars, with the traditional old
manor house. The venue itself had an impressive drive up to the ‘house on the
hill’, though close to transport links, we felt like we were in the middle of
nowhere. What was important to me was that I had the opportunity to spend time at Stanley House before the wedding. My
bridesmaids and family enjoyed a calming spa together the day before, relaxing for the ‘big day’ and enjoyed a lovely
meal the night before in Mr Fred’s restaurant. The rooms
were modern and beautifully furnished making getting ready in the
morning a delight. After waking early, we watched deer and rabbits running
around the grounds with the sun rising – it was idyllic.
We also chose the venue because it
offered a variety of packages to suit our needs, including chair covers,
flowers, centrepieces, a DJ in the evening and a variety of food for the
wedding breakfast. After tasting the canapés and the sampling menu, we knew we
had made the right choice. We had no worries on the day regarding the quality
of the food. The venue provided us with a list of recommended suppliers which
really helped, making us feel confident in the planning process. All the
suppliers knew each other and we felt safe that if anything were to go wrong on
the day, they would work together to get it sorted.
We also liked that the drinks
reception was in a separate room to the wedding breakfast. It meant that guests
could spill out in to the garden that overlooked the beautiful scenery. We were
very lucky that the sun was shining, which made it even more perfect listening
to the saxophonist whilst sipping our drinks.
The grounds were ideal for photo
opportunities, and Steve and Steph from Ashton Photography produced some
stunning images. The grounds around the house were well presented and pruned
with gorgeous floral colours. The sweeping staircase with a changing colour
chandelier also made a beautiful photo opportunity looking down from the
balcony above.
As it was a May wedding, we wanted a
summery colour theme. The bridesmaids wore a pale blush pink matching the pale
pink roses in their bouquets. The grooms wore blue morning coats with pale pink
buttonholes to match.
The venue was styled by Creative Cover
Designs, using a deeper champagne pink colour for the chair sashes and huge
‘LOVE’ letters lit up to match the fairy lights.
Linda from The Flower Shop Clitheroe
did a fantastic job creating the centrepieces of chandeliers with a range of
cream and pale roses, peonies and gypsophila, and placing floating roses in
large vases to alternate the height of the centrepieces.
Nicola from Brides Little Helper was a
massive inspiration, and created the table plan and place names. As Marc and I
had gone to High School and University together before we became a couple, we
had many dates that were memorable to us. Nicola helped us to label each table
with a special date and provide the guests with an opportunity to try and match
the dates to each special event.
We cannot speak highly enough of the
Stanley House Team. From the first visit, we were made to feel special. The
staff were highly accommodating to our needs and we knew they were only a phone
call or email away for our ‘daft’ questions. We never felt like a burden to
them. The venue put on many wedding open days allowing us to see the venue as
it would set up for the ‘big’ day, but also to get to know the staff further.
The wedding supervisors we worked with were so attentive to detail, we knew we
were in safe hands. The organisation in the lead up the big day was faultless.
The staff really went the extra mile, and they made the day even more special
when we returned to the bridal suite to find a bottle of Champagne and our
first wedding picture already framed for us.
We would recommend Stanley House to
any engaged couple. We could not have asked for a more perfect day and the main
reasons for this were the attentive staff, stunning venue and amazing food.
Venue:
Stanley
House Hotel & Spa Mellor, Lancashire BB2 7NP www.stanleyhouse.co.uk
Suppliers
Creative Cover Hire www.creativecoverhire.co.uk
Brides Little Helper www.brideslittlehelper.co.uk
Lisa Marie Cakes www.lisamariecakes.com
The Flower Shop Clitheroe www.theflower-shop.co.uk
Ashton Photography [email protected] www.ashtonphotography.co.uk
