Barrow couple praise Lake District wedding venue's special treatment

Becca, 40, and Bernadette Wosser, 46, were married on June 13 however left a rave review to let others know just how much Broadoaks Country House went above and beyond.

The award-winning venue at Bridge Lane prides itself on being the 'No1 Gay venue in Cumbria for civil Partnerships and weddings'.

It was the country house's warm welcome however that won the couple over after approaching others in the region about wanting a small yet exclusive-use venue.

The couple met 15 years ago and now both work at Furness General Hospital. They met on the Pal Talk chat site and Becca moved to Ireland first for a year before they both moved to Barrow.

Bernie, mum-of-two, said: "In many ways we wanted quite an unconventional wedding. I didn't want to be a 'Bridezilla' and I didn't want bridesmaids as everyone was equally important to me.

"It was held on the thirteenth too because my son, James, who passed away in 2017, was born on May 13 and my daughter Shelby was born on July 13. 

"A small wedding was important to us as quite a few of my family members have passed, including my parents and Becca's is much larger and we wanted remove the politics out of the wedding.

"Most people when they get married have no chance to spend time with the people closest to them, or even each other, and that's what we didn't want. 

"I knew that I might get upset throughout the day about James so the smaller numbers helped.

"The first venues we approached made us feel like our party was too small to be worth their time.

"One just turned their back on us and said 'if we can try and fit you in we will'. Another just didn't return our email."

After a visit with a man from Broadoaks, the pair paid exclusively for the two nights from 12 to 13 June with a wedding party of around 18. They had a buffet-style meal the evening before with a four-course sit-down meal on the big day.

In the morning, the couple said Barrow-based hairdresser Joab Westwood and Zoe at Sakura provided flawless hair and make-up for six people. 

"Everything was amazing from start to finish." Bernie said: "The organisation was spot on, we even had a little newsletter telling us what time everything was, they kept us all moving however it didn't feel rushed' like a 'conveyor belt'  - which can sometimes happen with weddings. 

Becca said: "Also their food, I'm very surprised they don't have more pictures on their website because it was fantastic. 

"Me and Bernie can never decide on what we're having for tea anyway and they catered for so many different tastes. The night before I needed quite simple food and they were happy to provide an adult's portion of goujons for me and ice cream for dessert.

"I also don't drink and they gave me Appletiser for my toast - which was quite unconventional. They even provided a lactose-free pizza for my friend."

Bernie added: "Basically, it wouldn't have been the special day it was without Broadoaks' attention to detail and special touches."

The couple now have their honeymoon to look forward to in Cape Verde on November 27 - the 15th anniversary of when they met.

Photos of the day were provided by Folk and Kin and table décor and moon gate by Set the Scene Venue Styling.