Before your Big Day – Top tips for a perfect Wedding!
Nicola and Anthony tied the knot on 15th June 2019 at Wallace Green Church in Berwick upon Tweed and then held their reception for 150 guests at Pot a Doodle Do Wigwam Village. This blog will share their secrets, advice, stories and key tips for anyone preparing for their own big day.
The Venue…
Pot-a-Doodle Do is situated on Borewell Farm, where Nicola grew up, so this was the perfect location for the wedding. Set on the coast of Northumberland, with sea views, the site is a perfect location for a chilled out wedding celebration, the mood that Nic and Anthony wanted to set. All the wigwams and yurts were occupied by family and friends who had come from all corners of the world to celebrate their wedding. As with all the weddings hosted at Pot-a-Doodle do, the site is a blank canvas waiting to be transformed into a fantastic wedding experience – with the freedom to make their own day a reality. The site is within easy reach of Newcastle and Edinburgh for Airports and there is a railway station in the local town of Berwick upon Tweed three miles away so very accessible for guests travelling to enjoy the day.
The Theme….
The theme for the colours for the wedding was Blue and white and this was used for everything from flowers to ribbons on the napkins, bridesmaids dresses, groomsmen’s suits and table decorations, this tied the whole day together. Nicola and Anthony both worked in manufacturing of Biscuits so that was the theme of the table names – it’s always great to have a theme to work on!
The Dress…
The Dress – A good few dresses were tried on in lots of different styles but when “The Dress” was tried on Nicola knew straight away it was “The One” for her. With lots of lace and a fishtail style design, the Dress needed a few alterations but the finished product was just what Nicola wanted and she felt and looked a million dollars on the day!
The Groomsmen…
The Groomsmen- The Groom and his “Men” all wore Ted Baker suits in a Royal Blue colour- all part of the theme. They all looked very smart and matched in nicely with the Bridesmaids for the wedding photos. Hired from Moss Bros – they could be picked up and dropped off at locations all over the country and the insurance proved handy after a spilt bottle of red wine!!
The Bridesmaids…
The Bridesmaids – Four Bridesmaids- all special to Nicola- all of whom wore beautiful Royal Blue Dresses and carried white bouquets. They all looked absolutely stunning. Dresses were from ASOS – with a wide selection this proved a really handy way to allow all Bridesmaids to try on – especially when one lives in Australia and another in Russia!
Hair and Beauty…
This started at 7 am in order that all the bridesmaids, the bride and of course the Mother of the Bride could all look their best on the day. We had Laura Mallace and Michelle Pereira on hair duty and Jenny Ross on Make Up. I must say there was great fun and laughter in the Farmhouse Conservatory as we all got “dolled up” in preparation for Nicola and Anthony’s big day.
Photography…
Phil Nunez came highly recommended to us so there was no hesitation in asking him to be our photographer for the special day! Phil turned up to the hair/make up session and put us all at ease with his relaxed approach. He is such a lovely genuine person and he fitted in so well throughout the day. We went down to our local beach Cocklawburn to get some shots on the sands and are so glad we did as the shots are truly amazing.
The Marquee…
A Marquee celebration was the order of the day at Pot a Doodle Do. Nicola and Anthony wanted to create a mood of total relaxation at their wedding. Joanne and Steven at Olympus Marquees were asked to put up the marquee and they provided a first class service despite gale force winds the day before. Once the marquee was up the task of table decorations began. Nicola wanted a minimalistic look on the tables and so candles, flowers and confetti were all placed on the tables, again in the colours of white and blue.
The Flowers…
Julie Reavley at the Flower Room. We had our colour scheme in mind so off we went to have a meeting with Julie. Julie was fabulous and gave us lots of advice and ideas and with her help and guidance we were organised. Blue and white were the colours that were carried on throughout the flowers whether it was bouquets, button holes, flowers in the church and the marquee or in the pots dotted around the site. Once we were organised we knew that we could leave it to Julie to sort it all out for us on the wedding day and it was something we didn’t need to worry about. We were delighted that Julie and her husband Graeme were able to join us to celebrate the special day.
The Church Ceremony…
The Ceremony itself was a very special part of the day. The service was so relaxed and beautiful. Nicola and Anthony had all their family and friends around them to watch them take their vows and it will be a day they will never forget.
The Favours…
Some people have them some people don’t. Anthony and Nicola both work in the manufacturing of biscuits so it was easy to make the decision that favours would be in the form of biscuits. Table names were also biscuit orientated with the top table being “Family Circle” Ruth Forrest who works at Pot a Doodle Do made all the shortbread biscuits (150) and then they were put in pretty little bags with ribbons on them. A simple idea but perfect.
The Catering…
Peter and Gillian Allen at Peter Allen Catering did an incredible job. There was never any doubt that they would be the caterers as we have used them in the past for other family celebrations and knew they did a fantastic job. From choosing the menus to running the whole day Peter was so professional and we knew we could relax and enjoy everything with out worry. He not only provides first class food but he runs the whole day to schedule, attends the bar and even cooks the burgers in the evening for the guests who got a bit peckish later on.
The Entertainment…
Well what can we say “Hip Operation” were the band chosen to have on the day and from the moment they struck a chord until the last song was played the dance floor was chock a block. They were truly amazing and we would highly recommend them for a wedding dance.
The Stationery…
Kevin Wyse at InHouse Design pulled out all the stops to provide some beautiful invites with RSVPs and envelopes as well as the Order of Service for the Church ceremony. Anthony and Nicola used the same blue and white theme throughout and Kevin pulled together a unique design to fit.
On the Day…
There really is something special about having all your guests staying on site. Most guests arrived on the Friday night the day before the wedding and enjoyed a reunion and campfire with either BBQs or takeaway. On the Saturday morning, there was a group walk along the beach i before the getting ready! Nicola and Anthony organised a coach to take all the staying guests to and from the church ceremony. The day after the wedding there was a big breakfast in the Cafe to allow everyone to debrief on the day and for those with a headache to knock back some orange juice before the journey home.
Top Tips from the Bride….
“It might feel like there is so much to organise but you will get there! Make lists and delegate – people want to help, make the most of it! On the day, if you forget the small things, I promise you, you will not notice and you won’t remember either!
Try to take a moment with your partner on the day to reflect. Anthony and I took 10 minutes and went back to sit on the step of our wigwam and look out to sea. It was so perfect to just check in with each other and have a little kiss under the stars.
Most of all – enjoy the run up and embrace the day! It’ll be over before you know it!”
Here at Pot-a-Doodle Do we offer a wedding venue with a difference. Enjoy the opportunity to have a blank canvas you can adapt to meet your needs, with accommodation for all your family and friends. If you would like to have an initial chat and explore further, please do not hesitate to get in touch by calling 01289 307107 or learn more about our weddings at www.northumbrianwigwams.com.