Wedding Perfection
Venue Service
By Natalie & Matthew, on 20 Aug 2018Date of Wedding - 12 Aug 2018
I just want to say that we couldn’t have asked for more from you all. From the very first time we came to visit Notley and was shown round by Ushi, to wedding planning Wednesdays and all the emails on here, through to yesterday. Lisa was incredible, as was Ushi. I was so happy when Lisa said that my dress was ‘so Notley’ :) the food, drink, staff were perfection. Thank you thank you thank you!
Problem with Evening Food
Venue Service
By Richard and Alex, on 22 Aug 2018Date of Wedding - 28 Jun 2018
no tasting or even photographs were available to help us chose our evening buffet, despite us asking to see at least some pictures. On the day we were disappointed by the poor quality of the evening buffet and we received some rather upsetting negative feedback from guests. Essentially we had ordered Focaccia with different toppings together with roasted vegetables. Our hearts sank when we saw the very thick blocks of bread topped with a very thin layer of topping. The vegetables appeared to primarily consist of rather mushy red peppers in small bowls.
As we were having a lovely day and did not want to detract from our enjoyment, we did not complain at the time, or even admit to each other that we had been disappointed.
After we returned from honeymoon we made a complaint to Bijou, asking for some financial compensation - given that the day cost us nearly £20K! Bijou then seemed determined to tell us why there wasn’t a problem without actually inquiring into our concerns to find out exactly why we were dissatisfied. They made constant reference to their internal quality control processes and the fact that the food was actually eaten and they then got stuck on the fact that we had not said anything on the day. As we pointed out, our guests were extremely hungry by that point and we did not want to start complaining on the day of our wedding.
Bijou seemed determined to deny that they had an unhappy customer and effectively accused us of lying because we had not complained on the day.
In the process Bijou revealed themselves to be a somewhat arrogant and profit rather than customer centric organisation, which was a shame given most aspects of their service were very good.
Better than we could have possibly imagined
Venue Service
By Ffion and Ben, on 11 Jul 2018Date of Wedding - 16 Jun 2018
We had the most perfect day on Saturday - every single thing was better than we could have possibly imagined. The staff were unbelievably helpful and professional, the food was delicious and there wasn’t a single guest who didn’t comment on how wonderful the setting was. Thank you so much!
So friendly and professional
Venue Service
By Becky & Chris, on 20 Aug 2018Date of Wedding - 07 Jun 2018
Hi Ann and all the team at Notley Abbey, I finally had all the wedding photos so thought it was a good opportunity to write and thank you for all of your support - and share some pictures! We had the most fantastic day - the pictures capture all of the joy, it was overflowing all day, everyone had the best time. From the moment I arrived in the morning, Lisa was fabulous, put me at ease, and looked after me so well. She was amazingly thoughtful, dealt with a slight lunch hiccup very professionally (my guests fault!), and generally steered us all like the captain of a slightly chaotic ship. She also put my boys at ease and gave us some training on how to walk down the aisle - it was all very much appreciated! The staff were incredible all day actually. Kerry was also great when she took over. All of the staff are so friendly, professional and so happy and genuine too. It really made the day extra special. Many of the guests commented on it as well. A special thanks to Ann, for putting up with all of my emails, and calmly pointing me in the right direction with the planner. It all felt so easy. The food tasting day was the best!! As I couldn’t actually eat at the wedding, I was glad I had had the opportunity to eat the delicious food. Thanks again!
We had a magical day!
Venue Service
By Claire and Steven, on 11 Jul 2018Date of Wedding - 04 Jun 2018
We have just arrived back from our honeymoon in Croatia and are still enjoying talking about our wedding day in detail. We had a magical day which was due, in a large part, to the wonderful venue, food and staff. Everything ran very smoothly and nothing was too much trouble for your excellent management team - please pass our thanks on to everyone involved in the day - particularly Lisa who was amazing!
Seamless
Venue Service
By Charlie and James, on 04 Dec 2017Date of Wedding - 24 Nov 2017
THANK YOU for all of your wonderful help in the run up to and on the day of our wedding at Notley Abbey. It was seamless from beginning to end and we had the best day.
Totally stress free
Venue Service
By Mother of the Bride, on 12 Oct 2017Date of Wedding - 22 Sep 2017
I can't thank you all enough at Bijou weddings and at Notley Abbey for everything you all did to make Charlotte and Tom's wedding day run so seamlessly and smoothly. It really was a such a beautiful, totally stress free and fantastic day - it surpassed all my dreams and hopes for them - they said they truly had the wedding day of their dreams - and we all had the most amazing and memorable day - thank you all so very much. We would, and many of our guests have said the same, have no hesitation in recommending Notley Abbey and Bijou weddings - everybody we have dealt with has been excellent.
Mixed feelings
Venue Service
By Laura, on 07 Oct 2017Date of Wedding - 09 Sep 2017
We got married at Notley Abbey in September. The setting is stunning, the facilities are excellent and well maintained. We were however very disappointed with the strict rules at Notley. Everything comes at an additional cost, be cautious. We hoped for an outdoor ceremony, it rained so ended up inside but still got charged for outdoor set up. This hadn't been communicated clearly to us. Make sure you read the Policy's back to back! Similarly, alciholic 10ml wedding favours were £5 per favour! There are minimum guest numbers which if you don't meet, there are added charges. I could continue. On the day staff were helpful and professional. But they were strict and reluctant to allow us to make last minute changes on the day, such as doing a confetti line. We had a great day surrounded by our nearest and dearest, but I can't help but these factors impacted on our memories of Notley.
Your staff are amazing
Venue Service
By Mother of the Bride, on 12 Oct 2017Date of Wedding - 08 Sep 2017
My daughter's wedding took place at Notley Abbey on Friday 8 September and it could not have been more wonderful. We fell in love with the venue the first time we visited (having already seen half a dozen other wedding venues). It is such a romantic and atmospheric place. Each room downstairs has its own character and the bedrooms are extremely comfortable with lovely decor. Your staff are amazing - properly trained and taking their role very seriously. Our wedding manager was so helpful and responded promptly to any query. The wonderful location, the quality and efficiency of your team, combined with the months of planning the couple worked so hard on resulted in a fairy tale wedding that will give us all happy memories forever.
Compliments to the chef
Venue Service
By Kakali & Dayle, on 08 Sep 2017Date of Wedding - 03 Sep 2017
Hi Ann,
Thank you SO much for your help planning the wedding and reminding us of all the things we had to do. We had the perfect day, and the staff on the day were amazing at sorting out the hiccups. They were so flexible and accommodating and efficient, it was much more than I could have hoped for! The guests all had a great time, as did we. Also compliments to the chef as everyone raved about the food, particularly the lamb and dessert! The venue looked amazing, (even in the rain) and all the guests loved it.
The day ran like a dream
Venue Service
By Mother of the Bride, on 08 Sep 2017Date of Wedding - 31 Aug 2017
Dear Ann, I just want to thank you so much for all your help in the run up to their wedding. The day ran like a dream thanks to the care and attention paid by yourself and by Lisa and her wonderful staff. Everyone worked so hard so make Jess and James' day so very very special.
A fabulous success
Venue Service
By Vicki and Michael, on 24 Aug 2017Date of Wedding - 22 Jul 2017
We just wanted to write to thank you for making our wedding reception such a fabulous success, the whole day was like a dream. Our guests commented that the food was the best they have ever had at a wedding! Special thanks to Barbara who was just fabulous on the day, and really went above and beyond for us. Thank you all so much!