CRONDON PARK

Hi Wozzle. I'm just watching 4 Brides and it reminded me of weddings!!

how did the sating go? What canapés were they, were they yummy. I bet you're getting really excited now.

anything you can give us tips on? I've been per occupied as I've moved from London to chelmsford this week, need to get back on the wedding train!!

Hi Lizzy, Hope your move went well! 29 days to go arghhh!

So some snippets of info for you...

The canapes were delish, especially the strawberry shortcakes, I didn't fancy having sweet canapes at all but they're so pretty (heart shaped) & yum! We tried chicken caesar parcels, parma ham wrapped cheese and can't remember what else as they gave us a whole bottle of wine if each colour lol. We've gone for the Baronial canapes.

Drinks wise we have gone for the unlimited upgrade as the wines were delish! Bit disappointed that Pimms was really expensive and not included in any of the packages...

They're very organised & detailed- you have to do a plan by each seat and dietry requirements for each one. They only have 6 high chairs (not sure if this affects you). Any suppliers eg cake drop off etc have to come after 10am on the morning of the big day, you can't drop off things night before.

You need to provide background music for 4 hours for the canape bit & wedding breakfast if you don't have a musician or whatever...

These are the main things I think...keep your fingers crossed for me taht the weather stays nice!!! xx

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Hi M&M! I am sure you'll be allowed to bring own highchairs or booster seat type things? It affects me too...

Favours etc you deliver to them the day before or earlier, boxed up by table. It's purely the cake or if you have a sweet cart or anything else from a supplier you can't drop off day before. Mainly cakes I think as they don't want responsibility for damage. Hope this puts your mind at rest! X

Ps where are you getting married? X

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Was there anything that surprised you about it? anything that you didnt know?

take it they havent done the improvements to the gardens yet? xxx

Phew! didnt mean to worry you!

i can recommend an amazing local cake maker if you need one?

Same as you- church in Rayleigh which is where I grew up...so about half hour away. Our ceremony is at 1pm.

i'm not sure about the gardens tbh as we only booked in Feb when it was snowing so have only seen them fairly recently but they're very nice!

The only real surprise/niggle was they wouldn't do our catering meeting at a weekend or on an evening- I had to take time off work which was annoying, but it is wedding season so they're very busy. Also a bit of a worry is that a colleague of mine had reception there in May and one of their guests' cars got broken in to! I haven't told my parents or OH as don't want to worry them...not sure if I should mention it to the venue? Am sure will be fine by the time you all get married though xxx

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Re cake maker- she's called Jayne & she is my friend so I'm biased but she used to work at Fancynancy (posh semi-famous cake shop in Leigh) she made all the cakes there but now works for herself & charges half the price! Her website is www.madebymollie.co.uk

Will def keep you guys updated with any developments! Xxx

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Ooh this is all so exciting!

What are you guys doing about chair covers? I would prefer not to have them but without they look like conference chairs! We have been told we HAVE to use their recommended chair cover company which quoted us £358 for 60 odd chairs covers and sashes in the ceremony room and 60 odd chair covers and sashes in the reception room, they said they can't swap the chairs over as the reception chairs are already set up. Just too much on our budget! Although SIL had a genius idea of only having the chair covers for the reception room as people won't notice the chairs in the ceremony room as much so I think we are going to do that!

Have you sorted the chair covers yet?

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We're having candellabras for centre pieces...with roses around, our florist is doing them, so pretty!

Re chair covers I was annoyed at first that you can only use Leigh lovegrove but actually she is so lovely & accommodating although we are reception only so not as expensive...I def think noone will notice the chairs in the ceremony, all eyes will be on you! Just have them for reception. We're having satin sashes with lace overlay and she's not charging us any extra although its double the sashes.

I am so excited now!!!! X

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Yeah she is lovely isn't she, we are doing the same - just having them in the reception room too. I bet you are excited!

Re florist whoever quoted £4500 is crazy! My florist is actually quite expensive because they've got such a fantastic reputation (shrinking violets), and we're paying just under £1000 for 9 tables with candelabras, top table 'long & low', 5 bridesmaid poseys, my bouquet and 2 mum bouquets! I did negotiate them down and providing my own candles for the candelabras. Have a look on their website, if you like vintagey/pastelly flowers they are def the best in the area xx

Music to my ears!!

Wozzle, Wozzle, Wozzle - you must tell us all! Been looking forward to your update!

Congratulations Mrs Wozzle! Hope you had an amazing day! xxx

Congratulations. How did it all go? Did Shrinking Violets do amazing flowers? Xx

Hi everyone! Yes I'm a Mrs! Thanks for your congrats. Had an amazing day (and even better honeymoon, can't recommend the Maldives enough)...but I know everyone says this but oh my god it goes so quick. The whole thing is a complete blur. And it's quite hard to judge how good it was for other people as obviously we had the best time ever! Crondon did look sooooo beautiful. It rained so was chuffed we'd picked a venue with such a nice interior...the food was ok, nice but I have had better at other people's weddings and to be honest I hardly ate a thing. The bridal toilet was amazing! Really nice to be able to go and redo my face etc. my hair all dropped out from the rain and one of my bms recurled it for me in there. The coordinator lady was good but they forgot to play my background music and had to remind them. All smooth apart from that though. Let me know if you have any questions! I will post some pics later on. Oh and the flowers were incredible! Exactly what I wanted. xx

Wow, can't wait to see some pics. Did you have a video? I want to as like you said I imagine it all goes by in a blur.

What a shame that food wasn't fantastic, what was wrong with it? What options did you have?

Do they coordinate you well with regards to when to sit for dinner, when to start speeches, when to get off your chair to make room for the disco/band?

Now my wedding is less than a year away I feel more stressed than when it was ver a year away. Still got loads of time I guess.

So happy you had a great day

Ahh wozzle so nice to hear everything went smoothly and you had a great day, the pics look lovely too. I can't believe it was three months ago when you said you were getting married first - time has flown!

You look gorgeous and The room looks beautiful. I've gone all fluttery in the tummy!!

Its made me realise I'm going to be doing it (you'd thnk that it would have dawned on me by now really!)

how was y

our honeymoon?

Ahh thanks Lizzy! We only got back from honeymoon last night & having a lovely time today looking at our pics etc & reliving it.

You should feel fluttery it's so exciting!

We had the best honeymoon ever. I couldn't recommend where we went more highly. It was so romantic & truly magical! Xx

Omg!!!! you look stunning! Congratulations!! glad everything went well xxxxxxxx

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Ps where did you sleep on night of wedding?

Sorry to stress you out!! I think just insist on a tasting maybe? As perhaps we made the wrong choices...it was nice anyway, just not amazing. Sorry! Feel guilty now.

We stayed at greenwoods which was SOOO not worth the money! We got the most expensive room and it had no mini bar and not even a bottle of water. I was gasping and a bit disappointed tbh xx