Updated April 2023 at which time all links were current.

Please let me know if any of the links do not work or there have been changes. Sadly of course there may be businesses no longer trading who have had more pressing worries than informing us…

Also please note we have a list of local businesses who have helped with building etc work on the Silk Mill.

WHO	NOTES
Somerset Ceremonies Guide	Useful publication by Somerset County Council Wedding Service
Booking the Registrar 01823 282251 somersetregistrations@somerset.gov.uk	Somerset have an excellent site (linked in the first column) to help you with book the registrar. They get booked up a long way ahead so it is good to get onto this nice and early.
Wedding Planning info@weddingplanner.co.uk	We have not actually used this service yet but they contacted us and the website looks really useful and they are a nice bunch of people. If you use them will you give us some feedback so that I can update this listing? Thanks
Celebrant 07760 183477 josie.lamb.celebrant@gmail.com	Local (Bath based) celebrant
One For The Road 07852 987641 events@onefortheroadbars.co.uk	Event Planners through whom you could channel all your planning to simplify everything.
The Natural Vibe Co 07736 543310 gayle@thenaturalvibeco.co.uk	Gayle specialises in designing and coordinating eco-friendly weddings and events.
MARQUEES, TABLES ETC	Bear in mind that we now have our two canopies up between May and the end of October.
Copper Mill Hire Company info@coppermillhire.co.uk	Local rustic reclaimed furniture hire for events
Prickly Pear Stretch Tents 07825 828671 07790 270742 pricklypearstretchtents@gmail.com	Bristol based marquee/tent company with beautiful tents available.
Vintage Marquees 01249 716119 caroline@vintagemarquees.co.uk	Great local company marquee with a pretty two pointed tent that fits well outside the gallery door. They also hire out a huge variety of furniture and decorations.
South West Marquees 01373 836999 info@southwestmarquees.co.uk	Local marquee hire company based in Nunney. They know the site so may quote without site visit
Abbas Marquees 01749 890909 Enquiry@abbasmarquees.co.uk	Marquee hire company based at Pilton.
Party Bench 07766 883037 partybench@gmail.com	These guys are based in Frome and sound lovely.
Curated Canvas 07599 516951 hello@curatedcanvas.co.uk	Hire furniture etc rather than marquees. They have an interesting & eclectic selection of furniture & decorations for hire
CATERERS
Fat Radish 01373 596102 info@fatradish.co.uk	Fat Radish, sister restaurant to The River House, spent 5 years operating as a successful restaurant in Frome before making the decision to focus solely on wedding and events catering. Ellen Porteous who runs it has a personal licence and a great team who are efficient at switching the gallery round from ceremony setup to mealtime. The food they create is wonderful! They are a very good solution to food and alcohol. They have catered etc for many weddings at the Silk Mill and all the feedback has always been excellent.
Ember & Vine james@embersandvine.uk	They say “Ember and Vine is the marriage between owners Sean and Mary's two loves, smoked foods and wine.” They live in Frome and have not yet catered here but they sound absolutely yummy!
Ebbie's Kitchen 07782 369 896 ebbie@ebbieskitchen.co.uk	Will do bar as well as food, know the Silk Mill well and produce excellent delicious food. Very lovely helpful team.
Cafe Bon Bon Ice Cream Tricycle 07515 893294 cafebonicecream@aol.com	These guys have been here several times and they are a wonderful way to have a snack at tea time to stave off the pangs before the big feast… kid friendly alternative to canapés!
The Coexist Community Kitchen food@coexistuk.org	They say: "We're a non-profit community kitchen, cookery school and catering team. We run free cookery classes with those accessing support services in the community, working with a number of organisations including drug & alcohol services, refugee & asylum support and mental health services. We see food as the most simple and easy way to support each other as we help to build a stronger, healthier and more joyful society. To help to fund these courses, we offer a full catering service for events and weddings, offering beautiful, seasonal and locally-sourced dishes." At the Silk Mill we think this sounds a fantastic venture and we look forward to their first visit!
Mrs B's Catering 01373 452593 office@mrsbscaringcatering.co.uk	Great local company who regularly sell produce at the monthly independent market.
Vero's Kitchen 07507 770158 verosegura83@hotmail.com	Vero has was in charge of the food side of the Tapas (under the excellent guidance of Josh Brudenell) for the most recent (2019) Frome Festival Cantina, and brillant it was too. She has catered for several other events at the Silk Mill and her food is always wonderful and excellent value.
Miranda Catering mirandacatering@mail.com	Makes lovely canapés and is the in house caterer at Drawing Projects in Trowbridge
Figs Catering 01458 273674 07774 590442 info@figscatering.net	Recently catered for a wedding and generally agreed to be very good indeed!
CROCKERY ETC
Share: Frome 07983 639611 (opening hours only)	SHARE Frome is a Library of Things. Like a normal library, you sign up as a member and borrow items you need.
Davies & Davies Crockery Hire 07812 365430 01373 836122	Run by Patrick Twigger who offers cutlery and crockery for events which he takes away unwashed. He can also provide bar licence cover with and without bar at the Silk Mill. He lives locally.
Frome Eco-Party fromeecoparty@gmail.com	Local intitative to reduce the waste that parties can generate!
Country Crockery 07920 875096 info@countrycrockeryhire.com	Our tableware, glassware and cutlery collections echo the latest design trends whilst remaining timeless in style.
BAR SERVICES AND PROVIDERS OF ALCOHOL ETC	PLEASE NOTE: It is fine to bring your own alcohol (and/or ask your guests to BYOB) but do not then ask a bar to provide a paying service as they then do not sell enough to make it worth their while. If you are bringing your own then you will STILL need to pay someone to oversee the alcohol consumption. The Silk Mill does not charge any extra corkage. You can have one arrangement for the lunch time then have a different one for the evening so long as everyone involved is clear about what you are doing.
Katie Butcher 07891 085571 katiebutcher7@yahoo.com	Katie has a personal licence and knows the Silk Mill well. If she cannot help she has access to others who may be able to.
Patrick Twigger 07812 365430 or 01373 836122	Patrick has provided bar licence cover with and without bar at the Silk Mill. He also has a business providing cutlery and crockery for events which he takes away unwashed.
Talana Fear 07908 051533 talana.mooney@yahoo.com	Talana has worked behind the bar at the Silk Mill several times. She has a personal licence and is happy to be just paid for her hours there to cover our licence requirements.
More Wine 07940 732012 rich@morewine.co.uk	Properly selected French (& other) wines in 10litre, 5 litre & 3 litre boxes… cuts down on waste. Will do sale or return for unopened boxes.
Averys 03330 148208	Purveyors of wine based in Bristol
Cheddar Ales 01934 744193 webmail@cheddarales.co.uk	Cheddar Ales can supply delicious bag in box ale, Rich's Cider and bottled beers. They are in Cheddar but can deliver to Frome, but collecting it from Cheddar, driving over the Mendips and down Deer Leap is half the fun! We highly reccommend their products!
The Griffin 01373 467766 admin@milkstreetbrewery.co.uk	Local microbrewery
Bath Ales 0117 9474797 hare@bathales.co.uk	These guys do beers on tap and in casks as well as ciders
Lilley’s Cider 07594 926565 lilleyscider@aol.co.uk	Very Local, great selection of ciders you can try in Frome
King Brain Cider 01963 441233 kingbrain@btconnect.com	Lovely Somerset farm cider brewed from ancient orchards
Jolly Hucksters 07971 817597 jollyhucksters@gmail.com	Bar service at a wedding in 2023, provided a great service
23 Bath Street 07595 974680 craig.webber@hotmail.com	Full bar service or they can just provide staff at whatever level you need.
Big Bars (Airstream Bar) 07580 673753 robin@bigbars.co.uk	Full bar service from an airstream van!
Scout & Sage 07786 240505 holly@scoutandsagespirits.com	Travelling Gin bar in a horse box! They say: “We create our own small batch, limited edition Scout & Sage Gins with different Master Distillers. Our mission is to distil a gin in every region of Britain!” We have not tried them yet but they sound interesting!
Bohemian Bars 07977 477671 bohemianbars@yahoo.co.uk	Lovely bar services, they will either do the whole bar for you or just hire the equipment that you need
Arabuko Bar	Great bar that came to the Silk Mill in 2022
Espensen Spirit 07957 361717 info@espensenspirit.com	Lovely bunch of people who came from Bristol to do a bar for a couple of weddings. Very professional, great service, and they make their own gin
ACOMMODATION
Bistro Lotte 01373 300646 info@bistrolottefrome.co.uk	Lotte and Gareth run this excellent bistro a short walk from the Silk Mill at the top of Catherine Hill/Street. They also have excellent accommodation. One wedding recently booked all 6 of their luxury ensuite rooms. Gareth is a very talented carpenter and has done a lot for the Silk Mill itself.
Combe Grove 01225 834644 hello@combegrove.com	An interesting project… this beautiful luxury hotel (with spa and pools inclusive for hotel guests) is also a charitable apprenticeship project where multiple skills are being acquired. They have 40 rooms and say “Receive a 15% discount on any group booking of 5 rooms or more when you quote “Silk Mill”. And we’ll treat the bride and groom to a bottle of bubbly.” We visited but have not yet had anyone stay there. Feedback welcomed! They are talking of a minibus service that could be used by wedding parties as they are a few miles from Frome. (dog friendly!)
Stonewall Manor	Elizabethan Manor house right in the town and can sleep at least 28 if you have the anexe too. (on Air BnB it says: 16 guests, 9 bedrooms, 13 beds, 5 bathrooms)! We had a wedding party stay there who were very happy with it. I have visited; it is quite a place, a bit heavy on the dark wood furniture but a really good size and well within walking distance of the Mill. I took lots of photos which you can see here.
The Old Granary Bradford-on-Avon Trish Bowles: 07880359313 01225 722246 stay@churchfarmcottages.com	They say: “The Old Granary is situated in the countryside, just 5 miles from Bath and within a mile from Hartley Farm Shop & Café, the village pub and shop. A beautiful, award-winning converted barn that sleeps up to 12 people. Indoor heated pool and games room available at Church Farm, ¾ mile down the lane.” I am planning to go and visit soon, will report back!
The Archangel 01373 456111 hello@archangelfrome.com	Nearest and very nicely appointed hotel and restaurant. (dog friendly!)
The George Hotel 01373 462584 georgehotel@wadworth.co.uk	(The link takes you to Wadworth's main site and you have to search for the George in Frome) 28 rooms varying from singles at around £60 to premium ensuite and family rooms up to £140 in high season. Very centrally located in town (so some rooms on the front might not be all that quiet) and will do discounts for bulk booking for weddings. Speak to Dawn. I have not looked at all of it but the rooms I have seen are nicely done, fairly traditional.
Jackdaw Cottage, Bruton 07906 242296 jackdawcottagebruton@gmail.com	A really beautiful cottage with 2 bedrooms in Bruton, no detail has been left unperfected in this lovingly created space.
Bruton has several other airbnb places that the Jackdaw Cottage people recommend so if you were to go for Bruton as your main accommodation spot there would be plenty of good choice… including:
Bower House Tree House 01749 812707 info@bowerhouseconstruction.co.uk	Totally amazing tree house (between Bruton and Frome) that we have been lucky enough to stay in ourselves. Sleeps 2 and has all mod cons you could wish for including hot tub on the terrace! 2 night minimum stay and not cheap but a real treat.
DJs & SOUND SYSTEM HIRE
Luke Emery, Nomad Live 07929 623764 luke@nomadalive.co.uk	These guys really understand the unusual acoustics in the Gallery. Luke also does a busking stage at the Independent Market (1st Sunday of every month except Jan/Feb) and knows lots of excellent local musicians.
Maltings Audio 07963 416034 maltingsaudio@aol.com	Doug has managed the sound for many events at the Silk Mill and understands the space well.
Stage to Sound 07817 405269 hugo@stage2sound.com	They say: "Full event support from some microphones and a screen to full consultation and design. Years of experience, professional equipment and technical expertise delivered to your budget. Local"
LIVE MUSIC
Captain Cactus and the Screaming Harlots	Really good local band
The Hammervilles 07714 991 047 thehammervilles@gmail.com	The Hammervilles have not played here yet but they contacted us and they sound really great and one of them is getting married at the Silk Mill in 2020! If you invite them will you give us some feedback so that I can update this listing? Thanks
The Lucky Pierres ccsmdr@bath.ac.uk	Local band that gets everyone dancing brilliantly!
SECURITY	Security has to be organized through an accredited organization. We know it is a pain but you need a guard per 75 people so if you have 150 people in the evening you will need two security people.
Vista Security 0845 226 0589 info@vistarsecurity.com	Trowbridge based security team who have worked at the Silk Mill over the years.
Prosec Consultancy 01373 228055 info@prosec-ltd.com	Prosec Consultancy Ltd, they do Glasto, Longleat, Shambala etc. Based in Westbury.
Lester Silk 07581 042365 lestersilk@hotmail.com	Lester Silk/Carley Watts at CSS Security.
FANCIES,GIFTS & INTERESTING ACTIVITIES
Magician, Chris Hiscock	This guy was brilliant entertainment for all ages at a wedding in 2022. He is based locally.
Black Cat Bindery 01749 860679 info@blackcatbindery.com	Lovely local bookbinder who makes memorial presentation books to order.
Postscript 01373 462466 postscript@postscriptfrome.co.uk	Lovely shop in the centre of Frome. They will print your invitations or whatever your paper needs are!
Golden Goose	This is one among the very many gorgeous shops in Frome that has a wealth of gifts, decorations and much much more.
Willie’s Cacao 01884 840 222 shop@williescacao.com	Really excellent chocolate packaged interestingly. I have samples if you would like to try…
Tongue tied	Lovely list of words about love! Follow the link to find out what Tiám means and where it hails from!
JEWELLERY ETC
Clare Lloyd 07974 421574 clare.colourdesigns@gmail.com	Clare has a studio at the Silk Mill and she makes beautiful jewellery and bridal accessories
Roderick Vere 07717 723134 roderick@roderickvere.com	Jeweller who has a studio at the Silk Mill, you can do a workshop there and make your rings together with him.
Christina Oswin 01373 472505 christina@christinaoswin.co.uk	Very near the Silk Mill, excellent jeweller. Also good at mending & adapting jewellery.
Annette Gabbedey 01373 454145 shop@annettegabbedey.com	On the wonderful Catherine Hill, Annette's jewellery is part of the lovely things you can find there!
MAKE-UP, HAIR
Lisa Caldognetto 07824 829634 acaldognetto@gmail.com	Lisa who does make-up had her wedding at the Silk Mill on Halloween 2015; you may have seen pictures!
Ruth Tong 07708 764582 info@ruthtongmakeup.com	A recent bride said: "Ruth is based in Radstock and did my make up and the hair of a couple of my bridesmaids - she was very professional and friendly and I was really pleased with the results. Her services were quite pricey with a minimum spend but I think that's the nature of these things rather than her prices being particularly high!"
PHOTOGRAPHERS/ARTISTS
Sarah Godsill at Event Illustration	Brilliant local artist who will come and paint/sketch at any and all stages as you wish.
Aimae Laoise Photography aimee@aimeelaoisephotography.com	Local photographer who specialises in family images.
Peter Wilbourne 07816 409984 peterwilbourne@gmail.com	Locally based excellent photographer.
Pip Newland Photography 07780 611671	Interesting and unusual photography of weddings and other events
Alice Whitby 07917 797549 email@alicewhitby.com	Alice has photographed three weddings at the Silk Mill and had fabulous feedback and we love her pictures of the Mill!
Spencer Dungey/Love of Mine 07377 600068 spencer@loveofmine.co.uk	Australian photographer who has moved to Frome with his family.
DECORATIONS & FLOWERS
Daisies & Ribbons daisiesandribbons@gmail.com	They say: "Daisies & Ribbons is a family run floristry and event decor business serving Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Wales, Gloucestershire & Worcestershire" We have not used their services yet but the website looks excellent. Let us know if you go with them so we can update.
Whisper & Wild 07590 691420 hello@whisper-and-wild.com	Delicious delectable flowers!
Bramble & Wild 01373 473788 hello@brambleandwild.com	Lovely Catherine Hill flower shop.
Event Flag Hire 01749 850991 hello@eventflaghire.co.uk	The most beautiful collection of bunting and flags. They will put it up for you or just send it to you for you to do your own thing in the usual Silk Mill way!
Jigantics (huge artificial flowers) 07984 679421 info@Jigantics.com	Fabulous gigantic flowers silk often seen at festivals (they are based in Frome)
Crescent Moon Chandeliers 01373 454147 07976 369360 simon@crescent-moon.co.uk	Wonderful enormous chandelier selection. Local company that hires to film sets and events. They did a photoshoot of their wares at the Silk Mill in Sept ‘19
Amy Spicer 07974 836270 amy@octoberstudios.co.uk	Designer at October Studios and partner to More Wine, offere wonderful original chandeliers of flowers and fabrics; work very well on our 7 beams
Tattie Rose Studio 07775 577069	They say "Tattie Rose Studio is made up of a small and highly skilled team of makers, florists, welders, botanists, organisers and artists who all share the values of its founder Tattie Isles and her husband Fred who are at the helm of this wonderful botanical circus." They have not done flowers at the Silk Mill yet but their website is gorgeous and we look forward to them coming to us soon!
Minty's at Garston Nurseries,Garston, Frome BA11 1RU 01373 462123	They are a really old-school business based a within a mile of the Silk Mill. They do not have a website but are incredibly reasonably priced and lovely! Several couples have used their services and been delighted. Minty's say that they prefer to provide flowers for people to arrange themselves.
TAXIS
Tony’s Cabs - Frome			01373 464444
Arrow Taxis - Frome			01373 470110
ABC taxis - Frome			01373 452211
Bruton and Mendip Taxi			07984 465864
Swift Taxi - Shepton Mallet			01749 340820
Regal Taxi - Shepton Mallet			01749 347750