Helen & David's Wedding Story
We were told about Bowcliffe after a friend of ours (and soon to be bridesmaid) knew of someone having a wedding here. After looking at the website we made the call to arrange a visit as we were keen to come ‘home’ to Yorkshire to be married.
Dave and I both work in the same industry so it was perhaps only a matter of time before we ended up meeting. Our first introduction was at an annual conference, we exchanged cards and it went from there.
Having chatted transport over with Becky (our wedding planner – now friend) she suggested we speak to Colin, of CPW Chauffer’s. We are so glad we did! He and his wife Janet were superb, nothing was too much trouble, and he was so relaxed and chatty he even made the wedding album! We booked his Range Rover to arrive and leave in style (and comfort). Both sets of parents also enjoyed the short journey from their hotel in Wetherby to the venue with Colin.
Initially we had looked for venues with accommodation as our friends and family are spread all over the country and so were a little unsure as to whether Bowcliffe would work. Within ten seconds of walking through the front door we knew it didn’t matter, Bowcliffe was our wedding venue. Every room just got better and better, with so many different elements and aspects we couldn’t have wished for anything more, we simply fell in love with everything.
The attention to detail and the feeling Bowcliffe gave us (and still does) are not easily put into words.
From the Art Deco feel of the Drivers Club and its memorabilia, the modern tribute to aviation in the Blackburn Wing, small chapel in the manicured grounds, sweeping staircase in the entrance and elegance of the Ballroom, Bowcliffe has it all and we were fortunate enough to use all of it for our special day.
Bowcliffe provided us with the space of a country house while making us feel completely at home.
The décor of Bowcliffe is such that it needs very little adding. That said we did want to personalise the day. As we both enjoy travelling we decided to use this as a theme along with the Wing to enhance the tables with destinations, and provide guests with boarding passes for their ‘visit’.
We also took the quirky lead from existing signage and items around the grounds as inspiration for our own additions. Working in construction we couldn’t resist adding some road signs to help our guests navigate around and also sending them off with highway inspired favours.
Following on from our New York engagement it was only fitting to have doughnuts instead of canapes. We had these in the Wing straight after the ceremony.
The wedding breakfast took place in the Ballroom and centered around some of our favourite meals starting with baked camembert followed by a traditional roast and topped off with a chocolate orange fondant.
Helen loves a good cup of tea, more specifically Yorkshire tea so the favours had to be tea and biscuits. With support of friends and family we made this happen and also sent our guests away with asphalt coasters as a lasting reminder of our wedding.
Every single member of the Bowcliffe team has been amazing, from start to finish we’ve enjoyed every moment. We couldn’t have asked for a better or more supportive wedding planner – Becky has shared our excitement every step of the way. Her and Oliver curated our day perfectly and nothing was ever too much trouble, the same can be said for Janet who’s calm words, caring nature and good sense of humour have made us feel more at home with every visit.
