We have attended countless weddings over the years, but recently experienced a first for us – the bride arriving by helicopter
The venue was the wonderful Beeston Manor, set in 140 acres of the beautiful Ribble Valley, Lancashire – reportedly the Queen’s favourite area of England.
Beeston Manor exterior
Although it was drizzling slightly, the wedding guests were still excited to see a helicopter land in the venue grounds.
The venue is the perfect blend of old and new – a 16th century sandstone barn with a modern, bright clean feel complete with sandstone walls and exposed oak beams. It is set well away from nearby roads and has a private, exclusive feel. The approach to the venue also sets that “exclusive wedding”mood, passing through lovely Lancashire countryside lanes.
Beeston Manor, Lancashire, interior.
We were met by general manager Amy, who was very friendly and helpful (as were all the staff on the day) and we waited until the wedding ceremony had begun before setting up in the reception area.
We were ready to serve as soon as the guests began leaving the ceremony room and, as always when we set-up our mobile crêperie “in secret”, it’s great to see the excitement and surprise among the guests when they first see us.
Wedding Crêpes
As is usual at this time of day, we were extremely popular, with both of us working at full speed. Crêpes as an alternative to canapés at a wedding always works very well indeed – I would go as far as to say when we offer crêpes in the early afternoon we generally experience greater demand than at any other point during the whole wedding day. Savoury crêpes are definitely the most popular choice when offered as a canapé alternative at weddings, with cheese and ham (with optional chilli and pepper) being the most popular. Many guests had more than one, and of the sweet options, Milky Bar and fresh strawberry was probably the most chosen option. Though as ever, nutella put in a strong performance!
Bride watching crêpe chef in action
During this time the bride and groom went off for a trip in the helicopter (!) which of course the guests loved to see and all-too-soon, the Master of Ceremonies was announcing that the wedding breakfast would be served – amazingly, guests continued to order crêpes!
As the bride and groom waited to make their entrance into the dining room, they thanked us for attending and told us everyone loved the crêpes and they were very pleased that they chose us to be part of their wedding- which is always nice to hear.
Bridesmaids choosing crêpes
After clearing away our crêpe station, we chatted with one of the owners of the venue for a while who told us a little more about the venue and the way they like to operate. In my opinion they have the right blend of professionalism and flexibility and are very realistic about how a wedding should ideally work. It’s an unfortunate fact that the wishes of the bride and groom are sometimes overlooked or ignored but I am very confident that that is not the case at this venue.
As we were leaving the owner even recommended a good place for a curry about five miles away – and she was right!
We had a very enjoyable day and we are sure the bride, groom and guests did too. I would certainly recommend Beeston Manor if you are considering it for your big day.
And of course, I would also recommend Original Crêpes provide catering whatever else you decide.
Happy wedding guests!
