Chris and Sarah
So it’s just over 8 weeks since we tied the knot, and we’re feeling a little lost now.
We got engaged back in the summer of 2014, had our baby girl in June 2015 and were married in August 2016 – a hectic few years for us (literally spreadsheets coming out of my ears!).
The day before the wedding we had to put up 2 marquees and dress them for our own wedding. We chose the hall and gardens at Whirlow Farm, which meant we were a bit restricted with space so we went with a 30×40 Trapeze connected to a 20×30, and this was ample for 70ish day guests. We have seen brides go to great lengths this year to decorate our marquees for their wedding day, and I wish we’d had more time to do the same. However I wouldn’t change a thing. We kept things simple and within budget, and for us it was perfect. It was a gorgeous day, and we toasted a hard days work with a few well deserved beers with some pals who had leant a hand.
We got married at Sheffield Town Hall in the Mandela Room on Saturday 27th August. It was a short and sweet ceremony, and we had all our nearest and dearest there with us. Despite the rainy weather we had big smiles on our faces and were all set to party up at Whirlow Farm.
Bundaberg rum, pineapple juice and lemonade cocktails to start – a nod to our time in Oz! And Whirlow Farm took care of the catering with a top notch BBQ.
The wine, real ale and cocktails were flowing from the excellent Drinks Now bar company, with Abbeydale’s Deception on tap. Unfortunately the rain was coming down heavily, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. We were warm and dry inside the marquee, and having the time of our lives – even when it began to thunder during the speeches! Everyone commented on how great the venue, the food, the bar, the decorations and the marquees were, and how much it all reflected both mine and Chris’ personalities.
Which is the great thing about having a marquee wedding, it really does give you the
freedom to pick and choose your food, drink and decor to match your own taste. Whilst not necessarily the cheaper option, we really believe you get better value for money. Although you do have to be prepared to put a bit more work in that is unless you enlist a wedding planner who coordinates everything down to the last detail.
If you are looking to save money it’s worth giving new suppliers a chance. I’m still thankful for our first few wedding bookings which got us started. And you’ll find that a new company will go the extra mile and may have fresh ideas. We used Liam Taylor to photograph our wedding having never commercially photographed a wedding before, usually working in underground nightclubs across the north. We love his shots and candid syle. Photographers tend to be expensive – although it’s worth bearing mind you are paying for their time to edit the photos too.
We started the evening with woodfired pizzas, which were so damn good from the Wood Fired Pizza Co.
We danced until the music stopped, and everyone had drunk the place dry. Sunday morning came around fast when our little one woke us up at 6:30am. No time for hangovers when you’re a marquee moguls wife! With wedding hair still in place, it was time to take the marquees down.
What a weekend!
Big thanks to…
Whirlow Hall Farm for the great venue and BBQ
The Woodfired Pizza Company for the best pizzas around to keep us going into the night
Drinks Now for keeping us well watered throughout the day
Liam Taylor Photography
Amy Helliwell for our gorgeous flowers
Rachel Helliwell for our stunning cake (Bake Off 2017?)
Dan Metcalfe for playing some classic tunes that made our guests bust some brilliant moves on the dancefloor (Born Slippy was a highlight!)
Chris Baird for our fantastic marquees and for just being the best. Love ya x
If you’re thinking of a similar event then please get in touch.
