A Warwickshire woman has praised a local ‘wedding guru’ for helping to save her dream wedding from cancellation.
Laura had been looking forward to her dream wedding at Coombe Abbey Hotel in the summer of 2020, but just three months before her big day, a national lockdown was enforced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than two-and-a-half years later, Laura and her husband Paul have tied the knot, and have praised the support of Joanne Evans, Weddings Manger at Coombe Abbey Hotel, a No Ordinary Hospitality venue, for her commitment to helping the pair have the historic location, high-quality catering, and full complement of guests they had hoped for – all while reducing the total cost in light of the pandemic.
Laura, who is self-employed as a private tutor, met her husband Paul, who works for Jaguar Land Rover, in 2015 – with Coombe Abbey Park setting the scene for many a romantic walk.
Laura said she was devastated when it looked like they wouldn’t be able to host their wedding at their ideal location.
“We were in a position where the best option for us probably involved cancelling the wedding completely, which was pretty devastating,” she said.
“I was facing some uncertainty in my income as a private tutor due to the lockdown, so there was a need to be careful with our choices which added to the disappointment after having it all planned out and ready to go.
“Joanne did everything she could to ensure that we could still have our wedding at Coombe Abbey Hotel by making some clever alterations. She came to us with a range of different options to lessen the financial burden, while still hosting it at the hotel and having all the essentials.
“We changed from a sit-down meal to a buffet, switched from one large room to two smaller ones, and took on some of the flower arranging and made our own confetti. This and lots of other small steps really made a difference in terms of budgeting, but the big difference was the guidance from Joanne.
“In the end we were able to invite the same amount of people as originally planned, and still have some incredible food and really feel that staff were looking after us, and feeling that in many ways no expense had been spared.”
Joanne, who has worked at the hotel since 1994, said helping couples find money-saving solutions has been essential over the last three years.
“It was a real privilege to work with Laura and Paul on their special day, and incredible to see the final results after a wait of almost three years,” Joanne added.
“Our staff are all ultimately wedding lovers and want to make sure that couples have the best possible day. Beyond that, there are a range of options to suit our clients’ needs with lots of flexibility in terms of choices for the big day – and we are always here to guide couples along the way.
“We want to help create lifelong memories no matter the challenge or situation, and we are thrilled to have played a role in helping Laura and Paul celebrate their relationship at Coombe Abbey Hotel.”
Laura added: “All staff in the build-up and on the day were excellent. Nothing was ever too much trouble and the attention to detail was amazing.
“The day itself was extremely special for both us and our families, and all the support we had from Joanne and the team in the build-up and on the day played a huge role in that.”
You can contact our expert wedding team: weddings@coombeabbey.com