Yvonne's story
Yvonne's busman's holiday
Yvonne Dooley, Rufford Abbey Country Park’s Wedding Planner could think of no better place to hold her wedding after working there for seven years.
When Yvonne bumped into Mick for the first time since courting 30 years ago, she had no idea that just seven years later they would be declaring their love for each other in front of 93 close family and friends at Rufford Mill.
After planning nearly 500 weddings for other happy couples, Yvonne knew exactly what she wanted and the team of trusted staff at Rufford could not be beaten in her eyes. “I know the staff and venue so well and know the suppliers. I see how hard they work for each individual wedding, so was really excited to have their help with organising my own” Yvonne said, still brimming with excitement from her wedding on 11 November last year.
Remembrance Day is an important date in Yvonne and Mick’s lives and previously it had marked sadness in their family. “Now we have something happy to remember this day for” says Yvonne. The service took place at 11am and they held a two minute silence as a mark of respect for those that had lost their lives. The theme through the wedding was poppies and each person attended was given a poppy button hole to wear.
Following the service their family and friends joined them for a slightly less traditional wedding breakfast of bacon and eggs, cooked by Rufford’s resident chef who was more than happy to cater to their very individual needs.
Rufford Mill hosts between 70 and 80 weddings each year. Just by talking to Yvonne you can see how proud she is of the high quality venue and team they have built. They can host around 80 guests during the daytime and 150 for an evening reception. Having your wedding at Rufford Mill allows you to use the whole park to give your photographs a fabulous backdrop.
