A few months ago I had the pleasure of looking around a new Suffolk wedding venue – Easton Grange. 
 
Easton Grange is situated on the edge of the village of Easton in Suffolk. They opened in July 2013 in time for their first wedding. 

The reception venue comprises of two barns, one being the refurbished 16th century Tudor barn for the reception. This is connected to the new section comprising of a bar and lounge area, with the new barn where the civil ceremony would take place. There is also a central courtyard patio that overlooks the beautiful Suffolk countryside, where you can walk over the lawns down to the riverbank, where you are likely to see the resident swans. 

Venue capacities:
Civil license up to 150 guests.
Wedding breakfast up to 150 guests.
Evening reception up to 200 guests.

Also included is a bridal changing room, where you and your bridesmaids can get ready. The room includes a shower room, salon-style chairs and mirrors for hair and make-up. There is also a seating area where you can some nibbles and bubbly while you are all getting ready. Another great plus point is this is in the main building, so there is no battling with the elements on your walk to the ceremony.

The main guest accommodation is the farmhouse, which is a traditional 16th century Suffolk longhouse which comprises of seven double en-suite bedrooms that are individual designed with a contemporary feel. Breakfast is included in the
rate, which is served at a large breakfast table in the farmhouse overlooking the riverbank.

The Bakehouse which is the bridal suite is a private building allowing you some time to yourselves. It includes a living room and kitchen downstairs and a stunning bedroom and en-suite bathroom upstairs. 

Easton Grange current special offer:

Easton Grange - The drinks are on us... 
Visit Easton Grange and we'll give you £500 to spend at the bar! 
For all remaining dates between 1st January 2014 and 31st May 2014.
Visit, book and pay your catering deposit before 31st December 2013*

 * Offer not available to previously confirmed bookings or transfers of date and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

There is also a wedding venue open day on Sunday 2nd March 2014 11am till 3pm.

For further information please visit their website www.eastongrange-weddings.co.uk 
Tel: 01728 440649

1. Budget - Sit down and prioritise your must haves, this way you will know which items you can save on and what items you want to spend a little bit more on.

2. Drinks - Instead of using champagne, use Prosecco as an alternative. This can save a considerable amount of money depending on your numbers.

3. Overall costs - Consider having your wedding mid-week, this could save a huge amount of money through discounts from your suppliers on their standard rates.

4. Stationery - Don’t use save the date cards, design a lovely email to your friends and family. If you are unable to do this yourself, have a look at fivesquid.com or fiverr.com they can put together a lovely design for you.

5. Stationery – Do you really need to print an order of service? You could always have a wedding website, where all of this information is communicated before the wedding or have an itinerary up for your guests to see on the day.

6. Flowers – Choosing flowers that are in season for your wedding will save you on this section of the budget. Also stay clear of big florist peak times i.e. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s day.

7. Honeymoon – Ask for holiday vouchers instead of gifts this can then make a big difference to where you can go for your honeymoon and will mean you don’t need to put as much of your budget towards this.

8. Overall costs – Get married later in the day, this will reduce the amount you need to organise for your guests, which in turn will save money.

9. Food – Use your wedding cake as your dessert, this won’t save money at every venue but it could save a considerable amount.

10. Flowers – Arrange for your ceremony flowers to be moved through to your reception, whether this is from the church to the hotel or from your ceremony room to your reception room.

11.  Stationery – Combine your place card and favour, so you are only purchasing only one item.

12. Overall cost – Reduce your bridal party, this will save on outfits, flowers and gifts.

13. Overall cost – Minimise your guest list, consider not giving your single guests a plus one unless they have a partner. You could also consider not having children or work colleagues or at least not inviting the whole office!

14. Bridal accessories – Borrow a close friends headwear or jewellery that they wore at their wedding. This will also be your something borrowed.

15. Venue hire – Think of different types of venues that are not wedding venues. These charge a fraction of the hire charges that some venues do. Maybe you have a pretty village hall in your local area or a museum or another attractive hire only venue.

16. Decorations – Make your own decorations, favours and many other items. Arrange a few evenings with the girls provide some food and drinks and you have a lovely girlie evening in.

17. Drinks – Instead of having an open bar why not serve a custom-made cocktail or you could pick one each. These could be your favourite cocktail or a cocktail that fits with your colour scheme or theme. It’s another great personalised touch to your wedding. Your other option is to just reduce your cash bar to beer, wine and soft drinks.

18. Decorations - Don’t start buying table decorations and the like until you are completely happy with your theme and design. Buying early can mean that you change your mind and then you have loads of unused items that eat into
your budget.

19. Photography - Don’t purchase expensive disposable cameras as everyone has a camera on their phone these days. Get your guests to upload their photos straight to your wedding website or save them to Dropbox or something similar.

If you have any other top saving tip you would like to share with others, leave me a comment in the box.

Aren’t wedding planners just for the rich and famous?”

The majority of wedding planners offer different packages to suit different requirements, and most will also build a bespoke package for you depending on your needs. You might be happy to organise your own wedding but would like a couple of hours’ support at different points during the wedding planning process. It maybe that, at six weeks out, you want a wedding planner to take over the reins and carry on your work, allowing you to relax and enjoy the final run up to your special day, knowing you have someone working to your plans and following your direction. Whatever your requirements are, a bespoke package can be built, which doesn’t have to have a rich or famous price tag.


“I don’t need a wedding planner; I have a wedding coordinator at our venue.”

There is a huge difference between a venue wedding coordinator and a wedding planner. The main difference
 is a wedding planner works for you! Depending on the service you book, they can support you from start to finish. They would be with you from first thing in the morning right through to the first dance and even later, if you want them
 to be. They will be there to advise and support you on all aspects of the wedding and to work with all of the suppliers as one team. The venue coordinator that you have built a relationship with over the past months might not even be there on the day. In a lot of venues they work Monday to Friday, and pass the details over to the operations team who will be running your wedding on the day. If this is the case, make sure you ask for a handover meeting with your coordinator and the event manager who will be there on the day. They should offer this, but make sure you ask for it if they don’t. 
 

“We don’t want to lose control of our day.”

Your wedding day is your day. A wedding planner is there to make your vision come alive and to tie the details together, ensuring that everything goes to plan. If something doesn’t go to plan, the wedding planner will have a plan B up his or her sleeve to put into action without anyone being aware. They are there to help you, advise you, to give suggestions if you require them but it’s certainly not their wedding! Sometimes it’s a comfort to know you have someone on your side,
  and that they are focusing on you and your day. Wedding planners often end up being a confidant, someone to call on to be a supportive shoulder or a listening ear when you just need to get a few things of your chest. 
 
If you have any other questions, please pop a comment in the box below and I will happily answer these for you.

 Marie x