Yorkshire Wedding Venue

Romancing Juliet Stone at The Normans

For readers too young to appreciate the title’s reference to Romancing the Stone, don’t worry - you’re not missing much. The 1984 movie starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas was, for all intents and purposes, a sub-par Indiana Jones. And it certainly wasn’t as emotionally uplifting, as visually rewarding, or didn’t have as good a soundtrack as the wedding of Matthew Holt and Juliet Stone (Stone, geddit?!)

Stunning bride Juliet in The Normans wedding venue barn. Yorkshire wedding.

Moving on from tenuous cinematic references… Juliet’s day began at her family home.

Samuel Bristow was responsible for hair stylings, while make-up was administered by Charlotte Tillbury acolyte Jamie Edwards Bulloch.

Juliet wore a Serrano gown, from renowned British designer Suzanne Neville’s 2021 collection, which featured a fitted bodice with a delicate sweetheart neckline, and a full A-line skirt made of layers of soft tulle.

“The dress was paired with a hand-sewn long sleeve silver sparkle jacket,” says Juliet, “which was hand-made by the amazing seamstress at Harrogate Wedding Lounge to add a hint  (or a lot) of sparkle to the party!”

Bride Juliet enters the Bridal Cottage at The Normans wedding venue. Hamish Irvine Photographer

A white Rolls-Royce heralded the arrival of our bride, who was helped out of the sleek vehicle by her father, before hiding away in The Normans Cottage.

Meanwhile, groom Matt, wearing trews and a jacket from McCalls of Edinburgh Highlandwear, made merry with his groomsmen in the autumn sunshine.

“All our groomsmen were Scottish and the my father is from Scotland, so we wanted to include tartan in our big day since Scotland holds a special place in our hearts,” says Juliet.

Groom at The Normans weddings venue

Soon enough, Matt and his groomsmen were joined by wedding guests, who gathered in The Normans Courtyard and awaited the opening of The Ceremony Barn doors.

The Normans wedding venue Courtyard

Twinkling as always, the Ceremony Barn had been decorated by Juliet and her family.

“It was important for us to have lots of handmade decorations for a personal touch,” explains Juliet. “The paper flowers on the two wooden barrels at the front of the Ceremony Barn were handmade by my mum [mother-of-the bride Pauline], as were the handmade pink white and grey hearts which she had sewn - we used these as bunting and decoration for the chairs either side of the aisle.”

Bride bridesmaids The Normans wedding venue

Pauline's paper flowers riffed on the real flowers used in the beautiful bridal bouquet by Leafy Couture.

Father of bride walks bride down the aisle in the Ceremony Barn at The Normans wedding venue

Juliet shone she walked down the aisle, arm in arm with her father…

Bride and groom say I do The Normans wedding venue

… and she and Matt were duly married by the lovely ladies of Selby District Council registry office.

End of marriage ceremony in the Ceremony Barn at The Normans wedding venue

The stunning couple were duly attacked with confetti as they made it out of the Ceremony Barn and into the south-facing Courtyard.

Dave Pilla serenaded guests in the sunshine, while The Hog & Apple Food Co. was on hand to keep guests well watered and well fed, with a selection of delectable canapes.

Stunning Normans wedding venue Courtyard.

“The Hog & Apple team were just fantastic,” attests Juliet. “Guests loved the mini pie and pints and the delicious mini fish and chips…”

The drinks reception gave Juliet and Matt, along with their bridesmaids and groomsmen, the chance to amble across the road for some photos on the farm…

Bride and bridesmaids walk for photos in farm buildings at The Normans wedding venue

… case in point…

Farm building wedding photoshoot at The Normans wedding venue, North Yorkshire

Meanwhile, back in the Grain Shed, the scene was set for the wedding breakfast.

“We had a large flower hoop at the entrance [of the Grain Shed] for guests to take photos next to,” says Juliet. “The flowers were all shades of bright pinks, pale peach, with hints of blue and purple amongst a foliage background.”

Décor in the Grain Shed consisted of eucalyptus, with pops of colourful flowers hanging from the gantries. The table plan was presented on an antique, gold-framed mirror, while hampers were filled with sweet treats (for guests and cards (from guests).

One of our favourite touches was the charity donation in lieu of favours - money was donated to Acorns Children's Hospice, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and RNLI.

Bravo, Juliet and Matt!

The wedding breakfast featured included starter sharing boards of olives, antipasti, falafels and flatbreads. Mains were served on Hog & Apple’s sharing boards of grilled buttermilk chicken, lamb kebabs, haloumi and pepper skewers with sides including tabbouleh. 

“Dessert was incredible and lived up to its name of ‘The Don’ Brownie,” says Juliet. “Gooey chocolate brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce. And, if guests still had room, there was wood-fired pizza served in the evening!”   

Bravo (again), to mother-of-the-bride Pauline, who crafted this fabulous four-tier wedding cake.

Wedding cake in The Normans wedding venue Grain Shed.

Indeed, Pauline’s handiwork was quickly gobbled-up by guests - Juliet suspects that cake intake was needed to fuel the evening’s revelries…

Bride and groom and the first dance at The Normans wedding venue, North Yorkshire

The dance floor was packed throughout the evening, thanks in large, to the scamps from South West Band.

What a party it was. Everyone was on the dancefloor - including lead singer Henry and photographer Hamish Irvine who’s responsible for all these stunning photos! Note to couples: Hamish is great since sticks around taking photos well into the evening!

Our experience at the Normans was incredible. From the moment we met with Oliver and his team we knew what a gem of a venue we had found. The team was so fantastic, enthusiastic and supportive through planning, two lockdowns, and on the big day itself!
— Superstar Juliet Stone

SUPPLIERS

Food The Hog & Apple Food Co

Photos Hamish Irvine

Videography SP Weddings

Hair Samuel Bristow

Make-up Jamie Edwards Bulloch

Flowers Leafy Couture

Bride’s dress: The Harrogate Wedding Lounge

Ceremony and reception music: Dave Pilla

Evening music: South West Band

Cosmopolitan cool at The Normans

London-based couple Jaimie and Jez knew exactly how to bring the best out of The Normans. Their vision riffed on the venue’s rustic features, and took advantage of its more contemporary elements.

The result?

A wedding that not only looked great, but was imbued with enough heartfelt personal touches to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Jaimie's veil captured in all its glory.jpg

With so many amazing photos from the day (thank you, Laura Calderwood!), it was difficult to know where to begin this blog. But, after a prolonged bout of choice anxiety, we plumped with this shot of bride Jaimie stepping out of a classic 1954 Bentley R-Type E (aka The Yorkshire Wedding Car), dazzling all and sundry in her Maggie Sottero dress and sheer Justin Alexander jacket from Abigail's Bridal Boutique, Leeds.

Just. Wow.

Here comes the bride - Jaimie arrives at the church.jpg

“I fell in love with the champagne dress, which was actually a slip dress from underneath of a completely different dress!” explains Jaimie. “I tried a few jackets, but was instantly drawn towards the mandarin collar. I liked having a combination that felt unique - and to be able to take the jacket off on the night and have a second look without having to buy a second dress!”

Jaimie embellished her jaw-dropping look with something blue(ish) - a pair of Alexandre Birman shoes.

Bravo, Jaimie. Bravo.

Delightful details - we loved the intricate lace back of Jaimie's wedding dress.jpg
Something blue. Jaimie's amazing shoes.jpg

Jaimie’s bridesmaids were dressed in Maids to Measure dresses - shout out to Claire at The White Yard. The lovely trio’s look was finished off with bouquets by Kate Mell.

Jaimie with her beautiful bridesmaids.jpg
Bountiful bouquets by Kate Mell.jpg

Groom Jez, no slouch in the style department himself, kept up appearances with a tailor-made suit from Rhodes Wood of Harrogate, who he couldn’t recommend more. His supporting cast of groomsmen were decked out in suits from Slaters Menswear.

The usual suspects - Jez with his groomsmen.jpg

As is true of his bride, Jez has an eye for detail, and sartorially minded gentlemen will doubtless appreciate this watch-cuff link combo.

The cuff links belong to the groom’s father, while the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetual timepiece is a family heirloom once belonging to Jez’s grandfather and now his uncle. “When I told him I was wearing it for the wedding, he laughed,” says Jez. “He joked: ‘You’ve had your eyes on it for sometime!’”

We don’t blame him.

Watch this ... full marks for Jez's accessorising.jpg

And, below, a closer look at some of the floral embellishments of the day: the individually designed buttonholes and the flower girl’s gorgeous ‘wand’ and floral crown, all the handiwork of Kate Mell.

Buttonholes for Jaimie and Jez's wedding.jpg
Flower girl's accessories by Kate Mell.jpg

The weather, happily, received the memo re. Jaimie & Jez’s picture-perfect day, meaning that guests could take full advantage of the sunshine in The Normans Courtyard.

Guests congregate in The Normans Courtyard.jpg

Once all their guests had congregated in The Courtyard, Jaimie and Jez rolled into The Normans. We love how the regal Bentley falls in line with the couple’s colour scheme. No accident, that.

Arriving in style - Jaimie and Jez roll into The Normans in a Rolls.jpg

And here are the couple, making their entrance into The Normans Courtyard, accompanied by a soundtrack of raucous applause…

Introducing the bride and groom.jpg

… and the sweet warbling of the fantastic Wandering Hands.

Music for the drinks reception was provided by the excellent Wandering Hands.jpg

Guests’ thirst was quenched at the ‘spruce your juice' station, and appetites were sated with some truly original (and oh-so-tasty) canapes.

Fresh fruits for guests to 'pimp' their drink.jpg

“Our guests are still talking about the chicken katsu baozi buns and the ‘Big Mac’ sauce spring rolls,”  says Jaimie of the Hog & Apple’s culinary creations.

Korean-style steamed buns by Hog & Apple.jpg

Meanwhile, we couldn’t help but admire the bride’s commitment to the cause: the card box, a miniature Ikea greenhouse, was painted gold by her own fair hand.

What a reception - drinks on ice ready for guests' arrival at The Normans.jpg

And, since Jaimie and Jez married in a church, rather than onsite, The Normans Ceremony Barn made for the perfect backdrop for the obligatory group photo.

In the absence of a ceremony here at The Normans, the barn made for a great place for a group photo..jpg

We love this shot of The Normans Grain Shed, lined with our rustic banqueting tables - the gantries adorned with olive leaves and dangling tealights. In fact, the gantries bear special significance to this wedding, since they were conceived soon after chatting through ideas when Jez and Jaimie visited the venue last year.

“We remember showing images on our Pinterest board as a bit of a pipe dream but the reality was even better!” says Jaimie.

The Grain Shed dining area ready to receive guests.jpg

We’re also big fans of Jaimie and Jez’s table plan - a simple yet striking guide for guests to find their seat…

A delicate yet effective table plan for guests to find their places.jpg

… and then, the little touches… such as the place settings…

Simple yet effective place setting for bride....jpg
... and groom.jpg

… which were quickly filled by sumptuous sharing platters for that informal feel.

Guests tuck in.jpg

As guests made merry, Jez and Jaimie escaped to the hidden corners of The Normans for a moment’s peace (not to mention some fantastic photo opportunities).

Jaimie and Jez under the spotlight.jpg
A quiet moment in the Cow Stalls.jpg

And so, to the first dance. (Note Jaimie’s subtle outfit change - a perfect look to kick start the evening’s revelries.)

First dance.jpg

Admittedly, the some of the dancing that followed wasn’t quite up to the standard of Jaimie and Jez’s graceful display - but it was nonetheless fun to watch…

Drinkin and dancin.jpg

Too fun for some, it would seem…

Power nap.jpg
The Normans is a really special place... The service and communication is second to none - nothing was too much trouble. And all our guests raved about how unique the venue was - we just cannot speak highly enough of this place!
— Our shining bride, Jaimie
Stunning bride Jaimie (and Jez).jpg

SUPPLIERS

BRIDE’S DRESS MAGGIE SOTTERO

BRIDE’S JACKET JUSTIN ALEXANDER

BRIDAL BOUTIQUE ABIGAIL’S BRIDAL BOUTIQUE

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES MAIDS TO MEASURE FROM THE WHITE YARD

MAKE-UP JEN EDWARDS & CO

FLOWERS KATE MELL

GROOM’S SUIT RHODES WOOD

CATERING THE HOG & APPLE

RECEPTION MUSIC WANDERING HANDS

PHOTOGRAPHY LAURA CALDERWOOD

Come and see us at 'The UK Wedding Event - York Racecourse' on March 20

With our Grand Opening scheduled for early Spring, March is shaping up to be a big month for The Normans, which is why 'The UK Wedding Event - York Racecourse' couldn't come at a better time!

On March 20, we'll be there with armfuls of promotional material, the latest images of our wonderful new Courtyard, Marquee and Ceremony Barn, as well as up-to-date site plans so you can see exactly what our unique venue has to offer you on your big day!

Come and find us at Stand 20! We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

Read all about us! The Normans Weddings & Events is featured in two of Yorkshire's top magazines

The grand opening of The Normans is just under two months away, but our wedding venue is already being featured in some of Yorkshire's top wedding magazines!

We are thrilled that our wedding was chosen for the cover of the November-December 2015 issue of Your Yorkshire Wedding magazine (featuring our beloved pug, Betty!)

We hope that the four-page spread will give you an idea of what to expect from our stunning new wedding venue, which combines rustic features with innovative design: just the spot for a truly unique wedding.

There's also a great online preview of our new wedding venue on the Your Yorkshire Wedding website, which gives another sneak peak of what we have in store...

 

A month later, The Normans Weddings & Events found its way into Yorkshire Bride magazine, an annual publication chock-full of the best wedding venues and suppliers in the county for Yorkshire's brides-to-be.

As you'll see, our wedding venue will feature a beautifully landscaped south-facing courtyard complete with gorgeous flowers, lighting, water feature and seating (where better to sup champagne in the sun?)

Just off The Courtyard you can step into our amazing atrium-roofed marquee - at 12m x 21m there's room enough for dining, drinking and dancing, whatever the size of your guest list.

To the south of The Courtyard you can tie the knot in our rustic barn, while to the west are the quirky Cow Stalls that make for the ultimate country-cool snug!