Newcastle upon Tyne, formerly the county town of Northumberland, is a city based in the North East of England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne and is linked to Gateshead on the south bank by several of the city's famous bridges. The Tyne Bridge, built in 1928, is one of Newcastle’s most prominent landmarks.
In recent years Newcastle has seen enormous regeneration and the city centre’s shops, bars and restaurants are second to none. The city's nightlife was voted top UK tourist attraction by The Rough Guide to Britain. Restoration of the city has taken place on a large scale culminating in Radio 4 listeners voting Grey Street as 'England’s finest street' in 2005. Similarly, The Daily Telegraph voted Newcastle as the 'Best City in the North' in 2007.
Newcastle is a vibrant city brimming with culture ancient and modern with outstandingly beautiful countryside on its doorstep, and with so many accolades to its name, it is the perfect place to plan and hold a wedding.
Like any event, the key to the perfect wedding day is organisation and careful planning. There is a vast amount to think about from the booking of the venue down to table plans at the wedding reception itself.
Depending on your particular timescales some aspects can be organised up to a year or more in advance, and without a wedding planner to take care of everything this can seem like an exciting, if overwhelming, task. Should you wish someone to take care of the pre-planning and organisation, and also smooth running of the day itself, we feature a selection of Newcastle’s best wedding planners.
In order that your day runs smoothly the key is in selecting the best wedding services available to you in Newcastle and its surrounding areas. To make this a pleasurable and stress free process we feature 6 of the best service providers for each stage of the process, from venue hire down to the honeymoon.
Wedding Venue - The choice of wedding venue is the most crucial first decision. This should be booked a year or so in advance to avoid disappointments if you have a particular venue in mind. Whether you choose a city centre, suburban or even rural venue will have an impact on a number of other issues, so careful thought is needed at this stage.
Reception Venue - From a timescale point of view this is the next decision to be made, and may go hand in hand with your choice of ceremony location. The choice of venue may impact on numbers so this is something to take into consideration.
Wedding Dress - For the bride this is one of the most exciting aspects of the wedding preparations. Whether you are hiring a dress or having one made it is important to build in enough time for alterations and last minute changes.
Suit Hire - You may want outfits for the groom, best man and ushers to be co-ordinated, perhaps also with the father of the bride and the groom’s father. Timescales for suit hire are usually around 3 months. This gives enough time to choose matching accessories, for example waistcoats and ties.
Beauty and Beauticians - For many brides (and grooms) the run up to a wedding means time to indulge in a few pampering sessions and perhaps the booking of a beautician to be on hand for your big day.
Car Hire - Wedding cars mean more decisions and whether you choose a horse and carriage or a classic car these should be booked well in advance. The smooth arrival of the bride to the ceremony is the starting point to any wedding day. Transportation for the wider wedding party may also need to be considered.
Wedding Jewellery - Wedding rings should not need to be purchased too far in advance and for many couples this is a particularly enjoyable part of the process. If you are having a bespoke band made then this of course requires more time.
Photographer - It is worth meeting with several photographers before making your decision as each photographer has his or her own style. The resulting photographs will be a permanent reminder of your day and therefore requires careful consideration. The best photographers will be booked up well in advance, so it is worth making a decision 6 – 9 months before your wedding day.
Flowers - Flowers made a statement. The choice of florist is therefore an important one as from the men’s buttonholes, floral arrangements at the ceremony, the brides’ bouquet down to the table displays, flowers are entwined with every aspect of your day.
Catering - Whilst many venues have their own in-house caterers, others do not. It is worth having an idea of the style of food you would like and then choosing a catering firm to suit those needs. Alternatively, all caterers will give you sample menus to help the decision process.
Fitness and Weight Loss - An impending wedding can be the ideal time to join a gym or step up your fitness regime. Personal trainers can guide you to your goal or you may prefer to work out at your own pace.
Music and Entertainment - Depending on the type of wedding reception you are having, music and entertainment can be an important part of the day. Newcastle has an array of bands and entertainers to suit all tastes and ages.
Wedding Planning - A wedding planner can take all the stress out of the planning process leaving you free to enjoy the run up to your wedding day. All the deadlines will be taken care of and smooth running of the day ensured.
Newcastle Wedding Services brings together all the processes involved in planning a wedding and leads you through them step by step. We feature some of the best individuals or companies in each category, giving you peace of mind and more time to enjoy the run up to your big day.
