Spring Cottage, a rural wedding and café venue situated in the scenic moorland setting of Rivington, Lancashire, has overcome the challenge of how to stand out as one of the region’s most unique wedding locations.

Purchased by Judith Gilgun in May 2016, the business is run by her daughters, Rosie Thomson and Jennie Seddon, and has strong family values at its core. Catering for couples seeking ‘festival vibe’ weddings as opposed to traditional, formal celebrations, Spring Cottage also has a popular café, which is building a reputation for providing quality dishes using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

The industrial styling of the interior contrasts with the leafy outdoor setting and the business owners needed to add design features that would unite the indoor and outdoor areas at the venue.  In addition, growing demand for ‘twilight’ weddings meant that they needed to seek out products to add a magical touch to evening celebrations. Following a word-of-mouth recommendation, the family approached us to devise a solution that would help to create a memorable atmosphere.

For the project, we provided a combination of mains-powered 240V string lights (ConnectPro) and festoon lighting, which could be adapted to suit any wedding scheme. Used to decorate the marquee, adorn nearby trees and complement the fire braziers, the lighting solution helped to attract 13 weddings last summer, with many more booked for the coming season. The option to personalise the lighting scheme at the venue was a big draw for many couples, keen to add their own distinctive style to proceedings.

Rosie Thomson from Spring Cottage, explains, “The zig-zag arrangement of the festoon lights between the trees creates a stunning festival atmosphere. We have been delighted by the service we have received from Festive Lights from start to finish. They are always really professional, but as a family business like us, they have a friendly, personal approach. We are looking to grow the weddings and events side of the business and will be investing in more Festive Lights products to help us to stand out against the competition.”

With the new look for the venue in place, management decided to host a number of food and drink events during the first year of trade, including a Sausage & Ale festival in October, which attracted hundreds of visitors and Jazz, Blues and Caribbean afternoons. The business has also recently invested in some of our indoor lighting products to add to the modernist look, using the naked wire fairy lights to bring a sparkling effect to the window sills.

Stephen Alty, our general manager, added, “Decorative lights can enhance any wedding venue, which is particularly evident with Spring Cottage. Strategic lighting options create intimacy, highlight details and warm the room, to create a cosy feel. Our trade team are experts in creating brilliant illumination for any setting and theme, from intimate tepees to industrial factories.”