From Russia with Love

In October 2014, Newstead Priory welcomed Matthew & Maria to celebrate their wedding with family and friends, some of whom had travelled across the globe to be there. Here we talk to the bride and groom to find out about the best day of their lives...

The Venue

Did you look at a lot of wedding venues?

No, we didn't. I think Newstead Priory was the one and only as the saying goes. As soon as we have had our first tour, we knew that our wedding would be there. It just had something about it and was exactly what we had in mind.

How did you find out about Newstead Priory?

Martin, Matthew's Mom's partner, works in the farms nearby, he was the one that told us about the place - luckily! We didn't even know it was there.

What made you decide to book Newstead Priory?

We would say the main reason for booking Newstead Priory as our wedding venue is the intimacy it provides. There is only you and your wedding party there throughout the whole day - which makes it more special. Both the house and the surrounding scenery are stunning which is a big bonus.

The Ceremony

What did you like about the vaulted room?

The vaulted room is just magical - the fact that it is so old only adds to its charm. We loved the fact that it is not a big room as we wanted to have a very intimate ceremony with family and closest friends only.

Can you describe the atmosphere in the vaulted room during your ceremony?

Our ceremony was very emotional - we were both crying and so were our guests! It was a very special moment.

Friends & Family

Where did your friends and family travel from to join you on your special day?

Most of Matthew's family live in Scunthorpe and surrounding areas, but as I (Maria) am originally from Russia, my mom and dad and some friends had to travel from there - just a little further than everyone else! Another one of my bridesmaids travelled from the Netherlands, and a bunch of my friends came up from London.

Where did you stay on your wedding night?

We stayed at Winteringham Fields hotel - about half an hour drive from Newstead Priory but so worth it!

The Dress 

Can you tell us about your beautiful dress?

My dress comes from a boutique in London and is actually from an old Pronovias collection. I absolutely adore it. It is quite big but at the same time the lace detailing on it makes it very delicate.

What did the groom and the bridesmaids wear?

Matthew together with his groomsmen were wearing hired suits from Charles Richard, classic black with gold detailing to match the colour scheme of the wedding. I wasn't keen on getting the same dresses for my bridesmaids, so I asked them all to wear a dress of any gold shade. It turned out to be amazing as all of them had long dresses of different shades - they looked stunning together!

Flowers & Decor 

Did you have a theme for your wedding? Which flowers did you choose?

There wasn't a particular theme - we wanted a classic wedding with a cream and gold colour scheme. Hence for our wedding flowers we picked cream roses - these were used for bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets, buttonholes, venue decoration flowers. We had a gold cake and used gold detailing in table dressing and our outfits - Matt had a gold cravat and handkerchief, I had gold shoes and gold string was used in my hair.

Food & Drink

Can you tell us about the food and drinks served at your wedding?

For our drinks reception we offered our guests Budwiser beer, classic and rose Prosecco and a selection of soft drinks which worked well together with the selection of nibbles we chose.
Our dinner menu consisted of smooth Tomato & Basil Soup, Fillet of Beef with Mini Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables, followed by Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Tart.

For the evening option we picked the hog roast. 

During dinner a selection of wines were presented to our guests, together with Prosecco for the toast. We also used some of our own vodka for the toast of Father of the Bride, for which we just paid a set corkage fee.

All the food was of a very high quality and superbly presented. 

What was your wedding cake like?

We had a round 4-tier fruit wedding cake with gold lace design all over and a cream bow.

Did you enjoy working with Newstead to plan the menu?

Yes, it was an easy experience for us as we picked out what we wanted straight away from the range of options presented by Newstead Priory. We were also impressed by the extensive wine list available.


Did the food live up to expectations on the day?

Absolutely. We actually didn't eat all of our meals because of all the nerves and emotion but all the guest said how lovely the food was. Lucy also packed us some food to take with us which was very nice.

The Service

Did you enjoy working with Lucy to plan your wedding day?

Lucy is great at what she does - she offers you different ideas for each part of your wedding and it is easy to pick the ones that suit you the most. It is all about creating an experience special to YOU - and the Newstead Priory team are fantastic at that.  

Did everything run smoothly on the day?

Yes, the day went so quick but all went to plan. We had some last minute changes of seating arrangements for our dinner, and it was organised by Lucy straight away. 

Did the staff provide a professional service?

The staff at Newstead Priory are the most attentive and professional people we ever met. The service is fantastic. John and Lucy were there for us whenever we needed them. The whole team made our day very special and our guests had great time which is very important. We would like to thank Newstead Priory for the best day of our lives. 

- - -

The perfect setting for weddings, social events and corporate hospitality, the charm and elegance of Newstead Priory is something which guests fall in love with time and time again.

For further information about Newstead Priory please phone (01625) 653283. You can also find ‘Newstead Priory Weddings Lincolnshire’ on Facebook.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HENDEN WEDDINGS LINCOLNSHIRE