Your North East Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 34)

guidance we sashay our way through an itinerary to get us feeling our absolute best. It’d be a fantastic excuse to get away as a couple for some pre-wedding prep. “When engaged couples join us on a retreat you can see their shoulders drop between day one and three,” Alex says. “We’ve had newlyweds come on our retreats for their mini-moon. Taking time out as a twosome to indulge your mind, body and soul is a hugely empowering experience.” There’ll even be retreats for bride squads and joint hen and stag dos over the coming months, putting a healthy spin on the more traditional boozy affairs. Now, I’m not the fittest person in the world and I’m partial to a takeaway and a bottle of wine, but I decided to wholeheartedly throw myself into the exercise sessions, which took place in the beautiful Orangery. These are my highlights: ❤ A Friday-night stretch and movement session gently lulled us into the weekend. ❤ The HIIT class (high-intensity interval training) on Saturday morning certainly got the blood going. We were pumped for the rest of the day. ❤ The yoga flow class was a wonderfully slow-paced session. Cal got his legs stuck behind his head, which sent us into fits of laughter. Other than that, it was very relaxing! This was followed by candlelit meditation – a wonderful pre-bedtime ritual. ❤ A strength circuit class on Sunday started with flashbacks of a 13-year-old me lolloping around the school sports hall, but with Alex’s guidance I actually nailed it. One of the other retreaters was so chuffed with herself at the end she high-fived everyone! ❤ Hawkstone Park Follies, a nearby range of rugged natural sandstone hills, is the ideal location for an afternoon hike through its caves, crags and cliffs. ❤ There’s plenty of down time throughout the weekend, so you must explore the venue’s grounds. Boasting a rose garden, apple orchard, pretty ponds and a quaint stone bridge, there are endless picture-perfect spots. Thankfully, after all this activity, we were treated to a sports massage to ease away any aches and pains. DINE IN STYLE This is a weekend to care for your mind, body and spirit and all aspects are taken care of, including your food. On arrival, we were treated to the Guilt-Free Afternoon Tea in the cosy Snug. Not that a traditional afternoon tea is anything to feel guilty about, but this is particularly wholesome and good for you. Designed by the executive chef, the delicious delicacies are made entirely without gluten, grains or refined sugar. The chocolate and peanut butter bites were to die for. For most of our meals we dined in The Refectory. A chilled-out space, its contemporary setting made you feel at home sitting in your yoga wear – something I didn’t get out of for pretty much three days straight. A common theme of mealtimes was the disbelief at how healthy the dishes were. We thought one particularly decadent chocolate mousse was a rather naughty treat. However, we found out the main ingredient was avocado! Mind = blown. We also marvelled at the delicious watermelon, halloumi and mint starter and mushroom and polenta pizza. We got plenty of top tips and recipe ideas during a fascinating cookery demo with chef Andy. After catering for the professionals at The Masters golf tournament, he’s learned a thing or two about feeding the body to get the best out of it. I was delighted to be able to pick his brains – want to know the best things to put in your smoothies? I’m your girl! The next retreat will be held on Friday 11 th to Sunday 13 th October, 2019. Head to the website for more information hawkstonehall.co.uk or call 01630 685 242. FOLLOW @hawkstone_hall and @weleapuk @soylatacha carolinewhitephotography.co.uk | weddingflowerscheshire.co.uk 103 MINI-MOON