Choosing your Leicestershire wedding venue

There are several beautiful wedding venues in Leicestershire to choose from. No matter what you’re looking for, there are plenty of options for your special evening. We are pleased to highlight three of our favourite venues around Leicester which The Souljers have played at many times.

Kilworth House

The Kilworth House Hotel is a lovely country house, built at the end of the 19th century. There are three venues to accommodate both small, intimate gatherings and larger parties. The Shakespeare Room holds 20 guests and is the perfect setting for a cosy ceremony and reception. The Library Restaurant has a domed ceiling and chandeliers and can accommodate 40 guests. Finally, The Orangery is an awe-inspiring room with natural light and wonderful views of the countryside. The room holds 130 people and is the perfect place to bring an outdoor wedding inside.

In Kilworth's beautiful orangery

Kilworth House has lists of wedding suppliers for any special needs the couple may have. Each room at Kilworth is unique. Although there is no dedicated bridal suite, the couple can choose from a wide array of luxurious rooms.

Sketchley Grange

The Sketchley Grange Hotel & Spa offers many options for wedding accommodation. They have four rooms that are perfect for civil ceremonies. These range from the intimate garden pagoda, which holds 18 guests inside, to the opulent and open Bradgate Suite, which seats 300 guests.

Asian weddings are a specialty of the Sketchley Grange. Their caterers are experts in preparing Asian cuisine from many cultures, or your caterer is welcome to use the hotel’s facilities.

They also offer complimentary accommodation for the bride and groom. The Sketchley Grange offers a number of different dining packages for both breakfast and evening buffets. The hotel offers different suite options for guests, and the attached spa can provide a welcome treat to both the happy couple and wedding guests.

Hothorpe Hall

Hothorpe Hall’s history dates back to nearly 900 AD. This beautiful and scenic venue offers stunning settings for wedding photos, no matter what time of year.

Hothorpe Hall has wedding packages to suit any couple’s needs. The winter wedding package takes advantage of the splendour of the snow-covered grounds for photos and the cosy interior for the ceremony. The intimate wedding package is designed for couples who don’t need the entire venue to themselves and can accommodate parties of 30 to 60 guests. The platinum package features exclusive use of the venue, and the twilight package is suitable for evening weddings that use the venue after an earlier party has left the hall. Accommodation includes a bridal suite and rooms for guests. The hotel offers both a breakfast wedding menu and an evening buffet menu to keep your guests happy.

All of these choices are wonderful venues in which to hold a wedding and they come highly recommended by us! Each of them has a unique history and charm that will leave long-lasting memories and provide the perfect start to a life of bliss.  

Bespoke Weddings, Shottle Hall and Free Weddings!!

Adam is one of very few wedding entertainers that take the majority of their bookings directly, only allowing a handful of selected parties to even offer him on their roster (we're fussy about who we work with you see!) When Rebecca at Bespoke Weddings (a wedding planning company based in Derby) asked if we would mind her recommending Adam to her brides, this was an entirely different prospect!

As a wedding planner that looks after lots of brides each year, Rebecca wanted to offer Adam's shows to each and every one of them... So how could we refuse?!

Win A Wedding? No Really!

To kick start the relationship, Bespoke Weddings ran a competition for one lucky bride and groom to win their wedding for free - yes for free! - including Adam's solo show! Wowzers!! (The wedding will take place in August 2012 so watch this space for news and photos!)

As Rebecca works closely with the management team at the very beautiful Shottle Hall in Derbyshire, we are really excited about the quality and quantity of weddings that we'll be performing for... It's always nice to be booked by recommendation and we really can't wait to get started now :)

Here is a great review on Shottle Hall by Kelly at Boho Weddings along with some wonderful shots of the lovely Shottle Hall in full bloom!

Adam Thomas invited to perform at the exclusive Friar's Well Estate

We perform at more than 50 weddings each year and, as a result, get to see lots of stunning wedding venues all over the world. It turns out, however, that we have a stunning venue of our own, right in our back garden (not literally!) Let me introduce you to Friar's Well Estate in Wartnaby.

A truly perfect venue to host your wedding or special event, Friar's Well is so new and up-and-coming that most are not even aware of its existence... and that is possibly its largest appeal. You could, in fact, be one of the very first!

Not only is it one of the best venues in the Midlands, with an in-house catering team that serves the most magnificent array of delicacies to the likes of Porshe and Bentley, but the beautiful surroundings and the all round character of the place make this the perfect venue for your wedding day or special occasion.

Now, you don't just have to take our word for it as Stones Events are inviting you to attend their Open Day on Monday 30th August so that you can see the splendours of this lovely venue first hand. Aren't they nice people!

P.s. *shameless plug* don't forget that if you do fall in love with Friar's Well and decide to hold your special event there, you'll need stunning wedding entertainment or perhaps a swing & soul band too! We're always on hand to assist you in any way that we can at www.adamTHOMASonline.com

Here are further details about the Open Day itself:

With the ‘I do’ season in full bloom, we are thrilled to invite you to Friars Well Estate exclusive open day on Monday 30th August from 10am till 5pm.

 

We’re so excited about opening the gates of our picture-perfect wedding venue at Friar’s Well Estate. You will be treated to the pastoral charm and stunning views that this romantic retreat has to offer. You can find out all you need to know about the venue and how to go about planning your big day – plus, to celebrate, we will be holding our 2010 prices for anyone choosing to make a booking before or on the day. Guests paying a deposit prior to the open day will also be treated to a private tasting by one of our top chefs.

 

The venue is located in the picturesque village of Wartnaby. The location occupies a central position in the East Midlands, only 4 miles northwest of Melton Mowbray and within a 20-mile radius of both Leicester and Nottingham.

  

Attending Services 

 

GREAT HIRE

IDYLLIC DAYS

THE ICE BOX

NEW WORLD FLORISTS

DARREN CRESSWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

THE BIG DAY FILM COMPANY

LUMBERS JEWELLERS

CONNOISSEUR CARS

CRESCENDO FIREWORKS

PINK CONFETTI

ADAM THOMAS

CHRISTOPHER SCOTNEY SUIT HIRE

 

To attend the Friar’s Well Estate open day, RSVP to their new Events Planner, Gemma (gemma@stonesevents.co.uk) or call them with any enquiries

 

Google Map Link

 

Seal of Approval from The City Rooms, Leicester

It is always such a privilege to be a big part of our bride and groom's special day but, performing in some of the UK's most stunning wedding venues and entertaining thousands each year, we sometimes forget the impact we have on the venue itself and the staff that work tirelessly throughout the evening.

That is why it is such a thrill when you hear that a respected venue gives your performance and expertise their seal of approval, it makes it very special too. Well, The City Rooms in Leicester have made us their recommended entertainment supplier... now isn't that nice of them!

The City Rooms, in the heart of Leicester City Centre, is a truly lovely Wedding Venue with a magnificent Grand Ballroom, great food, lovely staff and is also a very trendy boutique hotel too! I have performed there a few times but most recently for Ron and Michelle Brooks (we love them too, they are a really lovely couple!) The standard of service and attention to detail always stand out, along with the sheer beauty of the Grand Ballroom. 

Vicky Wilkin, events manager, and her team are wedding fanatics and would love to help you plan your big day. You can call Vicky on 0116 251 5337 or email info@thecityrooms.co.uk

The City Rooms

Hotel Street

Leicester

LE1 5AW

// WEDDING PLANNING // My Top 10 First Dance Songs

Need some First Dance inspiration? Let's see what we can do!

For some couples, they have always known exactly what there first dance would be from the moment they got together. For them, it was as clear as day, possibly because they got engaged whilst listening to it or maybe they have a favourite film that had a great soundtrack or a concert performance that resonated with them. For them it's easy!

For some, however, they either have too many songs to choose from or just haven't found the song yet that encapsulates everything about their relationship. The pressure to find the Perfect First Dance Song can take its toll!

The Perfect Song... For You As A Couple

One thing worth mentioning at this point is that you shouldn't choose a song simply because you think it would be nice for your guests to hear or because it fits the bill of the typical floaty and magical first dances that we see in films.

The perfect song to choose is, quite simply, the perfect song for the two of you as a couple.

I have seen so many first dances that were incredibly romantic, very touching and the songs they chose suited them perfectly. I have even seen fully choreographed first dances that wouldn't look out of place in Strictly Come Dancing and they were, quite simply, stunning first dances. But don't be scared to try something a little 'out there' if that's what you two are all about!

The box step and running man!

Kim and Andy Newberry, for example, were well and truly outside the box when it came to their first dance!!

They started their first dance with a really lovely Coldplay track with all of their guests ohh-ing and ahh-ing as they swayed nervously in the centre of the dance floor. Then, the music cut out, the guests looked around in dismay (believing the DJ to be a complete idiot!) then they burst into Michael Buble's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" complete with a choreographed dance routine of the box step and the running man! It was so much fun, totally unexpected and it worked brilliantly for them. It's still talked about to this day!

Not for all!

Whilst I don't believe that the following songs fit every couples' first dance requirements, they do, however, fit the personalities of the couples that chose them and they sum up their relationships quite perfectly: the feeling from the couple and the audience as they danced to these, slightly obscure, tracks was truly magical and will never be forgotten by those who were there that night.

After the success of JK's Wedding Dance and with literally hundreds of adventurous First Dance Videos on YouTube as a result, what reason do you have not to try something a little different should you feel the urge?

Show Off or Shy?

Consider whether or not you want to dance your entire first dance on your own or if you would like to bring everyone else onto the dance floor halfway through? If you are a couple that can show off then do so with aplomb however, if you are the shy types, you may want to involve everyone as quickly as possible!

Your First Dance performed LIVE!

Finally, depending on the arrangement of the song you have chosen, a truly great way to make your First Dance extra special is to have a Wedding Singer or Band perform it live for you. Live Music really adds something magical to the whole proceedings and will be something you and your guests will never forget.

Enjoy the process

So relax, don't put too much pressure on trying to find a Wedding Dance that sits well with your audience... find one that truly incapsulates the essence of who you both are as a couple.

My Top 10 Wedding First Dance Chart below will give you a few more ideas should you need them and please let us know what dance you choose in the end. We'd love to hear from you.

"And with this vow, forever has now begun."

In case you were wondering, our own First Dance was to "This I Promise You" by NSync: it fits our relationship perfectly.

Top 10 First Dance Suggestions:

1. The Prayer - Celine Dion & Josh Groban
2. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
3. Everything - Michael Buble (also great as a 2nd dance)
4. Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
5. Amazed - Lonestar
6. From This Moment On - Shania Twain
7. Happy Together - The Turtles
8. Stuck On You - Lionel Ritchie
9. When You Say Nothing At All - Ronan Keating
10. The Way You Look Tonight - Father Of The Bride Soundtrack

Also, "One Day Like This" by Elbow is a really great song for the last dance of the evening.

Adam Thomas, Our First Dance CD is available from the shop.

If you’re struggling to choose a Wedding Dance Song, "Our First Dance" by Swing & Soul Singer, Adam Thomas, will definitely give you some inspiration.

If you would like more information about Swing & Soul Singer Adam Thomas, please email or call, we look forward to helping to make your Wedding Day as Special as it should be.