  On a wintery mid December day, Jo and Ronnie became husband and wife at The Pilgrims Rest. December, despite it’s cold and wintery weather, was an idyllic time for Jo and Ronnie to say their vows in front of their friends and family for it was a time of year that held importance to them. The couple, who had enquired, and booked just over a month before their wedding, chose December as “Christmas is my favourite time of year and it felt right because I proposed to Jo Jo on Christmas Eve” Ronnie explained. Ronnie popped the question at their home surrounded by tea light candles spelling out “Will you marry me?”. He got down on one knee, ring in hand; their dog, Yoda, promptly nipped him. “I think he sensed Ronnie’s nerves! It was funny at the time as it was so typical of Yoda to do something like this”. Jo laughed. Following their Christmas engagement, Jo and Ronnie began their wedding planning.“We visited many venues, narrowing it down to accommodate our wishes and our guests. We considered the time of year in terms of potential weather, light, flowers and the atmosphere we would like.” The couple stumbled across The Pilgrims Rest on Instagram in November and instantly knew it would be the perfect venue for their winter wedding. The Pilgrims Rest is a 600 year old Wealden Hall House which provides a timeless setting for weddings throughout the year. With the fires burning and candles lit, this historic gem creates a cosy and intimate space to tie the knot. “We loved how idyllic it was for a winter wedding and it had a lovely feel to it. Little extra decoration is needed to make it feel cozy and festive and we were able to tailor our wedding vendors. Unlike other venues, The Pilgrims Rest gave us the flexibility to have what we really wanted.” As a dry-hire venue, The Pilgrims Rest gives couples the freedom to choose their own suppliers to suit their day but at the same time offers a list of tried, tested and trusted ones who have worked at the venue. “Some of our suppliers were familiar with The Pilgrims Rest which helped with the planning as they knew how everything ran. Our photographer was recommended and we chose him because his style was relaxed and creative. Our wedding cake maker popped up on social media and we were drawn to her work. We cannot thank them all enough for helping us with such a last-minute wedding”. Plenty of food and drink were the must-haves for Jo and Ronnie’s wedding. The best piece of advice the couple received whilst planning their wedding was to be minimal with decorations and wedding favours and to focus on the more important elements such as food, drink, photography and music. Connie & Cooper produced delicious food, arrived on the morning of the wedding to lay the tables while Jo and Ronnie got ready photographed by Monkeychops Photography who captured the whole day perfectly from pre-wedding shots in the dressing rooms to the sheer joy of having a good boogie on the dance floor after so many restrictions. As much as they both loved the dancing, it was the ceremony that was the most important part of Jo and Ronnie’s day. “It felt very special and was long awaited due to Covid hiccups.” This beautiful wedding, put together in just a few weeks, shows that an impromptu wedding is both possible, magical and stunning. A few words of wisdom from the couple, “Think about what is most important to you both and make that a focal point. Go with your gut feelings”. We are so delighted that their journey as husband and wife began at The Pilgrims Rest. Our team would like to thank them for letting us share their incredible day in this blog and wish them the very best of luck in their new life together! Credits: Venue: The Pilgrims Rest Photographer: Monkeychops Caterers: Connie & Cooper Cake: Sylvia’s Kitchen Bar: TK Mobile Bars  |
