Plan your day, your way

Weddings are all about celebrating the love and union between two people, and every wedding day is completely personal to the couple getting married. When it comes to wedding styling, a priority high-up on most couples’ lists is making sure their day reflects them, both as a couple and as individuals. Many couples seek a neutral wedding reception space that they can make their mark on, and Old Palace Chester is the perfect (not entirely blank) canvas for you to do so.

You will naturally be drawn to a venue that you can envision saying ‘I do’ in. It has to tick all of the boxes, from accommodation requirements to location. As an exclusive-use venue, Old Palace Chester is a truly private setting where your next chapter can begin.

While our palace and riverside gardens are full of historic features and period charm, our Cheshire wedding venue perfectly pairs contemporary style with the property’s original detailing. Elegant neutral finishes allow you to create the day of your dreams without having to compromise. So you can have your day, your way!

With a neutral wedding reception space, there are so many ways you can transform your setting and make it unique to you. But where do you start? We’re on hand to help you inject your personality into our Cheshire wedding venue…

Find your wedding theme

From beautifully bohemian to a scene lifted straight from a fairy-tale, firstly decide on the overall theme and style for your big day. Choosing a neutral wedding venue gives you free rein on wedding styling. Consider whether you want a traditional white wedding, a glitteringly glamorous affair or a theme inspired by royal weddings. Bring the beauty of the riverside gardens into the palace at Old Palace Chester with a flora and fauna theme or set the scene with rustic details. The choice is completely yours.

Choose a colour scheme to make your neutral wedding venue pop!

Whether you decide to run with a wedding theme or not, choose a colour scheme to enhance your venue and give your styling a cohesive look. If you are often drawn to certain colours or have a favourite hue, include them in your colour scheme.

Add a confident splash of colour with pops of romantic red and blush pinks to create a dramatic backdrop. Add touches of blue in your details, like the floral arrangements, to double up as your something blue. Or opt for a neutral colour palette of white and green or ivory and gold to ensure the main features of the venue remain the focal point. Whichever way you go with your colour scheme, be consistent for a flawless wedding style.

Set the scene

First impressions count, and on first arriving at Old Palace Cheshire your guests will immediately be captivated by our grand, Grade II, Georgian building. As they enter the building, immerse your guests in your wedding style with unique details.

Why not display a large welcome sign at the entrance with your names and wedding date? Add a witty pun to reflect your fun and outgoing personalities or choose a cursive font to echo the romance of the day. Make a personalised focal point with a photo wall for guests to look at as they mingle during your welcome drinks.

You could ask your wedding party to hand out order of the day cards. This will set out the order of events to ensure your guests are always at the right place at the right time. By setting the scene with your decor and details, your guests will be able to relax into the atmosphere of the day.

Fabulous flowers

Floral arrangements have a huge impact on your wedding day styling, whether you opt for real blooms or faux flowers. Create a dream-like scene with towering blossom trees lining the aisle of your ceremony space. Or, you could add a variety of colours to a neutral wedding venue with bold, brightly coloured arrangements and bouquets.

Why not give a nod to sustainable styling with potted plants dotted along wedding breakfast tables. The plants can double as your centrepieces and favours for guests to take home. Flowers and foliage can transform a space, so get creative and make the venue your own.

Ceremony style

Along with a neutral backdrop, Old Palace Chester comes with choices in all areas. Starting with your ceremony space. At this Cheshire wedding venue, you can choose to marry in The River Room, The grand Ballroom or outside in the private gardens above the River Dee.

Make your ceremony even more personal with sentimental readings, poems and love letters. You could even choose to include a symbolic ritual, like hand fasting, before you say your vows.

Seasonal touches

Consider the season you’ll be marrying in and reflect it in your wedding details. Use your choice of flowers and a seasonal menu to echo the month you marry. In the spring choose a pastel colour palette or marry outdoors and celebrate with lawn games in the summer. Add miniature pumpkins to your centrepieces giving an autumnal air to a neutral wedding venue space in the fall. And create a magical atmosphere with flickering candles and fairy lights in the winter months.

Food, glorious food

From the wedding cake to the welcome drinks, keep your wedding styling in mind as you make decisions around your menus. Personalised cocktails as your welcome drinks, towering tiers of doughnuts in place of a wedding cake, a dessert that everyone you know could guess you would choose. Inject your personality into the food and beverage choices as well as your decor.

At Old Palace Chester it’s more than a meal, it’s an experience. We work with you in the run up to your wedding day to create a dynamic and delicious menu that perfectly suits the season and your tastes. Find out more about our food and drink options here.

All in the details

Think outside the box – your neutral wedding venue is encouraging you to! Think decorative drapes, festoon lighting, homemade decorations, neon signs, floral backdrops… There are so many ways to style your day, your way. Include personalised details like a guestbook with your new surname on it, a bespoke cake topper, and favours with your wedding date printed on them.

Create an atmosphere

Allow your wedding day reflect your style, whether you want to keep your day formal and traditional or more relaxed and natural. Details such as Champagne served on arrival, a string quartet playing as your walk down the aisle, and a toastmaster to announce proceedings will keep a formal air to your day.

Lawn games, a quirky Photo Booth and a pizza party for your evening reception will create a more casual and fun feel. A neutral wedding venue, like Old Palace Chester gives you the space to create the right atmosphere for your dream wedding.

Make the most of your Cheshire wedding venue

As you embark on your wedding planning journey, your ideas will evolve and change. With a neutral wedding venue, your imagination can run wild. Without the constraints of having to work around the decor and colours of your wedding venue, you can plan to perfection.

Old Palace Chester is yours to make your own. Our versatile venue allows you to create a day as unique as you are as a couple. The neutral backdrop gives you the freedom to create any theme you wish and we cannot wait to see your dreams turn into reality.

To find out more about hosting your wedding at Old Palace Chester, why not come and visit us? Or give us a call on 01244 564380 for more information.