Where/how did you meet?
We met through online dating, the first online date we had both ever been on. Our first meeting started off poorly as a miss communication meant that we ended up in different places in Manchester! Our second date (the following day) was to prove a point in an argument about what was on a restaurant menu.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves!
Sam is a design engineer and Rachael is a chemistry teacher. We have known each other for 5 years and during that time have supported each other in becoming the people we are today.
Where are you both from? If you aren’t a local then why choose Lancashire?
Sam is originally from Norfolk, he moved up to Manchester for his degree. Rachael is more local – spending her youth living down the road from Samlesbury Hall.
What made you pick Samlesbury for your wedding venue? Can you tell us how you first heard about the Hall?
We wanted to get married in Rachael’s family church (St Leonard’s the Less, Samlesbury) so we picked Samlesbury to get married in. Rachael had visited Samlesbury Hall a few times, from Mother’s day meals in the restaurant, to larger scale functions, so knew what a lovely building it was. The second that Sam walked though the door he was convinced that he wanted the reception to be held there – it was never a case of if, just when. We loved the history and character of the building, and the outside space is simply stunning.
What did you eat for your wedding breakfast?
We ended up with a bespoke package: we chose canapes and Pimms on arrival. To start with we had Chicken liver pate with smoked pancetta jam – which our guests raved about. For the main we gave our guests a choice between the Braised Ribble Valley Beef and the Baked salmon ‘en Papillote’ (the beef being the most popular choice). The dessert was a difficult choice, so in the end we settled with an Assiette of puddings – chocolate torte, gooseberry fool, lemon cheesecake. The food was absolutely fabulous, and all dietary requirements were taken into account. The team even created a salmon roast dinner hybrid for one of the children, who didn’t like beef, but wanted all of the roast trimmings.
How did the team at Samlesbury Hall help you in making decisions?
The team at Samlesbury Hall were absolutely fantastic throughout the entire wedding planning process. Every suggestion was considered, and they did their utmost to accommodate all of our requests. With the pandemic, the day went through MANY iterations, and the team at Samlesbury Hall were supportive and empathetic to the stresses that we were facing – juggling safety, government guidance and striving for a wedding day to remember. The vast amount of last minute changes that had to be made were never a problem, and the team responded quickly to all of our questions/comments.
What was the very best part of your day?
Everything about the day was fabulous. The food was amazing, the staff were professional and invisible – things just moved from one element to another seamlessly. We could both just enjoy the day without worrying about any of the logistics, Samlesbury Hall had it all in control.
Anything else you would like to add?
We would 100% recommend Samlesbury Hall to any couple considering them as a wedding venue. It felt throughout the whole process the team thought it was as important as we did that we had a fabulous day. We cannot fault them, and the only reason we got the amazing day we did during a global pandemic was because of the effort that the staff put in – we cannot thank them enough.