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
Meet the Wedding Team:The Mansion
Liam Warburton - Cheeseman, Sales & Events Manager - The Mansion, Leeds
Liam Warburton-Cheeseman (Sales & Events Manager)
The Mansion, Roundhay Park, Leeds LS8 2HH
Get to know the teams behind the dream weddings and find out all of their best wedding secrets!
Photo Credit: Barnaby Aldrick
Capacities & Spaces
Q What are your maximum guest numbers for the ceremony and the wedding breakfast?
A For ceremonies we can host up to 220; for a wedding breakfast up to 134.
Q Do you offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces?
A We have some wonderful indoor ceremony spaces- our Colonnades room has a spectacular view out over Roundhay Park. We're not able to host outdoor weddings unfortunately as we are in a public park.
Q Do you have on-site accommodation?
A No, despite being surrounded by 700 acres of parkland we are just 15 minutes from central Leeds - so there a selection of hotels just a short journey away.
Q Dog friendly?
A We allow dogs for Wedding Ceremonies and drinks receptions. However dogs and loud music are not a good mix, so we ask that dogs are taken home (or to their accommodation) before the wedding meal.
Venue Highlights
Q What is the one feature of your venue that couples always fall in love with?
A The Grand Staircase and Chandelier. The Staircase provides elegance for photos, bridal entrance, first look photos and the Chandelier, especially in Winter when the nights are darker and is illuminated in the couple colour scheme, offers a stunning contrast in colour and brings modern chic to a classic Georgian property.
The Pro Tips
Q What is your top piece of advice for couples planning their wedding?
A Prioritise what you want, not what will please the most people. This applies to food, drinks, décor, music. Your wedding is a reflection of who you are as a couple, a hybrid mix of what you both like, and not an exercise in satisfying the whims of all who are in attendance. Don't settle for chicken if you'd rather have lamb; don't opt for Abba if you're more of an AC/DC
Q What is the most 'genius' wedding planning move or cost-saver you’ve seen a couple pull off?
A I don't think it is genius but just couples providing things they can make themselves. Wedding cakes for example, can be super expensive, but a lot of cake at night does not get eaten and people only do a cake because it is "traditional" and expected. Family members providing centre pieces like flowers they've grown at home. We recently had a wedding that put pictures of the couple around the venue and next to them paintings of those pictures that the couple had done. My advice to all couples, is just make it personal to you. Traditions and expectations can get very expensive, very quickly.
Q If a couple has an entertainment budget, where in your opinion is it best spent for maximum impact?
A Live music will always be the winner for me, and garden games. Things that will keep people entertained and engaged during some of the long moments that don't involve everybody. For example, during the drinks reception and photos, people want something to keep them active. I also like entertainment for the night time, not so much saxophonists as these can be hit and miss but bands, big or small. Live music brings a different level of atmosphere for me. Live drawing/painters are fantastic too as you get something that you can keep forever!
“Prioritise what you want, not what will please the most people. This applies to food, drinks, décor, music. Your wedding is a reflection of who you are as a couple, a hybrid mix of what you both like, and not an exercise in satisfying the whims of all who are in attendance. Don’t settle for chicken if you’d rather have lamb; don’t opt for Abba if you’re more of an AC/DC ”
Style & Trends
Q Best aisle entrance song?
A Song Bird - this was the music my wife walked into the room to and she went to a recording studio and sang her own entrance music. I also love "I Get to Love You" by Ruelle, our first dance music
Q Best aisle exit song?
A Signed, Sealed, Delivered is a timeless classic, but I love something more like "Come and Get Your Love"
Q Favourite colour scheme?
A I know it is traditional nowadays and done a lot but I love sage green. The tables, the dresses. I also love bolder colours for Winter weddings, like Reds and Purples.
Q Favourite wedding cake flavour?
A Salted Caramel
Q What favours do guests actually keep?
A None! Edible ones are always well received. Scratch cards confuse me, what would you do if they won a lot of money?
Traditions
Q One 'Old' tradition you still love.
A The Cake cutting- a great tradition and a fabulous photo. I love it when the couple cut and eat a piece straight away.
Q One 'New' tradition you’re currently obsessed with?
A The mid aisle drop kiss shot. I love the photo it provides, with everybody around you and not just you standing at the front. All eyes are on you, including the person who is looking at the photo.
The Ceremony
Q Everyone working on the wedding floor loves a Celebrant Led wedding, why do you love them?
A The flexibility and bespoke nature of a celebrant wedding makes it so much more personal. Sometimes a registrar led wedding feels too much like a tick box exercise and doesn't have the couple at the heart of the ceremony, whereas a celebrant led wedding does. They take the time to get to know the couple and deliver something so much more magical and memorable.
Arrange your viewing contact Liam at The Mansion, Leeds
Editors note: These are not paid adverts or sponsored posts.
We choose to spotlight these brilliant businesses to champion the wonderful, hardworking wedding teams who embrace the freedom of celebrant-led ceremonies, ensuring every couple's day is completely flawless.
Katie x
Meet the Wedding Team: Elsworth at the Mill
Rebecca & Bruce Elsworth - Co Owners
Hollie Igoe - Wedding Coordinator
High Corn Mill, Chapel Hill, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1NL
Get to know the teams behind the dream weddings and find out all of their best wedding secrets!
The Team: Hollie Igoe (Wedding Coordinator) Bruce & Rebecca Elsworth (Co owners)
Capacities & Spaces
Q What are your maximum guest numbers for the ceremony and the wedding breakfast?
A Ceremony up to 70, Wedding breakfast A la Carte 64, Street Food Buffet up to 80, Evening up to 80.
Q Do you offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces?
A Indoor only
Q Do you have on-site accommodation?
A The venue is surrounded by local accommodation from Hotels, Guest Houses and Holiday lets the closest one being Eller Beck directly below the venue.
Q Dog friendly?
A Small well behaved dogs are allowed.
Photo credits: Georgie Beck, Jacqueline Louise Photography
Venue Highlights
Q What is the vibe of your venue?
A Relaxed, historic, bespoke - Simple, characterful and thoughtfully put together.
Q What is the one feature of your venue that couples always fall in love with?
A The high beamed ceiling, the exposed Yorkshire stone walls and the fact the venue doesn't need much dressing, a few simple runners on the table along with bud vases and candles and the space is wedding ready.
The Pro Tips
Q What is your top piece of advice for couples planning their wedding?
A Make your day feel like yours, don't follow a trend if it's not a reflection of you. Concentrate on bringing your nearest & dearest together to celebrate your special day. No one will remember if the timings run exact or if you had the latest trend but they will remember how it felt.
Q What is the most 'genius' wedding planning move or cost-saver you’ve seen a couple pull off?
A The best cost saver is keeping it smaller, some of the best days here have been planned at the last minute and are beautiful, simple, intimate gatherings where everything happens in one place: ceremony, food, drinks, dancing. No transport, no long gaps, no extras for the sake of it. Just good food, the right people and the best atmosphere.
Q If a couple has an entertainment budget, where in your opinion is it best spent for maximum impact?
A I would say a DJ/ live music we love DJ Wiggy or Sarah Widdup, they can really set the tone, especially if you love a bit of a dance or if you would like more on the entertaining side we would highly recommend a magician, We love Magic by Mark Waddington, this really does bring people together and gets them talking.
“Make your day feel like yours, don’t follow a trend if it’s not a reflection of you. Concentrate on bringing your nearest & dearest together to celebrate your special day. No one will remember if the timings run exact or if you had the latest trend but they will remember how it felt.”
Style & Trends
Q Best aisle entrance song?
A An acoustic version of Simply The Best.
Q Best aisle exit song?
A Everywhere, Fleetwood Mac
Q Favourite colour scheme?
A A gorgeous mix of bright colours
Q Favourite wedding cake flavour?
A It has to be a vanilla sponge with berry jam and meringue buttercream, classic & delicious especially from our trusted supplier baked by Emma Lawson.
Q What favours do guests actually keep?
A We recently held a Japanese themed wedding and all the guests had traditional fans as favours, these are the types of things people will keep and cherish.
Traditions
Q One 'Old' tradition you still love.
A Speeches that actually mean something, not over rehearsed, not too many, just a few people standing up and saying something with meaning.
Q One 'New' tradition you’re currently obsessed with?
A Dropping the wedding rule book, Late ceremonies, shared aisles, no formal sides and couples arriving together. Keeping your day personal to you.
The Ceremony
Q Everyone working on the wedding floor loves a Celebrant Led wedding, why do you love them?
A We absolutely love a celebrant led wedding, its personal, its tells a story, its moving, its everything!
You can find out more about the Elsworth at the Mill Team by clicking here
“Editors note: These aren’t paid-for features or affiliate links. I choose to spotlight these brilliant businesses to champion the wonderful, hardworking wedding teams who embrace the freedom of celebrant-led ceremonies, ensuring every couple’s day is completely flawless.”
Golden Hour, Surprise Third Ring: Chloe & Anthony’s Family-Focused Lakeside Wedding 🥂
Photographer: Georgie Beck
The Coniston Hotel Estate & Spa | Yorkshire Dales
There is something truly sacred about returning to the place where it all began. For Chloe and Anthony, the Yorkshire Dales isn't just a backdrop; it’s the setting of their life together. Ten years after their first meeting, they headed back to the water’s edge to finally say "I do."
They did things their way, and honestly, those are always my favourite days! After a 3 PM legal ceremony at the registry office. (Chloe wore a yellow dress), we had all the freedom in the world to create a 6 PM twilight ceremony that was 100% “them”.
The Ceremony: Golden Hour & Happy Tears
As the golden hour sun blazed at The Coniston Hotel, the energy shifted. This wasn't a "sit still and be quiet" kind of ceremony; it was an immersive experience. We shared their ten-year love story, the highs, the laughs, and the journey that led them to this very moment.
Three Rings, Not Two 💍
Family vows and a surprise third ring completed Team Barstow 💕
Photographer: Georgie Beck
The most beautiful part of the ceremony? Involving their daughter. Marriage isn’t just about two people; it’s about the family they’ve built. After Chloe and Anthony exchanged their vows, we had a surprise third ring for their little girl. There wasn't a dry eye! It was a beautiful, age-appropriate way to say, "We are a team, forever."
The air was filled with a mix of happy tears and genuine delight, before the couple headed off for fizz, dinner, and a dance floor that didn't quit!
The Dream Team Squad
A huge shoutout to the wedding professionals who made this outdoor Dales dream a reality:
Celebrant:Katie FlanaganMaking sure your story is told your way
Venue: The Coniston Hotel Estate & Spa – For the outdoor lakeside wedding vibe.
Photographer: Georgie Beck – Capturing that "just married" glow perfectly.
Videographer: The Bride’s Brother – Family talent at its finest!
Content Creator: Forever Captured by Paige – Paige stepped in and saved the day with her gorgeous BTS moments.
Florist: Poppyfields Florist – Bethany created the most gorgeous floral wedding display.
The Dress: Sugared Almonds Bridal
MUA: Lisa Cooper Make Up
Hair: Luna Hairstylist Bridal
“As the Editor of Celebrant Led, I get to see gorgeous weddings cross my desk every day. But Chloe and Anthony’s lakeside day holds an incredibly special place in my heart—because I also had the absolute privilege of being their wedding celebrant!
A massive thank you to the newlyweds and their incredible creative team for allowing us to feature this magic.”
Love this ceremony style? If you are planning your own wedding and want a relaxed, meaningful ceremony tailored entirely to your story, I would love to chat. You can find out more here.
📸 Feature Your Celebrant Led Wedding
Are you a wedding photographer with a stunning gallery to share, or a real couple who had a beautiful celebrant-led day?
We want to see it! Get in touch to have your wedding featured next on the blog.