< Previous70 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYat the Humber Royal HotelWeddingsWe offer flexible packages that suit allcouples. Grimsby’s best kept secret, nowfully refurbished with breathtaking viewsoverlooking the fairways of Grimsby GolfCourse.Our locally sourced menus, complimentedwith quality wines and finishing touches -make the Humber Royal Hotel your firstchoice when planning your special day.Packages start from only£3,600New for this year - fabulous venue forsmaller, intimate weddings.For more information please contact Elizaan Mowbray on 01472 240024 or email sales@icon-hotels.co.ukwww.thehumberroyalhotel.co.ukEnquire about ourMidweek Weddingsstarting from £2,013068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY71WEDDINGS - VENUEScourse. We’ve heard of thoseweddings with the bride andgroom tying the knot mid-bungee jump or in their ownback garden, but that’s notpossible here in Lincolnshire.That’s because in other partsof the world it’s the personcarrying out the weddingthat’s licenced, and if theyagree, anything goes, whereasin England it’s the venue itselfthat requires a licence.OK, you may be thinkingthat you could simply applyfor a licence for your homeand host the ceremony there– but don’t! That’s because if awedding licence is granted,it’s on the condition that thevenue is then made availableto the general public to usefor the duration of the licence– usually five years. So unlessyou’re happy with a parade ofstrangers tying the knot inyour back bedroom, thinkagain. Also out of thequestion is getting married ona boat or in a marquee as thevenue has to be a permanentstructure. That’s not to say you can’tuse these for other parts of the day butthe formalities will have to be completedelsewhere. Fortunately in the countythere are numerous licensed venues andthere’s bound to be somewhere that’s theperfect fit.The main thing to remember is to tryand remain calm. Any nerves or stresswill never do the process any good. Onething that helps most people is to makea list. This may seem obvious, but it’ssurprising how much better you mayfeel seeing everything written down.Having it all there in black and whitenot only means you are prepared way inadvance, but you also have thesatisfaction of crossing elements offwhen they are planned and arranged.Equally, keeping a file with weddingstuff inside is also useful. Can’t find thatwebsite with the amazing weddingfavours? Struggling to remember thatincredible wedding cake specialist youwere told about months ago? Keep a fileand it is all together. Write down anyscrap of information you think maybecome useful and everything will fallinto place. This will not only help youkeep organised, but will also be afantastic memento of your big day. Youwill be able to dip into it forever andremember your big plans. Equally, filesand references can be shared withpotential brides and grooms you may72 PHOTO BY JENNIE WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 472 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWEDDINGS - VENUESknow, that little morsel ofinformation on weddingbands for example could proveyou have a concrete setting inmind and booked, you canconcentrate on filling it withthe elements you wantincluded to make your specialday exactly that. If you haveno idea of dimensions, settingor anything, how are yougoing to plan anything else?There are a host ofincredible wedding venuesavailable for use across thecounty Lincolnshire has someof the most sumptuous andelegant places to get marriedin the country, if not theworld, whatever your taste.These include the city venuesof Lincoln, meaning you aregetting married andcelebrating in the shadow ofthe Cathedral, able to get aniconic landmark in yourwedding photos to more ruralaffairs with the naturalscenery, helping to make yourday look the best it can. Cityweddings obviously have theirmerits. Cheaperaccommodation for guestsand excellent transport linksmeans a lot more of yourfriends and family will be ableto make it, but the picturepostcard setting of acountryside wedding can makeall the difference to make yourday memorable for you, yourpartner and your guests. Being able to customise andcreate a bespoke setting foryour wedding should be apriority. You want that colourscheme? You insist upon it, it’syour big day. Where venuescan help they will and manyvenues have specialists whosejob it is to help plan yourceremony, reception andeverything your big day couldinvolve. Having someone tobounce ideas off who isn’tdirectly involved with theactual day can be useful andsuggestions they make couldground you when your ideasare lying round your head.Picking the right kind ofvenue for the right kind ofcelebration is also key. If youhave a loud, raucous partyplanned with a band and lotsof booze, it’s probably wise tocheck there aren’t any noiserestrictions or strict curfewsbefore you book that tributeband. Equally, don’t besurprised if your older (oryounger!) guests don’t shareyour music taste and don’tstick around for the festivities.Yes, it is your big day, but it’sbest not to alienate people.invaluable to the process.The biggest item on your listshould be the venue. Once75 068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 5LINCOLNSHIRETODAY73Cave Castle Hotel & Country ClubThe perfect setting for aFairy Tale WeddingLicensed to perform Civil CeremoniesChoice of three reception roomsComplimentary four poster Bridal Suite70 en-suite BedroomsHair Salon & Spa with Bridal Packages availableOnly 10 minutes from Humber BridgeThe Cave Castle Hotel & Country Club, South Cave, East Yorkshire HU15 2EUTel: 0844 686 2239www.cavecastlehotel.comCave Castle Hotel & Country Club068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 674 LINCOLNSHIRETODAY068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 7LINCOLNSHIRETODAY75WEDDINGS - VENUESSomething to please all tastes should suitthe proceedings wonderfully.When you’ve decided on your venue,there are often a few problems to ironout. One of the biggest posers can oftenbe whether you invite the children ofyour guests. This can prove to be asensitive subject, as while some couplesdecided not to invite children - if onlybecause they think they might find theday boring - there may well be guestswho would be unwilling to attend ifthey’re not able to bring their offspring.There’s no right or wrong answer and itcan often simply boil down to the styleof the wedding and the personal opinionof the bride and groom. If you decidenot to invite them, make it clear inadvance to avoid any confusion and giveguests plenty of time to make otherchildcare arrangements.If you do invite children, there are afew extra issues that might have to beconsidered. You may need to workthrough the menu to decide whetherthere’s something on offer that kidswould enjoy. Indeed the menu can besomething of an issue regardless of theage of the guests, and if you’re intendingto move away from traditional weddingfare, you may want to make sure it’ssomething you know your guests willappreciate. If it’s a particularly wildvariation from the traditional menu, youmay wish to make this clear on theinvitations.If there are a lot of children attendingyou may also be concerned about theamount of time they’ll have to spendsitting around on uncomfortable chairs,getting bored. Some couples decide tohire entertainers to keep kids busyduring some of the longer lulls in theday. Of course, you’re organising awedding, not a kids’ party, so thisneedn’t take up a huge amount of yourbudget. Indeed it may only need to be acase of setting aside a bit of space at thevenue to allow kids to run around andlet off steam without getting in people’sway.A further issue can sometimes be theseating plan. You want to ensure thateveryone has a great time but often thelasting memory for some guests is thatthey had to spend the whole day satnext to someone they couldn’t stand.The aim is to ensure everyone gets to sitnext to guests that they know and getalong with – or at least have similarinterests and are of similar backgroundsto ensure they’ll at least have somethingto talk about. You may even opt to omitthe traditional wedding breakfastcompletely and go for a buffet mealwhere everyone can sit where they likeand eat when they’re ready.Although most problems over who sitsnext to who are often trifling affairs,there can be more serious issues todiscuss if the parents have divorced andremarried, which can lead to worriesabout being seen to favour one parentover the other based on the makeup andthe seating plans of the top table. Themost important thing to remember isthat the day is about the bride andgroom, and as long as you’ve dealt withany situations that arrive, acted fairlyand explained your decisions to thoseinvolved, it should really be up to themto behave in a sensible manner and76 068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 876 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWEDDINGS - VENUESLincolnshireRegistration &CelebratoryServicesTel: 01522 782244Email: regist@lincolnshire.gov.ukwww.lincolnshire.gov.uk/registrationMarriages Civil Partnerships Nationality Checking Service Citizenship Ceremonies Naming & Renewal of Vows CeremoniesCopy Certificates (from 1837 to date) Civil Funeral, Memorial, Woodland Burial and Interment Ceremonies Pre planned Script only Funeral Service now availableavoid overshadowing the starsof the day.One option that shouldcould help keep the peace isto simply forego the idea ofthe top table and simply havethe bride and groom on theirown intimate table, sattogether, with everyone elsesat alongside their ownfamilies and friends. This mayseem alienating, but it at leastgets rid of arguments overwho gets to sit at thetraditional ‘top’ table.The overall mantra shouldbe, to keep the venue in mindwhen planning any elementof the day. It will be so muchharder to unpick your plans ifyou find out at a later datethat your big ideas can’t bepulled off. Taking things instages and keeping a levelhead is all part of thepreparations. Go wild, but staysane - it will mean your bigday will be enjoyed by all aswell as you.A marquee of respectMore and more people areusing marquees to play amajor role in their wedding.Although you can’t hold theactual ceremony in them, asthe law states ceremonies haveto take part in a permanentstructure, they are becoming amore popular option for manypeople’s weddings as theyoffer something different forreceptions and even weddingbreakfasts.Indeed our region’s tophotels are making use ofmarquees. This isn’t becausefacilities aren’t up to scratch -far from it, our region boastssome of the best venuesaround. It’s just that tents andmarquees offer a more flexiblestyle of wedding. Remember,the use can be changed andthe shape changed betweenvarious stages of the day. Itcan be set with dining areasand audio equipment forspeeches during the meal, butthen equally can be adaptedfurther for the evening’sfestivities whether that meansopening up the tent walls fora more airy, open feel orcreating a covered stage forbands or DJs. As far as your78 PHOTO BY JENNIE WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 9The PyewipeThe PyewipeYour Perfect Wedding Venue The Pyewipe Inn is an idyllic seng for the perfect wedding venue. If required, exclusive use is guaranteed for the day, accompanied by superbcuisine and first class funcon facilies. Set in a 4 acre rural seng beside the famous Fossdyke Canal your pictures will have the backdrop of trulybreathtaking views of the Cathedral and Castle. With our own moorings youcan arrive or depart in style, or choose to stay in the bridal suite within the adjacent lodge.Saxilby Road, Lincoln 01522 528708enquiries@pyewipe.co.ukwww.pyewipe.co.ukSara&Robertwelcomeyou068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 1078 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWEDDINGS - VENUESwedding is concerned, a marquee is a blankcanvas for you to dress as you might any roomin a venue. It’s worth a look into this option.Even hotels and other wedding venues canprovide marquees for use in their grounds if sowished.One of a growing number of intriguingvenues coming to life is the Papakata tent. Thisis a huge teepee style tent which encloses acentral wood burning fire, disco area, diningarea and is decorated in whatever style yourequire, with a torch-lit pathway to theentrance and sashes of fabric draped round the‘room’ to give a really romantic feel. Venuessuch as this will certainly ensure that yourguests remember your special day for years tocome.068-078:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:22 Page 11LINCOLNSHIRETODAY79WEDDINGS - BRIDAL WEARGorgeousgownsCreate your very own fairytalewedding with the ultimate dressof your dreams. From simple andelegant designs to bold statementdresses for ultimate glamour,there are so many gowns fromwhich to choose. Visit thefabulous independent boutiquesthroughout Lincolnshire to browsethe latest collections. Your dressis one of the most importantaspects of your wedding day soselect a style that suits you andlooks fabulous!Disney Fairy Tale Weddings byAlfred AngeloThe Disney Fairy Tale Weddingdress collection by Alfred Angelois intended to allow brides toshowcase their own style andpersonality. With some gownsboasting a choice of finishingsuch as zips or corset bodices,brides can now select thewedding dress and veil to matchthe perfect style for them. Styleshown is Cinderella. Forstockists, www.alfredangelo.comGorgeousgowns079-081:Layout 1 11/5/12 12:42 Page 1Next >