Simply Splendid Venue: Donnington Grove

 What is venues name? 

                          Donnington Grove Country Club                                   

 

 

  How and why the company begin?        

Donnington Grove was built in 1763 and remained a family home up until 1990.  Parasampia purchased the 550 acre estate and built the golf course, it changed ownership in 2005 and many recent developments improved the accommodation and suites at the hotel to retain its original charm and character as we see it today

Why do brides come to your venue?    

We have a unique location and venue, there are not many 18^th century manor houses in 500 acres left now! The team at Donnington Grove offer a flexible approach to accommodate all requests

 

  What is your favourite wedding theme?
Winter wonderland weddings in the winter! They create a really atmospheric ambiance and take you back in time.

 

What do your bride and grooms love about your venue?

Our honeymoon suite occupies almost the entire first floor of the manor house, there are three beautiful chandeliers and high ceilings  in there too with ornate plasterwork. It also has amazing views!

 

Why do you love what you do?

Knowing that we are creating memories and setting a couple on their path to happiness for the rest of their lives together.

 

What is in store for you in 2015?

We have just had our first 3* AA accreditation so next year – definitely 4*, it was a very close score this time.

 

What would be your top tips for brides when searching for a venue?

Stick to your dreams and plans, its your big day – if there is something you really want to include insist it happens and find a venue flexible enough to work with you on it!
 

 Tell us something super interesting about you or your business that we wouldn’t already know…?

 William Brummell – (Beau Brummell in 1778-1840) lived at Donnington Grove, not only was he credited with being a friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV iand establishing as fashion, the modern men's suit, worn with a necktie. He also claimed he took five hours a day to dress, and recommended that boots be polished with champagne. We prefer to drink it at Donnington – there will always be plenty for your big day!

 

Why do you like to work with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?

Reliable, personal service demonstrating commitment in working together with us.

Simply Bows and Chair Covers Real Life Bride Charlotte and her Chocolate themed wedding

What are your first names?

Simon and Charlotte

Where and when did you get engaged?

We got engaged on the 25^th August 2013, at my parents house in Somerset. We’d been joking about it for ages as we knew we’d get married one day and after being together nearly ten years and having a daughter together, it was about time. We were staying at my parents for a long weekend and I woke in the morning to find a ring on my finger, then Simon got down on one knee.

What was your wedding date?

13^th April 2014

 

 

Where did you get married?

Ufton Court, Berkshire.

Why did you choose your venue?

We wanted a really informal, laid back wedding, and wanted to do it our own way. The barn at Ufton Court allowed us to do this and was the perfect setting!

 

 

Did you have a “theme”?

We kind of had a chocolate theme going on, with chocolate favours, chocolate cake and a chocolate fountain in the evening. It was the weekend before Easter after all!

 What was your wedding colour scheme?

Chocolate brown, champagne and ivory.

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

We saw some of Michaela's chair ‘creations’ at a wedding fair and fell in love with them. We didn’t want the ordinary chair covers and sashes, so the chair hoods with flower, pearl and ribbon detail were perfect. Michaela was great – she brought colour samples over to our house, shared ideas and best of all she did everything we asked within our small budget!

 

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

My dress was an ivory, strapless satin Eternity Bridal dress from Elderberry Brides in Basingstoke. It was much bigger than I had first planned with a long train. I loved the bling around the top!

 

What did your bridesmaids wear?

Strapless knee length vintage gold dress from House of Fraser. They looked amazing.

 

Who was your photographer?

Our photographer was my Dad! He does photography semi-professionally and has done a number of weddings previously, so we were keen for him to do our wedding photos! There were obviously slight complications involved as my Dad had to be in some of the photos too, so we roped in another friend to help as well. The photos have turned out great!

What “special touches” did you add to your day?

My favourite was our singer/guitarist, Tim Bone, who played throughout the reception drinks. The sun was shining so we had the drinks outside and with the music in the background the atmosphere was fantastic. We also had an amazing chocolate cake made by another very talented friend, a chocolate fountain, and a delicious barbecue for our wedding breakfast.

 

What was your favourite part of the day?

My favourite part was the ceremony as it was so lovely and what the day was really all about! I also loved the speeches as for me they were the one bit id had no part in, so it was a lovely surprise to see what my Dad, Simon, and Rob (best man) had written. They all did a great job!

Where did you go on honeymoon?

We haven’t been on honeymoon yet, but we are going to Marrakech in September!

What would be your top tip for another bride to be?

Just relax and enjoy your day!

Simply Bows and Chair Covers Real Life Bride Hannah and her Berkshire Wedding....

What are your first names?  

   

Chris and Hannah

Where and when did you get engaged?    

 Donnington Castle, May 2008

What was your wedding date?    

14^th March 2014

Where did you get married?    

Shaw Registry Office and then The Donnington Valley Hotel.

Why did you choose your venue?    

We chose The Donnington Valley Hotel because of the setting. Its beautiful for photos and also the flexibility and the proximity to our friends and family in the area. The Donnington Valley Hotel lies in the heart Berkshire near Newbury, it has 111 rooms and  has its own Health Club a& Spa  with swimming pool, also  a challenging 18 hole golf course. Its a fab place to hold a wedding reception.

Did you have a “theme”?     

Not a theme as such but our colour scheme was burgundy, red, ivory and gold.

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

      Great! Straightforward, helpful, creative and a much more reasonable price than the rest!

 

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

An ivory off the shoulder dress with a flower design on the trail, bought from Helen Douglas House

Who was your photographer? 

Gemma McGoey

 

What “special touches” did you add to your day? 

I made my own table names. Everyone had a lotto ticket and a big bunch of flowers for the 2 mums and my Bridesmaid.

 What was your favourite part of the day?  

It probably has to be the registry office, Chris and I don’t spend much time apart yet we did prior to the wedding which made it all a bit more special and quite emotional for us both when we did meet at the registry office.. which I didn’t expect at all!

Where did you go on honeymoon? 

Nice, France

What would be your top tip for another bride to be?

 It is a really stressful time; try to call in as many people to help you as you can! Don't be afraid to ask!

Simply Wedding Fayre Season: Ufton Court, Berkshire

Simply Bows and Chair Covers Berkshire will be at the Ufton Court Wedding Fayre this weekend!

Why not come along and see us?

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday 16 February 2014 11.00am-3.00pm,
Free Entry

Ufton Court
Green Lane, Ufton Nervet, Reading, Berkshire
RG7 4HD
 0118 832 2099

Simply Bows and Chair Covers Supplier Spotlight: Berkshire Based Steven Etheridge Wedding Photography

 

 What is your company name?           

Steven Etheridge Wedding Photography

What is your line of business?
Wedding Photography

  How and why the company begin? 
I have worked as a photographer since leaving school.  I began by working in a photography studio and shadowing the professionals there when they photographed weddings and portraits, being promoted after a few months to assistant photographer.  I then used the training and experience that I had gained to start up my own business 15 years ago and I haven’t looked back since!

Tell us a little about your wedding....
I married my wife, Elaine, in June 2010.  Because we spend nearly every weekend at weddings (in a photographic capacity!), we kept our day relatively low-key and relaxed.  It took place at Mannings Heath Hotel with around 50 close friends and family.  We had a Caribbean steel band playing on the sun terrace overlooking the lake and kept the traditional wedding formalities to a minimum - deciding against the conventional speeches and first dance.  Our evening disco (FoxRox Discos) was fantastic and kept people dancing well into the night!

Why do brides come to you?    
I believe it is important that the bride and groom feel relaxed around their photographer because this will obviously result in much more natural, flattering photographs on the wedding day.  I always aim to put potential wedding couples at ease during the initial meetings and really try to get to know them in order to create a more relaxed atmosphere on the day.  I also think that our photography packages represent genuinely good value.  Unlike some photographers, we are fully transparent on the price of our photography and exactly what is included in each package.

What is your favourite design and why?
My favourite type of album which we produce are our “deluxe storybook” albums.  These are top of the range, hand-bound coffee table books produced in Italy.  They are available with a range of photographic covers including solid alloy and a beautiful crystal finish.  They are presented in a high quality personalised wooden box printed with your choice of photograph.  I believe that these albums really offer the best format to show off your wedding photos!

What is the most popular item you supply and why?
The deluxe storybook albums described above are our most popular album, but our wedding couples tell us that their favourite item is the preview prints which we include in our packages.  Every single image from the wedding day is printed off to A5 size and presented in boxed ivory preview albums.  There are no watermarks or “proof” text on these images and they are yours to keep.  We also present all of these images on a high-resolution CD which is printable and free from any copyright protection.  The preview prints, high-resolution CD and your choice of finished album are all included in the price.  Our wedding couples seem to like the fact that they end up with a full set of “real” photographs as well as the digital images on a CD for emailing or uploading to photo-sharing websites etc.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
My wedding couples themselves often unknowingly give me inspiration for new ideas - seeing the way different couples behave towards one another and interact together gives me ideas for new romantic poses to try out.  In terms of artistic and reportage photographs, it is really a case of having a keen eye and seeing the day “through a lens” in order to instinctively know the right angles, composition etc to create beautiful photographs of the wedding couple plus all the tiny decorative details that will have been organised.  But a large amount of our photography is unposed.  Capturing those spontaneous moments (be it a stolen kiss between the happy couple, little flowergirls playing with confetti or a joke shared between groups of guests) is what we pride ourselves on.  These types of photographs are almost always the favourites of our wedding couples, as they give a real impression of the atmosphere and emotion of the day.

What is in store for you in 2013/14?
2012 was a bumper year for us in terms of bookings and 2013 is already going the same way.  Most of our wedding couples book us around a year in advance, but there are generally a few late notice bookings to fill any remaining gaps in the diary!  Many of our bookings come from recommendations or are the friends and family members of couples that we have already photographed.  This is especially nice when we photograph the weddings of several brothers and sisters plus their friends for example, and you really get to know the family well.  I am also often called upon by my previous wedding couples to offer portrait shoots in my studio when they go on to have children.  This is obviously really lovely to see, so I look forward to a few more jobs like this in 2013!

Who would be your dream client, and what sort of design would you envisage for them?
Anyone who enjoyed having their photograph taken and was willing to experiment with some more artistic, creative shots!

What would be your top tips for brides when searching for a supplier in your industry?
I have prepared a free download containing some top tips for anyone looking to book their wedding photographer - it can be found at http://www.sephotography.co.uk/8-questions.php

Tell us something super interesting about you or your business that we wouldn’t already know…?
I enjoy performance car track days and I am a keen scuba diver.

Where are you based and where can you supply?
I am based in Loxwood, just on the border of Surrey and West Sussex in the centre of Farnham, Guildford and Horsham.  We cover weddings all over the UK and internationally, so there really is no limit on where we can supply!

How can I get in touch to discuss my requirements or place an order?
Please feel free to contact me for a no-obligation chat, on either 01403 753775 or 07748 066972.  Alternatively, my email address is se_photo@hotmail.com.  Full details of my services can be found at www.sephotography.co.uk.

Why do you like to work with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?
Simply Bows & Chair Covers always go above and beyond to make the space being dressed look absolutely amazing.  Our most recent wedding with them was at Farnham House Hotel and we have never seen the ceremony or reception rooms look so stunning.  The chair covers, sashes and table runners had a much higher “quality” look to them than other similar products that we see at weddings, and the finishing touches were impeccable.  A first-rate company.

Simply Bows Real Life Bride: Jo and her Berkshire wedding

What are your first names?

Jo & Ian... prefers to be known as Womble!

 

Where and when did you get engaged?

15th February 2012, a trip to Gloucester.

 

What was your wedding date?

8th December 2012

 

Where did you get married?

Donnington Grove Hotel, Newbury, Berkshire.

 

Why did you choose your venue?

I had been to a Christmas party the year before and thought it was a lovely place, Womble asked me to marry him and I remembered how beautiful it was, suggested this as a possibility. The day after we got engaged we visited the hotel and booked it there and then.

Did you have a “theme”?

In my now husband's words, the theme is "wedding!".

 

What was your wedding colour scheme?

Silver, purple and black.

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

We found you via the Internet and although you were the first vendor we met, you were our only choice based on the rapport and connection made on meeting, we liked your ideas, very personable and definitely professional. You did us proud on the day, everyone commented how beautiful the room looked.

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

Maggie Sottero, ivory dress with beading on the bodice and train, from Satin and Lace Newbury.

 

What did your bridesmaids wear?

I chose not to have bridesmaids, in favour of the whole of both our families on the top table. I did have flower girls and a ring bearer.

 

Who was your photographer?

Photos at your Service, Mike & Heather Starinovich, a husband and wife team who were fabulous. They work as a tag team. Mike will be there with the groom to take pictures, whilst Heather devotes her time to the bride. During the service and reception they work together to give the best, overall picture of the day. Would say with confidence that they are now firm friends of mine and my husband's.

What “special touches” did you add to your day?

Pictures of us around the marquee, lottery tickets, dragon pendants and specially designed pens for wedding favours. We put colouring books on the tables for younger guests, as well as a chill out room in case they wanted a rest, DVD player on standby. We had a photo booth - guests took a photo away with them and stuck their picture next to their message in our guest book. We had a large ceramic plate that guests signed on the way in.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Marrying Womble, the service. Also the speeches were beautiful tributes to us and our families

 

Where did you go on honeymoon?

Australia - Perth, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney.

 

What would be your top tip for another bride to be?

On the day let others take charge, so you can enjoy your day. I had arranged all of it so was keen to see it go well and according to plan. Due to this the day went soooooo quickly. I am so pleased we had a videographer so we can watch it and remember. It's important to enjoy your special day and nerves WILL take over. Leave yourself plenty of time to get ready, even though I tried to do this I was still late, due a wardrobe malfunction!