My son and daughter-in-law got married this summer and it wasn't quite the way they had originally planned things!

They'd been together, sharing a home and a life, like most couples, for many years before deciding to get married. I'm still not sure what triggered the decision to change their status to that of 'married' but that doesn't really matter - they decided they would. And Plan A was to save for a year or so, then fly out to Las Vegas, some time in 2013, with just a couple of close friends and do it all there.

However, the best laid plans and all that... the son was offered a job in the middle east, received wisdom seemed to be that it would be preferable for them to be legally married to live there, so the wedding was brought forward, planned booked and done within 6 weeks! And, since you ask, it went amazingly well, considering many couples spend months, if not years, planning their perfect day!

They were lucky, in that their favoured venue just happened to have a free date within their timescales, and many of their other chosen suppliers were either available, or able to work around that date, to provide what they needed.

And not a small part of the wedding being as great as it was, was down to the fantastic team at the venue, BEST WESTERN PLUS Ullesthorpe Court Hotel, who did absolutely everything they could to give the wedding couple the best experience ever - not just on the day itself but in all the hectic planning (bearing in mind that they had to move out of their home and prepare for emigration to a foreign country at the same time as planning the wedding!) and on the whole weekend of the wedding.

From Ops Director Paul throughout the team, they took time to understand the couple, getting to know them a little and understand the kind of people they were, and then made lots of subtle, but so useful, suggestions that helped the day both meet with their budget and give them the kind of day they wanted. I would single out special praise for Claire, from the weddings & events team, who absolutely worked her socks off to ensure everything was as it should be.

We had a great day, with the gambling Las Vegas theme still a key part for the colour scheme, the cake and the evening 'casino'. And then, just three days later, the couple flew out to start their new life in the middle east! 

Now, if you're in the position of planning, or thinking of planning, a wedding, there's a Wedding Showcase taking place at Ullesthorpe Court on Sunday (Oct 14th) from 2pm-5pm. I'd strongly suggest you pay them a visit, meet the team and have a look around - because I promise you, they do a great job!

Thanks very much to also to Martin Neeves Photography for the images used here.