Real advice from couples who’ve celebrated here, to help you plan your wedding.
Photographed by Younger Photography.
Wedding planning is exciting, but knowing where to start, what to prioritise and how to bring all your ideas together can sometimes feel like a lot to take on. So, rather than give you another checklist, we asked couples who’ve already celebrated at Pentillie to share what they learnt, what mattered most and the advice they’d pass on.
We’ve been hosting weddings at Pentillie for more than 15 years, and no two celebrations have ever been quite the same. From intimate gatherings to full wedding weekends, every couple brings their own ideas, priorities and personal touches to their celebrations. Here are some honest thoughts from the couples who’ve been there, whether you’re starting to plan or putting the final touches in place.
Remember, it’s your wedding
When you're planning a wedding, there's no shortage of opinions, suggestions and inspiration. Between Pinterest boards, social media and well-meaning ideas from family and friends, it's easy to lose sight of what you both wanted in the first place.
Amanda & Des found that stepping back from all the outside noise helped them focus on what they really wanted "It can be so easy to get carried away with everything, but I think you just need to cut out all the noise, sit down and discuss what it is you both want from the day and stay true to yourselves. It is your day after all."
Krista & Chris took a similar approach, deliberately avoiding the pressure to recreate the weddings they saw online “We deliberately didn’t spend hours looking at 'inspiration' posts. We wanted our Wedding to be personal to us, not a series of recreated social media pictures."
It might mean choosing something a little unexpected or leaving out a tradition that doesn’t feel right. Whatever your approach, Ffion & Oscar’s advice is a good one to keep in mind “Plan the day you want, not what others want/expect"
2. Decide what matters most, then make that your focus
It's easy to get swept up in all the possibilities when planning a wedding. But once you’ve got a feeling for the kind of wedding you want, it’s worth thinking about which elements are most important to you before deciding where to spend your budget.
For Connie & Kieran, their advice for other couples is "When you start planning, pick an element or two that is most important to you and then adjust the other elements to fit your budget accordingly."
They knew food was always going to be a priority and stuck to that through their planning "Other than marrying the love of my life... the food from Milkshed Catering. We said since the beginning of our planning process that food would be a high priority and it did not disappoint. They even brought us our own plate of canapés during the drinks reception!"
It might be the food, the flowers, the music, the photography or having everyone together for a whole weekend. Whatever it is, start by agreeing on your biggest priorities, then let those guide the choices you make along the way.
3. Choose suppliers you feel comfortable with
Your suppliers play a huge part in your wedding experience. They’re the people you’ll be sharing ideas with, making decisions alongside and trusting to bring everything together on the day.
Jenn & Warren chose several suppliers from Pentillie’s recommended supplier list and found their familiarity with our venue particularly helpful “We hired most of our suppliers from the recommended list from Pentillie and they were all amazing and them already being familiar with the venue was incredibly helpful.”
For Beverley & Adrian, they focused on the overall experience “Make sure you like your suppliers! I hadn’t realised what a large part of the day they would be and Lisa, Gem, Becca and Nicola were so lovely that they really enhanced the experience of the day.”
Take the time to have conversations before booking, ask questions and get a feel for how they work. It's important to feel comfortable with them, trust them and love what they do.
4. Let the people around you help
You might be the ones making the decisions, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourselves.
Emily & Reekesh’s advice was to delegate “You will be so overwhelmed and so busy you need to delegate to your key wedding party members. Best man, maid of honour, groomsmen and bridesmaids. They have skills, they are useful and they will be key on the day. Your wedding day is for you to enjoy, they are there to help make it happen.”
Whether it’s asking a bridesmaid to coordinate the morning preparations or having your best man look after a few last-minute jobs, a little help can make a huge difference. And having a venue team who understand your plans and genuinely want you to have the day you envision is just as important.
Donna & Ryan had a particularly challenging planning journey, which took some of their excitement “With our first venue falling through and then Covid-19 restrictions forcing our date to be changed again, it began to take the joy out of the planning, but we found Pentillie and Chrissie was so enthusiastic and passionate, it sparked the joy and excitement in all the planning again”
You don’t have to have everything figured out, so remember to ask the people around you for help, that’s what they’re there for.
5. Don't forget to enjoy the moments that matter
After months, sometimes years of planning, it’s easy to get caught up on whether everything will go to plan. But when couples look back, it’s often the moments and people that stay with them.
For Jenn & Warren, it was "Reading our vows to each other while standing in front of our friends and family, under the wisteria, feeling so happy and secure in our love, and excited for our future together."
Donna & Ryan said it was “All of it! We couldn’t single any moment out, however, Ryan would choose the moment he turned up to the Castle and realised that the wedding was really going to happen, as one of his top moments.”
And Beverley & Adrian’s decision to enjoy an evening with loved ones and make the most of Pentillie was what their highlight "…We had the venue to ourselves in the evening and had a relaxed supper with wine and just enjoyed the house listening to music, having a pool/table football competition and enjoying a dip in the swimming pool."
You won’t remember every detail of the day, but you will remember how it felt to have everyone you love in one place, celebrating together. So, leave a little room for the unexpected, and remember to take a moment to look around and enjoy it.
A little advice to take with you
If there’s one thing to take away from these couples and so many others, it’s that there’s no right way to plan a wedding.
Some prioritise the food, others the experience of being together with family and friends. Some had their favourite moments during the ceremony, others on the dance floor. But they all found their own way to make the celebration personal to them.
We hope their experiences have given you a few ideas and a little more confidence in the decisions ahead.
Still looking for your wedding venue? Explore weddings at Pentillie or book a private viewing. We’d love to hear what you have in mind and show you around.
