Styal Lodge

Kate & Simon's Winter Wedding

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000Z

This is the beautiful December wedding of Kate and Simon by Stuart James Photography.

They planned a stunning Winter Wonderland wedding complete with twinkling fairy lights and glowing candles. The lit up garden provided the perfect wintery back drop for some truly stunning pictures!

The venue dressing was by Emma from Special Days and looked magical.

Kate and Simon chose white chair covers with taffeta black bows and the ceiling was filled with hanging paper lanterns with the beams wrapped in organza and fairy lights.

The room was filled with 'up-lighters' which wash the walls and ceiling in soft blue lighting, great for creating that special atmosphere! The table centres were white trees with mini hanging lanterns and white flowers which were then spot lit with our clever in house lighting, they looked spectacular.

Christmas cracker name places!

Tea lights are a simple way to create atmosphere at night!

Table plan tree by Emma at Special Days

Love this!

Very big congratulations to Kate and Simon, it was a pleasure helping plan your beautiful winter wedding and we wish you all the best. x

Photography: Stuart James Photography
Caterer: Pink Pepper
Venue Dressing: Special Days

Wedding photography outside the Lodge

2011-12-29T18:08:00.000Z

I love wedding photography it's become an obsession of mine! This in a collection of some beautiful photography from outside and around the Lodge. There are just so many options at Styal Lodge whether it's on the platform by the lake or in the surrounding open areas you can create some truly magical pictures at any time during the day.

The platform has been such a success this past wedding season and couples have loved the experience of going to it and capturing those perfect images... no matter what the weather!

May - Jonny Draper

May time in the Iris's...

Jonny Draper

September ARJ Photography

July ARJ Photography

June

August at nightfall Tobiah Tayo

August sunset Tobiah Tayo

June

May - Jonny Draper

May Jonny Draper

May- my iPhone!

All of these pictures have been taken down at the platform and in the surrounding open areas, it's great for photographers to get use of this space because as you can see it makes way for some spectacular photography. And for those of you wandering how we get you to these places.... (don't worry it's only 2 mins away)...

ARJ Photography

Jonny Draper Photography

Jacqui & Will

2011-11-14T10:00:00.001Z

I have been looking forward to sharing this wedding on the blog for a while now and for the reason that not only was this a totally gorgeous wedding captured so sweetly and perfectly by Jonny Draper but it was also a wedding where the couple, Jacqui and Will were so lovely to work with and it was such a pleasure to have their wedding at the Lodge!

After the church ceremony the couple and their 180 guests (our biggest wedding to date!) made their way over to Styal Lodge

The Lodge look so elegant and perfect for a May wedding. The high ceiling was filled with white lanterns and organza draped across (all venue dressing by Emma @ Special Days)

The best table names ever? What a great personal idea! Here's just a few...

As always when the room dressing is finished the spot lights come on and light up the flowers making everything look that little bit extra special.

Boxes for writing messgaes in were placed on the table settings

While the drinks reception flowed the Bride and Groom were whisked away to the platform with Jonny for some pictures

In May the water is surrounded by yellow Iris's and looks stunning!

This took some organisation from Jonny but he managed a great group shot in the garden!!

Jacqui and Will make their entrance as husband and wife.

The couple decided to be seated on a round table in the middle of their guests. I love this picture of Jacqui's dad starting his speech cheered on by his daughter.

Love these evening garden shots

Pink Pepper's famous cheese table to keep the guests going into the evening

Time to cut the cake!

Then on to the first dance... I featured this picture recently in my last post about The First Dance and it has to be one of my favourites it's so atmospheric! And Jacqui's dress looks amazing...

Starting the evening entertainment was a great band- Madison. We started recommending this band after we saw them at this wedding they are brilliant!

And finally the couple had this shot made into their Thank you cards which was a great idea. This is what our card had written inside:

We wanted to thank you all for your hard work in getting us ready for our wedding. We ahd the most perfect day and a lot of that was down to all your wonderful attension to detail. We fell in love with styal Lodge as soon as we saw it and we knew there was no other venue for us! It certainly lived up to its reputation and the perfect setting for our wedding. We shall miss coming up and seeing you all!

Lots of Love to Jacqui and Will and all the best for their future together!

Thanks to Jonny Draper Photography for these beautiful images

The First Dance...

2011-10-31T10:00:00.008Z

First dance time... Some couples dread it and others are too wrapped up in the moment to care too much! I think it's my favourite part of weddings it marks the end of an amazing day and the start of an evening celebration and it's great seeing how different photographers capture it...

Sean and Tracey by Slice of Pie Designs

Rachel and Andy by Jenny and Keith McAvoy

Hannah and Jason by Jonny Draper

Jacqui & Will by Jonny Draper

Kate and Romin by ARJ Photography

Sophie and Wayne by Tobiah Tayo

Natalie and Simon by Vikki Huges

Charlotte and James by Jenny and Keith McAvoy

So many lovely couples and so many more to come!

Chris & Viv

2011-10-27T13:46:00.000+01:00

The late Indian Summer arrived for this lovely early October wedding of Chris and Viv! Throughout all the planning stages this couple wanted a very unique and personal day so for the ceremony the chairs were all laid out in a circular format with Chirs and Viv saying their vows in the middle of all their guests.

After the ceremony it was straight out into the garden to enjoy the beautiful sunshine.

First dance time and the dance floor is lit up by the beautiful canopy and fairy light which looks gorgeous at night (provided by Emma at Special Days)

Great final dancing image!

This was a lovely wedding of two people who wanted to celebrate with lots of family in friends in a way that really reflected them as a couple and it went perfectly!

Caterer: Top Table

Styal Lodge Open Evening

2011-10-20T17:28:00.001+01:00

We all enjoyed Styal Lodge's Open Evening the other week. Thank you to every one who was involved and to all our future brides and grooms who managed to come along. All photography is by the amazing Jonny Draper!

Our brand new photo brochures!

Ceremony dressed by Emma from Special days

The White Closet transformed the bridal room into a beautiful dressing room filled with stunning dresses! Dresses were from Charlotte Balbier and The Vintage Wedding Dress Company

Make up by the lovely Emma Draper

Beautiful cakes from 'and the Dish ran away with the Spoon'

Lots of sweeties from Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe in Alderley Edge

Barratts had mini desserts in shot glasses

Gorgeous little brownies from Pink Pepper

Amazing floral display from the Potting Shed

We were joined by Gavin from the 'Coolers'

Canapes were provided by Top Table...

We had Tom Harrington from Silk Wedding Videos playing his amazing video of Hannah & Jason wedding

Sophie modelling a dress from The White Closet

Anabelle in a dress from 'The Vintage Wedding Dress Company'

The girls with Charlotte Balbier who came along for the evening too!

Sophie wearing a dress from the new Candy Kisses collection from Charlotte Balbier

Thank-you to so many who came along to the evening and to all the suppliers involved!

The Open Evening 13th October

2011-10-10T15:42:00.002+01:00

This Thursday we will be hosting our Open Evening! From 5 pm till 9 pm we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible through the doors and meeting some of our wonderful wedding friends! Lots happening and this blog post will give you an insight into it all...

We will be offering everyone a drink and our three caterers:

Barretts

Top Table

Pink Pepper

will also be on hand to chat about your wedding plans and offer some tasters!

Special Days

Emma will be showing some venue dressing ideas for the top table and round tables as well as the overall look of the Lodge with lighting and lanterns!

We all visited The White Closet recently for a preview of their new dress designer- The Vintage Wedding Dress Company and thought it was such a beautiful place for a brides to see some stunning dresses! We already have a few brides who have found their dress here!

Emma Draper Make-Up Artist

Emma worked on our 'Future of Vintage' Shoot with Eve Broadhurst

picture by Jonny Draper Photography
Emma will be demonstrating different make-up styles on our models for the evening who will all be dressed in The White Closet dresses!

We are lucky enough to have had Jonny Draper already shoot some amazing weddings at the Lodge and we couldn't think of a better photographer to have on board with us for you to meet!

The tastiest most beautiful cakes you ever saw! And the Dish rand away with the Spoon will be showing their talents along with the help of 'For the Love of Vintage'

We were so impressed to see one of Tom's wedding videos from this Summer his unique style and contemporary approach is amazing we will be playing his films on the projector throughout the evening.

THE POTTING SHED

Creative floral artists, the Potting Shed will be showing off their signature vintage style flowers and trees...

We've also got some live music from Gavin -lead singer of one of the best wedding bands around- The Coolers! We have been lucky to have them performing at the Lodge a few times this summer and they have always created the best party atmosphere for all the guests!

You will also be able to make sure you have met all of the Lodge team: Sarah, Ally, Georgina and Poppy

See you on Thursday!

Photo by Jonny Draper

Tracey & Sean

2011-09-14T13:59:00.007+01:00

On Saturday we held the wedding of Tracey and Sean and the photographers Slice of Pie sent over a lovely little sneak preview yesterday!

Gorgeous evening platform shot!

Thanks for sharing these! All the best to Tracey and Sean such a lovely lovely couple!!

Hannah and Jason

2011-09-09T13:57:00.002+01:00

I have been so excited to share this wedding on the blog! Back in May was the beautiful wedding day of Hannah and Jason captured by Jonny Draper it has brought back all the great memories of this stunning wedding and I can fall in love with it all over again!

Hannah chose the very talented Laura from Laurel Weddings to create her wedding flowers, center pieces and ceremony dressing and her creations were utterly beautiful. We were so pleased we had her doing one of our weddings! Just wait till you see pictures of the room!!

Hannah's amazing dress was from Timeless Bride

Hannah got ready at home and then arrived for her ceremony in style!

The Lodge ceiling was filled with white organza drapes and white lanterns and the beams were wrapped with fairy lights! This was all created by Emma from Special Days she also provided the chair covers and pale blue sash.

The center pieces by Laurel Weddings towered up to ceilings and looked fabulous, the candelabras were filled with pale blue hydrangeas and were dripping with pearls... wow!

The table plan was set in an magnificent ice sculpture!

Tasty canapes by Barretts

The favours were lottery tickets!

Sneaking off to the platform for photos

In May time the lake is filled with pretty yellow Irises

Hannah starts the evening celebrations!

Great band The Right Stuff kicked the evening off...

What a wedding!! It has also been featured in Pure Wedding magazine's Autumn issue.

We wish all very the best to Hannah and Jason from us all

x
Watch the wedding venue by Silk Wedding Videos http://silkweddingvideos.co.uk/blog/?p=513

Kate and Romin

2011-08-31T16:28:00.000+01:00

Back in the warm July sunshine Kate and Romin held their wedding at the Lodge, it was a gorgeous day and they were the loveliest couple! Their photographer Adam of ARJ Photography has kindly shared a few of his amazing images...

I love it when all the girls are getting ready in the bridal room, drinking fizz and getting excited!

The lovely center pieces were made using our fish bowls (we have these vases and tall lily ones!) and Kirsty from Special Days filled them with pale pink and ivory rose heads.

Romin and the Ushers have arrived!

Just married!

Pink Peppers amazing vintage china! One of our fabulous caterers!

I love this early evening platform shot Kate looks gorgeous

One of the best wedding bands the Groove Monkeys getting the evening going!

It was lovely to meet such a great couple and to have been apart of their beautiful wedding. We wish them all the very best! x

Sophie and Wayne

2011-08-22T10:00:00.006+01:00

I have been so excited to put this blog post together for you ever since I saw a sneak preview of this beautiful wedding by Tobiah Tayo www.tobiahtayo.com last week I knew it would be amazing and here it is to share...

Sophie and Wayne held their marriage ceremony at the lovely Norcliffe Chapel in Styal, just 2 minuets down the road! Sophie decided to get ready in the bridal room with her bridesmaids and the cutest ever flower girls.

Sophie's make-up artist was the very talented Gemma Hallowell

Lots of family and friends popped in to!

Bridal flowers by Emma and Kirsty at Special Days

Pink Prosecco while the girls get ready!

Bridesmaids arrive at Norcliffe Chapel

Best wishes to Sophie and Wayne and many thanks to Tobiah Tayo for sharing these amazing images

Jess and Mike

2011-08-04T14:44:00.000+01:00

The stunning day of Jess and Mike at the end of July was perfect- you couldn't have asked for better weather and a lovelier couple.

I still can't believe how much the garden has changed and grown over the past year, it has been looking it's best recently for all guests to enjoy in the sunshine

Mike arrives and Jonny Draper get's an amazing shot of him by the car! Mike is in his full Navy uniform and looks great! Check it out Jonny's sneak preview: http://blog.jonnydraper.co.uk/2011/08/01/jess-and-mikes-styal-lodge-wedding-sneak-preview/

Navy blue to match the groom!

The beautiful room dressing complete with hanging lanterns was created by Emma and Kirsty @Special Days... wow!

The amazing cake

The tables were all named after sweeties!

Following the table name theme was a sweetie favour table!

Wish tree for the guest to hang a little message to the couple

They had a guard of honour for after the ceremony!

Lots more lantern shots for you

I wanted to create a post with lots of room dressing pictures especially with lanterns to give you a real idea of different looks you can create in the Lodge.

We wish all the very best to the lovely Mike and Jess

Charlotte & James

2011-07-19T15:08:00.000+01:00

The lovely wedding of Charlotte and James took place on 18th June. I have loved looking back on this wedding and the beautiful pictures that captured it by Jenny and Keith McAvoy.

What's great about this post is it's going to give a great insight into a wedding where the bride and bridesmaids all get read at the Lodge in the bridal suite before holding their ceremony and then reception all at Styal Lodge. You're in for a treat...

Wow we were all obsessed with Charlotte's dress as you can see she looked simply stunning

Jimmy Choos!

Pretty purple bridesmaids

The bridal room is perfect for having pictures just before the ceremony.

James ready and waiting as the ceremony begins

The canapy drapping over the ceiling has little fairy light inside it- all provided by Emma @ Special days

The colour scheme was vibrant purples and pinks

Butterfly name cards and love heart favours

Group shot with all the guests under the ceremony bay- just shows how many great pictures you can take inside if the weather is quite perfect...

Beautiful

The weather started to behave and everyone could get outside!

Love this!

Cake cutting and eating time!

Love this picture what a great image of the confetti over Charlotte's dress

Time to head off into the grounds in the beautiful early evening light

First dance... and then party time

I think from these images it's clear to see what a fun and very happy wedding this was for everyone involved. We wish Charlotte and James all the best in their future together it was lovely to meet them and get to know them in the run up to their special day

Of course many thanks to Keith and Jenny McAvoy for sharing this beautiful wedding with us!

Hannah & Jason's Wedding Video

2011-07-13T14:35:00.000+01:00

Curtis Wedding Video- Styal Lodge Cheshire from silk wedding videos on Vimeo.

Love love love this!

The very talented Tom from Silk Wedding Videos brought this to show me last week and we put it up on the big projector screen in its full HD glory! It's such a beautiful film and so well done I couldn't think of a better memory of your wedding day.

Tom & Laura

2011-07-08T16:20:00.000+01:00

1st July 2011

A stylish entrance from the Bride & Groom

All the venue dressing was done by Emma @Special Days

Vintage China by Sarah @Pink Pepper

A friend of Tom & Laura made this beautiful cake.

This was this table that got the evening started with the first round of Jagerbombs during the Wedding breakfast.

A grand total of 300 Jagerbombs were drunk a record for the Lodge.

Being welcomed as the new Mr & Mrs Ravencroft.

Best wishes to you both x

Gemma & Barry

2011-07-07T16:53:00.000+01:00

A stunning weekend of weddings starting with Barry and Gemma on Thursday 30th June. (All the photos taken on my iPhone) Finally the summer has started and we had a weekend of hot sunny weather...

A striking photo down by the platform.

All the venue dressing was by Emma @Special Days

Fabulous cake complete with roses and butterflies in icing!

This was Barry taking a pictures of Gemma walking in the long grass by the lake at the platform, I know the photographer will have got some great shots of this!

Very cute page boys all dressed in white.

I think this is the only time that day they stood still!!

Arriving in style.....

Waiting patiently for the cake to be cut!

Wishing Barry and Gemma all the best towards an exciting future together.

Nick & Lisa

2011-06-29T15:51:00.002+01:00

We are now offically half way through the summer wedding season! Although we have weddings all year round our busiest time is definitely April- September... So many great weddings so far and many more to come!
I received a lovely email from Lisa and Nick (Wedding 3rd June 2011) back from their honeymoon and they kindly sent me some gorgeous pictures from their day. You may remember the post I did of their 'behind the scenes wedding' a while ago.

Gorgeous Flowers by Knutsford Bloom

The guests traveled to and and from the church in style!

The room looked so vibrant and amazing! Lisa had even found paper lanterns to match her colours.

The cakes was made by Pink Pepper

This was the messgae we got from Lisa:

'We just wanted to thank you for all of your help in putting together our wonderful wedding a couple of weeks ago - we had an amazing day and I was absolutely stunned at how gorgeous everything looked at the Lodge. It really was a perfect venue for us and we can't thank you enough for being so brilliant throughout!'

It's so lovely to hear back form couples who enjoyed their day so much and it was great to get these pictures! We wish them both all the very best.

Rachel & Andrew's Wedding

2011-06-22T17:08:00.000+01:00

For me this blog post is going back in time a little bit... I was very excited to see these pictures recently from a wedding that actually took place last year! The lovely photographers Jenny and Keith came to photograph another wedding here last weekend and I can't wait to see of those images but first it has been great to look back at one of our early couples the gorgeous Rachel & Andy.

Rachel & Andy got married at their local church and then headed over to the Lodge for their reception

So sweet! This has to be one of my favourite little bridesmaid picture!

The table centers had been create by Emma and Kirsty @ Special Days

The soft grey bows looked amazing with the bold orange orchids

This wedding was back in August and although the weather wasn't too great they managed to get some lovely pictures in the garden

Bride & Groom entrance time!

I LOVE this one, I think it's very simply beautiful and there is no mistaking the Lodge backdrop!

It's so great to look back at past weddings at the Lodge and remember all the lovely people we have been lucky to meet. Great images from Keith and Jenny McAvoy thank you for sharing them with us!

Wedding design from start to finish!

2011-06-03T20:03:00.001+01:00

Something a little different for you today and from the side you never get to see! I am taking you behind the scenes of the lovely wedding of Lisa and Nick from start to finish of the set-up. I always find it amazing to watch the Lodge being transformed week by week into each couples chosen colours and styles...

Lisa had a very specific vision of her wedding as fresh and vibrant and all her choices worked so well, I hope you enjoy watching their wedding come to life...

The starting point! Tables in place and that's all to begin with...

'Tiffany Blue' table cloths and chairs with raspberry pink seats all supplied by Pink Pepper

Lisa had seen pictures of our vibrant vintage shoot and loved the lanterns so she found some online to match her colour scheme and enlisted the help of the wonderful Emma from Special Days to put them up and to decorate the beams with fairy lights.

The florists arrive from Knutsford Bloom to start setting up the table centers

Lisa delivers all her menu cards and table names complete with matching pictures!

Pretty and pink the flowers looked stunning...

Lisa & Nick decided to create a sweetie table for their favours!

The next stage involves everyone setting up the room, laying out the places, glasses, adjusting the lighting... getting everything perfect!

Final checks take place as the room is nearly finished...

Gorgeous!

Finally the cake is set up! This was created by Pink Pepper and are special Mojito style cupcakes!

Lisa and Nick made a wish tree table for their guests to leave messages to hand on the tree surrounded by pictures of their childhood and old family wedding photos, such a lovely personal touch.

The bus which brought all the guests from the church!

Lisa and Nick's amazing wedding car!

Perfect summer drinks... pink Prosecco with frozen raspberries

Beautiful summers day so I had to include a picture from the garden which is looking wonderful at the moment and full of blooming flowers and trees...

And to finish this post a pictures from down by the platform of the happy couple.

It has been an amazing wedding to be apart of and I hope you have enjoyed a little behind the scenes view!

We wish all the very best to Lisa & Nick

(All photos taken on iPhone)

A week of weddings!

2011-05-31T00:20:00.000+01:00

What a week it has been for us at the Lodge! All these pictures have been taken on my iPhone from May bank holiday week. It has been such a great few days despite the good old English weather we have been lucky to have some beautiful couples at the Lodge celebrating their special day...

Table centers by Emma at Special Days

Great wedding favours!

Personalised Love Hearts

Pretty cakes!

Vintage china by Pink Pepper

Wish tree for guests to write messages on

I will be updating the blog soon with photographers images of recent weddings so lots more exciting posts to come! Now time for a little rest for all of us at the Lodge ready for next weekends weddings!!

Hope you have all had a lovely bank holiday!

Lodge weddings collage

2011-05-10T15:09:00.000+01:00

A mix of lovely wedding memories

Behind the scenes of 'The Future of Vintage' Shoot!

2011-05-10T11:22:00.000+01:00

The Future Of Vintage Shoot from silk wedding videos on Vimeo.

Thank-you to the amazing Tom Harrington from Silk Wedding videos for filming this and putting it together so perfectly! Tom is filming a wedding here on Saturday so we are looking forward to having him back at the Lodge again.
www.silkweddingvideos.co.uk

Natalie and Wayne April wedding

2011-05-03T14:59:00.000+01:00

What a beautiful April we have all had and the Lodge has been filled with lots of lovely happy weddings... after the Royal wedding it really has been a great month. The wedding of Natalie and Wayne took place at the Lodge on the 16th April and was a perfect day...

After the couple were married they made their way over to Styal Lodge with their guests for the reception.

Love the colour balance in this picture of Natalie's bouquet with Wayne's buttonhole...

The caterer was the brilliant Pink Pepper and they also created the table designs which showed simple elegance.

These cakes were so fab! How good do they look?! They were created by 'And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon' in Didsbury.

The wedding platform is proving to be a really fun and exciting part of the wedding day and it's creating some fabulous images as you can see here... These two were pros!

Love this.

Can't leave out the transportation!

The Love Seat

Perfect picture of the first dance

Natalie and Wayne were such a lovely couple and this really reflected in their big day and into their photographs, it was a pleasure to be part of it and we wish them all the best.

Photography by: Illumini Photography www.illuminiphotogrpahy.co.uk

April Weddings

2011-04-18T19:31:00.001+01:00

So we've had a gorgeous April so far and gorgeous weddings too!

Phil Platt Photography

Starting with Chris and Helen on the 9th... this is there lovely cupcake cake made by Sarah at Pink Pepper

Phil Platt Photography

Chris and Helen with their lovely little girl Amalee

The first official couple to use the platform! They had the good idea of bringing a bottle of fizz to share a quick drink to celebrate!

Big congratulations to both of them

Phil Platt Photography

Last weekend was Natalie and Wayne's wedding day and again the sun shone and it was a beautiful day!

These are the delicious cupcakes which were made by 'And the Dish ran away with the Spoon'

The very cool table plan by Pink Pepper

A bit of a behind the scenes shot here with the couple busy being directed by the photographer, I can't wait to see the official photos soon!

This week we are busy with a very exciting photo shoot at the Lodge, I can't give too much away but it's going to be amazing so I will be sharing the images on the blog soon!

Platform... Next Stage...

2011-03-18T19:17:00.004Z

So here we are at the next stage of building... As you can see the actual platform part is complete and at the moment we are building steps down to it.

It's looks great now the base has been completed and I can't wait to get the first 'real' pictures on here!

It will also look even better once Spring really gets going and there is more life in the surrounding areas but it still looks great with the 'Wintery' tree reflections...

Most important was making the steps easy and wide enough to walk down in a beautiful wedding dress! And just wait till you see the transport we are getting to take couples to this spot (its only 2 mins away form the Lodge itself but we thought you'd have to get there is style..... watch this space!) x

The Platform... Early Stages!

2011-02-24T14:06:00.006Z

So I promised to give an update on the building stages of the platform and work started yesterday so I had to let you all know! Some of you may know but we decided that as we are surrounded by so much beautiful land and water it would be great to have a secret spot to whisk the wedding couple away too and we're building just that!

Stage one: We knew the location over looking the water would be perfect, the glass lake reflecting back the surroundings just looked amazing. So the work began... First the posts have been suck into the ground for the base...

For those of you (like me at first!) wondering why the posts are so high these are just for the initial building stage and will be cut down to ground level when completed. We are also building steps down to the platform so it will be very easy to step straight onto - even in a wedding dress!

I thought it would be good to have a few different effects on the pictures... getting so excited about the kind of images that will be created!

Once the initial stages are completed the floor base will be put down

Well I had to have a go on it! You can also see the reeds around the platform which will soon blossom into yellow Irises.

I will hopefully have another update next week! Let me know what you think??

Party Time Vicky's 50th

2011-02-23T14:19:00.007Z

Something a little different to post today! A few weeks ago the Lodge was transformed for Vicky's 50th Birthday Party into a very gorgeous and glamorous evening. Every little part had been carefully planned out by Vicky so that her closets friends and family could have a fabulous evening...

Vicky's husband giving his speech

Very glam!

The delicious food was created by the wonderful Pink Pepper

Pink Pepper has beautiful vintage china - perfect for puddings and afternoon tea! How beautiful does this look?!!

The evening entertainment kicks the evening off. This is the fabulous One Stop Boogie...

onestopboogie.co.uk

This is a messgae from Vicky about the party:

Dear Richard, Sarah and Georgina,

WOW ..what a venue ……the party was a brilliant success. The venue was perfect, it gave me just the atmosphere that I wished to create.

Pink Pepper Catering were fantastic…….the food was fabulous , the service exceptional and Neil managed the timings and all the small details to perfection.

The tables looked brilliant with the spot lights and the layout with the pathway through the tables worked well.

I was able to relax and enjoy every minute of the evening.

All the best,

Vicky and Richard

Photographs by Sophie Woodley

Summer Days

2011-01-20T15:10:00.005Z

Is anyone else just feeling a little bit too 'wintery' at the moment?! Today the temperature has suddenly dropped again and the view out of the window looks a little bleak! I have decided to cheer myself, and hopefully you, up a little bit with some pictures from back in June when the sun was shining and the garden looking lovely!

Perfect summer reception drink pink Prosecco

The garden has really come on so much now it's had it's first summer to get going, really looking forward to seeing it come to life again this spring. In spring/summer time it is such a lovely area to have the drinks reception and then later in the evenings to chill and relax on the outdoor sofas.

I love these views from the course looking onto the Lodge all lit up as evening starts to fall...

Hope this has brightened your day just a little bit!

The First Year

2011-01-14T13:18:00.007Z

Wow... I just can't believe how fast the first year has gone! We have now reached the date on which last year we had our first ever beautiful wedding at the Lodge which was Laura and Mark. Laura recently gave birth to a baby girl so big congratulations to the both of them! I wanted to share with you a few special images from the past year that have made the Lodge everything we ever wanted it to be, some of these couples including Danielle and Sam (above) booked their wedding when the Lodge was still a building site way back in the Summer of 2009!
The Lodge is surrounded by lovely open green spaces and we've had some fun getting brides and groom's out on golf buggy's to get to the best spots! This year we will be building a platform out onto one of the lake's nearby to get some more amazing shots.

The bridal suite just has to be one of my favourite things about the Lodge, I remember when my mum and I designed the room we knew exactly how couples would need to use the space so we really tried to think of everything. The big gilt mirror is so perfect for the full length view when the bride is getting ready.
Owen and Livy decided to serve cask ale at their wedding as a treat for the guests, great idea! I love this picture by Jonny Draper.
The outside has really come on so much in the past months and I can't wait to see it all again this summer in full bloom! Sarah planned each aspect of the wedding garden so that during different months there is always something going on with all the different trees and flowers... this is definitely my Mum's area of expertise so I won't go into it too much but to say it looks gorgeous.
Our idea to have the 'Love Seat' put at the end of the garden has worked even better than we imagined and I'm so glad that so many couples have got some beautiful pictures on it, this is just one of James and Vicki by Jonny Draper. The rose arbour has really taken hold now and the fairy lights make it look magical at night!
This was the wedding of Sarah and Steve, they had a humanist ceremony at the Lodge which was stunning and McDonald Photography took some beautiful photographs- you can see the full post on the blog under September.
Letting off heart shaped lantern's, they looked so very pretty! (I took this snap on my iPhone.)

All important moments before the ceremony begins...

Another picture taken out on the course, one of my favourites.

To finish here is a great image taken by Jonny Draper, need I say any more? So romantic and the Lodge does look pretty cool don't you think?!!

So many memories and pictures from the past year, I could go on and on but I just wanted to post something about how special it has all been for us as a family starting the Lodge. We have enjoyed every second and met some brilliant people so thank-you to everyone for your support! We're all so excited about 2011 and all our new couples it's been great meeting you all and I can't wait to meet even more...

Richard, Sarah and Georgina Higham

Wedding Evening

2011-01-06T15:09:00.004Z

Hello and very Happy New Year to you all!

I am sharing some beautiful pictures with you from our lovely wedding evening last October. The photography is all by the brilliant Jonny Draper who always gets such perfect images of the Lodge, as I am sure you will agree!

As we move into January we have been meeting lots of new couples and gaining more new Lodge Bride's and Groom's which is very exciting. I hope these pictures will help give ideas and inspiration for their big days!

At the wedding evening all of the flower's were by the fantastic Flower Design, run by Jane and Jason I have never seen such amazing creations they are truly unique!

A collection of pictures from our wedding over the past summer!

My very favourite cupcakes by The Sweettooth Cupcakery so so yummy and pretty!

The 'Afternoon Tea' style wedding has been a popular idea and so we decided to have a table devoted to just that, lovely vintage china all provided by one of our caterers Pink Pepper

The Lodge set up for a civil ceremony

Front Entrance

The bridal suite filled with lovely dresses from Timeless Bride

This is Poppy in a stunning Timeless Bride dress, a gorgeous bouquet by Flower Design and beautifully captured by Jonny Draper! I love this view of the garden at dusk really shows you how great the lighting looks outside.

Big thank-you to the lovely models Annabelle, Izzy and Poppy, love this picture!

It was a very successful evening and so great to see all our brides and grooms again and all so excited for their big days!

'art off the edge' Winter Exhibition 2010

2010-11-05T11:09:00.009Z

We are very excited to be hosting once again the 'art off the edge' annual Winter exhibition this November. The private view will be on the 19th of November and the exhibition will be open over the weekend. The show is put together be local artists Ally and Mandy and is a enticing collection of varied art forms. I hope some of you will be able to come along and see for yourself!

These are a few pictures from last years exhibition by the photographer Paul Read who also exhibited his own work.

It is also great to see how the Lodge can be transformed for such different events such as this one, although we designed the Lodge as wedding venue, it is ultimately a very adjustable space for different events.

We are looking forward to the Lodge being filled once again with 'art off the edge' !

Robert and Claire's Autumn Wedding

2010-10-27T14:27:00.006+01:00

A very gorgeous sunny day in early October Claire and Robert held their wedding day at the Lodge.
The lovely bride Claire arriving with an beautiful bouquet by The Flower Lounge in Didsbury
Claire getting ready just before the ceremony

Claire had chosen red hearts to hang down from the ceiling above the aisle which looked great and tied in with the colour theme throughout the Lodge

Group picture out on the terrace!

The fabuolous cake made by Celebration Cakes

The room dressed in burgendy reds with the beams wrapped in fairy lights and white organza all by Emma at Special Days

Group picture in the bridal suite

I love the mirror in the bride's room it is so perfect for full length views of the dress!

Congratulations to Rob and Claire this was a really lovely wedding and we wish them all the very best x

Photography by Mike Allen Photography www.mikeallen.co.uk

Gothic Party!

2010-10-25T13:07:00.014+01:00

Back in September the Lodge was transformed for the evening into a dark dungeon of gothic delights. The event was Matthew's 50th birthday party and what an amazing idea for a themed party! Everyone made such an effort and the decorations all provided by Emma at Special Days were spectacular!

Great table names!

The 'Count Mattular' cake!

All the lighting created such a spooky atmosphere!

Mist was cascading through the Lodge highlighted by the table light spots and the Lodge's very own laser lighting system...

There was even a tomb stone!

The beams were dressed with fairy lights and wrapped in back organza.

I love all these pictures of the band and people on the dance floor, so atmospheric!

The costumes were just brilliant...

Even the band made an effort to get into the theme!

Old horror movies were projected onto the walls!

Such a fantastic party and we all could not believe how much the lodge was transformed for the evening!

This is what Matthew had to say:

Just a word to say what a fabulous party I had at Styal Lodge.

We were so well looked after by your team, both on the night and in the the build up to the event. Every need was catered for; and thanks for putting us in touch with the people who supplied all the extras.

I had heard of your reputation as a great venue for weddings but you helped me stage such a brilliant Gothic themed party. What's great about Styal Lodge is it is obviously a venue that can be adapted to all occasions!

Sarah and Steve's Wedding

2010-10-18T15:42:00.011+01:00

On the 4th September 2010 Sarah and Steve held their wedding at Styal Lodge, it was a beautiful day and every little thing had been thought out...

I loved Sarah's shoes!!

Everything about this couple was individual. They brought out their musical sides not only in the ceremony but with the cleverly designed table centers, all created using musical instruments and decorated with fresh flowers, they look fantastic.

Each table had a story, a memory, from the couple relating to their shared love for music and bands!

They had their own Sweethearts table!

Getting ready in the bridal suite! I always love this part of the day as the bride, bridesmaids and mum spend the morning getting ready...

The ceremony begins and the room looks gorgeous with white sparkling bows on the chairs covers provided by Emma @ Special Days

Sarah and Steve had a humanist ceremony during which 'Handfasting' demonstates the couples commitment to each other.

So glad that the weather held up and Andy managed to get the couple out for some great pictures on the course! The buggy was looking great too!

Wow! Such an amazing cake!

All the very best to Sarah and Steve!

Photography:

www.mcdonald-photography.co.uk

Wedding Evening 14th October!

2010-10-12T12:21:00.008+01:00

Styal Lodge are celebrating all things wedding!

On the 14^th October 2010 6pm - 9pm you are invited to come and have another look to see what we are all about at Styal Lodge.

You'll get the opportunity to meet some of the best suppliers in the business and to pick up some amazing ideas and inspiration for your own big day.

Our wedding friends on hand to chat to you on the evening are:

Jonny Draper Photography

Special Days Events

Timeless Bride

Gemma Hallowell, Make-up Artist

Sweet tooth Cupcakery

And of course our three fab caterers will be there too: Barretts Event Caterers, Top Table and Pink Pepper.

Click Here and become a fan of our Facebook page and get in touch with other Lodge brides for more ideas and advice for your wedding.

We look forward to seeing you on the 14^th October! x

Afternoon Tea

2010-09-21T14:16:00.006+01:00

I had to put up some of these gorgeous pictures from the weekend when we had Afternoon Tea at the Lodge created by the talented Pink Pepper. It look absolutely gorgeous!

The event was a suprise birthday party organised by Emma for her mum!

There was vintage china at every place setting! Provided by Pink Pepper

What a lovely surprise this was! The Lodge was decorated as a garden with all sorts of trees dotted around and lighting it looked fabulous.

Danielle and Sam's Wedding

2010-09-17T12:59:00.016+01:00

This is the full story of Danielle & Sam's wedding at the Lodge on the 7th August 2010.

There were so many gorgeous photo's from the lovely photographer Catherine Walsh that I have ended up putting most of them on the blog!

Danielle and Sam were one of our first couple's to book the Lodge for their wedding back when we were still a bit of a building site! But they knew exactly what a special place we were creating and it was truly a pleasure for all of us at the Lodge to hold their wedding day, it was a very special day as they pictures will show...

The next few pictures are of Danielle and the bridal party getting ready... I love the morning of weddings at the Lodge with everyone getting ready and helping out and you get to see everything coming together...

Quick practise!

This was a real vintage inspired wedding

Bridesmaids on hand to help put on Danielle's beautiful dress

Danielle with her daughter Lola a very gorgeous bridesmaid!

Just before the ceremony started!

Sam getting ready and waiting...

We organised some golf buggy's to take the bridal party out onto the course for some photos!

Perfect example of how the Bridal room can be used for little ones in the evening!
Speech time

First dance time kicks off the evening party!

Many congratulations to the lovely Mr and Mrs Ryder and of course Lola and Jude!

James and Vicki's Wedding

2010-09-10T12:33:00.009+01:00

Cupcakes provided by the wonderful Ace of Cakes!

James and Vicky decided for a chilled summer drinks mix of Pimms and bottles beers...

Enter the new Mr & Mrs Brown!

Speech time...

James and Vicky let off lanterns together a nightfall and Jonny got some amazing shots!

Big congratulations to you both!

Catererd by Top Table

Photography by Jonny Draper

Alana and Jay's Wedding

2010-08-26T17:59:00.007+01:00

Many congratulations to the lovely Alana and Jay Macklin who held their wedding reception at the Lodge on 31st July

All photography by Matt Priestley www.mattpriestley.co.uk

Jenny & Jamie by David Lake Photography

2010-08-11T15:08:00.005+01:00

A very gorgeous summer's day in June... Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Yates!

Photographer: David Lake