Today's wedding spotlight is with Courtney and Geoff from Woking, Surrey. We had the pleasure of catering their wedding day last September and really enjoyed getting to know them through our planning process, during which they were always friendly, easy-going and fun. We were so pleased to cross paths again last month when we dropped off one of our anniversary food boxes (where we recreate the three-course wedding meal enjoyed by our couples). Please read on for a Q & A all about their wonderful wedding day.
Date of your wedding?
17th September 2019
How many guests?
85
Where did you hold your wedding and why?
Our wedding was at Gate Street Barn in Bramley, Surrey. We visited a few venues but as soon as we found Gate Street we knew it was perfect – it’s a modern barn venue with gorgeous interiors, a beautiful location and amazing staff.
How did you find the planning process? Any tips for other brides and grooms?
Plan early, take breaks and just enjoy it! It’s a long process that can be stressful at times but it’s also so much fun. We did our best to stay organised, did lots of research and shared the planning so we were both happy with everything. And the first thing we did was agree which elements were most important to us so we could set a budget.
What was your favourite part of the day?
The whole day was perfect (cliché but true!) But the best moment was probably walking down the aisle and seeing Geoff’s face for the first time. We’d known for a long time that we would get married one day, and that moment was just as special as I’d imagined. Geoff’s favourite part was, of course, the food! We picked a great menu so we were looking forward to good food – and lots of it.
Did you add any personal touches to make the day extra special?
I’m a complete bookworm and Geoff’s a gamer, so we named the tables after our favourite books and games, and our cake was made to look like a stack of books and games too. My mum also made some custom signs to decorate the venue. And for our first dance, we had ‘Rule the World’ by Take That – it’s the soundtrack to the film Stardust, which is what I was watching when Geoff first asked me out when we were 16!
Why did you decide to go with Tandem?
Good food was a really important part of the day for us. We looked into a few caterers who often work at Gate Street but we chose Tandem because they had a great menu and they were super friendly from the first time we spoke. We met Carole and Tom at a Gate Street open day and they were just as lovely in person – and the food we tried was delicious!
What was on the menu?
Canapés: Madras curry spoons (bespoke option), griddled halloumi sticks, Yorkshire pudding with rare roast beef and horseradish, crispy duck pancakes and mac and cheese cups
Starter: French selection sharing platter (featuring charcuterie and baked camembert)
Main: Slow cooked beef Shortrib
Dessert: Sticky toffee pudding
How did Tandem help to make the day special?
They asked what our favourite foods were and when Geoff said ‘curry’ they suggested creating a custom chicken madras canapé. On the day, Tom brought a whole tray just for Geoff while we were off doing photos because he loved them so much! They were also really helpful in planning the timeline for the day. We had a lot of canapés so they suggested cutting the cake and doing the speeches before the meal, to give people a break between eating – and of course it worked out perfectly.
Who were your other suppliers?
Photographer: Capture It
Flowers: The Flower Pot
Dress/suit: Aurora Bride and Dapper
Cake: Family friend (it was a gift from my grandparents, aunties and uncles)
