A Wedding Collection to Remember
On Sunday, we welcomed over 45 fabulous suppliers to The Duke Wedding Collection: Live! At midday, the doors opened to a queue of excited couples, along with their family and friends, the atmosphere was electric as crowds of people filled the hotel.
Firstly, can we just thank every supplier and every guest for making the day such a huge success!
Attendees were greeted by Antony Chapman, The Majestic Toastmaster and a complimentary G&T, provided by the brilliant Plymouth Gin, what better start to an afternoon of ideas and inspiration for your big day! Live music filled the entrance lobby from Mojito Jazz Band and The Carlton Big Band entertained guests in the Ballroom. Alongside the buzz of people chatting to suppliers, created a truly amazing atmosphere.
Suppliers were spread across the whole hotel giving everyone space to showcase their offer. From the Lounge Bar and Ballroom, to the Restaurant and the Hayward Room every corner of the hotel revealed an exciting supplier ready to chat.
Cut me off a Slice ran a Q&A on the stage, with questions led by the toastmaster. This gave couples who may not have chosen their wedding cake a great idea of where to start, the flavours that are available and what sort of price to expect.
Becky from Italia Conti ran a 15 minute first dance demonstration with volunteers from the audience. The dance was choreographed to Ed Sheeran and showed attendees that although some may find this part of the day daunting – simple to learn steps can be very effective.
Becky then went on to present her Salon, Maison Boutique and demonstrated the Venus Freeze machine, a safe and pain free treatment that targets cellulite and tightens skin. It is safe to say that this was very popular with brides to be.
Mojito Jazz Band then took to the stage, again creating a buzz in the room amongst attendees as people gathered to listen. The trio created a relaxing atmosphere and would add something special to any wedding reception.
It was then the stylists from No.4 Hair Boutique who took the spotlight, with models sat on stage and the stylists creating stunning designs in just ten minutes! The models then strutted their stuff and showed off their new look on the catwalk!
The catwalk finale showcased a selection of stunning gowns from Christine Trewinnard, Prudence Gowns and Bee Bee Gowns. Honors Florist and Bloom and Flourish also provided flowers and a selection of gorgeous accessories were provided by The Lucky Sixpence, giving guests the full package!
The Ballroom showcased lots of fantastic suppliers including Celebration Balloons who brought along their casino table, chair covers and fun balloon arrangements. Anon Stationary showed attendees their gorgeous wedding stationary, beautifully presented on their new stand! Next to Anon was Becky from Maison Boutique with her Venus Freeze Machine and information about her salon. Wedding Flowers in Cornwall displayed their stand with rustic ladders, with pretty pink flowers placed on top and gold and pink ribbon which looked stunning! The Carlton Big Band played at various intervals throughout the day, keeping attendees entertained. Weddings by Claire were there to chat to guests about her skills as a wedding planner and her ability to take the stress out of the couple’s big day. Our main catwalk stage was in the Ballroom, with beautiful star cloths and professional lighting supplied by the team at Clockwork Audio. Cut me off a Slice showcased their award winning designs and brought along a brand new range especially for the Collection. They also gave away a stunning three-tiered cake, which got couples very excited! Prudence Gowns displayed their beautiful range of bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses, which as always looked amazing, especially with the letters PG in lights. Honors Flowers showed off their beautiful floral designs to attendees, with everything from bouquets and corsages to venue dressing on offer. Magician, Dan Brazier showcased his talent, amazing everyone with his illusions, keeping everyone, especially the children entertained. Finally, in the Ballroom was Candlelight Theatre who took guests by surprise with two murder performances throughout the afternoon. It is safe to say that there would never be a dull moment at your wedding if they were there!
That’s the Ballroom covered, but there was so much more going on across the hotel. Our Restaurant was buzzing with Mojito Jazz Band just in the entrance, playing in between their performances on the main stage. Bee Bee Gowns and Stitches were in the Restaurant, with their gorgeous gowns and suits; they can even order the dresses in any size, meaning there really is something for everyone. Hartley Photography displayed their beautiful images and showed off their photo albums to couples, the perfect way to remember your special day. Imattination showed attendees what they do best by lighting up the ballroom and their own stand. They also offer design and pyrotechnics for your big day! Drakes Jewellers displayed their stunning pieces, with everything from rings to presents for the wedding party. Bloom and Flourish brought along a range of their uniquely beautiful floral designs. Last but not least, Pride in Plymouth were there celebrating diversity and offering advice and support to couples.
Just down the corridor into The Lounge, couples were greeted by Melanie, the Events Manager at The Duke. Charlotte Atkinson showcased her live paintings and Nicola Hurst displayed her beautiful bespoke pieces of jewellery. F3 Design showed off their amazing bespoke designs including lit up table plans. This was followed by our toastmaster, Antony Chapman, although he was busy around the hotel for most of the day! No4 Hair were there to chat to guests about what they offer and also used a bedroom upstairs to create the models hair! WED Magazine came along and talked to couples about the Devon issue of the magazine, the latest of which comes out on Friday!
Couples then climbed our listed staircase meeting Toby Lowe Photography on the first floor, they then carried on to the second floor to explore the Hayward Room with Fabulash who provided makeovers for attendees, The Wedding Game with their personalised wedding cards, Christine Trewinnard with her truly stunning couture gowns, The Lucky Sixpence with their beautiful bespoke jewellery and Victoria House Dental who can transform your smile in time for your big day. This was followed by Megs Photos with her stunning images and albums and finally Native Flower Farm with her rare, seasonal flowers.
Just outside the Hayward room, the second floor was buzzing with Esther Cole singing and playing her guitar, Chocochino displaying their gorgeous chocolate masterpieces and Chimpsta printing guests photos instantly from their phones for them to take away. Baxter and Ted set up a mini cinema showcasing their stunning wedding footage to attendees as well as giving them a chance to relax in comfortable chairs! Cornwall Caricatures provided free drawings of guests, giving them a souvenir of the day. In the next room, Satori displayed their range of products and chatted to attendees about their wedding hair and make-up.
Travelling around the hotel gave couples the chance to enjoy our stunning wedding venue whilst meeting fantastic businesses along the way.
All of the photos above were taken by the amazing Andy Tucker, click here to view Andy’s website. Here are some images that the team and suppliers took on the day…
We welcomed many couples and their families through our revolving doors over the three-hour event, who will have undoubtedly come away with lots of inspiration and some new contacts! We are so thrilled with how the day went and couldn’t have asked for a better group of suppliers, we loved watching them work together and share in the excitement of our celebrations. We have worked with many of them before and look forward to working with them again in the future!
Don’t forget if you attended, there is still chance to book your big day and receive the £500.00 discount, you need to do this by the 9th October! Contact Toni on 01752 275861 or email t.sharpe@thedukeofcornwall.co.uk, she can’t wait to hear from you!
