A Perfect Wedding at Doxford Hall, Northumberland

Doxford Hall near Alnwick is a place I've often considered visiting but for some reason or other have never had the chance, so when I found out my gorgeous friend Claire was getting married there, I was intrigued to see what it would be like. It turns out that just like my friend, it's stunning & if you are looking for a luxury Northumberland getaway, I could not recommend Doxford Hall enough.

I have known Claire for 20 years now and she is one of those people who just light up a room when she's in it. She has such a kind and generous heart and is if you get talking to her you can expect to be there for at least an hour. It was an honour to be invited along and share her special day with David.

Wedding Outfits

I'm lucky to be attending another wedding in September so I wanted a dress I could wear to both. I found this gorgeous dress from John Lewis with I teamed with a pair of Hotter Shoes and a beautifully detailed cream bag from House of Fraser. 

If you struggle in heels I cannot recommend Hotter Shoes enough - they were so comfortable and I lasted all day, all night dancing and the 20 minute walk home from the bus at 1:30am in the morning. Definitely worth the investment. Steve looked very handsome too if I do say so myself (check out his guide to buying a suit here). 

The Ceremony

The ceremony was held in our village church which was lovely. Most of us know our vicar and he made us smile with his stories. The ceremony was personal to the bride and groom and really did not feel generic at all which can often be the case. The salvation army were there to keep us entertained as was the most fabulous male voice choir. Claire even surprised us all with a recording of her singing the most beautiful song as we all left the church. It really was perfect. 

We climbed aboard our coach which whisked us off to Doxford Hall. Claire had thought of everything and provided us with Pringles, Prosecco and Haribo! YUM! 

Doxford Hall Wedding Reception & Wedding Breakfast

Photographs at weddings always seem to take FOREVER but it wasn't the case here. Claire mingled between photographs and as I was there with friends, time seemed to fly by. We were greeted with Pimms & Lemonade on arrival (first of the summer for me) and enjoyed our drinks in Doxford Hall's beautiful gardens. 

Isn't Claire stunning!! I'm pleased we had the chance to catch up for a bit in the gardens too. 

Before we knew it, we were called into the hotel function suite for speeches (and food!). As is usually the case at weddings these days, the speeches were first. They were all from the heart and had us crying, laughing and even participating in a random game! 

The room was classic, elegant and understated. A beautiful location for a wedding I thought. 

This is the first wedding I've attended where we actually had to select our meal from a menu. Very fancy! I went for the salmon terrine and duck which were both delicious. Steve opted for the soup and chicken (also good). Not too many pics of food though as the Prosecco was free flowing by this point!

I loved the attention to detail with pretty table cloths and homemade truffles which were served with our coffee.

We headed to the bar before the 'evening do' and Steve had to order himself a martini. Very dapper! 

The Evening Reception at Doxford Hall

I loved how there was a face painter at the wedding and as well as the children having their faces transformed, quite a few of the blokes were turned into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the night. There was also a caricaturist who was actually pretty good too :-)

The cake was cut and I even managed to grab a slice (delish) before the Bride and Groom headed to the dancefloor for their first dance. 

By this point in the evening I started to feel ill and very, very tired. Silly me had enjoyed a day out with my friends and no children a little too much. I think I had probably consumed a couple of bottles of Prosecco by this point and mixed it with wine. Not good! So there was only one thing for it - a little disco nap at my table. I think I had a sleep for maybe 90 minutes but at around 10:45pm I woke up and had a brand new lease of life and I immediately joined the congo queue that was dancing around the room and from then on there was no stopping me. Steve, Jo and the rest of our friends danced the night away to songs old and new before saying our goodbyes at 12:30pm and hopping on the coach back home (via the 'sweet shop' table which I spotted out of the corner of my eye during the conga).

We had THE BEST time at Claire & David's wedding at Doxford Hall. Everything was perfect and it was such a treat being in the company of two people who are obviously so genuinely in love. I wish the happy couple all the very best for their future together. 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.