Alderley Edge Hotel

Hi Lee,

We have booked Alderley Edge Hotel for our reception on 10th August 2013. How nice is Gaynor ?

When is your wedding and how are you doing so far with your bookings?

Laura x

Hi Laura

Our wedding is 8th June 2013. So far I've sorted my dress, photographer, table centres... think that's it actually! How are your plans coming along? I really need to get organised, June is going to come around so fast! Are you following the hotel on Twitter? They tweet wedding pics now and again, which are handy for getting an idea of how things look on the day.

?

Lee

Hi Lee,

How exciting, the 8th June will indeed be here before you know it ?

It sounds like you're doing well with getting the main things sorted though. Where did you get your dress from? Who is doing your table centres?

So far we've just sorted the church and reception, wedding car, photographer and videographer. I've tried on a few dresses but not found "the one" yet"!

Are you having a venue dresser at the hotel?

Great to have someone to compare notes with anyway on the same venue!

Love Laura

Hi Laura

I've ordered my dress from Cheadle Bride. How's your search for your dress coming along? I've found some mini olive trees to use as tablecentres as my other half is from Greece. They fit in well with the green colour scheme too! Not sure about a venue dresser yet... are you having one? I need to write a massive list of questions and go and meet with Gaynor again at some point I think. Are you having chair covers for your reception?

It's definitely helpful chatting to someone with the same venue ?

I'm going to do a spreadsheet this week and get organised... 293 days to go lol!

Lee x

Hi Lee,

Ooh what kind of dress have you gone for? I was thinking about going to Cheadle Bride, not been there yet. I am have been to about 3 shops so far and thought I was decided on the style I want but am finding it a bit confusing now and wondering whether maybe the style I had in mind is too much like other people I know have had!

I'm meeting with someone from Lily Rose Events next week to discuss venue dressing, flowers etc and they do chair covers too.

Are you planning on going to any of the wedding fayres coming up? I've heard you can get some discounts with people like cake makers etc if you book with them at the fayres.

Haha yeh I have a spreadsheet and everyone laughs at me for being a geek :oD

Love Laura x

Hi Laura

Spreadsheet is finally done and argh there's so much to do! My dress is ivory with quite a lot of subtle detail and a straight top rather than sweetheart.

How did your meeting with Lily Rose go? I need to sort out a DJ for the evening, might make that a priority as I'm sure they'll book up quickly!

I will indeed be going to local fayres... do you know of any coming up? Think there's one in October at either GMex or Event City...

Have you decided on favours? That's one think I am totally stuck for ideas on!!

Lee

Hi Lee,

Yeh it is quite scary when you see it all listed in a spreadsheet and how much things cost!!

What make is your dress? Sounds lovely. I might have to pay Cheadle Bride a visit.

I'm meeting Lily Rose on Tuesday so will let you know what they're like! Am hoping to get some ideas for favours from them too as they do those and stationery as well for invites etc.

Think we're going to the wedding fayre at Shrigley Hall on 16th September and the one at GMEX too in October.

I've been looking around for DJs this week, and one I saw that was recommended on here is booked for our date already! It's really hard knowing how good any of them are though unless they are someone that is recommended to you.

Love Laura x

Hi Laura

My dress is by Ellis Bridal, having measurements taken in October so I joined the gym last week! Are you any nearer to finding your dress yet? We're going to go to the wedding fayre at Shrigley Hall too, and perhaps Hollin Hall the week after.

Toying with the idea of not having chair covers... I'm not a massive fan tbh, but I really need to go and see the chairs again before I decide! Found bridesmaids dresses I love and just logged onto the Coast website to order them but the sizes I need are out of stock! They're going to email me when they're back in, so fingers crossed!

Hoping to book the honeymoon in the next few weeks, going to go to a few places (Virgin and Thomson I think) and play them off against each other! Some friends did that too and they ended up saving about £600! Got my heart set on a week All Inclusive in a Water Villa in the Maldives

How did your meeting with Lily Rose go?

How's your DJ seach going? I'm hoping there will be some to speak to at the upcoming fayres.

Have a good weekend,

Lee

Hi Lee,

Oooh we've booked our honeymoon and we're going to the Maldives for 2 weeks all inclusive in a water villa ? Eeeee can't wait! We booked with Kuoni coz they do the whole wedding gift list fund thing and that's what we want to ask for as presents. We did a lot of playing them off against other companies too and got quite a bit off so it's well worth it.

My meeting with Lily Rose was great, the lady that runs it was really nice and easy to talk to, only problem was I loved so many things think the quote is going to be over budget!! These venue dressers and florists aren't cheap ?

Have you sorted your florist yet?

We booked our dj the other day who was recommended to me by a couple of people - he's called Andy Murphy if you want to have a look at him.

Oh noo, shame about the bridesmaid dresses but hopefully they will have them in stock again soon then that's another off the list for you. I can't really sort mine til after Christmas as one of my bridesmaids is pregnant at the mo, due in November so can't try anything on at the mo!

I'm off to try my favourite wedding dress on again on Friday with my mum and sister who hasn't seen yet so hoping they will love it and that will be decision made

We'll have to compare notes on the Shrigley wedding fayre afterwards!

Love Laura x

Hi

Had a really productive day today - booked the honeymoon AND got the bridesmaids' dresses! So we're going to the Maldives for 7 nights, which island are you going to?! All inclusive, water villa - can't wait! Booked with Virgin in the end after going round a few travel agents.

Was in Debenhams and had a quick look to see if they had a Coast. They did, and the bridesmaids dresses of my dreams were 20% off - woop!!

Have you decided on your dress yet? Hope you enjoy Shrigley Hall tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to it!

Lee x

Hi Lee,

Sounds like you've had a very productive weekend! I too hit the Debenhams 20% sale and got some of my wedding jewellery.

Yeyy, we're venue twins and honeymoon twins too now haha, which resort did you opt for? We're going to Reethi Beach Resort, booked through Kuoni as we're going to do their honeymoon gift list.

How did you enjoy the wedding fayre? I was a bit disappointed it wasn't bigger to be honest, we didn't end up staying that long as most things there we had already got sorted.

I've ordered my dress now from Sense & Sensibility, so am just wanting to fast forward to August next year now so I can wear it!!

Have you had any inspiration yet on favours? I'm still lacking in ideas on that front!

Love Laura x

Hi Laura

I was really disappointed with the Shrigley Hall fayre. We stayed for about 5 minutes lol! Went to one at Stockport Town Hall today and that was pretty rubbish too! Not done much wedding related this week. Really need to get the DJ, flowers and cake sorted! Going to maybe go visit Peter Herd next weekend and see what their cakes are like. Thinking of maybe going with Spreadboroughs for the flowers. No idea about favours! Totally lacking in inspiration there too!

Have you been up to the hotel at all recently? I'm going to take my mum over soon so we can take a look again at the chairs, decor etc.

Glad to hear you've got your dress sorted, can't wait to wear mine again either!

x

Hi Lee,

Yeh we went on to the wedding fayre on the same day at The Village Hotel in Cheadle and that was pretty rubbish too! Looking forward to the big one in Manchester now in October since the others have been such a let down!

Oooh snap, we've been to Peter Herd and had a look at the sample cakes in their shop in Wilmslow - the lady mentioned that they go to the Tatton Wedding Fayre early next year and that if you book on the day there you usually get a dscount of 10 or 15% so we're going to wait for that.

We went to Alderley Edge a couple of weeks ago to see it decorated for a wedding by Lily Rose who we were looking at - it looked amazing but must have cost them an absolute fortune as they had a special dance floor, enormous table centres and loads of decorating going on! I would have looked at the chairs and told you what they were like, but they were well and truly hidden under chair covers - even all the wallpaper was hidden with drapes!

Are you having someone to do you hair/makeup do you think? I'm lucky coz I've got a family friend who has always cut my hair since I was about 11 so she will do my wedding hair, but not sure about makeup at the mo.

I've been hunting for favour ideas all week this week, but still nothing grabs me, will prob end up going with something everyone has in the end!

Love Laura xx

Hiya

We almost made it to Peter Herd at the weekend, will try again on Saturday! Thanks for the info about the Tatton Park show. I used to work for a wedding magazine so I've been to that one before and I can safely say it'll be better than any of the local Sunday afternoon ones

I've got an appointment on Saturday to have my hair cut and highlighted, so if they're any good (first time i've been as i've moved recently) i'll see if they do wedding hair. Lucky you having a family friend to do yours

I'm going to email a few DJs now for quotes. And I've emailed Alderley Edge Hotel about visiting in a few weeks with my mum. Also need to pop into Spreadboroughs to look at their flowers. ARGH! We'll get there in the end lol!

How's it going with you?

Lee x

Hiya

How's it all going? Think we've had a productive few weeks... went to the hotel today and they'd laid out the room with tables and chairs so I could see the chairs sans covers. They match my colour scheme perfectly thank goodness! Went to Peter Herd a few weeks ago and to be honest the woman was quite rude, so I think we're going to book with Angel Cakes instead. DJ is booked, Adam Carr. Going to see about rings and flowers next weekend. Tried my dress on again and had measurements taken - looks like the gym membership is starting to pay off as it looked much better on than it did a few months ago!

Still not decided for sure on the favours, but at the moment we're thinking of maybe having alcohol miniatures... could easily change my mind though lol!

Hope all is well with you ?

Lee x

Hiya,

Oh I've been neglecting my Hitched activity lately! Well done you, sounds like you've been very productive and I'm very impressed with your dedication to the gym too - I could putting my diet/exercise regime off til after Christmas! Which one did you join?

That's good news on the chairs matching your colour scheme perfectly, and definitely saves quite a bit of money avoiding chair covers! I've booked the venue dresser from Jellie Studio that Gaynor recommended to us, so she'd doing all the flowers too - looking forward to meeting with her after Christmas to discuss ideas.

I've got one of my bridemaids visiting next week (they both live in Norwich) so we're off for her to try on some dresses and for me to show her the dress I've ordered as she's not seen yet!

I don't feel like I've been that productive lately. I got my shoes the other week and have ordered lots of card and things to start making the invites myself - I'm sure I'm going to live to regret that decision but we shall see!

Ooh I like your alcohol miniatures favours idea, my friend did the same - think they'll be much more appreciated than anything else if your guests are anything like mine! How many are you having to your wedding?

Love Laura x

Hiya

I joined Total Fitness Wilmslow - dead handy for me as it's 2 mins drive from my house

I've got an appoinment with Spreadboroughs on Saturday to discuss flowers, and we tried on loads of wedding rings last weekend. Might end up getting them online as high street stores are a bit pricey, especially as we both want platinum!

Not come up with any better favour ideas yet, and have seen miniatures start to appear in boxsets in supermarkets for about £2 per bottle so I may have to stock up on some of those before Christmas comes and goes!

We're inviting about 70 but not sure how many will make it over from Greece yet. in fact our photographer (sister-in-law's sister) might not make it so we might have to find a photographer too. ARGH!

People keep saying that I seem organised/on top of things, so hopefully everything will be fine. Also booked to stay at the hotel the night before the wedding with mum and sister so we can chill the next morning rather than stressing about driving over from my mum's house in Lancashire

xx

Hiya,

How you doing? Have you had the email from Alderley about the open day in January - will definitely be going to that, will be a good chance to see it all set up in different styles.

How was your appointment with Spreadborough's? Any progress on the wedding ring front? I'm having to have one made to fit round my engagement ring as it's a bit of a difficult shape - wanted platinum ideally to match engagement ring, but have decided to cut cost a bit and go with palladium since it's virtually identical to platinum the jeweller said but quite a bit cheaper.

Oh no that is rubbish about your sis in law's sister/photographer possibly not being able to make it over for the wedding - how inconsiderate when you clearly need her services ;o)

Ha you must live near my parents then since they are literally 2 mins from Total Fitness too, just off the A34. I have decided my fitness and healthy eating is definitely starting once Christmas is out of the way!

xxx

Hi Laura

Happy New Year! Hope you had a lovely Christmas. Just realised I didn't reply to your last message - sorry. We will indeed be at the AEH Open Day in a few weeks - really looking forward to it! Had a good meeting with Spreadborough's and they had some nice ideas. I'm collecting pics of ideas now to take back to them in March. Sorted the invitation mock-up over Christmas so now I'm ready to get them all made. Need to buy rings! And hopefully at some point my fiance will start looking for a suit! Also booked a photograher - James Yates. Just found out that the Premier Inn in Alderley Edge is already fully booked on the night of our wedding so it might be worth checking if you have some guests who might want to stay there.

So how's things with you? Have you started a January wedding diet too? Off to the gym tonight!

Lee x

Hi Lee,

Happy new year to you too! How are you doing? Everyone keeps saying now that Christmas is out of the way, the wedding will be here before you know it, but it still seems ages away to me. Think it might suddenly hit me in a few months and I'll have a mad panic ?

We've been very productive recently, got the bridesmaid dresses ordered last week finally, so glad that's sorted now! We also went to give notice a few weeks ago and am going tomorrow to collect the documents we need to then give to the church. Have also been to look at some cakes at Martyn Jackson Celebration Cakes in Gatley and had some samples. Think we're going to get ours from them as they were much more helpful and friendly than Peter Herd. I also got my wedding ring back from the jewellers that we had made to fit round my engagement ring and I love it - can't wait to wear it now!

Really looking forward to the open day at AEH on Saturday, will be good to see the room all set up by the lady doing our venue decorating and will be nice to see the bedrooms too etc, as never seen inside those. Have you done anything about picking your menu yet for the wedding breakfast etc? Do you know if you get to taste any of the things on the menu that we're picking from? Some of them, I don't even know what they are ?

Love Laura xx

Hiya

How did you get on at AEH last weekend? It made me start to panic about venue decor a bit as that's the one thing we haven't really sorted yet! Gaynor said that they don't do menu tastings as it's impossible to recreate the mass scale of catering on the day, but recommended going for Sunday lunch sometime to get an idea. Don't think we'll bother doing that as the food is meant to be amazing there anyway, but I am tempted to try the brasserie sometime.

My dress is ready and I'm going to pick it up next weekend. Didn't realise I'd have to store it myself! Oh well, OH will just have to not peek at it in the wardrobe lol!

What table decor are you having? We're off to Hobbycraft today to get some inspiration as they have a lovely new wedding range.

Did you decided on your favours? At the moment we're thinking of having mini succulent plants as they're so cute!!

Hope it's all going well. Oh is it the Tatton Park show this weekend? Are you bothering with that?

x

Hi Lee,

How are things going with you? Not long to go now for you :o)

We went and ordered the cake yesterday from Celebration Cakes in Gatley so that's one more thing we can cross off the list! Have you had some of your dress fittings now?

I'm just waiting for the call soon to say the bridesmaid dresses are in hopefully, then can pack both my sisters off with those to sort any alterations (makes sense since they both live in Norwich).

Am meeting up with the venue dresser next week to discuss the definite plans for flowers, table decorations etc.

Have you chosen your menu yet for the meal? We have been to AEH for Sunday lunch once and i had the poor which was lovely. My other half had the lamb so he now wants that for the wedding breakfast and my dad loved the beef, so fair to say whatever we choose I'm sure it will be gorgeous!

How was your Hobbycraft trip? Did you manage to get your table centres and favours sorted?

Love Laura x

Hiya

77 days to go - argh!!!! I'm having a dress fitting on April 22nd and my hair and mu trial on 20th April. Also meeting with the florist around then, and going to Greeve for a few days, and going to my sister's wedding, so fair to say April will be manic! Sent out my invites a while back and had 39 yeses so far... panicking a bit about making 50 tbh! Favours are sorted - mini succulent plants in little terracotts pots with name flags. Table centres are mini olive trees from the florist What favours are you going with? I'm fancying peonies in my bouquet....

We've not chosen our food yet but we're going to go for Sunday lunch soon. I reckon we'll go for the chicken as there are quite a few people coming from Greece and they're not massively into beef, and i'm not a massive pork or lamb fan.

Going to John Lewis tomorrow to pick things for the gift list - exciting! Hope your plans are coming along well. Btw did you see Gaynor on Great British Menu?!?

Lee x

Hiya,

Oooooh not long to go for you at all now, how's it all coming together?? Have you got the menu sorted now??

Yeh I did see Gaynor and her husband on the Great British Menu, I got very excited and made loads of people watch - then next time I went in the AE Dawn told me she'd left!! Couldn't believe it.

How was your hectic April? Did all the hair/makeup trials go well etc? And you had a little trip away to Greece too didn't you?

My dress has arrived now, which is one less ting to worry about, but not sure where we're going to store it when we have to pick it up at the end of May! Am hoping my parents will let it take over one of their spare bedrooms ?

Have you had your hen do yet? I've got mine at the beginning of June - just a quiet meal out and a few drinks in Wilmslow - didn't really want to spend too much and I don't like being the centre of attention anyway, so that will do nicely!!

Love Laura xxx

Hiya!

Argh 10 days to go!!!!!! Things are pretty much sorted, just a few little things left on the to-do list... Can't wait for the day to arrive now! Had my final fitting on Mon and I'm really happy with my dress. Wrapped the thank you presents and met the TOG last night. Hen night was a few weeks ago - went to Manchester and - as a massive Take That fan since the age of 13 - I was thrilled to bump into Jason Orange (until he refused to have his pic taken with me! how rude!)

How are your plans coming along? My soon-to-be in-laws arrive from Greece on Friday so I want everything to be sorted as much as poss by then... Quick question - have the hotel given you a thing to fill in telling them exactly who's sitting where? I remember Gaynor showing me one lasy year but Dawn hasn't mentioned it.

Wish me luck - exciting times!!!!

x

Hiya,

Eeeee only 4 days now, can't believe how quickly that has come round, you must be super excited now!! You might have got sorted already but on your question about a template to put who's sitting where, I met with Dawn last week and she mentioned there is a plan of the tables she can email out for you to fill in.

Hope everything is coming together nicely now and you're not having any last minute stresses. All your family must be here now too, which makes it even more exciting!

I'm off for my hair trial and to pick up my dress on Saturday - I'll be thinking of you!! Hope this lovely weather stays for you - I think the forecast is meant to be good at the weekend, so fingers crossed!

Have a fab day, make sure you take it all in - everyone keeps telling me how quickly it all goes by! You'll have to come back on here after your honeymoon and post some pics - I'd love to see the room all done up for your wedding!

Love Laura xxx

Ooops just noticed my typo!!

****** only 2 days to go ****** ?

Hiya! How's things! So I've been married a month and a day now - although the wedding seems like years ago! The weather was gorgeous on the day, and the staff at the hotel were so friendly and everything ran really smoothly. Have you met Mark? He's the kinda MC guy there; I didn't meet him til the night before the wedding, when he brought me and my family a glass of complementary champagne each "to help us sleep"! The food was amazing and we've had loads of comments about it being the best wedding food people have ever had. We had the beef but I reckon everything will be gorgeous! Even the wraps we had in the evening were amazing!

SO... how are your plans coming along? You must be pretty excited now?!? Am trying to think if I have any advice for you... just the usual I guess - relax and enjoy it because it goes so fast! But it'll be amazing ?

We had an amazing time in the Maldives too, it truly was paradise!

PS: I *think* I have attached a pic of me, hubby and bridesmaids...

xx

Hiya,

Lovely to hear from you, I was wondering how everything went and did think to myself the weather was perfect on the day! Glad everything went smoothly and you had such a great day.

Ah that pic is lovely, you look stunning and I love the dresses!

Ooh that's good to hear about all the comments you got on the food too, we're going this weekend for a little tasting to choose our final menu although I think we're going with the beef too! What starter/dessert did you go for?

No we've not met Mark yet although I think I've seen him around when we've been in before. Was Dawn still there.

Planning is going well, it's all coming together now, just at the stage where everything needs paying for at the same time at the moment! I've got my dress fitting on Saturday so am doing some last ditch gym trips ?

Which hotel did you go to again in the Maldives? Was the weather good while you were there? I can't wait to get away now and relax! Plus looking forward to the time off work ?

Laura xx

Hiya

Glad you like the pic! Got our official ones back yesterday - I hate looking at pics of myself and so does hubby so it was an interesting experience!

How did the tasting go? You decided now on your meal/ We had the salmony/crabby starter, which was nice, and the apple tart-type dessert, which I wouldn't choose again if I'm honest.

Dawn was indeed still there but I didn't see her much on the day, just in the morning. How did the final fitting go?

We stayed at Medhufushi in the Maldives. Weather was 30 degrees all week but thankfully there was pretty much always a breeze It was soooooo nice - make sure you enjoy every minute of being able to relax and not think about work. Where are you going again?

Now long now!!!

Lee x

Hiya,

I know, 18 days but it still doesn't actually seem real, think it will suddenly hit me when I finish work probably and I'll turn into Bridezilla ?

Yeh the tasting was really good - we got sent the new menus a few weeks ago that they're bringing out at AEH, so we had about 4 menus we could choose off which made it even harder to pick! I think we're done now though, having a little chicken thing to start, then beef and then their version of lemon meringue pie for dessert - not sure I've made it sound quite as fancy there as on the menu with my description ?

Ahh I bet the official photos were lovely, have you got to pick the ones you want in an album now or did you get the copyright for them all?

I'm a bit concerned about this weather now! The sun came too early and now the rain starts!! How was the weather while you were in the Maldives, did you get any rain? We're going to Reethi Beach Resort - have looked at a few forecasts and it seems to suggest there's been a bit of rain lately - I should really stop looking at weather forecasts! ?

xxx

HI

nervous yet?! We got a DVD with 300ish pics on so we've had a load printed to make our own album. Discovered today that Jessops do a good service. Weather in Maldives was 29 degrees all week, with a nice breeze. It was apparently rainy season but there was the odd brief storm and that was it. I really wouldn't worry about the weather, once you're in paradise you won't care I've heard that August is meant to be nice so hopefully you'll have a sunny day. Is everything sorted now?x