A Year in Weddings at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House – Part 5
Posted
6th February 2025
in blog, Blogs & News
‘They were rather boisterously merry at the wedding’
Elizabeth Gaskell, Wives and Daughters
I am coming to the end of my blog series and this week I am discussing the incredible people and music that help to turn weddings into parties!
Party people
Getting to know a couple and their wedding party is honestly my favourite part of my job. We often end up working just as closely with friends and families as we do with the couple themselves. Many are involved from the initial booking stage and throughout the day and I have rounded up some of my 2024 favourites below.
Danielle & Damien – The mother of the bride, Debbie, was probably the most fun MoB we have ever had at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House! Debbie helped Danielle throughout the planning process, attending many of our meetings with her. She even made all of the flower arrangements herself and did a truly incredible job!
Katie & Matt – Our most memorable flower girls of 2024 were Katie & Matt’s adorable nieces. At 3 and 5, the pair were the perfect age for this all-important job. Their outfits were amazing and they even had mini versions of the bride’s bouquet. We did spend most of the day picking up dried flowers off the carpet, but it was definitely worth it!
Eve & Elizabeth – We had so much fun at Eve & Elizabeth’s wedding in May. It was an emotional day as the couple, who had been together since they were teenagers, wrote their own vows. There wasn’t a dry eye in the House! Afterwards, their friends and family were such a laugh and managed to get through a truly incredible amount of fizz in just a couple of hours.
Maria & Andrew – The sun shone for Maria & Andrew’s September wedding and it was one of the most family-oriented days we have had. As well as 3 adult bridesmaids, no fewer than 8 children walked down the aisle before Maria! Nearly half the wedding guests! They all did such an amazing job, especially their son Ralph who acted as ring bearer and played the piano after the ceremony.
Kelsey & Dan – This lovely couple had 4 of their closest friends on hand throughout the set-up and on the wedding day itself. They helped with everything, from decorating chairs to setting up the bar. It was so nice to be around such a close group of friends, we could really feel the love!
Music
The soundtrack to a wedding is so important and we have had some brilliant ones this year. Highlights have included Frozen 2 on the piano whilst the couple signed the register and Hamilton during the drinks reception. We also had three string quartets, a jazz singer and a DJ at the House in 2024!
In April, we had two consecutive brides walk down the aisle to McFly on the piano. Laura & Liam opted for All About You played by one of our favourite pianists, Martin Taylor. Sarah & Tom went for The Heart never Lies beautifully played by the groom’s sister. I especially loved this as McFly were my favourite band when I was younger (and yes, I am seeing them next October)!
Another musical coincidence came in October when two couples had Lord of the Rings music during their ceremonies. We love to see couples personalising their day and choosing the unexpected.
However, my winner this year has to be Ellen & Josh walking down the aisle to I’m a Believer by The Monkees. This was expertly played on the piano by Dan Moore and we were all having a little boogie in the hall as Ellen walked down the aisle!
If you are interested in booking your wedding at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, you can find out more and contact our team here.
Lucy Green, Wedding and Hires Manager at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
Cover image – credit Andy Wilkinson
