September wedding
Genuinely not sure where to start with the Harbour Chapel.
We booked the Harbour Chapel over a year and a half ago with Fiona, when we both fell in LOVE with the venue, it's really breathtaking when you step inside, with its stained glass windows and vibrant colours (inside and out). But it's the level of detail! every inch of it is stunning and intricate.
Throughout the year Fiona answered every email, answered any call, no question was too big or small. Fiona even called suppliers for me if I had any problems and let my family visit as many times as they wanted to see the venue again. The costings are unbelievably reasonable compared to other venues we viewed. And most importantly we really trusted Fiona, the Harbour Chapel does not feel like a corporate wedding in any shape or form, every step is treated with so much care, and every couple is made to feel very special.
We originally had a separate wedding venue for our evening reception and this fell through, and Fiona was straight to the rescue and helped sort our catering and band to organise the wedding to be the full day, I felt like we were in such safe hands as she reassured me about the day, (we had originally very big guest numbers, but we had around 90 guests on the day and the chapel was more than enough room - huge dancefloor!).
In the weeks leading up, there were prep meetings and calls, Fiona even accommodated us to have a short rehearsal. It felt like she was just as excited as we were! I am quite an anxious person, but on the day I just knew the chapel had everything in hand, so those weeks and the morning before the wedding was a relaxed experience.
When I arrived at the Chapel on the day, Fiona helped me out of the wedding car and gave me some breathing exercises to calm me down! (very needed). And then we had the best day of our lives.
Our ceremony was flawless, every piece of personal decor I wanted was all perfectly laid out for guests to see, the harbour provided the most stunning backdrop to our wedding photos (and because it's so close we were hardly away), our drinks reception had a wonderful ambience and it was lovely everyone was all in the one room chatting, and I got so many compliments for the canapes (Fiona had some set aside for us).
The chapel is then transformed into the most unique dining venue I've ever seen, the speeches felt so intimate with all our guests and yet momentous thanks to the beautiful historic pulpit! No one has wedding speech photos like we do! I've not even got started on the food!! Kris and her team blew us away, someone told me it was one of the best chicken dishes they ever had!! The pizza in the evening was even second to none. The meal felt like a fine dining experience.
My elderly aunt and my pregnant bridesmaid both told me separately that they had been treated like "VIPs" all day, by Fiona and her staff. There were cushions for them on the seats for the whole day. Every member of the team was so welcoming, helpful, and attentive.
The chapel then became the ultimate party, huge dance floor, plenty of seating, and a quick bar, the acoustics provided an amazing sound for the live band we had. Even into the night Fiona and her team made us feel special, grabbing drinks for us, nothing was too much. And Fiona had all our important documents and gifts organised for us leaving.
I genuinely get emotional writing this, as I can't believe how lucky we were to have stumbled upon the harbour chapel. Everyone has been commenting on the beauty of the venue, the kindness of its staff, and the excellence of the food. The venue has so much heart, and I think the Harbour Chapel is a place we'll both miss and hold very dear. We'll always remember it and our truly wonderful day, we'll never be able to thank Fiona and her team enough. Everyone deserves a wedding venue as special as the Harbour Chapel