Carl and I first met at sixth form, we shared a cheeky kiss before parting for University, but it wasn’t until 6 years later that we reconnected. I moved back to Derby for a few months and Carl happened to come across my Facebook Page and messaged me. We met for a drink and the rest is history, we’ve been living our best lives ever since.
Lindsay & Carl - Married at Shottle Hall - 10th May 2019
Tell us about the proposal. How long were you engaged for?
Carl proposed on Christmas Day 2016. Best day ever! I’m normally a very early riser on Christmas Day (inner child) but as luck would have it I went out on Christmas Eve and had a few drinks. This was the only Christmas that I have ever slept in, and poor Carl was pacing up and down waiting for me to wake up! Eventually he woke me up and asked if I was ever going to open my presents. I became suspicious straight away!
Why was Shottle Hall the perfect venue for your big day?
Shottle was perfect for us. We had looked around a lot of wedding venues and nothing seemed to quite match what we were after. Shottle had it all. We got married in the hall which was perfect and intimate, then we followed that with the evening do in the The Coach House Marquee which was a great space to dance the night away and take in the spectacular views.
Please tell us a little bit about….
Your ceremony
Our ceremony was held in the Hall at 1.30pm on the 10th May. I have never been so nervous in all my life! We had 50 guests for the day.
Your dress
I knew from the offset that whatever dress I brought I would want to tweak it to make it perfect. I ended up buying an off the shelf dress and then finding a seamstress to make the alterations. I found a lady called Natalie Heath who was absolutely amazing and she customised my dress exactly how I had envisioned it. She created an off the shoulder jacket over the top of the original dress which was perfect. Natalie was able to decipher my ramblings and make exactly what I wanted!
Natalie’s Instagram account is https://instagram.com/sewrainydays
Who was your Florist ?
Louise at The Greenery was our florist. I couldn’t recommend Louise highly enough, she listened to every detail and came up with perfect arrangements for the day. I wanted a really colourful wedding and basically gave Louise the brief of the more colour the better and she didn’t disappoint. I still remember walking into the ceremony room before everyone arrived and the flowers took my breath away.
Centrepieces, did you make your own or use a venue dresser ?
We made our own in the end, with the help from our lovely florist Louise. We used a lot of colourful ribbons all over the place and it looked fabulous.
Who made your wedding cake? What flavour did you have?
So being a tea room owner I thought the only person that could possibly make my cake was me! I created a three tired sponge cake, the bottom was a classic Victoria sponge, followed by a lemon and elderflower cake in the middle, and topped off with a raspberry Bakewell cake on the top. Louise the florist provided a few flowers on the day to decorate the cake and we also scattered it with fresh fruit. Really simple but it looked stunning.
Who was your photographer ?
John Newton was our photographer. Words cannot express how amazing he was from start to finish. He has such passion for his job and this shone through on the day. He got some amazing photos and we were blown away by our Wedding story that he had created. I would highly recommend John.
https://www.newtonphotography.co.uk/
Tell us what menu you choose for the wedding breakfast ?
We chose to have canapés instead of a starter and also a few sharing platters. This worked really well on the day. We then choose the roast chicken for the main and the chocolate brownie for the desert. Absolute heaven. The food was spot on.
What entertainment in the evening did you choose ?
We chose a live band. Luckily the groom and his friends all play in a band and have done since school. Carl decided he would like nothing better than playing with his friends on the night. It made the evening really special. Luckily the bride had no problem dancing with everybody else!
Just a few more questions....
What were the most memorable moments ?
The speeches from the Best man, Maid of Honour and the Groom were amazing. Luckily someone had the foresight to video them! It was just lovely to hear all the stories and laugh with our friends and family. It was just a really special time to reflect on how lucky we are to have such lovely people around us.
Can you sum up your day in one sentence?
Perfect.
What is your best piece of advice to pass onto other couples who are planning a wedding at Shottle Hall ?
Shottle Hall and all the staff are amazingly good at their jobs. They couldn’t do enough for us on the day and on the run up to it. They thought of everything and made the day run so smoothly. Trust them.