Elmhay Park Reviews
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Robyn Sent on 26/08/2024Perfect Wedding at Elmhay Park
We had our wedding at Elmhay Park on the Orchardleigh Estate on 21st June 2024. From the time of our very first speculative visit, to nearly forgetting our cake the day after and one of the staff coming to find us - the venue could not have done more for us.
Firstly to a few staff. Heather, our incredible coordinator, made our day so stress-free and smooth that we could just enjoy ourselves. She also kept on top of our planning in the run up (prompting us when we needed it!). Karl, who did our menu tasting and food, was incredibly supportive and flexible. We had a number of tricky dietary requirements and nothing was too much trouble. Finally, to Abigail and the rest of the lovely waiting and bar staff - who (despite a very late night!) were so incredibly friendly and lovely to all our friends and family, it really made the day.
What a lot of wedding reviews won't tell you is all the tiny touches that really make you feel special - from the R & R in chocolate on our puddings, the 5 minute break after the ceremony we got to spend together with some champagne (and eating personal canapes!), the hamper for our lodge the next morning, to being followed round with a personal prosecco pourer (thank you!), Elmhay really go out of their way to make sure that the couple have EVERYTHING they could need.
Massive thanks from us - it was perfect.
Robyn and Robin -
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Carmel Sent on 23/02/2025
The most perfect wedding day
David and I got married on the 18th February 2025 and our venue was the Elmhay Park. We had the most incredible and perfect day and would like to leave a review of our experience that will hopefully provide people reading this with the confidence to go ahead and book their wedding at this venue.
We would firstly like to comment on how welcoming kind and professional the team were at Elmhay Park. From the moment we read about the venue, we were put in touch with Heather who owns the venue and she met with myself and David and gave us a personal tour of the venue. Heather took the time to go through all of the possible options we could have and we were so impressed by the range of possibilities that would ensure our wedding day was perfectly matched to what we wanted. We knew as soon as we were shown around on the beautiful estate that this was the perfect place to hold our wedding. It is clear that so much love and attention goes into the running and maintenance of the venue and its grounds and as we walked around the estate and took in the beauty we were always greeted by the friendly staff. It makes such a difference to feel so welcomed and we were delighted that we had come across this venue and went ahead without hesitation and booked it. After we had made the booking, the communication was absolutely fantastic from beginning to the end of our stay. We were informed of timelines and when to expect to speak to our wedding co-ordinator who would help guide us through the planning. We were also invited along to the open day which was great for inspiration and speaking to suppliers and we were also given a food and wine tasting day which was excellent as it allowed us to try the delicious food from the wide range available. Everything is catered for, we had guests who were vegan and vegetarian and some had allergies but that was no problem at all, it was all taken care of.
We met Rachel Penny at the food and wine tasting day and after that, we then had an initial planning chat about the day. Rachel is one of the most kind and professional people we have ever met and it is largely because of Rachel that our day was the most perfect day of our lives. From the very start of our planning meeting Rachel went through everything with us to make sure we had exactly what we wanted on the day. Rachel was always there if we had any questions, her communication was exceptional, and it never felt like anything that I had asked was too much trouble. She was so accommodating whenever we had a query, and I had complete trust in her and any advice or recommendations she had. This makes such a difference planning a wedding as it can be a stressful experience, but this was not the case as we knew our wedding day would be everything we wanted it to be. As we were bringing our own decorations and setting up the venue (which was our choice) a few days before the wedding Rachel kindly let us have a run through set up just so we could see how we would want to lay the table out on the day. Rachel was there to make sure we had everything we needed and answered any questions. The day before the wedding Rachel was there to give us our keys and again make sure we had everything we needed. She was so attentive and on hand if we needed anything. On the day of the wedding, Rachel was absolutely fantastic. She was there from the early morning to check in and make sure we had everything we needed and brought in some bubbly and orange juice. She made sure I knew how to get in touch with her if we needed anything at all. She made sure all the guests were warmly welcomed and knew where to go. When we arrived back from the ceremony, Rachel was there straight away to greet us with some bubbly, she was so kind and attentive and made sure David and I were eating and had a drink, and were kept warm when outside (at one point I (the bride) had been outside for a while taking phots and she very kindly wrapped a blanket around me). I honestly felt that Rachel was like one of my bridesmaids and we both felt so taken care of- it can be quite fast paced with the photos and seeing everyone, so you forget to have a drink, or have some food, but Rachel made sure David and I had everything we needed. She also made a lovely and touching announcement as she introduced us as husband and wife when we entered for our wedding breakfast which we will always remember and cherish. We really do feel that Rachel is exceptional and deserves a special mention, thank you so much for everything, Rachel.
We would also like to mention how fantastic the team were during the reception drinks, wedding breakfast and in the evening. So many of our guests have commented on how the staff were so attentive and made sure everyone had drinks, made sure the food was perfect and so well presented. The barman on the night (sorry I didn’t catch his name) was so professional and everyone commented on how lovely the drinks were that he made (also thank you so much for making sure there was plenty of Guinness on hand)! We would also like to thank Chris (who also owns the estate with Heather) for driving myself (the bride) and my father to the wedding ceremony and then back with my new husband in his beautiful Rolls Royce. It was such an incredible experience sitting in the car on the way to Bath and back and Chris was so nice and friendly it was such a wonderful experience.
The food was incredible, we had two choices of starters, mains and desserts we went for the mushroom soup, baby camembert, roast beef and lamb, pecan pie and lemon cheesecake. They also provided vegan options and a children’s menu. The food was cooked to perfection and so well presented, we had so many comments about how delicious the food was and how quickly it was all served up to our guests. The team worked so hard to make sure it was all co-ordinated so that all of our guests received their courses in a timely manner. We chose the curry and burgers for the buffet options and these went down very well with our guests – it was great to have food at a later stage of the evening and also when our evening guests had arrived and could enjoy the food. Rachel also kindly cut up some of our wedding cake and put that out when the buffet came out so that guests could enjoy some cake too (we also provided take away boxes in case anyone wanted to take some away).
We would also just like to leave a review on the venue itself. Our reception was at the Elmhay park which is a stunning orangery with accommodation behind for all of your guests. This was perfect for us as we wanted somewhere where we could dance the night way without disturbing other guests but also somewhere where our guests could stay for the night that close by. The orangery itself is so beautiful so well decorated and plenty of space for everyone. We had drinks in the Italian garden which was also beautiful and great to have two different areas where guests could enjoy drinks and take in the gorgeous scenery.
We also organised coaches to take guests from the accommodation to the church in Bath and back and this was no problem at all to organise and meant the wedding party could check in, go to the ceremony and not worry about parking etc so if you are getting married off of the estate (although you can get married on the estate in the Italian garden or the beautiful church on the grounds) this could be a good option for you.
Golf was also included in the package we chose so my partner and wedding party guests enjoyed a day of golf on the Sunday before our wedding. The golf club was very accommodating in booking tee times in advance, the golf course was really high quality especially given we were married in the winter. The course wasn’t very busy as this managed well by the staff to ensure that we were never pushed or rushed and we could take time to enjoy ourselves. This was a great experience to share with the groomsmen ahead of the wedding.
Also included in the package was the castle and Lewis lodge the night before for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. David stayed in Lewis lodge which was cosy and had everything the groomsmen needed the night before and it was great to have separate accommodation that was also on site where they could get ready together. The castle was incredible, it was immaculate and we were we amazed by how big it was (although I had seen it when Heather had shown us around I’d forgotten how big it was ) but it has a large sitting area with a log fire, a large kitchen, plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms and a hot tub. We organised for a beauty therapist to come the night before who was also amazing (thank you Ally) to give us facials and massages- this was so relaxing and then we enjoyed bubbly in the hot tub!! This was such a lovely way to spend the evening before the wedding.
The guest accommodation was just behind the orangery which meant that we had 70 guests who could stay right until the end and then walk back to their cottage. The cottages were all so clean and tidy and all the essentials were included which was so helpful for when people are travelling from far away. As they were self-catered it also meant that the guests could bring any food they wanted for the day and morning after.
David and I stayed in the church lodge the day after the wedding, and we were given a lovely hamper by the team to take with us. This was such a nice touch and the lodge was beautiful, so cosy- we had a log fire and we decided to order a takeaway in but it was so nice to have this extra night just to reflect on the day and rest.
Thank you to everyone at Elmhay for giving us our dream wedding- we cannot recommend booking your wedding here enough!
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