Help! - Wedding venue

[FruitynNutty]

We want to get married next August. Just a civil ceremony. Not too formal. Preferably in a country house style venue. We live in SW London so somewhere not too far from London.

Where the hell do we start looking? I have no idea about weddings.

I enquired about a few places in The Cotswolds but all I got were a few brochures in email form. What's happened to good old fashioned paper?
I've found a lovely place on an island in the middle of a big lake in The Cotswolds called Friday Island. Looks amazing but what happens if it's a bad day weather wise? Also I've discovered that venues are already being booked up for next August

And what about dresses? Where do I start? There are like a gazillion styles

HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!! please

What about Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park? Or there's somewhere called Templeton just outside Richmond Park that's nice.

How about Marble Hill House? here

or

syon house or the conservatory there (i had my reception there is beautiful)

How many people?
Do you wnat sit down?
Dancing?
Ettc

Dresses -- take an honest and open-minded friend with you. Go to a shop with a lot of styles and try on a huge range to work out what basic shape suits you. You could do the Trinny and Susannah body shape quiz to get some general pointers.

FGS don't go for a strapless one like everyone has these days
I am so bored of them
every bride looks the same!

countess I dont know!!! [scared emoticon] Maybe around 80. Including lots of kids
I was even toying with the idea of no kids but It's too mean.
Probably buffet, definite dancing. Would like a band (I think)

Where do I start? DP no help at all. Fortunately my dad is paying for it but DP (understandably) doesnt want the wedding too cost too much as he thinks the money is best spent on other more important things such as a deposit for a bigger house etc.. - I agree but dont want to scrimp too much. We need a happy medium.

I'll have a look at those links.......................

if you are SW London try Angela Stone I know her she is sooo lovely and her dresses are stunning

One way to keep cost down is to have a late afternoon wedding, then you only need to provide one lot of food.

A lot of country houses don't allow live music for eg

You do need to get on with booking the venue

Cannizaro House
Chiswick House
both do weddings

Have just remembered that there are various options at Kew Gardens many of which would be gorgeous.

oh and Hampton Court
Ham House

We're on a roll now...

I love all of those places!

Countess I cant have strapless as I have no boobs so would need some straps to hide the thrusting push up bra straps!

Fab site portandlemon I cant quite work oit my shape though. I'm either a pear or a skittle

Go and see Angela then
she is good with no boobs looking at those pix

ah, those are beautiful dresses countess. Perhaps I'll go and see her then

We got married here last summer - absolutely gorgeous and not far from the M3.

How about a barn in the countryside - really romantic and loads of space for kids to run around...
try Cripps Barn, Priston Mill, loads others...
or slightly different Cain Manor in Surrey. There's a website called something like Country Wedding VEnues and they have loads on their books.
Or, Coltsfoot, Crockwell Farm, Guyers House, West Stoke House, Walled Garden Ellingham, Tone Dale House, Ramster. Then there's Shooting Lodge and others on "unique home stays" ,
Also some hotels also worth looking at Wyck Hill House hotel, Cotswold House Hotel,

You should get these with a google - hope some of them might be interesting or at least get you thinking about possibilities.

For dresses - try Harrods evening wear dept - and book personal shopper sessions at selfridges for good overview of some of the designers.
Good luck!

wow bumpbumpbump Harrods and Selfridges Might be fun for a laugh, pretend I'm loaded

I'll check out those venues, I recognise a few of them actually. Thanks ever so much!