Pete & Lizzie - October 2022

Not too long ago I was approached about co-ordinating a wedding at a venue I hadn’t yet worked at. From what I could see online it all looked so pretty, and I was excited to get to meet a new team of people and work with another lovely couple. From the moment I spoke with Pete and Lizzie, they were a dream. We emailed a few times, spoke on the phone and they were just wonderful to chat to every time.
 
Having never been to Barton Court before I wanted to do a test run, to get my bearings and to see the space for myself, but a petrol crisis seemed to be doing everything in its power to keep me from getting over there! Thankfully, in the week before the wedding I was able to pop down, see the space getting set up for their big day and run through the plans with the venue. 

​Safe to say, the drive over there was gorgeous. From my house in Kidderminster I got to drive through Malvern and up around the Malvern Hills (which you think is beautiful in the daylight but I realised that, actually, it’s pretty magical when driving back late at night too, looking out over miles and miles of twinkling lights!). I pulled up to a gorgeous house with pretty little barns at the back which we’d be using for our wedding. There’s something really lovely about seeing an empty space and knowing that within a few days it will be filled with flowers, candles, food and drink and will be totally transformed ready for someone to spend what will hopefully be the best day of their life!

In those final few days before the wedding, there were a LOT of phone calls and conversations, but everyone I spoke with was just fabulous. The caterer (Richard from Rosettes), the bar (Emma from Peggy Sue’s), the florist (Beautiful Flowers by KB) and all the guys who I badgered with emails throughout the week! What a brilliant team of people - and what a great job they did to pull together such a gorgeous wedding!

​On the day itself, I arrived early in the morning to help set the room and put finishing touches in place before the nuptials - with an army of amazing helpers including Bride’s Dad, brother, in-laws and bridesmaids all helping to bring it all together. We were hanging lights, placing name cards, creating super sweet photo memory walls, and at one point scouring the venue and collecting lamps to place around the room for “ambience”! And the room did look stunning when it was all done. Special shout out to Daz who was up ladders, fixing bulbs, emptying boxes… and Lizzie’s dad who brought over a much-needed round of brews for us all! I weirdly love that part of the day - it can be stressful and frantic but it’s amazing seeing everything come together and everyone wanting to do their bit to help.

Whilst this was happening, our beautiful bride was getting ready with her bridesmaids having hair and makeup done with prosecco flowing. The flowers came, aisle was dressed for the wedding, the amazing cake was delivered and put in place, and our groom arrived looking super dapper in an amazing green velvet suit jacket! I have to say though, the moment we all saw the bride for the first time… Lizzie looked incredible in a colourful, floral wedding gown that suited her down to the ground. Just stunning!

​The ceremony was lovely - gorgeous music, funny words and, seriously, any wedding where a dog comes down the aisle is a winner in my books. I have to admit, Wilfred kinda stole my heart.
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The October weather stayed crisp and dry for everyone to enjoy a drinks reception on the terrace and the horsebox bar was heaving from the middle of the afternoon! Rosettes provided an amazing two course dinner which looked absolutely stunning (and the team were just amazing from start to finish!), and the cake was cut for dessert. The speeches were all incredibly sweet and hilarious in equal measure, with a very poignant song from our Groom’s Dad, followed by a rendition of a Busted song that I don’t think I’ll ever forget! And I have to say I was really touched to hear Lizzie stood up and said a few words, where she gave me a special mention too… although I missed it because at the time I was going to find extra loo roll for the ladies toilets! You see, our job isn’t all glitz and glamour, folks!

​The DJ got the evening going, and everyone was filling up on pizza from the fabulous Dough Hook pizza van. But I have to say as I was leaving, everyone seemed to be having the absolute time of their lives doing karaoke in the barn! Everybody was in their element - smiling, happy, all so fun and so lovely, and it made everything seem so worthwhile. I know weddings have been back for some time now, but it still gets me a bit emotional seeing everyone together having the best time ever knowing not too long ago we were all shut away and missing each other so badly. I’m so happy these couples get to have their special day and everything works out so well for them!

Pete and Lizzie were just such lovely people. Their families were so kind and so wonderful (at one point in the evening Pete’s Dad made a point of coming to tell me how happy he was for our bride and groom because he thinks being married to his wife is the best feeling ever. I could’ve cried!). I genuinely feel so lucky to be able to meet so many great people and be invited to be part of their special days. All of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, everyone who lends a hand, it’s so great to get to be part of your little team for the day and make sure you get to have a day you’ll never forget!

​Thank you so much Pete & Lizzie for letting me come and help out on your day. I’m so glad everything went so well in the end. You deserve the very best!