A Mottram Hall Fairytale: Mr & Mrs Gray

Monday, May 20th, 2024

The 9th September 2022 marks a day we will never forget – the day we tied the knot at the beautiful Mottram Hall in Cheshire.

Dan and I met at high school. We started off as friends, but fast forward a few years, and it was clear that there was more between us than just friendship. I always joke with him about how he managed to escape the ‘friend zone’. We were eighteen when we got together and some nine years later, on 4th October 2020, Dan finally proposed to me on a yacht in Dubai (it was worth the wait!) Even though we had been together for so long, it came as a complete surprise as it was a last-minute holiday. It turned out he had planned to propose earlier that year whilst travelling around Sri Lanka, but our holiday was cancelled due to the global pandemic. I still cannot believe he had the ring all that time! 

I remember the day we got engaged like it was yesterday. I was on cloud nine and while sunbathing, my mind was in overdrive thinking about colour schemes, bridesmaid dresses, décor etc! As soon as the covid-19 restrictions were lifted and we were able to view venues. Mottram Hall was at the top of our list. 

The grounds at Mottram Hall are simply stunning, even motoring down the driveway is spectacular. We loved the elegant style of the venue and couldn’t believe how spacious it was. Mottram Hall just ticked all our boxes. We had our reception drinks in the gorgeous champagne bar where we had a live singer perform and after our wedding breakfast, we had a magician perform on the terrace overlooking the gardens. Even before we got engaged, I always said I wanted to have a magician at our wedding. We booked Matt Windsor and he was incredible! 

We booked Alison at Lasting Memories Weddings & Events who was Mottram Halls recommended venue dresser to style the venue for us. I wanted a neutral colour scheme, something classic that wouldn’t look outdated, so most of the décor was white and gold with just a touch of pink. I felt that this colour scheme would also complement our modern/fairytale theme. I was blown away by the colour scheme – Alison went above and beyond and truly brought my vision to life. 

We have both always loved to travel and so we wanted to somehow incorporate this. We decided to have table names based on places we have travelled to rather than table numbers. I loved doing this as it added a personal touch to our special day. 

Our day couldn’t have been any more perfect from start to finish and it was everything I had dreamed of and more. The day ran smoothly and Mottram Hall were incredible to work with. Nothing was too much trouble. I loved getting ready in their new bridal dressing room with my bridal party. It was the most elegant and perfect space for us all to dress and where I surprised my bridesmaids with the news that I was in fact 6 weeks pregnant! The best early wedding gift we could have wished for! It was indeed a very sober wedding for me, but of course I wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

We certainly got lucky with our suppliers. Our photographer, Andy Griffiths was amazing. Our wedding photos are stunning and he blended in so well on the day. We loved his “natural” approach to photography. He gave us so many useful tips in the run up to the big day too. We also booked a videographer, Mike Langley at Satin Pictures. He and Andy both worked well together. Booking a videographer was one of the best decisions we made. The day really does fly by and so we love being able to look back at the footage and re-live our special day. Andy and Mike were both so friendly and easy to get on with. We had Doves in memory of our grandparents who sadly were not able to share our special day with us which was a lovely touch. In the evening, we had a DJ and saxophone player and they certainly got the party started. 

Our wedding day truly was one of the best days of our lives (alongside giving birth to our beautiful baby boy) and we are truly grateful to our friends and family, all the staff at Mottram Hall and our suppliers for making our day so special. 

Dress: Natalie Ann Brides –  https://www.natalieannbrides.com

Magician: Matt Windsor –  www.magicmatt.co.uk

Photography: Andy Griffiths Photography – www.andygriffithsphotography.co.uk

Venue: Mottram Hall – www.champneys.com/hotels/mottram-hall

Videographer: Satin Pictures – www.satinpictures.co.uk