Lisa & I regularly attend events & functions at the Grand Hotel at Gosforth Park in Newcastle. But always as part of the Marriott Hotel Group. This was the first time we had visited under its new owners, so we were curious to see what changes had been made and whether the staff’s service would be as good as it had been in the past. Gina & Adam had booked the wedding originally when it was a Mariott so they were hoping that they would get the service they were expecting too. My biggest concern was whether the guests would get to the right hotel. After all, The Grand in Tynemouth is a very well known hotel in the area. So I kept my fingers crossed, Adam & Gina had prepped their guests well.
Lads, Lads, Lads….
I arrived at Adam & Gina’s home in Blyth, Northumberland, bright & early. It was a total man-feast. Adam answered the door in nothing but his boxer shorts in a desperate rush to get his son ready first. The older boys were a great help getting the younger children ready and really joining in with the spirit of the day.
Adam had a big group of lads to help him through the day. One of which was his twin brother. I sighed a breath of relief when I realised Adam wore his glasses all of the time. Otherwise I might have made a few awkward mistakes. All of the grooms men were welcoming and very down to earth. Laughing, joking and taking the “mick” out of the groom. The perfect lads prep. Using their own cars to get to the Grand Hotel in Gosforth Park, they had them all shining and ribboned up. After a quick group shot in front of the house we were off, with plenty of time to spare.
Bridal Prep
The girls had their own suite at the Grand Hotel and were enjoying their personalised dressing gowns & flip flops but were eager to get ready. Lisa being Lisa, she loves getting involved. Helping the girls whenever possible. I’m not sure how she gets a great set of photos taken and help them get ready.
The champagne was flowing and all the girls were organised and enjoying the morning. There weren’t too many stressful moments, nothing we couldn’t solve for the girls. Gina didn’t seem nervous, she was calm and had things under control.
Arriving at the Grand Hotel
The lads and I got to the hotel in loads of time. We decided to get them ship-shape outside after hunting out their buttonholes. It was such a nice day. The summer of 2018 was a great summer. We hope it continues next year. The Grand Hotel looks, at first glance, to be one huge car park but there are areas to utilise. You just have to watch your angles.
The “
The Wedding Service
Gina looked amazing on the day. She will be the first person to admit she hates her picture taken and isn’t comfortable in front of the camera. Lisa’s talent is to make you have such a good time you forget your nerves and just glow.
Meeting the Family
Gina & Adam have a huge family. We got the impression that their family and friends really mattered. I don’t think we’ve ever been asked to do as many family group photos by the guests before. We were booked to be there all day. Throughout the day guests were approaching us for photos. They all made it a real celebration and a milestone of a day.
The Wedding Breakfast
The hotel staff were still showing a few signs of transition. Some were still in training but that didn’t mean they weren’t delivering a great day. It was just unusual for them to ask our opinion of different things, we normally have little say, as to where decorations etc are put or positioned. They seemed to be still settling into a new routine that was still flexible and long may it last.
The wedding Breakfast and Service featured the wonderful Singer, Pianist and Guitarist David Smith. Live music is always a great background at weddings and David was really helpful and obviously very talented.
The Meadow
After the wedding breakfast and speeches, we stole Gina & Adam away from their guests for a little while. Just a short walk around the back of the hotel, the car park gets forgotten. Suddenly, you’re in peaceful woodland followed by a meadow. All with the hotel buildings right next to us. Because you have different backgrounds and environments it’s easy to get a large variety of images in a short space of time. I’m not sure if the stack of cut logs is a permanent feature but its a great contrast against the solid green of the meadow.
Party time
We walked back to the terrace where Adam & Gina’s family & friends were enjoying a wonderful summers evening. It was so nice that the everyone was reluctant to go in for the night time party. But the first dance got them all in. We got to see our friends from Crazy Pix Photo Booths, but they were so busy we didn’t even get to have a catch-up which shows what a great service they give. Lisa & I will remember this wedding because of the warmth that the bride & groom got from everyone on the day. We had great fun and loved our day with them.
Here are some of Gina & Adam’s suppliers that made their wedding day unique.
- Brides Dress from Wendy Coles in Whitley Bay
- Bridesmaids Dresses from TFNC
- Grooms & Grooms men’s Suits from Most suitable in Newcastle
- Cake Supplier: Ann Hood
- Hair by Leanne Kettle
- Makeup by Leanne Hetherington
- Singer, Pianist and Guitarist David Smith
- Letter Lights by Infinity Event Style and Hire
- Venue by Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park
- Photo Booth by Crazy Pix
