Meet the Wedding Team - James Li, Carlton Manor
James Li, Wedding Coordinator, Carlton Manor, Hull - Photo credit: Vicky Benge
Get to know James, the man behind the dream weddings at Carlton Manor, and find out all the best wedding secrets!
Capacities & Spaces
Q Venue Location: Where in the UK can we find you?
Aldbrough, East Riding of Yorkshire
Q Venue Capacity: Maximum guest numbers for the ceremony and the wedding breakfast?
Intimate Barn Weddings of up to 60 daytime and 100 evening
Tipi Weddings of up to 120 daytime and 200 evening
Q The Ceremony Spaces: Do you offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces?
Yes, our ceremony Barn is a perfect space for ceremonies
We also have a lawned area by a large Oak tree for outside ceremonies
Q The Accomodation: Do you have any on site?
We can accommodate up to 83 guests onsite. Our elegant Manor House has up to 11 rooms, sleeping up to 24 guests. The house also has plenty of communal spaces for guests to gather the day before or after the wedding celebrations have finished.
We also have 12 glamping pods. These vary in sizes from 2 person all the way up to our family pods that sleep up to 7. Our pods are all ensuite and include a kitchenette, underfloor heating, tv and wifi.
All of our accommodation is located onsite so no travelling required!
Photography credits: Vicky Benge Photography and Sam Chipman Photography
Venue Highlights
Q The Standout Feature:
What is the one feature of your venue that couples always fall in love with?
Our Tipis certainly have the wow factor for couples looking for a unique wedding space but our Manor House will always be the part of the venue our couples fall in love with. From the individually styled bedrooms to the large guest kitchen and communal spaces. Perfect for guests to gather the night before the wedding.
The Pro Tips
Q Top tip: What is your top piece of advice for couples planning their wedding?
It may sound very cliché but do what makes you both happy! It is so easy to get lost in planning a wedding and trying to keep everyone happy. Ultimately, your guests will be happy just being there to celebrate your big day!
As a true Yorkshireman, I would also have to offer a money saving tip!
Think of how you can repurpose your décor from your ceremony. Many couples will plan for styling to be used for the wedding breakfast and evening reception.
Q The Innovation: What is the most ‘genius’ wedding planning move or cost-saver you’ve seen a couple pull off?
Catering for your big day can be quite overwhelming as costs can soon start mounting up as you add on all of the additional extras.
A lovely couple I worked with kept their catering costs down by providing their own platters for the reception. They sourced locally made sausage rolls, pork pies and artisan breads. This was a great idea as an alternative to canapes.
They also then asked guests to bring a dessert for the wedding. They were all placed on tables and became the couple’s dessert table. Score cards were provided by the couple and post wedding breakfast, the couple announced the winning dessert. Very much in keeping with The Great British Bake Off!
Q Where should a couple spend their entertainment budget for maximum impact?
Live music is always a winner in my view as it just lifts a wedding day to another level. With this in mind, plan for when you would like live music. My preference would always be for the ceremony, drinks reception and evening reception.
Photo booths are always popular too. Guests love having fun photos taken and it can double up as a photo guest book too which means the couple leave with a keepsake of their special day.
“Burying a sausage the night before the wedding. Anything which helps ensure it doesn’t rain on the wedding day is a bonus in my eyes. I even have a designated sausage plot where this is done at Carlton Manor!”
Style & Trends
Q Best aisle entrance song?
Ruelle – I get to Love You
Q Best aisle exit song?
Natalie Cole – This Will Be (an everlasting love)
Q Favourite colour scheme?
I am all about the bold and vibrant colours. The more fun and different, the better. Think eclectic wildflowers and bold accent colours for chair sashes and table runners!
Q Favourite wedding cake flavour?
My all time favourite was a banoffee wedding cake!
Q What favours do guests actually keep?
I always recommend wedding favours that can either be eaten or drunk. Little sweet bags, personalised biscuits or shots of your favourite drink always go down well.
Traditions
Q One ‘Old’ tradition you still love.
Burying a sausage the night before the wedding. Anything which helps ensure it doesn’t rain on the wedding day is a bonus in my eyes. I even have a designated sausage plot where this is done at Carlton Manor!
Q One ‘New’ tradition you’re currently obsessed with?
I will always love seeing stunning wedding cakes, but I do love how ingenious couples are now becoming with this tradition. Couples opting for something different have created cakes of cheese and pork pie cakes. Other alternatives have been towers of cupcakes or doughnuts.
The Ceremony:
Q Everyone working on the wedding floor loves a Celebrant Led wedding, why do you love them?
Although civil ceremonies are still lovely, they do become a little repetitive. What I love the most about a celebrant led ceremony is how bespoke they are for each couple. I love how a celebrant will sit down with a couple and find out all about them and what makes them tick. They will then create an amazing ceremony which they will be happy with, rather than feeling shoehorned into a ceremony that might not be what they want. Every celebrant led ceremony I have been a part of has been different. Some couples still opt for more of a traditional ceremony but add a handfasting or sand ceremony. Others throw in more unusual things. My favourite was when a couple had the rings tied to toy dinosaurs which were passed round the guests while the Jurassic Park theme tune was played!
These are the things which truly make a ceremony memorable.
You can contact James and find out more about the Carlton Manor Team by clicking here