THE BRISTOL MARRIOTT ROYAL HOTEL - A UNIQUE WEDDING VENUE IN THE HEART OF BRISTOL!

I recently had the great pleasure of sharing a lovely lunch with Sue Sullivan, the Wedding Co-ordinator at The Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel and took the opportunity to chat to Sue about what this beautiful venue has to offer brides and grooms.

Like many of us in Bristol, I regularly walk past this landmark hotel on College Green and I  have enjoyed afternoon tea in one of the classic lounges but I had no idea just how much this four star hotel can provide for wedding couples.  

The Bristol Marriott Royal is licensed for traditional and civil ceremonies and can cater for everything from small informal ceremonies up to 264 people, with a range of rooms from the calm oasis of the Palm Court, the Art Deco Palm Bar and Walter's Restaurant or a small private dining room.  They offer special rates for you and your guests to stay at the hotel including use of the spa and the Romanesque floodlit pool as well as a hair and beauty salon - so you and your guests have everything you need to just kick back, relax and enjoy your day!

However, what's really special is the unique service Sue and the team offer to couples holding their wedding at the hotel.  Sue has worked at the Bristol Royal Marriott for 11 years, the last 8 as the hotel's Certified Wedding Co-ordinator and her lovely relaxed exterior hides the fact that she has dealt with every wedding situation imaginable and is pretty much unflappable.  What's more this lady loves weddings and is passionate about making your day really special and unique to you.  

From the minute you choose the Bristol Royal Marriott as the venue for your big day you will feel totally looked after.  Your accommodation will be booked and approximately 10-12 weeks before your wedding day you will be invited to your menu tasting and have an opportunity to see another wedding set up.  The hotel is particularly proud of its catering  with everything cooked and prepared in-house, fresh for the party and they have some delicious packages from an elegant afternoon tea, to canapés, a classic wedding breakfast, a vegetarian menu, even a children's menu and lots more.  There really is something for every taste.

Approximately 6-8 weeks before your wedding, Sue will meet with you to go through all the final details for the day.   At this point a time line and running order will be drawn up, the menu and drinks decided on, and everything you can think of covered including entertainment, room set-up, table decorations and flowers.

Two weeks prior to your big day you will meet the Chef & Banqueting Manager who is your dedicated contact for the day and point of contact for any external suppliers such as your florist, the cake caterers and photographers.  They will ensure the guests know where they should be on the day, will give any Toastmaster speeches if needed, and make sure the room will be set up exactly as you want.

What really impressed me is Sue's dedication to her job and her couples - she tries to make sure she is there on the day and at the ceremony and to say goodbye before you leave - it really is a truly personal service.  In addition, the Bristol Royal Marriott offers numerous different packages to cover everything you could conceivably need.

Add to this the central location and speedy access to Bristol Airport, so you can whisk yourselves off to your honeymoon destination, along with extra discounts for Sunday and Friday weddings and it's pretty much the perfect wedding venue.  On top of which, the hotel even offers you dinner for 2 on your first anniversary - what could be more perfect!

Abbey House Gardens

Another vintage-style place we think you'll love is the beautiful, historic and unique Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury.

The 16th century house is full of history...

...and the gardens really have that wow factor.

When it comes to your wedding, Abbey House has six different areas licensed for civil ceremonies both inside and out, perfect whether you're a large group or after a smaller, more intimate wedding. Maybe you're after a winter wedding with roaring fires, candlelight and champagne or perhaps you'd prefer the manicured rose gardens in the height of summer... 

...or even the woodland area that hosts a river and a waterfall; all fantastic photo opportunities.

Recently they hosted an Alice in Wonderland Wedding Shoot with a Mad Hatters Tea Party in their magical gardens alongside vintage crockery and props, 'drink me' potions, playing card bunting as well as a fantastic oversized topiary cupcake!

For more information take a look at their website and gallery. They have some brilliant suppliers on board and we hope you love this place as much as we do.

(Thank you to Photographer Robert Leons for the beautiful photos)

Clifton Pavilion

We’re lucky enough to be holding our third Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair at this wonderful venue on March 10th, so why not bring your Mum along for a delicious coffee and a sumptuous treat served on only the best crockery supplied by Bristol Vintage.

It’s the perfect time to take a look at this grand venue. Did you know you can hire the Clifton Pavilion for your own wedding? Perfectly suited for such occasions, it is both elegant and unique - a perfect venue for your big day. It boasts gorgeous rooms, stunning décor, high ceilings and views from the balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens.

The Clifton Pavilion has a license to host wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships too, so you can enjoy both your ceremony as well as your celebrations at the same venue. Available on an exclusive basis for up to 120 guests and with complimentary access to the Bristol Zoo Gardens, you can enjoy an incredible range of photo opportunities. Plus, your guests are welcome to explore the Zoo and see a host of animals from gorillas to penguins, complete with a soundtrack of roaring lions.

From your first step, through to your big day, Clifton Pavilion’s events team are on hand to assist you with everything from choosing your menu, wine and flowers to your entertainment and table plan. They use the finest locally sourced, sustainable and ethical ingredients to deliver a diverse range of menu options all created by their experienced chefs. Their functions team is professional, helpful and on hand to ensure your day is delivered perfectly, leaving you to relax and enjoy.

Clifton Pavilion is a truly a unique setting, so come along to our Fair on Mother’s Day and take a look for yourself. Entrance to our Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair doesn’t include free entry to the Zoo on the day, but there’s so much else to see and do, you won’t have a minute to spare.

Dawn Wilkins Photography

We’re thrilled that Dawn Wilkins will be exhibiting at our next Fair in March. Bristol Vintage know Dawn well; last year she was our very own Fair photographer, documenting the day and running the classic car and fashion shoots. She’s also a photographer who’s really inspired us and we’ve been proudly featuring her beautiful vintage-inspired weddings and gorgeous family portraits ever since.

Dawn Wilkins specialises in wedding and portrait photography and she also offers engagement shoots and hen dos.  Imagine a photoshoot somewhere like Goldbrick House with tea and cake and an optional makeover by a local makeup artist all followed by a fun photo session.  It’s great practise for posing on the actual wedding day and Dawn’s friendly and warm approach enables her to capture people at their most natural.

Dawn’s website details the wedding and civil ceremony packages she offers which include an optional engagement photo shoot before the wedding, post production and retouching of all photographs, all photos on a disc in high resolution, plus a DVD slideshow of 100-150 best photos set to music
. Dawn also offers gorgeous wedding albums; magazine style photo books in hardback with dust jackets.

It’s that natural, comfortable, organic feel that marks out Dawn as a photographer that people come back to time and again. Most recently she was out in Helsinki (she’ll travel where she’s needed!) then back at Sheldon Manor for another fabulous vintage-inspired wedding.  She’s been booked solid for her family and baby portrait sessions and these really are something special.  Dawn will visit you at home to get those gorgeously cute pictures of your children that you’ll treasure forever.

Check out the gallery on her website and blog.  You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook and on March 10^th, she’ll be at the Fair!

Inspiring Us - Dawn Wilkins Photography

You can’t have missed Dawn Wilkins’ gorgeous pictures.  Whether you’ve been browsing this site or if you were one of the many guests at our Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair in February, Dawn was the photographer who captured all things wedding and vintage on the day and we’ve been proudly featuring the images since. 

Dawn specialises in wedding and portrait photography and she also arranges wonderful makeover parties, perfect for a hen do.  She’s so warm and friendly that whether you’re a couple on your engagement shoot or introducing the newest member of your family with a portrait shoot, Dawn’s approach will capture you at your most natural. 

 

It’s that natural, comfortable, organic feel that marks out Dawn as a photographer that people come back to time and again.  Only last weekend the groom’s brother booked his own wedding with her and another guest booked their children in for a family shoot.  These portraits sessions are something rather special as Dawn prefers not to use a studio, instead visiting the family at home or having the children run about in nearby woodlands or the local park.  It’s this little bit more that gets those gorgeously cute pictures of your children that you’ll really treasure.

For the wedding and civil ceremonies Dawn offers a number of packages including an optional engagement photo shoot before the wedding, post production and retouching of all photographs, all photos on a disc in high resolution, plus a DVD slideshow of 100-150 best photos set to music
.  Also available are some gorgeous wedding albums; magazine style photo books in hardback with dust jackets. 

Her website has just had a lovely spring/summer revamp with wonderful single, family and kids portraits (perfect to follow a wedding!) as well as wedding photos from engagement through to the last man standing. Do check out the gallery.  You can also contact her through her website, find her on Twitter, Facebook and on her blog.