Essex Future Bride!

Welcome to Hitched Lisa

Congratulations too! Don't be overwhelmed though, there's lots of helpful information and advice on here (and elsewhere online) to help you through.

Fennes is a beautiful venue, so you're off to a good start! One thing at a time and the wedding day will be here before you know it!

I don't have any experiences of those particular shops myself, but I remember there being a thread a while ago about Essex bridal shops, where they may have been mentioned.

It's here if you'd like a look: https://www.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/p/341569/3098500.aspx#3098500

Welcome fellow Essex bride! Fennes is a beautiful venue. I don't know either of those shops but the link Pavone has posted is a great one if you can get to any of those shops. And when you have gone shopping, add your reviews to that link as it would be good to get lots of shops all over the county included on it!

Many congrats Lisa, fab news! Sorry I can't comment on the dresses but google is your friend

Hi, I'm from Leigh so not too far from you!!

I went inC hantilly Lace and got completely ignored by the staff (to be fair I didn't have an appointment). In the end I got mine from Kay Mason-highly recommended, the girls in there couldn't be more helpful and her dresses are gorgeous!!

How funny! I had actually heard bad things about Kay-Mason (making brides cry!) and was hopeful about Chantilly Lace! Oh well - plenty of time to look around! Thanks for all the ideas and help!

We wont be going to the Fennes now unfortunately due to a look at our budget We went and had a look at The Old Rectory but it wasn't quite what we had in mind. The people were really friendly and it was nice but... well I didn't love it (Am I already becoming a Bridezilla?!) So we are going to a Wedding Fayre at Smeetham Hall on Sunday - it's a bit further out but it looks lovely! And has great reviews.

We might be looking at venue only hire so I will have a lot of questions about suppliers and who does what!!! I don't even know who moves the chairs or puts up the decorations... I guess I'll find out

Welcome!! I didn't try any of the shops you've mentioned but I can definitely recommend The Wedding Shop in Colchester. Brilliant service!

I agree, both Bellissima's are great - some good bargains to be had in the outlet!! xx

Thanks!

My friend just got her dress from Bellissima and highly recommends it too - I was just hoping I could travel just round the corner! (I don't drive!) I hope they have an outlet shop in Southend - I'll take a look!

I hope I love Smeetham - I want to love it! Having it venue only should cut down on costs quite a bit I hope. Although I'm not sure who actually does all the work with that option - I'm not lugging chairs about in my wedding dress!!

I think I will believe what you say and assume my wedding is too small for The Fennes and THAT'S why we're not going there - nothing to do with money

Lovely! Thanks. I do love fairy lights

I'm sure they must set up (which is great!) I think it's odd you can only use their (expensive) chair covers but it is more than covered by savings elsewhere Do you know which caterers she used? I believe there is a list of 10 to choose from. I think I need to check out which is cheapest!!!

Hey fellow essex bride here. We looked at the old rectory too. We decided to go for friern manor which is next door, I found it lovely and food is supposed to be amazing... quite budget friendly too ;-) good luck with the wedding dress shopping z

I'm not allowed to look at Frien Manor because my fiances sister sometimes works there as a chef and she doesn't want to see the place as it reminds her of work! haha!

I was just about to say how amazing Friern Manor is. Went there for a work Christmas do a few years ago and the food was amazing.

Oh no!! Haha. Smeetham hall looks gorgeous tho im sure u will love it. U know u have found the venue when u walk in u will think... this is it!! Very exciting xx

I have a handy wedding planner for Essex Weddings. It has a timetable of what to book and when and a list of recommended suppliers. If you would like one I'd be happy to send it to you. Just contact me through my website that is in my signature or email ****@************.**.**

WE BOOKED A VENUE - SQUEEEE! Smeetham Hall Barn, 14th March 2015 (unless the 28th becomes free - they are currently holding it for someone!) We did have the 21st but another bride was desperate for it and got there 20mins after us - apparently she cried... so I let her have it! I care about the venue not the date.

The wedding fayre there was very pretty and fun! (Except I forgot when we went out for dinner afterwards that I was wearing a sticker that said "Bride to Be" *cringe*) and the place looked lovely and the owner was great so we booked! So excited!

Only downpoint was I looked awful (I have terrible skin, my hair was all big and windswept from a long journey and I go blotchy in the heat - it was very hot in there!) so I was embarrassed talking to the hair and beauty people! I'm sure they've seen worse... I hope

Congratulations. It is a fantastic venue. You'll have a great day there and the photos will be magnificent

That's such a lovely thing to do! I bet the other couple were over the moon about it.

Definitely don't worry about how you looked for the hair and make up ladies- i'm sure you looked absolutely fine ?

Most of us ladies have a habit of thinking we look dreadful without our make up, myself included, but it's rarely the case!

Huge congratulations on getting the venue confirmed, starts feeling a little more real after that doesn't it!

Wow that was a lovely thing to do oh and congratulations.

This came up as I was searching for smeethams.

We went to the wedding fayre there last weekend and also booked our wedding for 03/08/2015.

Really excited!

Exciting! The fayre was fun! Are you thinking of booking anyone from it? We are still surrounded by their handouts etc! We might book the Cambridge Pianist as I thought he was really good and his playing made a lovely atmosphere at the fayre. I enjoyed looking at the dresses too! Can't wait to start trying those on!

We spoke to one of the catering companies there and they were already booked on the date! seems crazy 18 months before.

I really liked the taste of the cakes made by Jean. We do have a family friend who we may ask to make us a cake for a fee but I have never tasted her cakes so want to make sure they are yummy, we may just buy one from M&S, really have no idea it seems way far in advance! we just want to book in the catering asap and then relax for a year haha.

I want to book someone for my hair and make-up but because I live about 35 miles from my venue I'm wondering where I should be looking! I live in Essex and the venue is in Suffolk... should I look in Essex to make it easier for the trial and ask them if they will travel to the venue, or look near the venue and just suck-it-up and take the trip up there for the trial!? I guess it's not really much of a problem either way!

Also - anybody got any good recommendations for either area?!

We are getting married about 60 miles from home and i've decided to book someone who is located close to where we are getting married as opposed to nearer home.

I know lots of great MUAs back here (Essex) but I didn't want to be sitting there worrying about the hair & make up ladies journey on the morning of the wedding, wondering if they'd get stuck in traffic coming all that way- or what if they broke down etc. At least if they were local to the venue and anything like that happened someone could nip and get them. That was my reasoning anyway.

For trials we're just going to travel down to them and have the trial at their homes. It saves them a journey and it's only an hour away for us. For the sake of the extra travel for us, it was more peace of mind on the day that I was worried about.

Theres been a thread quite recently about Essex based Hair and Make up, i've mentioned quite a few people in there if you decide to look locally.

https://www.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/t/428938.aspx

Birds bridal is fantastic. I really cant fault them so far. I didnt have a great time with bridal boutique but a friend of mine thought they were amazing. Bellissima in swf has a great reputation and some stunning dreses. I am getting married at the old rectory. ..me and h2b loved it. Channels in chelmsford is a stunning venue too...def worth a look if you havent been there.

Sorry,somehow missed that you have booked venue so ignore that bit

I'd go for nearer the venue for the same reason pavone has given about traffic etc and it's ysualy only one trial so not too much of a journey

Hi Lisa,

Where did you get married in the end? Did you choose Fennes? What did you think of it?

Hi,

I am getting married at Smeetham in July. Is there any suppliers you would recommend????

Hope you had an amazing day!!!

• Hi - Smeetham was beautiful! The day was amazing and a lot of people complimented me on the venue so you've made a good choice!

  The staff were really not that useful! Louise will keep coming at you with deals and for us we ended up buying a lot of decorations we weren't going to bother with but they did look nice. She didn't give us the key to the post box so we nearly lost all the cards with money that were put in there! Bridget was showing people round on the morning of our wedding and was only interested in new business not us - she even let them look in the bridal room while me and the bridesmaids were in there! And the house manager glared a lot at the children playing in the marquee - but luckily didn't say anything! So for us we loved the venue but not the staff. Also we got them to light the flares round the lake - but due to wind they took ages to light so if anyone even noticed them it would have been on the way home!!!

• The staff we LOVED however were Bentleys Caterers - Richard was a star - nothing was too much trouble. He was lovely and the food was amazing and such generous portions! His team led the day much more than the Smeetham staff - they organised the greeting line and welcome drinks and everything. Absolute stars - couldn't recommend them enough!

Birds Bridal are great and I got mine from Grace and Lace in Colchester (they are only stockists of Maggie Sottero in the area). Good luck!

I got married at smeetham hall 10 days ago and it was brilliant!

my make up artist and hair stylist were fabulous and everything still looked perfect and fresh well into the night.

I had my make up done by Emma Quin and my hair by Karen Lowe, they often work together so i was able to have a make up trial with emma and karen came to do my hair at the same time so i could get the full look.

Thanks all appreciate the tips! Any more recommended suppliers would be great