When it comes to a great wedding venue, the knowledge of having an experienced team is just an amazing advantage. The stunning Hampshire venue, Tylney Hall, is one such venue that comes to mind. We love the idea of a friendly team with a fantastic atmosphere. We caught up with Garry Sampson at Tylney Hall Hotel, where weddings come second nature to him…
Garry was born in Rutland the smallest county in the country and has worked in hotels since he was 15. He came to Tylney Hall in 1991, moving to the area as he wanted to work and live near London. He has worked here for 19 years starting as a Chef de Range in the restaurant (2 years), moving on to lounge manager. With 9 years of experience in this role, he moved into the events office, where he has remained as wedding Co-ordinator for the last 8 years.
“We cater to approximately 60-75 weddings in a year and most of our events are book 3-4 years in advance. 120 is the largest we normally cater for, while the smallest wedding ever done would be just 2. Rodney, a member of the banqueting team, and I were witnesses.”
Garry mentions that every wedding is a little different but a few still stand out to him. “In my many years here at Tylney Hall, we have seen so many interesting weddings! The following include:
- A white carpet in the Tylney suite.
- An owl ring bearer for a ceremony.
- Arranging flight space so the groom could parachute in a fly over.
- Planning with a banner on the tail.
- A horse and cart to the bottom of the drive way and back.
- And last, but not least…. A medieval themed wedding reception (they got married in an ice church in Norway), where the bride and groom had arranged costumes for all their guests and the chestnut suite was transformed to a medieval banqueting hall. We will never forget that day!”
In his years as Wedding Co-ordinator, Garry has also come across a few very romantic tales. “Although many of our weddings are booked in advance, we did have one event that was booked in just 48 hours. A great story… Two doctors who were in the army. They were called overseas and wanted to make it official before they headed off. They later came back to have their full reception with us!”
Garry has also been witness to a lot of terribly funny moments in his time, which is something that comes with spending so many years in hospitality:
- A bride fell into the fountain when she was having her photographs taken when she was perching on the edge.
- The time our trees in the grounds caught on fire when a couple’s paper lanterns were released…
- A bride, whose dress got caught when walking into the ceremony room and I had to just rip it off so she could carry on!
- A couple who lived abroad where the bride’s mother wanted the remaining cake to be returned to her. As she couldn’t collect it she asked us to post it to her, which we weren’t happy to do as we thought that it would ruin the cake! In the end, she sent us a jiffy bag to post it back to her. She thought if it was smashed up she may use it to make a trifle!?
In hindsight, these moments are a lot funnier than in the moment. Garry also mentions that he often builds up a relationship with his couples, which is something that makes them stand out as a wedding venue. “Brides often tell us all sorts of things. For the time, I feel like one of their closest friends as I am so involved in their wedding process. This is a huge privilege for me to develop this relationship so quickly. For instance, brides often mention things about the groom’s mothers which aren’t to be told to others!”
