An Essex Wedding - March/April 2022 (Issue 103)

GREENWOODS HOTEL AND SPA 01277 829 990 | www.greenwoodshotel.co.uk Set in the Essex countryside, Greenwoods Hotel and Spa’s beautiful grounds boast a tranquil pond and fountain, a stunning licensed garden gazebo for an al fresco wedding ceremony and the setting is surrounded by acres of uninterrupted views. The hotel’s state-of-the-art Garden Suite is a purpose-built space with its own private bar, kitchens, toilets and a built-in sound and lightening system. Blending modern décor with historic architecture, it’s the perfect blank canvas to build your dream wedding day. Ceremonies take place here with up to 150 loved ones, in front of the beautiful light curtain with mood-lighting matched perfectly to wedding décor. Alternatively, head outside for an al fresco soiree with up to 150 friends and family. Set in the grounds, the Garden Gazebo is a dream space nestled within the trees, fully licensed and completely picturesque. Post-vows, the Garden Suite is where all wedding receptions take place and it can host up to 150 loved ones for a wedding breakfast and 300 for a reception. The suite benefits from beautiful original 17th-century brickwork blending the old with the new. When tying the knot here, couples receive a complimentary food tasting prior to the wedding and a complimentary bridal suite the night of – and also complimentary chair sashes to help decorate the room for the big day! INGATESTONE HALL 01277 353 010 | www.ingatestonehall.com Ingatestone Hall is a 16th-century manor house that has been used as a private residence by the same family since it was built in 1540. It still mostly retains its original Tudor features high chimneys, brick-mullioned windows, turrets and crow-stepped gables – a picture-perfect backdrop for wedding photos. The house is in a completely rural setting about a mile from Ingatestone Village and is surrounded by 12 acres of grounds boasting lawns, shrubberies, stew pond, walled garden and woodland. Inside, its principal rooms are mostly oak-panelled containing furniture and family pictures accumulated over the centuries. The house is normally furnished for private occupation but can be rearranged to suit the needs of a particular event. The Stone Hall, which can host 80 day guests and 100 reception attendees, features oak-panelled walls, flagstone floors, and hung with portraits, principally of Stuart royalty. Alternatively, the Summer Parlour, the former ballroom, is a delightful space hosting up to 80 day and 100 evening guests. It features plaster walls, maple floor, and hung with family portraits. For an intimate, ceremony only option, the Dining Room can host 40 loved ones and has oak-panelled walls with 17th-century tapestries. Current regulations also allow for outdoor ceremonies for which there are a number of suitable locations in which tents, pavilions or gazebos can be erected – also providing unlimited guest numbers. A standout feature of the property is the outer courtyard with entrance arch, surmounted by an unusual one-handed clock. Neil Fortescue Photography, Matt Wing Photography Neil Fortescue Photography, Matt Wing Photography 26

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