large thanks to the amazing wedding venue Bowcliffe Hall. The itinerary ran just like any other wedding, the couples simply switched up, which of them would go first for each part. “We loved the idea of our dad walking down the aisle with one on either side, but the aisle wasn’t wide enough for three people and two trains, so we took it in turns instead,” Asher remembers. So, their dad walked Ellis down the aisle first, then snuck out of a door at the top to collect Asher. Mike and Asher said their “I dos” first, followed by Ellis and John. They all wrote their own vows to personalise each part of the ceremony. Their celebrant made the entire service special for each of them, despite the challenge of the brides being 10 minutes late and making everyone wait. We’re sure the suspense was worth it! SETTING THE SCENE Bowcliffe Hall is an impressive wedding venue and the group adored how each part of their day could take place in a different part of the house or grounds. “The interiors are luxurious and grand, which made dressing it so easy,” Asher explains. “We kept it simple with a neutral palette for the flowers and chair sashes; plus the size of each of the rooms and the feature staircase meant we could have some amazing arrangements.” The private members Drivers’ Club themed bar was a particular highlight, as both husbands are into cars and it boasted a lovely, terraced area to the back, overlooking the beautiful gardens at Bowcliffe. “The venue looked even better than we could have imagined,” Asher remembers. “Everything came together so well. The flower arrangements were amazing and some of the biggest all of us have ever seen.” Each of the venue’s rooms looked stunning with plenty of finishing touches dressing them perfectly. Being a double wedding, the day most likely looked a little different to what the wedding team at Bowcliffe are used to but, they handled it with ease and made it all so seamless,” Asher shares. TIME TO CELEBRATE The speeches were kept to a strict five minutes each. “They could have gone on a long time with two best men taking the mic,” Asher says. “Each one was so different but perfect. We can’t wait to watch them back on our wedding film. The grooms shared their speech, which worked really well. They were both happy as they didn’t have to speak for long!” The cake was cut together using two knives, and for the first dance they all took to the floor to the sounds of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together. There weren’t even any disagreements about the song since all four loved it. Neither couple had time to practice their steps however, so they kept it simple with a few twirls before asking their nearest and dearest to join them. The evening bash was hosted in the Blackburn Wing, a part of the venue that sets itself apart from the rest being a modern building shaped like an airplane wing and nestled in the surrounding ancient woodland, set apart from the main Hall. It was the perfect size for the party. A DJ, saxophonist and percussionist entertained the crowds throughout the evening, so once the first dance was over, the illuminated dancefloor was packed until 1am! MEMORABLE MOMENTS “A shoutout to all of the staff at Bowcliffe who made the day run so smoothly. Lots of guests commented on how great the service had been throughout the day, and we couldn’t have been happier with how it all went. Special mentions go to Brooke, Molly and Andrew – the dream event planning team,” Asher says. “We had friends and family who travelled from Australia, Italy, Saudi, Switzerland, U.A.E, Spain and all over the UK,” Asher continues. “It meant so much to have so many of our loved ones together in one place. We made a weekend of it and rented two houses close to Bowcliffe so we could celebrate the evening before and the day after. We were so glad we did as the wedding day itself just flies by.” Another highlight was the fire breather John insisted upon, who performed on the lawn during the cocktail hour. Although Asher tried to push back as the budget was pretty much gone by this point, everyone agreed afterwards that the fire performer was one of the day’s most memorable moments. “Thanks to Bowcliffe Hall for facilitating this,” Asher says. REAL WEDDINGS 35
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