A Reflection of Us

An interview with a new Bride & Groom just back from honeymoon is a lovely way to spend the morning.  So, sipping champagne and reflecting on their big day, it’s a pleasure to share some memories with Lindsey & Adam who married at the Grand this year…


Having grown up on the coast, each from Bournemouth & Brighton, and now living & working in London, the happy couple has friends and family from all over, so the venue choice was quite open, Lindsey recalls “I wanted elegance, but neither of us wanted to lose the fun element, we didn’t really know what the venue would look like until we saw it, just that we wanted it all to happen in one place, somewhere on the coast”

 

They had done the usual online research, then set about some real visits… and as soon as they walked into Eastbourne’s Grand Hotel, “we thought, this just fits!”  Eureka, the welcome they’d received (on an unannounced visit) and the atmosphere here won their hearts, and the mothers-in-law agreed.

 

The glorious summer weather guaranteed fun in the sun on the large bedroom balconies as the bride & bridesmaids got ready with some great #instamoments outside as well as in the generous suite where Lindsey’s Dad first set eyes on his only daughter in her wedding dress.  Emotions captured by ‘Shoot-It-Yourself’ videography throughout.

 

Meanwhile, downstairs in the elegant Princes Room with floor-to-ceiling windows & full-length drapes, the scene was set for a beautiful ceremony packed with family traditions from the moment Lindsey’s  Jimmy Choo’s stepped onto the aisle.  The Grand’s wedding coordination team had changed the chairs from the Grand’s usual style to a contemporary more narrow chair, brought in by local preferred supplier Dazzling Décor, to allow another 40 guests to share the ceremony taking the numbers up to 160.  And then they were married!

 

As Mr & Mrs, they led their guests out onto the lawns for a relaxed drinks reception (more insta-snaps) and informal photos, “we wanted things to stay fun and spend time with our friends and family rather than a go through a long list of formal photos, and friends were also using the S-I-Y videos anyway” remembers Adam, whose friend (and wedding guest) Blake Ezra, organised the day’s photography alongside the Shoot-It-Yourself video concept which edits the whole wedding journey post-event from all angles.

 

When the day was in full swing and everyone was enjoying themselves, it occurred to Lindsey that she hadn’t even thought about the things she’d worried about on the lead-up, “I am a worrier, and I like a spreadsheet!  But Melissa had already got everything under control since the day we first met; it ran like clockwork with well-drilled staff who appeared & disappeared out of sight on a really tight schedule.  They all did the Grand proud”.

 

Speaking of the lead-up… Melissa (our Wedding Coordinator, who has worked at Elite Hotels for 9 years), built a relationship with Lindsey & Adam to put them at ease and enjoy the preparations… with a menu & wine tasting, show rounds and always being available at the end of the phone or email for as many times as Lindsey wanted to check-in with ideas & queries. 

“There was a genuine willingness all round, Melissa even arranged for the whole Compton Room to be set up by Megan and the Conference & Banqueting Team so that our parents could properly visualise how the room would look on the day allowing for the dance floor to be kept clear.  It made the arrangements so relaxed, with a mix of all the things we really wanted”, said Lindsey.  The dance floor was a big part of the celebrations, to say the least, a few of the moves and celebrations captured in these photos!  The Compton Ballroom hosts the most fairy tale of wedding celebrations with a large stage & endless audio-visual opportunities to turn it into a great party venue by night for around 200 guests.

 

“The Grand had so many function room we could use, it honestly felt like the hotel was literally ours for the day” said Lindsey, and Adam recalls, “When we woke up the next day and went out onto our balcony, we saw our friends having fun in the outside pool; it was just like being on holiday.  Everyone loved their weekend in Eastbourne at the Grand”.

 

Post wedding, the couple have returned to enjoy lunch at the Grand’s Mirabelle fine dining restaurant… and their parents are already planning a trip for themselves to return to the Grand on Adam & Lindsey’s anniversary.  Adam & Lindsey will come back for another ‘mini-moon’ one day too (though possibly not the same weekend!) and we look forward to welcoming them again.  So glad we were able to host their wedding and make it a true reflection of their character…