From setting the date to finding the perfect North East wedding venue, Luxe’s bride-to-be Nicole Wood shares the first chapter of her journey to ‘I do’.
When I first started writing for Luxe in 2019, never for one second did I think I’d be writing a dedicated page about my own wedding plans seven years later. But here we are!
On a trip to San Francisco in March 2025, my partner got down on one knee at sunset on Baker Beach, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Just like that, I officially entered my bridal era.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how quickly the ‘Have you set a date?’ questions would start. Somewhere between San Francisco and Las Vegas, we were still happily living in our engagement bubble. We hadn’t given the actual wedding much thought.
That changed fairly quickly once we got home. Little Miss Organised emerged and, before long, I’d booked tours of what felt like every wedding venue in the North East.
Choosing a date and finding the perfect venue was much harder than I expected. As an overthinker with fairytale expectations and absolutely no idea where to begin, I could have done with a friendly guide.
So, with that in mind, join me as we count down to November 2027 and share everything we learn along the way…
Nicole x
Setting the date
I was never one of those girls who grew up knowing she wanted a June wedding. For us, though, settling on a time of year came quite naturally.
We quickly ruled out getting married abroad. As gorgeous as destination weddings are, neither of us could cope with being suited and booted in the heat. That led us towards winter and, eventually, November.
We got together at the end of November 2014, so it already feels like a special time of year for us. Plus, in our house, Christmas starts on 1 November.
A cosy winter wedding surrounded by candles, fairy lights and a little festive magic suddenly made perfect sense.
If you’re struggling to set a date, start with a few simple questions:
- Is there a special date or anniversary that means something to you both? This could be a natural starting point.
- Which season feels most like you? Think summer sunshine, autumn colour, crisp winter evenings, spring flowers or even a full-blown Halloween or New Year’s Eve celebration.
- Would you consider a midweek wedding?
- What else is happening around your chosen date? Check major sporting events, festivals, school holidays, birthdays and anything else you or your guests wouldn’t want to miss. For us, avoiding a Euros or World Cup year was essential!
Finding the venue
When we started looking at venues, we weren’t entirely sure what we wanted. However, we knew we wanted the celebrations to last longer than one day. We also needed accommodation on site for family travelling from further afield.
The more venues we visited, the clearer our priorities became.
If you’re starting your own search, here’s what helped us:
- Work out your style. Rustic barn, stately home or grand ballroom? If you’re unsure, view a mix. Seeing spaces in person quickly teaches you what you do and don’t love.
- Have a rough guest list. You don’t need exact numbers yet, but knowing whether you’re inviting 60 people or 160 will instantly rule some venues in or out.
- Think about the budget. Wedding costs vary enormously, so decide what feels comfortable for you. Then use that figure to narrow down your options.
- Consider location. Decide how far you’d be willing to travel. The North East is a big place and, for us, around an hour felt right.
- Ask every question. What’s included? Can you bring your own suppliers? Is there accommodation? Is it dog-friendly? What time does the bar close? Nothing is too trivial when you’re choosing where to spend one of the biggest days of your life.
- Visit your favourites twice. This was one of the best things we did. Because we’re getting married in November, much of our day will take place after dark. We revisited our final venues in the evening to make sure they still had that all-important wow factor once the sun went down.
And finally, enjoy it! Book the tours, explore the venues and make a day of it.
You only plan to do this once, so make the most of it.
Our dream venue
We viewed some beautiful venues, but each time there was something that stopped us from feeling completely sure.
Then we reached the final venue on our list: Doxford Barns.
Tucked away in the Northumberland countryside, it had everything we’d been picturing for a cosy winter wedding. Think exposed brick, twinkling lights, candlelight, roaring fires and a gorgeous courtyard.
The Threshing Hall instantly felt like our ceremony space, while the Great Barn gives us plenty of room for our two big families to celebrate.
One of the best parts? The Coop is perfect for a night-before sleepover with the girls. Add the on-site accommodation and the chance to make a proper weekend of it, and it ticked every box.
Most importantly, we could picture our wedding there.
After weeks of venue tours and endless conversations beginning with ‘Yeah, but…’, there finally wasn’t a but.
We’d found it.
So, the date is in the diary and the venue is officially ticked off the list. Now comes everything else that turns a wedding from an idea into the big day.
More on that next time…
