Finding the Silver Lining in this Covid Cloud and changing our “What ifs?” to “Even ifs”…

At Happy Valley, we’ve always been firm believers in the health benefits of the great outdoors and have promoted the healing powers of nature when offering couples our woodland wedding packages. Unfortunately, the consequences of Government enforcements can’t be cured by fresh air alone and some of you may be facing tough decisions with regards to potentially postponing your big day.

It’s certainly unchartered territory for families and businesses alike and while we face this storm together, through understanding, patience and kindness, there will be moments we can all learn to dance in the rain. 

Before we cover the more practical points, we want to send you some positive thoughts to hold on to. Despite everything, there is the hope and optimism of a brighter future. Come rain or shine, Summer or Winter, we’re with you and if you’ll let us, we’ll stay with you all the way until “I do”. 

The Gorgeous Tom & Fiona at Happy Valley - Ben Chapman Photography

The Gorgeous Tom & Fiona at Happy Valley - Ben Chapman Photography

An outdoor ceremony on the willow Island

An outdoor ceremony on the willow Island

Changing my “What ifs? to “Even ifs” 

Instead of asking “What if I have to postpone my dream, summer wedding?” hold onto the thought that even if you decide to change your date, you still have each other and you will be able to celebrate, surrounded by your loved ones at some point in the future. No matter what happens, we will make your day beautiful. Here at Happy Valley, we promise you that regardless of any decisions made or plans altered, we will do everything in our power to create a magical, once-in-a-lifetime memory that you can treasure forever. We are currently offering all of our early 2020 couples the opportunity to keep their actual date in case Covid-19 has been defeated by then but we are also pencilling in a “back-up date” so we can manoeuvre from plan A to plan B without any problems. Please look out for our upcoming blog on Autumn and Winter alternatives. One way or another, love conquers all and trust us when we say we want nothing more than for you to marry the love of your life. 

We’ve heard your concerns and to alleviate the stress and worry of “what if my suppliers can’t make it to our new date?”, we’re working on a plan that even if one supplier can’t attend, we will be able to work some magic. Happy Valley has the good fortune to be surrounded by incredibly innovative, flexible and passionate suppliers who are doing their utmost behind the scenes to work around your schedules and accommodate last-minute changes. For our couples, we are in the process of contacting all of their suppliers and are collating a list of their availability. We are trying to coordinate a mutually convenient date for both you, your suppliers and the venue so you can sit back and relax (preferably with a glass of wine or G&T). If, for any reason, a supplier can no longer provide you with a service, we have a team of legendary people who are all bending over backwards to fulfil your dreams and we will help you find suitable alternatives. 

Even if you postpone – please don’t cancel. Pause but don’t give up. Reflect but don’t retreat. Delay but don’t be defeated – you get where we’re going with this! We’re here for you and if you’re here for us too, we’ll all meet on the other side and celebrate the love and awesomeness of humanity, hopefully with a glass of bubbly and a beaming smile. Sending you all of the virtual love in the world from our anti-bacterial sprayed screens. 

With love, Katy, Kirsty and The Happy Valley Team xx

hello@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk

01485 600719

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Eco-friendly Weddings at Happy Valley

What a Summer Season we’ve had so far at Happy Valley Norfolk.  We love to see that Weddings are becoming increasingly sustainable with couples adopting a few eco-friendly ideas. How we build our cabins at Happy Valley encourages natural habitats and we use environmentally friendly products on our Glamping site. We’ve built bird and bat boxes to encourage wildlife in our ancient woodland as well as planted fields of Sainfoin for the honeybees. We use all of our own natural filtered water from source on site too!

At the end of July it was the turn of the gorgeous Hannah & Peter, a local Bride and Groom who fell in love with our Dutch Barn to create their dream wedding canvas.  With Hannah’s background in floristry we knew the flowers would be breath-taking and Jam Jar Flowers of London pulled out a show stopper.

Jam Jar Flowers have an impressive selection of lovingly sourced antique vases, cut glass and Jam Jars of course. We adore Jam Jar’s eco-friendly ethos of working with seasonal flowers and foliage to reduce their wedding carbon footprint. The simple charm of flowers displayed in a natural and unfussy way, along with a love of native flora, informs Jam Jar’s style of beautiful, natural arrangements where seasonal flowers are celebrated.

Here are some flower suggestions for each season:

Spring: Tulips, white daffodils, lilac, ranunculus and guilder roses.
Summer: Peonies, larkspur, nigella, sweet peas, sunflowers and roses.
Autumn: Dahlias, calla lilies, hydrangeas and snapdragons.
Winter: Hellebores, berried ivy, jasmine, narcissus, poinsettia and anenomes.

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The greatest carbon footprint of your wedding is from travel, so if you can find a place you love near the majority of your guests, that will make the biggest eco-friendly impact… think local! Instead of transporting and constructing a venue like a marquee or tipi, choose a permanent building like a barn, we have two onsite at Happy Valley with plans to convert a third in the near future. We have the infrastructure set up to adapt to your eco wedding and good contacts with local suppliers.

DIY your eco-friendly favours! Use reusuable jars to serve up homemade preserves, a herb cutting or handmade chocolates for your guests. Cute bags of confetti are a colourful addition to the table and you can make your own by drying out rose petals collected from family and friends’ gardens. You can also buy natural, 100% biodegradable petal confetti from Mitre Farm a local West Norfolk supplier.

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Our personal favourite at Happy Valley are gifts that keep on giving back to the environment like Wildflower seeds. To contribute towards a local charity at the same time you can make your own birdseed favours effortlessly from seed bought from our local RSPB

Dressing your Bridal party can be an expensive task, not to mention hugely costly in terms of environmental impact. The solution is quite simply vintage! Vintage styles flatter all shapes and sizes so it makes sense to be eco-chic on your wedding day. Vintage Deli in Norfolk stock some gorgeous pieces which are available for fittings by appointment.

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These are just a few sustainably savvy ideas but there are many many more to mention. Including email invites which can be RSVP’d to instantly. Ensuring if you do send paper invites they are suitable for recycling and have been made from recycled card in the first place. Seeking out a catering company with an eco-friendly ethos and good relationships with local farmers will also help to reduce your carbon footprint on the day… in season food is always a tasty touch! Avoiding disposable dinnerware will help to reduce waste and compostable cups to replace plastic glassware would be another eco-friendly tip. Car-sharing between guests will also help to reduce those carbon emissions, so to will hiring a double-decker bus to bring everyone together in a fun way to travel to the venue. When it comes to decor, plastic balloons are a no go for eco friendly weddings, think lanterns, candles and biodegradable materials.

The marital motto for your eco-wedding - Reduce. Reuse. Recycle!

Wedding Venue Testimonial By Hannah Hunnam, on 31 Aug 2019

‘We were fortunate enough to hold our wedding reception at Happy Valley, an idyllic and peaceful spot hidden in West Norfolk's beautiful countryside. The venue has it all: a lake with a bridge to a little island in the middle (you can also get married on this island), magical woodland accommodation and facilities (including hot tubs), huge party barns and all surrounded by nothing but peaceful woodland and glorious Norfolk sunsets. It really is the perfect, private wedding venue and you will be spoilt for choice with photograph opportunities. We had our drinks reception and canapés on the edge of the pretty lake, using the lean-to of the Dutch barn as our outside bar area, and had a band playing outdoors near the willow trees to accompany. We then moved inside to the incredible Dutch barn which has stunning views across the lake, to eat and party the night away - it was just amazing. There's a built-in bar area already in the Dutch barn which is a lovely touch, a stage was set-up for the band to play on in the evening and our caterers set-up camp in the Hay barn. We were very lucky with the weather, but both barns at Happy Valley offer great (and dry!) spaces to be in whatever the weather. Katy and Scott, the owners, really are the most fantastic hosts, and we couldn't thank them enough for everything they did to help ensure we had the perfect day. None of us wanted to leave at the end of the weekend, and it will forever remain the most special place for us. We can't recommend Happy Valley highly enough, and have spent most days since wishing we could do it all over again. The venue really is a gift that keeps on giving.’

If you’re looking to plan a sustainable style wedding we’d love to hear from you and support you to make your eco-friendly day a reality.

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