Category / Lifestyle

10 springtime décor ideas for your next event

Posted on by Caroline

With the brighter mornings, lighter nights and daytime clear blue skies, it really feels like spring is almost here.

With springtime officially declared on the 20th of March, it’s time to start planning your next event with this wonderful season in mind.

From seasonal blooms to springtime colour pops, here are 10 ideas from Grassfield Hall to fill you with plenty of inspiration…

Beautiful blossom branches

With plenty of pastel-coloured blossom appearing on the trees, there’s no better springtime floral display than this. Select a few long branches with plenty of blossom buds on them and place them in a pretty glass vase or jar on your dinner table or resting on surrounding fireplaces. Whether you have friends over for dinner or are planning an intimate wedding, this idea is very flexible and can be incorporated into most interior themes.

Spring-inspired cocktails

Drinks don’t come more enticing than this! When choosing drinks to offer your guests, think about fruits and herbs that are in season at this time. This peach melba cocktail has been topped with chunks of fresh fruit and sprinkled with pretty petals for the ultimate tempting finish.

Eggs on branches

Easter is the perfect time to have some fun with your event décor. If your event is outdoor, you could hang hundreds of painted hollow eggs onto the branches of a nearby tree. Or inside, on the branches of a potted olive tree or palm. The key is for as much colour and diversity as possible when it comes to the decoration of the eggs, so get painting now!

Understated florals

Springtime flowers are so beautiful, that they don’t need to be overcomplicated. These stunning hydrangeas look gorgeous and natural in their clear jars and don’t need to be mixed with anything else. Play around with different heights using multi-sized jars and pair with crisp white table linens.

Gorgeous grazing boards

Not only can grazing boards make a fantastic and colourful visual impact on your dining table, they also offer a laidback and casual way to share food and engage in conversation with other guests. Swopping the usual starter course with a springtime grazing board can also be very cost-effective compared to individual servings.

Confetti lighting

Adding colour to an event space can often be tricky. You don’t want to go in too heavy or you run the risk of making the space look busy and chaotic. But then often sprinkles of colour here and there are not quite enough to make an impact. Confetti lighting bridges this gap by allowing you to keep your room décor simple but adding enough colour to bring the space alive. They also look fantastic once the sun goes down and the lights shine brightly around your guests.

Quirky centrepieces

 

Centrepieces don’t always have to be serious. And, springtime is a great time to have a play around. The above centrepiece idea is a play on a floral centrepiece, but with the blooms being made out of paper. Perfectly matched with beautiful floral plates, rose-coloured glassware and pretty pastel napkins. Lovely for a mother’s day lunch.

Coloured water vases

Colour blocking is still a big trend in both the interiors and the events world. And, this idea is just great for accentuating all the colourful springtime flowers. Choose a selection of flowers of varying colour shades, and then experiment with different food colouring samples until you get the perfect match of coloured water to place them in. A really simple idea with a big visual impact.

Bunny napkins

 

The only other thing better than the abundance of chocolate eggs during the Easter season is the cuteness of all the bunny-inspired accessories. If you are hosting an Easter party, then treat your guests to a cheeky table setting to fill them with joy. Here’s a quick Youtube video to show you how.

Floral lighting displays

Lighting displays don’t get much lovelier than this! Cherry blossom is the ultimate signal of spring and will brighten up even the plainest of room decors. Drape around pendant lights hanging over your dining table or wrap around standard lamps for a firm nod to the season of new beginnings.

How to stay calm and relaxed on your wedding morning

Posted on by Caroline

The lead-up to your big day is full of both excitement and nerves. It’s very easy to become overwhelmed by all the organisation and decisions you need to make for a wedding, and it’s normal to feel apprehensive in the days and weeks running up to it.

Before you know it, the morning of your marriage will come around, and this should be a really important and enjoyable part of your day. It’s the chance to take time for yourself, to spend time with friends and family, and to make yourself feel amazing and comfortable in your wedding attire.

So, to help you prepare for a calm and relaxing wedding morning, we have written up some

top tips on easing into your day with zero stress and maximum enjoyment…

Arrive at your venue the day before 

No matter what time you choose to get married, the hours running up to it seem to go very fast. Therefore, we always advise our wedding parties to arrive the day before the wedding, in order to feel settled before the big day arrives.

You want to make your wedding morning as chilled as possible, so you definitely don’t want to be dashing around or travelling across the country in bad traffic, which is likely to make you feel very anxious.

We also encourage couples to arrive an hour or so before their guests the night before to get settled and unpacked. Once you have done this, any initial nerves will be eased, so you will be ready to welcome your guests and show them around the venue like it’s your own home!

Have a great night’s sleep

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing friends and family that you might not have seen for a long time. However, remember that you want to feel refreshed and full of energy on your wedding day, so an early night is a good option.

Your nerves and excitement might make it a little harder for you to drift off to sleep that night, so take time to have a nice, relaxing bath with oils, download a sleep meditation and practice some mindful breathing exercises to help you ease into a peaceful slumber. Try to avoid too much alcohol or rich food the night before, as these will affect both your sleep as well as your mood the following day.

When you wake up in the morning, remember to have a nutritious, light breakfast, such as fruit, granola, and yoghurt, as well as herbal tea to keep any nervous stomachs under wrap!

Hand over the stress to someone else

It’s likely you and your partner will have had to make hundreds of decisions in the lead-up to the wedding, including the selection of your venue and suppliers including musicians, caterers, and florists. But, once all the decisions are made and you are happy with your selections, it’s time to hand over all the hard work to your venue team to manage.

Here at Grassfield Hall, once you have had your final meeting with us and the timeline is complete, then you’ve really handed over all the stress. We will be in contact with all your suppliers on your behalf, ensuring they arrive at the right times and come to the right places. Don’t worry about timings or room turnarounds…that’s our job and good suppliers keep the timeline in their mind at all times. You can simply relax knowing that you’re in safe hands and we will take care of every detail just as you want it.

You can also hand over some tasks to your bridal party too. Perhaps ask your bridesmaids to prepare a chilled playlist for you all to get ready to or bring along some calming scents or candles to use in your room to create a peaceful vibe.

Choose the perfect place to get ready

The room you get ready in on your wedding morning is very special as it’s likely to feature in many photographs and will also be the place where you share many lovely moments with your family and wedding party before you say “I do”.

Your bridal suite should be light, spacious, and have a great atmosphere that makes you feel happy and relaxed. Many of our couples choose our Dolly & James Room as their wedding suite for its calming caramel and gold tones, which blend in perfectly with all wedding themes (not to mention the heavenly sleigh bed!). We also have an area outside the bridal suite for the make-up and hair team to work from, so that the bridal suite can be kept tranquil and tidy at all times.

If you suffer from anxiety or are especially nervous about your wedding day, then try to only surround yourself with the people who have a calming effect on you. It could be your mum, your sister or your best friend – and just politely ask everyone else to get ready in their own rooms, telling them you need some space and want it to be a secret when they see you later on. Everyone who has been married before will 100% understand your need for time to prepare.

Enjoy each moment

The most important piece of advice to remember is to savour every moment of your wedding morning. It’s all part of the amazing experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.

We provide complimentary fizz for the ladies getting ready and can arrange golf or cycling for the men if they want to leave the house for a bit. We generally have a long breakfast on the wedding day so that people can come and go between getting ready, and it’s a very social occasion.

The bride may like time to herself to think about the day ahead, maybe take a jacuzzi bath with her favourite products or simply sit and chat to friends on the sofa, reminiscing about great times together. We can even suggest a nice short route for a walk in the beautiful surrounding Yorkshire Dales if you fancy some fresh air.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure you allow for plenty of time as you don’t want to feel rushed at any point. We recommend that you aim to be ready an hour before your ceremony begins – this means you can be relaxed and ready to go while allowing time to enjoy being with your bridal party.

We absolutely love hosting weddings here at the Hall and do everything we possibly can to make each day as magical as possible – with all the special touches that make a difference.

 

If you haven’t yet selected your wedding venue, we would love to hear from you and arrange a time for you to come and look around the venue so we can give you some inspiration on how your wedding day could look.

Contact Lisa on 07958 038134 or email info@grassfield-hall.co.uk

Tips for the perfect small Yorkshire wedding

Posted on by Caroline

Here at Grassfield Hall, we are firm believers that bigger doesn’t mean better. In fact, we happen to think that the best things are bespoke and bijoux – especially when it comes to wedding days.   

After all, the day of your marriage should be about the love you two share and celebrating that with the people who you absolutely love the most. We definitely don’t think you should be spending the day worried about whether all your guests will get on together or whether you have spent enough time going around everyone checking that they are okay.

As well as the obvious budget implications a smaller wedding solves, it also creates a much more relaxed and intimate setting. It means you can spend more time with your close friends and family, and enjoy a more personal and unforgettable experience overall.

If you think an intimate wedding sounds like the perfect choice for you and your partner, then here we offer some tips to make your day all the more special.

Choose your venue carefully

If a guest list featuring hundreds of people doesn’t interest you, then it’s likely you are going to be looking for a Yorkshire venue that specialises in smaller weddings. Big hotels in Harrogate, York or Leeds can be great for those who want to invite lots of guests but can often feel too spacious or soul-less for smaller groups. Also, if your guest list is small, often hotels will try to fit more than one wedding on the same day, and do you really want to share the limelight with another wedding party?

Luxury private venues in Yorkshire, like Grassfield Hall, specialise in holding only small, intimate weddings so we know exactly how to make the most of your guest list. Here, we seat a maximum of 32 guests for your wedding breakfast, with the possibility of a further 25 guests joining for your evening celebrations. You will have exclusive use of the hall and its beautiful grounds during your stay and be totally looked after by our small family team.

Take time over your guest list

When your invite-list is small, you need to be very selective and your guests will understand this. You are perfectly entitled to say no to plus ones if you haven’t yet met the person, and many modern couples don’t invite children so that they don’t have to provide entertainment for them (and also so that the kid’s parents can relax a little more on the day too!)

Every single person you invite to a wedding this size should be someone that is close to you and you can’t imagine marrying without them there. A good question to ask is ‘Would we want to go for an intimate dinner date with this person/couple next week? If the answer is no, then they just don’t make the cut.

Go with local, recommended suppliers

Your wedding suppliers can make a big impact on the smooth running of your day. And, if you’re not living in the area you are getting married in, or are not used to planning events, then it can be pretty overwhelming when it comes to choosing your A team for the day. 

You really can’t beat the assurance from another bride or groom that the supplier you are considering provided and excellent service at their wedding. Although everyone has varying views on quality and style – it will help to know that your supplier has experience and rates highly with others.

Caterers, florists, photographers, and entertainers all rely on reviews and recommendations for future bookings, so don’t be embarrassed to ask them for recent reviews, images, and videos, or to be put in touch with a couple of previous clients that you can get in touch with.

We recommend choosing local suppliers, not only to offset your wedding’s carbon footprint but also to get the most out of the beauty of the local area. North Yorkshire is home to amazing caterers who specialise in seasonal, Yorkshire produce, as well as florists who get their plants and blooms from local growers.

Focus on your favourite things

A big benefit to having a small wedding is that you will be spending less money on the number of guests coming and can therefore put more budget towards all the things that matter to you as a couple.

Together, write down a list of what your priority items are: it could be having Michelin star food, a special type of champagne that you love, beautiful floral displays in every corner of the venue, an open bar for the whole day, a live music act that you’ve heard before or going all out on your clothes and accessories for the day.

Try to focus on two to three priorities and then make those the stars of the show when it comes to designing the look of your reception.

Personalise it all

When you have only a few select guests invited, the nano-details matter, and personalising certain things can make everyone feel so much more special and appreciated.

Why not get creative with your place cards: you could write guests’ names on small potted orchids; personalise mini bottles of champagne; use crystal birthstones for everyone coming, or even ice their names onto pretty biscuits.

With your saved budget, you could hire a calligrapher or illustrator to handwrite each order of service, menu, and place setting with your guest’s name and maybe even a sketch of the guest – just imagine how beautiful they will look on the seats as your guest arrive. 

Take the stress out of it

We know that planning a wedding can be exhausting, no matter how big or small they are. With so many things to consider and remember, it’s nice to share the load with someone who you both trust and can rely on.

Our small, family team at Grassfield Hall wants to be the one to take the stress away from you. We work extremely closely with our couples so that we get to know them personally. Unlike many other venues, we will liaise with your suppliers directly in the run-up to the event, to ensure everything is planned to perfection, meaning that you can really enjoy the days leading up to your big day with the safe knowledge that everything is under control.

Every small wedding is so special and important for us too. And, we will do everything in our power to make things even more magical than you imagined.

 

Considering a wedding in 2022 or beyond? Contact Lisa today to talk about your plans and arrange a date to come and view the hall.

Ingredients for a perfect New Year’s Eve

Posted on by Caroline

In the current climate, many of us are opting for scaled-back celebrations with a few special people. And although the group might be smaller, it doesn’t mean that you need to lack on fun! Small New Year’s Eve gatherings can be even more enjoyable as you get to enjoy each other’s company more and really spend quality time together.

Intimate dinners and cocktail parties are definitely the way forward this year, so here are some key ingredients to ensure you let 2022 in with style.

A great venue

Many of us like entertaining at home in our own comfort zone, however, if you love hosting but want a change of scenery, then why not hire a private venue to accommodate your group?

Private hire venues are great at NYE as you can enjoy dinner and fun during the evening, as well as sleeping over and having breakfast together on New Year’s Day (sore head or not!).

Here at Grassfield Hall, we can sleep up to 16 people for a private hire, with a dedicated dining area, bar area and lots of cosy places to relax and catch up with those you love.

Delicious food

Nothing makes a great party like amazing food and drink. The nice thing about hosting in a private venue is that you can either choose to cook yourself or hire local caterers to take the hassle away.

North Yorkshire is home to some fantastic caterers, so you really are spoilt for choice. You can also choose whether to have caterers prepare food at the venue and serve you and your guests at the table. Or, another option would be for your caterer to prepare you a big sharing dish, for example, a curry, casserole or paella, so you can just pop it in the oven before everyone arrives, and then dish out later.

As it’s going to be a long night – try to space out the food as much as possible. Start with canapes or nibbles when people arrive about 7.30 pm, serve the main course around 9 pm and consider saving desert until around 10.30 pm so people aren’t starving as the clock strikes midnight! You could always have some bacon sarnies or toasties to serve in the early hours if it’s going to be a late one!

Fun & entertainment

Eating and drinking will take up a lot of the night, but it’s nice to have some other things up your sleeve to entertain your friends and family.

Perhaps you fancy a games night with poker, roulette or a darts championship? Or maybe Cherades, Pictionary or Jenga are more your thing? Either way, a few games can help people relax and get into the swing of the evening.

A great playlist can also make your evening more enjoyable, especially if you have space to dance. Choose some uplifting but softer music for dinner, and then crank up the volume and the beat later on when everyone has kicked their shoes off!

Thoughtful details

Memorable events are all about the small details – the flowers, the name cards, the candles, the treats.

Think of a theme that you want to have for the night and make everything consistent. For example, if you are having a casino theme, then you could give everyone a wad of play money next to their dinner plate, as well as Bond-inspired music on the playlist.

Gold and silver are popular colours for New Year’s Eve – so you could use sparkling confetti on the dinner table, as well as golden party poppers and crackers in these colours.

However you choose to spend NYE this year, we hope you have a fantastic time! And, remember, if you are looking to plan a party or event in 2022, then Grassfield Hall could just be the perfect place to host it!!

Ideas for the perfect Harrogate winter getaway

Posted on by Caroline

North Yorkshire is the perfect place to take a mini-break and winter is a time when this area really comes into its own.

With cosy luxury accommodation, festive events, and feel-good food, Harrogate is a great stay for a girlie retreat, a family jaunt or a romantic weekend.

To give you inspiration when booking your next trip here, we’ve noted down some ideas to make your getaway even more special…

Pick the perfect accommodation

When it comes to choosing where to stay, the 5-star accommodation near Harrogate offers many different options.

Harrogate town centre itself is home to many wonderful places to check-in, or you can venture a little further out of town, giving you access to stunning scenery and idyllic vistas of the Yorkshire Dales.

You can pick from lovely big hotels with spas, small & quirky B&Bs with character, or choose to stay in an exclusive private hire venue if you are travelling with a larger group. Here at Grassfield Hall, we offer both B&B weekday stays, as well as full venue hire over weekends for up to 16 people, so you can select what suits you best.

Eat, drink and be merry

Winter food is all about comfort and warmth, and when you visit Harrogate, you can be sure that your tastebuds are in for a real treat!

In town, you will find a host of restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines, and the most wonderful thing is that the majority of them are independent. FISK is great for sustainably sourced seafood with Asian inspiration, while William & Victoria is Harrogate’s longest-running wine bar and perfect for a cosy meal with friends. There are lots of quaint little pubs to pop into including The Montpellier, The Old Bell Tavern, and The Fat Badger, and no visit to Harrogate would be complete without a Fat Rascal from Betty’s Tea Rooms!

Further out into the Dales, our favourite local country eats are Olleys Italian in Pateley Bridge, The Sportsman’s Arms at Wath and Grassington House in Grassington.

Walking and cycling

When you’ve indulged in the best food and drink, you might fancy a little hike or a cycle to burn some of it off!

Luckily, you are spoilt with great walks and cycle routes in Harrogate and its surrounding areas. In fact, Harrogate is a melting pot for keen cyclists, who flock here to spend the day cycling around Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale, and Brimham Rocks, before popping into one of the cycling cafés in town when they are finished.

The Nidderdale Way is also a very popular hike for many of our guests here at Grassfield Hall, and a great achievement to complete. The 53-mile roundtrip is usually spread over four days and offers incredible scenery and a great chance to explore the delightful villages of Middlesmoor and Ripley too.

Check out the festive events

This year, Harrogate is putting on a real festive show. Already, kids (and big kids) are enjoying the carousel, helter-skelter, and Ferris wheel that are dotted around the town. And, this Friday, the Christmas Fayre arrives in town with over 50 festive traders and independent foodie stalls.

There will also be a festive market in the gorgeous Valley Garden from 4th-5th December, and a free festive train will be travelling around the town until the 12th December to ensure you don’t miss a thing!

Out of town, you can see a stunning display of Christmas illuminations at the Enchanted Forest at Stockeld Park or visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for a winter walk followed by a big mug of hot chocolate!

 

We hope we’ve tempted you enough to book a last-minute winter break to Harrogate or the surrounding areas! And, if you want to find out our availability for B&Bs or venue private hire over the next few weeks or months, then please get in touch via info@grassfield-hall.co.uk and we will get back to you asap.

 

 

 

How to create a stylish Christmas dinner table décor

Posted on by Caroline

With just over six weeks to go until the big day, chances are you will have already decided how you are going to spend it this year.

For those of you who are hosting friends and family at your home, we know it can be a pretty stressful time – deciding who to invite, what to cook, where to seat everyone and how you are going to decorate your space!

Here at Grassfield Hall, we are great lovers of beautiful table décor, and the festive season gives us the chance to be really fun and creative with our displays. Therefore, in order to make things a little easier for you, we have put together a little list of tips and ideas to help you make this year’s Christmas dinner table sparkle like never before…

Choose your colour palette

Deciding on your colour scheme is a good starting point. There are many ideas available to consider – whether you want to stick to a traditional colourway or choose something a little more contemporary.

You could give your dining table some Nordic charm using crisp shades of white and silver. In this theme, you can add homely highlights with ceramics and candles and bring it all together with the gleam of clear glass, silver cutlery and natural wood serving utensils.

If you are a fan of the traditional red and white, then you could use striped ribbon to tie decorations to guests’ chairs and dress the table with a red and white striped cloth. Red placemats with gingham check napkins give a nod to the festive trend, and team with white tableware with green and red decoration and cranberry-coloured glassware.

For something a little more modern, you could opt for a blue-base colour scheme this year. Mix in some rose gold metallics and soft velvet in midnight jewel tones for an effortless yet luxurious Christmas table setting to impress your guests. Inky indigo tableware also contrasts perfectly with warm copper, so you could choose this metal type for your cutlery set, candle bases and coasters to complete the look.

Welcome the outside in

Wintertime offers us a selection of beautiful, natural foliage that can help you to connect with nature as well as create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere at your dinner table.

Bring gathered greenery to your table made into simple arrangements such as string-clustered bundles of holly, mistletoe or sweetly scented winter herbs and foliage tied with garden twine. Alternatively, you could use small potted plants or succulents around the table, or thoughtfully placed sprigs on place settings to tie in further elements of nature at the table.

To further embrace the beauty of nature, you could opt for seasonal fruits to help add a touch of colour to place settings. Try pairing the soft green tones of your foliage with dark berries, burnt orange clementines or deep red cranberries arranged at the side of plates or glasses.

Create a centrepiece

If you want your Christmas table to have a real impact, then a centrepiece is always a good idea.

Begin with a table runner as a base, and then layer up your look by adding various levels to your table setting. For a more traditional centrepiece add holly, baubles, ribbons, pine cones and tea lights to your central garland. Or, for a more modern look, use fresh flowers, teamed with battery-powered tea lights inside clear glass baubles, and perhaps some sprinkles of metallic confetti.

Take your centrepiece to new festive heights with candles of varying sizes and lengths, and also perhaps glass jars of various sizes filled with tempting sweet treats such as candy canes, homemade gingerbread and macaroons.

Add personal touches

A little goes a long way when it comes to personalising your Christmas table.

So, this year why not make your own crackers? Not only will you save on budget and waste, but you can personalise your crackers to each individual guest – selecting them a gift that you know they will love or that will make them laugh! Simply place a treat inside a cardboard roll, wrap crepe paper or even fabric scraps around, then tie the ends with pretty ribbon. You could even write your own jokes inside, neatly jotted in a metallic pen.

Other personal touches could include hand-written name place cards, individual wine glass stem markers or balloons hung on the back of everyone’s chair with their initials on.

We hope you found this guide helpful and now feel more confident about creating your Christmas dining table decor. Remember, here at Grassfield Hall, we have a stunning dining room – The Hanley Room – which is available to hire for private dinners and events. We can also provide chefs, locally-sourced food and staff to look after you and your guests – ensuring you achieve the perfect dinner party atmosphere. Give us a call to check availability for your next dinner party date.

 

 

Wise words from a 2020 Grassfield Hall Bride

Posted on by Lisa Homer

Its been a rollercoaster ride for couples planning their wedding this year. The ups and downs, and will it won’t it happen has been enough to test any relationship, but our beautiful bride Melissa from a wedding we hosted in September here at Grassfield Hall, sums up what is really important….All you need is love! https://www.theaisle.online/blog/really-an-intimate-wedding

Grassfield Hall in the 1900’s

Posted on by Lisa Homer

From Chapel to Military base to Country Hotel, Grassfield Hall has had many lives!

In 1928 Father Hammond moved into Grassfield House. Previous, he used to pass through the town on his push bike as he cycled to Scar every Sunday after taking the train from Harrogate to say Mass for the Dale’s people. While his church, The Lady Immaculate was being built, he needed a base in the area, so he moved in and converted a room as a place to worship in Grassfield House, and he lived in a room upstairs. The new church was completed in 1934.

From 1939 until 1945 during the war, the Grassfield estate was used by the Military. The 69th Field Artillery was based at Grassfield  to protect the reservoir and used the house for document storage.

In 1971 after being split into apartments, Fred and Gladys Bailey lived in the house with Gladys’s  sister and husband, and it is here that you can see them at the front door as they celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary.

 

Grassfield House was turned into a business in 1975 when it was bought by the Machellan family, who ran it successfully as a Bed and Breakfast. Then after ill health, they sold the house and business to the Garforth family in 1988, who changed its use to a hotel Country House Hotel. It was the hub of the local community for many years. However, after a run of bad luck it finally closed its doors in 2001.

 

The house after being unoccupied for a while then being a little run down, passed to two different owners with plans to renovate it. However, the plans were never to succeed, and the house was repossessed by the bank in 2009. Year after year the house fell into further disrepair.

After standing empty for nine years the Hall had suffered with wet and dry rot, it needed part of the roof replacing and needed to be underpinned. All the original features had now been stripped out by looters, staircases gone and some of the upstairs floorboards were no longer in place. Most of the windows and doors were missing and boarded up. Squatters had taken up residence, and the house was now just an empty shell. The once landscaped gardens had become completely overgrown and the Hall could no longer be seen from the roadside. The derelict building no longer stood proud as it once had. That is where our story begins!