Ellie and Josh - Wed on 17th September 2022
We love hearing from couples who have said ‘I Do’ at Tree Top Escape, and whilst we could happily offer you a million reasons why you should choose Tree Top Escape as the backdrop for your special day, there’s nothing quite like hearing from couples who have already said I Do to offer you some inspiration and advice.This month we hear from Ellie and Josh, who when we got in touch with to see if they’d like to share their story, they immediately said yes! And we’re so pleased they did…
Ellie and Josh’s story started when they were at high school, with Josh being Ellie’s high school crush, and now nearly 10 years on…after a 6 year engagement, they decided to tie the knot with their with their daughter and closest friends and family to witness.
We hear from Ellie and Josh about their wedding day…
What made you decide on an intimate wedding?
Throughout the years the idea of getting married did pop up quite a bit considering we've been engaged for so long and already have our daughter. But even organising a day out is hard work for us, so a wedding was just not something we thought we could ever do. Until one day, we decided that we did want to get married and all have the last surname. Initially, we did talk about just the three of us eloping somewhere, but we also wanted our immediate family and friends there to celebrate such a special day. We were both of the same agreement that we didn't want a big wedding.
How did you know Tree Top Escape was your perfect venue?
We did look at a few intimate venues online, but kept being drawn back to Tree Top Escape. It was the uniqueness and how beautiful the scenery looked. We did want to look at the venue beforehand, but with time constraints we bit the bullet and booked and so glad that we did! It was perfect and made it all that more special seeing the venue for the first time the day before our wedding. We had the maximum number of guests, and it was just right for us.
How did you find the planning process?
We've always said that we would struggle to plan a wedding, but the whole process of planning our Tree Top Escape wedding was stress free, even though we only had a few months from when we booked our wedding to the day itself. Having the list of suppliers readily available helped a lot and all the suppliers got back to us very quickly. Having Sam and Nicola on hand was a blessing, as any questions we had were taken care of.
Tell us a little about your wedding day
Our wedding was quite traditional to others at TTE. We both wanted to not see each other the night before and the morning of the wedding. Josh stayed in a near by hotel, while Ellie and Milly stayed at TTE. Milly loved the hot tub and made sure she went in there at every opportunity. The morning started off very relaxed with Ellie and Milly getting ready and Josh being joined by his best man at the hotel. Our ceremony was at 2:30pm, so there was no rushing about. Everything ran so smoothly. After our ceremony, while we had our photographs taken. Our guests enjoyed drinks and canapes in the Meadow Room. We also had outdoor games, as we had four children present at the wedding, but I think a few of the adults got involved too. Then we headed back up to the Nest for our private dining. The food was out of this world and everyone commented how delicious it was. After dinner, we then went back down to the Meadow Room for cocktails which went down a treat. We drank, sang and danced into the evening.
Who were the suppliers that helped make your day so special?
Photography - Michelle Ley. As soon as Michelle introduced herself we both felt at ease. Michelle is a total professional and all her photographs are amazing. We were so pleased with how ours turned out. We wanted a mixture of posed and natural photographs. Hair & Make up - Beauty by Cathy. Ellie was so pleased with her hair and make up. Cathy really listened to what she wanted. Venue styling - Marcia Shapland. The venue was beautifully styled. Just how we both wanted it, very subtle and romantic. Private dining - Gary Shapland. Both the canapes and fine dining tasted amazing. The food was presented to the highest standard and everyone commented on how lovely it was. Flowers - Church Park Flowers. Beautiful fresh flowers from Heather. We had a fresh flower arch in the Nest which smelt beautiful. Cake - Bespoke Baking. Our cake was just how we wanted it. Jess did an amazing job. Cocktails - Frisky Pheasants. The cocktails were a huge hit in the evening, and was good that there was non-alcoholic options too. All the cocktails were great tasting, perhaps tasted a bit too nice :P Outdoor games - The Ivy Scarlett. We opted for the outdoor lawn games, and there was a wide variety. We would highly recommend if you are having children at your wedding.
Did you add any personal or unique touches to your day?
It was important to us that our daughter felt a part of our day. Milly walked down the aisle with Ellie and she did a wonderful job of handing over the wedding rings. We also got personalised menus which acted as name plates too, so everyone could remember what choices they had picked.
What is the most special moment of your wedding day?
Having our close family and friends witnessing one of the best days of our lives. And it felt like the three of us became a proper, more secure family.
