Suppliers and services who we think might help, mostly local (linked if they have websites).
There is a pdf version of this you can download here: USEFUL LOCAL BUSINESSES (WEDDINGS)
| Who (linked to websites where possible) | Phone | Notes | |
| Booking the registrar | 01823 282251 | somersetregistrations@somerset.gov.uk | Somerset have putting together 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 |
| Marquees, tables, lights, PA etc. | |||
| Prickly Pear Stretch Tents | 07825 828671 – 07790 270742 | pricklypearstretchtents@gmail.com | Bristol based company with beautiful tents available. We had hoped to have two lots of 3 consecutive weddings in 2020 with the tent left here and a discounted rate as a result… perhaps it will happen in 2021 instead! |
| PartyBench | 07766 883037 | partybench@gmail.com | These guys are based in Frome and sound lovely. We have not had direct experience of their service so If you use them will you give us some feedback so that I can update this listing? Thanks |
| Vintage Marquees | 01249 716119 | caroline@vintagemarquees.co.uk | Great local company 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 | Very good, local and know the site so can often quote without site visit |
| Abbas Marquees | 01749 890909 | Enquiry@abbasmarquees.co.uk | Based at Pilton. |
| Food providers | |||
| The River House and Fat Radish | 01373 596102 | info@fatradish.co.uk | The River House and the Far Radish are 2 fantastic eateries in Frome; both run by Ellen Porteous. Ellen has a personal licence and a great team who are very efficient at switching the gallery round from ceremony setup to mealtime. The food they create is wonderful so they are a very good solution to food and alcohol. They have catered etc for several weddings at the Silk Mill and all the feedback has 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! |
| Sarah Urquhart, Incredible Edibles | 01963 33395 | sarah@macawberhouse.co.uk | “Catering for all occasions”, particularly keen on making canapés etc. |
| Mrs B’s Catering | 01373 452593 | office@mrsbscaringcatering.co.uk | We have not yet used Mrs B’s catering at the Silk Mill but they are a local company who regularly sell produce at the monthly independent market. If you go for them will you give us some feedback so that I can update this listing? Thanks |
| Miranda Catering | mirandacatering@mail.com | Makes lovely canapés and is the in house caterer at Drawing Projects in Trowbridge | |
| Patrick Twigger | 07812 365430 or 01373 836122 | Patrick offers cutlery and crockery for events which he takes away unwashed. He has also provided bar licence cover with and without bar at the Silk Mill. He lives locally. | |
| Drinks | |||
| More Wine | 07940 732012 | rich@morewine.eu | Properly selected French (& other) wines in 10litre, 5 litre & 3 litre boxes… cuts down on waste. Will do sale or return for unopened boxes. |
| 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 |
Bars and Licensing Services/Event Management 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 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 pay bar for the evening so long as the bar know what you are doing. | |||
| Lucy Cooper from The Three Swans Pub | 07790 725145 | threeswansfrome@gmail.com | Lucy can provide a normal bar service for you or she or one of her many colleagues at the Three Swans has a personal licence and can be employed by you to meet our licence requirements if you bring your own alcohol. Her pub is the nearest to the Silk Mill (just opposite La Strada; Cheap St/Kings St) and one of the nicest pubs in Frome. |
| 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. | |
| The Wheatsheaves | 07595 974680 | craig.webber@hotmail.com | Full bar service or they can just provide staff at whatever level you need. |
| The Living Bar | 07753 117323 | tim@livingbarcompany.co.uk | Wonderful bar assembled around growing trees and hung with plants run by the lovely Tim Goodman. |
| 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! |
| Accommodation | |||
| 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!) |
| Stonnwall Manor Culverhill Frome Somerset BA11 5AA | Big Cottages: 0845 257 1510 | This is a wonderful huge Elizabethan Manor house right in the town and can sleep at least 28! We had a wedding party stay there who were very happy with it. I went to see it the other day and 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. There are more pictures if you follow the link in the first column. | |
| 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 | 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. |
| Here is a website with local B&Bs on it, I cannot vouch for all of them but would welcome feedback! | |||
| 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. |
| DJ | |||
| Spam Bhok | 07828831441 | sambhokmusic@gmail.com | Highly recommended local DJ |
| Luke Emery Nomad Solutions | 07929623764 | luke@nomadaudiosolutions.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. |
| 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 |
| Backwood Redeemers | Another really dancy band, local! | ||
| Sara Vian | 07763654803 | info@saravianmusic.com | Excellent local band with other music contacts |
| Security | |||
| CSS Security | 07415 867007/ 0800 002 9855 | info@securitycss.co.uk | Lester Silk/Carley Watts at CSS Security. Security has to be organized through an accredited organization so if you do not use these guys then it must be another such. Please let Kate know who you are using asap. 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. |
| Fancies | |||
| Black Cat Bindery | 01749 860679 | info@blackcatbindery.com | Lovely local bookbinder who makes memorial presentation books to order. |
| 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! | ||
| Hats etc | |||
| Marie-Louise Hats | 07914 805358 | marie-louise.millinery@gmx.com | One of our tenants and a very good milliner, her hats have featured in several TV productions and at Ascot. |
| Jewellery | |||
| Clare Lloyd | 07974 421574 | clare.colourdesigns@gmail.com | Clare has a studio at the Silk Mill and she makes beautiful jewellery and bridal accessories |
| Shakti Ellenwood | 07730 269901 | mail@shaktiellenwood.com | Fair trade jeweller who used to have a studio at the Silk Mill. |
| Christina Oswin | 01373 472505 | christina@christinaoswin.co.uk | Very near the Silk Mill, excellent jeweler. Also good at mending/adapting jewellery. |
| Annette Gabbedey | 01373 454145 | shop@annettegabbedey.com | On the wonderful Catherine Hill, lovely things. |
| Make-up/Hair | |||
| Lisa Caldognetto | 07824829634 | acaldognetto@gmail.com | Lisa who does make-up had her wedding at the Silk Mill on Halloween 2015; you may have seen pictures! |
| Secret Salon | 07823 407156 | enquiries@thesecretsalonhair.com | Good local hair salon who are just round the corner from the Mill |
| Photographers/Artists | |||
| Aimae Laoise Photography | aimee@aimeelaoisephotography.com | Local photographer who specialises in family images. | Aimae Laoise Photography |
| Peter Wilbourne | 07816 409984 | peterwilbourne@gmail.com | Locally based excellent photographer. |
| Ciara Nolan
| 07703 843100 | ciara.poot@yahoo.com | Ciara has photographed a couple of events (incl weddings) at the Silk Mill and she is excellent. Her style is quirky and interesting. She has the shop Poot on Catherine Hill in Frome and has always been a really good friend to the Silk Mill since we started the project. |
| Katherine Needles | 07947 207408 | katherineneedles@me.com | One of the artists who has a studio at the Mill and exhibition in 2017 Frome Festival in our Gallery |
| Pip Newland Photography | (07780) 611 671 | ||
| Sarah Godsill | Brilliant local artist who will come and paint/sketch at any and all stages as you wish. | ||
| Emily Coles | Works with Amy Spicer – see below, decorations – chandeliers of flowers! | ||
| Alice Whitby (Photography) 07917 797549 email@alicewhitby.com Bridal wear | |||
| Raggedy/Hayley Trezise | 07974 640268 | info@raggedyrags.co.uk | One of our tenants and a brilliant up-cycler |
| Decorations (inc Flowers) | |||
| Bramble & Wild (Flowers) | 01373 473788 | hello@brambleandwild.com | Lovely Catherine Hill flower and shop |
| Event Flag Hire | 01749 850991 | hello@eventflaghire.co.uk | Just moved to the area these guys have 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 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 | Local, partner to More Wine, chandeliers of flowers and fabrics; work very well on our 7 beams Works with photographer Emily Coles (see photography entry) |
| Mrs J | 07553 446372 01761 434906 | becky@mrsjflowers.co.uk | Lovely local flower designer who uses seasonal home grown flowers as much as possible. She also has a great many vintage china items available as well. |
| Taxis | |||
| Tony’s Cabs Frome | 01373 464444 | ||
| Arrow Taxis – Frome – | 01373 470110 | ||
| ABC taxis of Frome – | 01373 452211 | ||
| Bruton and Mendip Taxi | 07984 465864 | ||
| Swift Taxi – Shepton Mallet – | 01749 340820 | ||
| Regal Taxi – Shepton Mallet – | 01749 347750 | ||