The Westcountry Wedding Awards 2012

Summary
 

• Introduction
• Growth of the Westcountry Wedding Awards in 2011
• Thank you to our Sponsors
• Quality of Entries 2011
• Business and Consumer Feedback
• The Winners 2011
• The Finalists 2011 (Opens in a new window)
• Full Report
• Gallery images of the 2011 Awards (Opens in a new window)
• Thank you message from the Team.
  

Introduction

On Wednesday 16th March 2011 Crownhill Fort, Plymouth was the venue for 2011 Wedding Matters Westcountry Wedding Awards - Devon and Cornwall’s most prestigious awards for client service excellence in the wedding industry.

Next year's awards is now open and will take place on Thursday 15th March 2012 at Crownhill Fort. Enter Now!

Growth of the Westcountry Wedding Awards in 2011

The 4th year of the awards was a first in many ways. Growing rapidly year on year and by request from past years Winners and Finalists the 2011 Awards was the first sit-down Gala Dinner with a semi-formal style, pre-dinner drinks reception and canapes, and a two-course dinner beautifully presented by Michelin Star chef Richard McGeown of Couch’s Great House Restaurant, Polperro and The Eden Project.

The 2011 Awards were also the first major outdoor marquee event hosted by The Fort and the first year working with the Events Management students from the University of Plymouth. Working closely with the University the Awards aim to enable final year students the opportunity to gain industry specific experience through planning and event management of the Awards to the students to appreciate the integration of their coursework in the business context.

Thank you to our Sponsors

Wedding Matters and the Westcountry Wedding Awards Team would like to thank our sponsors - it has been four years of hard work creating the Westcountry’s leading wedding industry awards. A big thank you to the following businesses for their wonderful support:

• Dream Weddings Magazine – your unique local wedding magazine
• Event Services SW – local/national lighting, stage, sound & catering equipment suppliers
• Hine Marquees - Devon and Cornwall Marquee Hire specislists
• Company of Designers England (CODE) – Marketing communication solutions
• Stylus Engravers - engraved crystal, personalised trophies, pendants & photo engraving
• Richard McGeown – Michelin Star Chef of Couchs Great House Restaurant, Polperro.

Quality of Entries in 2011

The quality and quantity of the entries in the 2011 awards was outstanding. A common theme among voter feedback for all finalists is their dedication towards striving to provide the highest quality of service, professional standards, and an overwhelming desire to meet and exceed client expectations. This was perhaps epitomised by the winner of the Designer Wedding Photography category – Khalile Siddiqui – who remarkably attended and photographed an entire wedding with a broken leg in a plaster cast and on crutches.

Business & Consumer Feedback

We are receiving fantastic feedback from many past finalists and winners on the power of the awards as a tangible endorsement of their hard work providing brides and grooms the highest quality of service, professional standards and an ability to meet and exceed expectations. For many the boost to business has been welcome in challenging economic times.

Brides and grooms have also been writing to thank the Awards for the assistance provided 'pointing me in the right direction'. For many, the often onerous decision making burden of choosing the right wedding venues and trustworthy and competent wedding suppliers is made infinately easier after meeting finalists and winners of the Westcountry Wedding Awards.

Brides and grooms have come to recognise the value of the awards as an invaluable process for highlighting the Westcountry’s leading wedding venues and suppliers. For one of the most important days of their lives, Brides and Grooms can purchase in confidence with the assurance that their wedding vendors have a proven track record.

The Winners 2011

Full Report 2011

This years Awards were hotly contested across all categories by many past finalists and winners and a host of new businesses entering the Awards for the first time. The Devon vs Cornwall battle this year goes to Cornwall who narrowly pipped Devon by 9 category winners to 8.
 

Best Wedding Venues Devon & Cornwall

The Carbis Bay Hotel situated on the golden sands of Carbis Bay Beach in St Ives Cornwall won Best Wedding Venue Cornwall for the 2nd year running and last years finalists Langdon Court Country House Hotel near Plymouth in the South Hams countryside of Devon won Best Wedding Venue Devon for 2011.

Best Wedding Photographer

In the photography categories winners of Designer Wedding Photography - Khalile Siddiqui (Truro, Cornwall); Reportage Wedding Photographer – Picshore Photography Hatt, Cornwall); and Classic Wedding Photography – Lumen Photography (Exmouth, Devon); all faced tremendous challenge as has come to be expected given the recognised depth of talented professional wedding photographers working in Devon and Cornwall.

Best Wedding Videographer

Captured Moments (Kingsbridge, Devon) excelled again winning the Best Wedding Videographer award for the 3rd year in a row. Those familiar with film editing will understand what a labour of love putting together good videos is – congratulations to Keith and Sally Foster for their continued successes. Finalists and other highly recommended  videographers include Memories on Film (Newquay, Cornwall), Dove Films (St Ives, Cornwall) and R&L Digital Videos (Ilfracombe, North Devon).

Best Wedding Caterer

In the food categories Head Chef Tom Cull and the team at Dartmoor Kitchen (Clyst St Mary nr Exeter, Devon) won Best Wedding Caterer for the 3rd year in a row. 2008 Finalists Antonia’s Kitchen (Exeter, Devon), 2010 Finalists Posh Nosh (Topsham, nr Exeter, Devon) and new to the Awards this year specialist hog roats and BBQ caterers DJ Hagget (Exeter, Devon) rounded out the Finalists in a strong and very closely contested category.

Best Wedding Cake Designer

Tina Mollard of Tina’s Cakes for all Occasions (Pensilva, nr Liskeard, Cornwall) won Best Wedding Cakes for the 2nd year running.

Best Bridal Outfitter

If you want to look incredible on the day consider the sleek and sophisticated wedding and bridesmaids gowns available from Colin’s Bridal of Callington, Cornwall - Winners of Best Bridal Outfitter. Popular finalists in this category were Bride! (Penzance, Cornwall), Bliss Bridal Gowns & Accessories (Goonhaven nr Truro, Cornwall) and Frilly Frocks (Barnstaple, Devon).

Best Wedding Beauty Services

Winners in 2009 and finalist in 2010, Changing Faces (Yettington, nr Exeter, Devon) return to the winners circle for Best Wedding Beauty Services in 2011. Congratulations to Julie Smith, her daughter Becky Daniel and all the team at Changing Faces. In a strong category the finalists included Bells Brides (Plymouth, Devon), Finishing Touch (Crediton, Devon), and Sally Orchard (Falmouth, Cornwall).

Best Wedding Floral Designer

Conratulations to Elaine Reynolds & Emma Paul of Flowers From Bruallen (Delabole, Cornwall). This is the second win for Elaine and Emma who also won Best Floral Designer in 2009. Finalists in the Wedding Floral Designer category were Fleurtations (Wadebridge, Cornwall), Poppys of Exeter, and Wheal Sara Flowers (Camborne, Cornwall).

Best Wedding Enhancements

Now established as one of the country’s leading wedding stationers The Whole Caboodle Design (Newton Abbot) are this years winners of the Best Wedding Enhancements category. The Whole Caboodle are also past winners of the former ‘Wedding Stationery’ category. Finalists in the Best Wedding Enhancements in 2011 were Cover Cupboard (Devon), Crystal Covers (Torquay, Devon), and The Westcountry Wedding Boutique (Barnstaple, Devon).

Best Wedding Transport

Bon Voyage Classic Cars (Lostwithiel, Cornwall) continued their monopoly of the Best Wedding Transport provider. Since winning the first Westcountry Wedding Awards in 2008 Tracey and Alfred Crocker have remarkably made this category their own. We wish them well though expect with the rise of finalists Cars with Style, and the challenge from the ever popular VW’s of Cornwall VW Wedding Hire (St Ive’s Cornwall) that 2012’s judging will be tight again.

Best Wedding Entertainment

Caricatures by Luke Warm were winners for the 3rd year running in the Best Wedding Entertainment category. Luke Warm provides caricatures on the spot and for dinner place settings, guest books and wedding stationery. Finalists in the Best Wedding Entertainment category were Cornwall entertainment agency Perfect Party Cornwall (Camborne, Cornwall), Exe Valley String Quartet (Exeter, Devon), and specialist wedding DJs Your Big Event (Newton Abbot, Devon).

Best Wedding Menswear Outfitter

Specialist gentlemens formal hire wear outfitter Coombes Menswear (With premises in Holsworthy, North Devon and Bude, Cornwall) won Best Menswear Outfitter in 2011. Plymouth based Prudence Gowns also had outstanding feedback from their clients for their menswear hire section.

Best New Business

A big welcome to the wedding industry to new businesses Videopod (Best New Business Winners 2011) and finalists Chris Fishleigh Photography (Newton Abbot, Devon) and Devon Wedding Car Co (Tavistock, Devon). Videopod is a fun and unique concept which is proving popular. We wish all businesses in the Best New Business category every success in the future.

Judges Choice Award

Congratulations to Lizi Newbury and Lauren Thomas of Wheal Sara Flowers (St Ives, Cornwall), winners of the 2011 Judges Choice award.
 

Thank you message from the team...

Thank you to all the voters, entrants, sponsors, finalists and winners for all your support for the Westcountry Wedding Industry. Best wishes for a successful and prosperous year ahead and many more happy wedding clients!

Warm regards