The venue - Where the hell to start?!

#JGDROVERSWED19

We weren't entirely prepared for this part- We had an idea of what we'd like the site of have...but hadn't considered the little, technical [pain in the arse] things - Drainage, access, parking issues etc..

Our essentials:

• The site had to give the feel and experience of glamping, whilst providing the majority of normal day conveniences - No composting loos etc (Fussy friends!)
• We love our dogs and had a strong desire to have them celebrate with us. **Woof!!**
• Suitable accommodation for both the younger and older guests. We had grandparents staying so considered the majority of glamping units on most sites not appropriate for them - Ideally we needed somewhere with cottages and standard accommodation. 
• Parents. Both Joanna and I knew that our parents wouldn't want to be staying in a glamping shack/unit/tent - At this stage we didn't know what we'd have so considered alternative accommodation essential for them too.
• The younger guests - We had kiddies as young as 2-weeks old. Alternatives for them was essential.
• Something more than a basic bell tent or shepherds waggon - We wanted a group experience in something that would really show our family and friends what glamping is about - and why we love it.
• Isolated, picturesque, fairly local and secure
• Somewhere with options - We initially planned the ceremony depending on the weather - Outside if nice... inside if horrid. (this changed - logistical ball-ache!)
• Enough space/accommodation for approx 50 guests.
• Ideally - Onsite catering. We wanted decent grub! BBQ felt like the perfect option because you can eat most of standing and without a knife & fork.
• No wedding venues - Or as we call them, "wedding factories". We craved something different. We didn't want everything to match - Stress.com. We wanted fun, vibrance, colour and ..just to chill with friends around a fire with a beer/wine and catch up. Even the latest "glamping wedding venues" are a little too... weddingy for our liking. 

Turns out there aren't any sites that meet our criteria - We're fussy buggers!

After extensive searching online we came across two sites which gave us the majority of what we wanted:

• Spring Park - Cornwall. (Friggin awesome glamping site!- One of our favourites)
• Drovers Rest - Herefordshire (Our venue - The closest match to our criteria, which we'd never stayed at before)

Spring park offered a variety of wagons and cottages, though on discussion with the owners couldn't accommodate 50 people without significant cost;

• Consideration for their drainage - Not appropriate for 50.
• Electrical supply.
• Space. Where the ceremony would take place etc - Limited.
• Access - Not ideal.
• Food. Catering would need to be brought in - Not ideal/cost++

Drovers Rest - Cool Farm Stays In The Sticks. 

Our winner!

Drovers Rest or Drovers as we came to call it had almost everything we needed, plus a few extras:

• Flexible, "go with it" owners - Kesri & Paul. Awesome.
• x7 safari tents (The glamping units!) - The perfect balance of glamping, with the right vibe!
• Proper loos and adequate drainage for 50 guests.
• x2 cottages (A third on its way - Unfortunately not available for our stay)
• x2 barns - A communal barn and rustic outdoor/open/traditional barn
• Good access - Though parking was made difficult due to restrictions placed on the venue by the local authority.
• Isolation and space - Drovers is located in an amazing area of Herefordshire with no close neighbours and enough land for our woofs to roam free.
• Local off-site accommodation (x3 cottages) available to book - Walkable distance to Drovers (Just!). These can be booked separately or together here.

We decided to stay at Drovers in September 2018, exactly a year before our wedding - Just to "check it out" and see if we liked the vibe, owners and the place... 
This isn't a wedding venue so we didn't have a formal food tasting - Our food tasting consisted of the Friday pizza night - Choose your own topping then have it cooked by Paul on the wood fired pizza oven. Tasty.

Decision made.

Drovers Rest's Welcome sign and the #JGDROVERSWE19 welcome sign.

Why glamping?

#JGDROVERSWED19

Welcome,

This blog is designed to help those couples organising or thinking of organising a #GlampingWedding. My new wife and I felt that the information available to us was pretty naff when we set about organising our wedding - So I'm hoping this will help others.

If you have questions then comment & I'll try and get back to you asap :)

So...Why a glamping wedding?

Joanna and I have been together since September 2015. We took our first trip away together in late October, enjoying a weekend in one of Snowdonia's many WigWam camps - Let me summarise the trip:

• It rained the entire time
• Our only means of cooking was a basic microwave (no grill..no oven function.. just the pinger!)
• Our shower and toilet facilities were in a poorly converted barn - I'm sure the shower was one plank of wood away from being classed as 'outdoors'! [Freezing!]
• We got drowned trying to ascend Snowdon - We've never been wetter!

Joanna & myself ascending Snowdon (2015)

Despite all this we came away from Snowdonia with a deep love for #Glamping. We've been away many times since - I've taken page 7 of our wedding invite which shows our #glamping since 2015 to 2018.

Joanna & Jamie's glamping adventures
(Accurate 2018)

We also knew from the outset that our wedding was going to be small and intimate. We're not fans of being centre of attention, nor do we care about the traditional rubbish which comes with weddings - There are more important things to worry about and thankfully ... We could both see that (Perfect match 'n all!). I think that's probably because Joanna has been in the wedding industry for 10-years and I tend to see the worst aspects of life through my career and think my priorities are in a pretty decent order. We wanted small, fun and different. Forget the 16 different sets of knives and forks, matching bunting with bridesmaid dresses, formal sit-down meal etc - Just eat with your hands whilst sitting on a hay bale in the sun!

I think we managed to get what we wanted.