Fran and Sam Thursday 10 August 2023
Fran and Sam tied the knot on Thursday 10 August 2023 with a ceremony on the Jupiter terrace, followed by a beautiful reception in the Crosby Suite
Having met in their early twenties, F&S knew it was a done deal when Sam bought Fran a big chocolate bar (a girl after our own hearts!). Fast forward to kisses and a proposal in the pouring rain, it was set in stone- yes, it's giving us Notebook vibes too. How romantic.
With white and pink flowers setting the scene, this wedding was simple, stunning and full of surprises! If the shocking factor of the singing waiters falling over and bursting into song wasn't enough, Fran and Sam took the special moment in their first dance to tell their guests they were expecting!
Their wedding was an incredible sentiment to the pairs love for each other. Read on to find out how they fell in love, chose their suppliers and how the waiter got a little too friendly with their friend Liam...
We hope you feel inspired!
Fran and Sam captured by Sam Chipman Photography
So, how did you two meet?
It wasn’t very romantic. We both worked at ASDA and went on a few nights out together when we were 20. I knew he fancied me when he bought me a big chocolate bar.
When did you know they were 'the one'/how did they pop the question?
We love Harewood House for a day out. One weekend Sam was insisting on going there even though the weather was awful. I kept refusing and then finally gave in. We had a cold but lovely morning and revisited the walled garden which is place we stumbled across a few years beforehand. It started to really pour it down and I was wondering why Sam kept hanging back a lot and taking his time. Finally we got to a little square where he went down on one knee. I remember asking ‘what are you doing?’ Several times before I realised. I said yes and we deliriously skipped back to the car in torrential rain.
What was the biggest MUST HAVE for your wedding?
A great band to get a party atmosphere and to get people on the dance floor. We saw how highly rated The Review were online and they were different to the wedding bands we’d been seeing. They were amazing and at one point everyone was jumping and shouting to Smells Like Teen Spirit sung by a proper rock band. It was fantastic!
Other than saying 'I do', what is the most unforgettable moment from the day?
Most unforgettable moment of the day? Our undercover waiter James crashing to the floor and then grabbing his microphone from his pocket and belting out a song. We were really unsure how it would be received by the guests but everyone was up dancing and we’ve had so many comments since then about how good it was
Which supplier was a real stand out for you? The unsung star who deserves a special mention.
We loved our Fondant Fancy cake hand made and decorated by Betty’s
What was it in your eyes that gives Rudding Park the WOW factor?
We’ve loved the atmosphere, the food and the service every time we’ve been. We chose Rudding park because it’s somewhere we can return to after the wedding whether it’s for a meal, a night away or a spa break.
How did you style your space? Did your wedding day have a theme?
We love flowers so we were pleased to find out Rudding had its own florist -Colette who was fab at choosing the perfect flowers. We wanted a mixture of white and pink flowers with foliage.
What is your funniest memory from the day?
Probably the undercover waiter sitting on the knee of our friend Liam and stroking his hair. He looked mortified
What's the best advice you could give to couples who are about to tie the knot at Rudding Park?
Try and spend some time at rudding park, both before and after the wedding if you can. Going before can be exciting, reassuring and remind you of why you booked it. Going after will bring back lots of memories.
And finally, we'd love to hear about your experience with Rudding Park....
Every time we’ve visited rudding park before the wedding, it completely reassured us that we had made the right choice. We liked that it came as a package such having their own hair stylist and florist, as well as a DJ. However it also felt super flexible and like our wedding was unique to us. We opted for a band, which meant we could use the money that would have gone towards the DJ on decor instead. Everyone we dealt with exceeded our expectations, they were helpful, answered all questions and most of all were excited about our wedding
Supplier Dream Team:
Photographer: Sam Chipman Photography
Florist: Colette
Cake: Bettys
DJ/Band: The Review
Entertainment: Undercover Waiters