From the minute we arrived to look round Thursford I was smitten, the whole atmosphere felt calm and serene and welcoming. We had the lovely Charlie show us around and his enthusiasm was so infectious, we were excited already! We were also completely bowled over by how involved and enthusiastic all the staff we met were. We left and didn’t think twice, we were hooked!

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The whole experience with Melissa and Emma was so smooth, nothing was too much and they were genuinely excited by our ideas no matter how bonkers they sounded. Inflatable helter skelter, no problem, filling the room with antique furniture and “knick knacks”, sounds great, changing up the wine offering to have Rose Lemonade, consider it done.  We felt completely safe and reassured that we did not need to worry about anything, suppliers, timings, logistics all taken care of.

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The day before Melissa could not have been more accommodating, even though we ran a little over time she helped finish everything off and even finished parts the next morning. If there were issues or problems we never knew about it. I woke up in Holly Lodge and felt completely spoilt, as did our family. Being able to calmly sit and laugh with the lovely housekeepers whilst I waited for Melissa to get me just set the tone for the day. A day that just blew our minds, it felt seamless and all we had to do was have a fantastic day. Which we did!

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We completely recommend hiring the rides, the best money we’ve ever spent! Seeing the faces of our guests when they saw the museum was priceless but when they realised the rides were included…magic! So many lovely photos and videos of everyone just enjoying themselves. Adults and kids alike loved the day and we were able to set up our garden games on the lawn for after the dinner for everyone to enjoy. So many parents told us how they could relax as the setting felt so safe for the children.

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Finally, I cannot even begin to describe all the little things that just helped enormously. Melissa just being there with little hints and tips, grabbing us a water, telling us to take 5 minutes, advising the best method for things.

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The only sad thing is we can’t do it over and over again. So all we can say from the bottom of our hearts is thank you to Melissa, Emma, Charlie and the whole team for making this truly the best day of our lives.

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Alan and Sara Connell

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Photographer: James Neale Photography