The last three months could be the most vital when organising your wedding.  Make the most of it and enjoy it, that’s the most important thing! Yes there are many things to do, but relax and make it fun! This should be an enjoyable time and as long as you have followed the advice from the last few blogs the remaining months should be a breeze!

First off, it’s time to make that all important final guest list and send out invitations including maps to the church/venue and accommodation details. Ask at your reception venue for brochures and maps I am sure they would be more than happy to supply them for you.

It’s also an idea to pop in a gift list too, if you don’t want too many toasters. More and more couples are choosing more ethical wedding gift lists or choosing charities close to their hearts that guests may wish to donate. Here at Four Pillars Hotels our chosen charity for the year is Vale House and we would be happy send you further details should you wish to support their valued work or give you more ideas for various charities to support home or abroad.

Your venue may also be requiring a 2^nd to final at payment three months. This could be a great time to discuss further details with your wedding co-ordinator confirming numbers, meal options and dietary requirements for your guests. Our Chefs are very flexible when it comes to special dietary needs. Make sure your guests let you know whether they are vegan, lactose intolerant or celiac as it’s difficult for changes to be made on the day.

If you are unsure of what to eat and you are overwhelmed by so much choice many of the Four Pillars wedding packages include a free taster meal! Make sure you get this booked and take advantage of the opportunity to taste the main course, desserts and wines!

Three months out is a good time to choose wedding rings and thank you gifts and time to organise hen and stags dos! For the ladies you may wish to visit our sister properties the Cotswold Water Park and Tortworth Court who have great spa packages perfect for a girls night in!

At six weeks check all outstanding replies and update your wedding co-ordinator with the necessary details and then final payments can be made based on these numbers. At four weeks check travel arrangements for your honeymoon, confirm bedroom bookings for wedding night and organise final fittings for dresses and suits. Don’t forget to collect the wedding rings and start to make notes for speeches.

In that final week… it’s time to relax! Remember to pick up all wedding outfits, check final arrangements with all suppliers and deliver table plans, printed menus and place cards to the hotel along with cakes and favours the night before.

With all that planning the day will run smoothly and be one to remember for you and all your family and friends who share it with you.

If you are looking to book an Oxford wedding venue why not pop by and visit us here at Oxford Thames Four Pillars and see the newly refurbished College Barge, the ornate walled garden and new for Autumn 2012 our outside gazebo!

The post Planning your wedding day I Part 4 I The last 3 months appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

As part of their Charity of the Year partnership Four Pillars Hotels invited patients and their families from Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to spend the afternoon decorating cakes and biscuits at their Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel

It was a wonderful afternoon providing a break for over 16 children and their families from hospital.  There were sticky fingers and big smiles all round, let alone some amazingly decorated cakes and biscuits which would give Mary Berry a run for her money!

Tortworth Court had thought of every detail from providing chef whites and hats to chef’s Ben and Nigel being on hand to help make rocky road and rice crispy cakes and every flavour of icing imaginable!  There was no stopping the creativity as hats and jackets were also decorated!

But this was more than an afternoon of creativity.

Elaine Eastman of the Play Department at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children explains:

“For a child to be able to come out of hospital for half a day and be able to forget about hospital and do normal things is just priceless.  It was lovely to be able to involve siblings and parents because often when you have a sick child in hospital there are very few occasions when the family is all together. Some of the children have life-limiting conditions – so these good memories are so very important for the whole family.”

Liz Heneghan, Human Resources Manager, Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel said:

 “It’s been heart warming to see everyone happy and enjoying themselves.  We’re so pleased to be able to make a small difference to the children and their families by bringing them out of hospital and into our world for the afternoon.” 

Charlotte Williams, age 12 who left with a bag of delicious goodies and beaming from ear to ear said:

“It was amazing!”

The Bristol Royal Hospital for Children cares for over 60,000 children from across the South West each year. We are incredibly grateful for the support companies like Four Pillars Hotels who help us to make a very real difference to patients and their families.   In addition to the cake decorating, the teams at Tortworth Court and Cotswold Water Park have been busy fundraising throughout the year.  There have been cabaret nights, raffles, zumbathons, half marathons and General Managers trading places with housekeeping for the day!

To find out about how your company can help support Bristol’s hospitals please contact Lorna Clarke, Head of Corporate Partnerships on 0117 370 0842 or lorna.clarke@aboveandbeyond.org.uk

For further details on Four Pillars Hotels and their charity work visit www.four-pillars.co.uk/charity

The post Sticky fingers, warm hearts and happy memories appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

With the nights closing in and a season ablaze with colour stretching ahead, it’s the perfect time to get out and about into the crisp autumn air and enjoy a range of great English stays and great value getaways.

We’re delighted to announce an amazing range of autumnal offers, packed with value added deals at affordable prices.  Four Autumn prices start from just £47 per person, per night, throughout the months of September, October and November. Plus, children stay and eat for free*.

Whether it’s a family break, a romantic getaway or even a long weekend away with friends, Four Pillars Hotels provide the perfect base to explore the open countryside and beautiful landscapes during the autumn months.

For full details of autumn offers at Four Pillars Hotels visit www.four-autumn.co.uk 

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The final six months before your wedding is no time to sit on your laurels this is the time to think about the nitty gritty. It’s time to get deposits paid and contracts signed for bookings and confirming terms and conditions signed for all suppliers.

Remember to order invitations, menu cards, name cards and guest books all in keeping with that theme you’ve been thinking about for the last couple of months.  Why not visit a couple of wedding fairs to help with ideas. At the Oxford Thames we have a couple of open evenings lined up on the Thursday 11^th of October and Thursday 8^th of November 2012. This is where we open up our function rooms and get them decorated to give future brides the chance to see what the function suites look like all dressed up.

On Sunday 23^rd of September we have joined up with Jack FM and we are hosting their popular wedding fair where a host of suppliers will be displaying their wares to future brides and grooms to choose favours, cakes, chair covers, tiaras and gowns!

It’s also a good time to think about your honeymoon and the type of break you need to relax after all the planning, fussing and excitement. Whether it’s a short romantic city break, a relaxing week in the sun or a cultural adventure in an exotic country there’s lots to choose from. If you do go for the latter you’ll need to get vaccines sorted which will vary to where you go and what you’re doing. Some will be done in one go but other over a series of months.

Brides, don’t forget to sort your passports out before you travel and if you do (or don’t) make sure your tickets are booked in the same name otherwise you won’t be able to travel.

If you are inviting family from far and wide it might be a good idea to get accommodation booked up for those guests travelling before hotels get fully booked on key dates! In most cases hotels offer a special rate for guests attending weddings and even better offers if you stay for extra nights. It might also be a good idea to book a room for bridesmaids the night before so the bride has somewhere to change and have hair and make-up done. Remember it’s unlucky to see the Groom before the big day although this old wives tale seems to be disappearing with other age old traditions.

As the wedding days draws closer in our next blog post we’ll look at what you need to think about in the final three months.

If you are looking to book an Oxford wedding venue why not pop by and visit us here at Oxford Thames Four Pillars and see the newly refurbished College Barge, the ornate walled garden and new for Autumn 2012 our outside gazebo!

The post Planning your wedding day I Part 3 I The final 6 months appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

Independent hotel group, Four Pillars Hotels, is maintaining its partnership with Oxford United Football Club (OUFC) for a second season.  With four hotels in Oxfordshire, including the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel just one mile from the stadium, OUFC is Four Pillars’ local team and as well as being the club’s new Official Hotel Partner, the company will also be the match sponsor for the games against Bradford City on 22 September 2012 and Bristol Rovers on 09 February 2013.

Chris Green, Group Marketing Manager at Four Pillars Hotels, says “We place great importance on supporting our local community and are very proud to continue our partnership with Oxford United.  Our hotels are great places to meet and share in the excitement of supporting our local team, so we look forward to welcoming friends old and new to Four Pillars Hotels during the coming season.”

Owen Clark, Business Development Manager of OUFC says, “We are delighted that Four Pillars Hotels have decided to continue with their sponsorship for a second year.    As a local company with strong community values, they are a great partner for OUFC and we value their continued support”. 

Four Pillars Hotels has six properties across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, ranging from a Victorian Grade II listed mansion, to the stunning lakeside property in the heart of the Cotswold Water Park.  The four hotels in Oxfordshire include the Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel, just half a mile from the city centre; the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel, just a mile from the OUFC stadium in Sandford-on-Thames; the Oxford Witney Four Pillars Hotel and the Oxford Abingdon Four Pillars Hotel.

For more information on Four Pillars Hotels visit www.four-pillars.co.uk or call 0800 374 692.

The post Four Pillars Hotels and Oxford United Football Club maintain partnership appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

Following on from our last blog post we thought we would explore the next stage of planning a wedding now you’ve thought about the venue, the theme and the numbers! About ten months before the big day it’s time to get creative and think about what you would like to wear and those all-important accessories to go with that dream wedding dress! We’re thinking veils, tiaras, jewellery and shoes!

…and don’t just think white, a few weeks ago here at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel the bride wore bright burnt orange satin high heels underneath a long classic white dress and they looked great!

It’s also time to choose bridesmaids and ushers and their outfits! You can be traditional or bold – the choice is yours, but thinking about it now will save time and effort as the big day will come round sooner than you think. Think about themes and colours that suit you not just your shading but your personality. Why not have a girlie get together with your bridesmaids and start planning! It’s not only a good excuse for a catch up but a shopping trip too!

If you’ve found a designer somewhere else in the world or seen a perfect dress online remember it can take time to get things shipped across to the UK and don’t forget to factor in fittings into your time schedule. Sizes do vary around the world so a size 14 here could be subsequently smaller if you buy a dress from Asia so chances are adjustments will have to be made. When ordering anything online remember to double check there is a secure payment system and you trust the site.

At this stage it may also be a good time to book some key people for the event as the best get booked up early. We’re talking florists, hairdressers, beauty therapists, photographers, cake makes and wedding cars! Oxfordshire is full of good wedding suppliers and if you’re stuck for contacts our wedding lounge at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel has a host of supplier numbers so please free to pop in and browse.

It maybe that these suppliers can also help with some of your decisions for example a florist can advise best what flowers are in season and then in turn help with colour choices on the day. The wedding car maybe a sleek bright red sports car, an old black cab or a traditional Rolls Royce all these quirks and characters start to build the theme of the day! Our chair cover supplier even recommends to colour co-ordinate with the curtains in our Oxford Suite if you really want to be perfectly matched.

As the count- down begins next time we’ll look at the six monthly checks to ensure you’re on schedule for your perfect dream wedding day!

If you are looking to book an Oxford wedding venue why not pop by and visit us here at Oxford Thames Four Pillars and see the newly refurbished College Barge, the ornate walled garden and new for Autumn 2012 our outside gazebo!

The post Planning your wedding day I Part 2 I Dress & Suppliers appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

AIM is a nationwide “kitemark” for venues and service providers in the meetings and events industry, giving buyers the reassurance of quality, professionalism and value-for-money.    As well as suitability of facilities, each AIM venue is individually assessed for legal compliance and is required to meet a strict code of conduct in regard to its business processes.

Meanwhile, Four Pillars Hotels have introduced bespoke software for iPad streaming across the group, giving speakers the opportunity to deliver innovative and highly impressive presentations to unlimited iPads.   The software also enables delegates to send live questions to the presenter from their iPads and the presenter can run live electronic voting sessions, with the results published real time.   The service allows organisers to run a professional digital event, with full audience participation and feedback throughout the day, as well as survey evaluations and data capture post event.

Jane Longhurst, mia Chief Executive, the keepers of the AIM standard said, “I commend Four Pillars Hotels for the strategic vision shown in the decision to achieve AIM across all its properties. AIM is a reassurance to meetings and event buyers that the facilities and value provided by a venue meet industry benchmarked standards, it means they can have confidence their event will be a success. Achieving AIM sends a message to buyers that a venue is superior, so it’s not surprising that an increasing number are insisting on AIM before making a booking.”

Nikki Farr, Director of Sales for Meetings and Events, says “Following the launch of our Meetings Four You offering last year, the new AIM certification and iPad streaming reinforce our commitment to providing a professional and innovative meetings and events service to our clients.   We pride ourselves on being small enough to care, yet big enough to deliver and continually seek news ways to deliver exceptional service and facilities to both old and new clients.”

From a Victorian mansion to a contemporary lakeside resort to a property in a prime city location, Four Pillars’ extensive facilities are perfect for all kinds of events, from a board meeting to a major conference or team building event.   Introduced in 2011, the company’s Meetings Four You produced was designed to give the meetings planner total flexibility and a tailor-made solution for each event, with a range of options including the unpackaged “meetings by the hour” where clients only pay for the things they need.

Find out more about meetings at Four Pillars Hotels by visiting the Meetings Four You website

The post AIM for better meetings at Four Pillars Hotels appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

When it comes to planning a wedding there is nothing our Wedding Co-Ordinators don’t know! One of them, Sharon King has been planning weddings at our Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel for the past 14 years and must’ve helped over 1000 brides plan their special day over the years.

There are a few special things to remember before approaching a venue about your special day.

1) Where would you like to get married? In a church, in a meadow or in a licensed premises like a hotel?

2) Who would you like to invite? An estimate number of guests is key to selecting the right venue as rooms will vary in size.

3) What style event are you envisaging? This will help set the scene for the venue! Are you dreaming of a religious ceremony with a traditional wedding breakfast? Or an open ceremony in the outdoors or looking for the ultimate wedding venue in an old castle or medieval barn?

It’s always a good idea to get out and about and see venues first hand to get a real feel for a place, the ambiance, the staff, the service and the welcome!

Most importantly, remember the day is your day and try and reflect yours and your partner’s personality into the proceedings and don’t be influenced by other family members who may have other ideas.

You will see from our testimonial page how Sharon has played a key part in making our past wedding couples a day to remember and we’ve even got a few baby tales to tell too.

Over the next few months you’ll be able to read about how to plan your big day and special things to think about on the Four Pillars Hotels blog!

In the meantime, if you are looking for a picturesque Oxfordshire wedding venue why not pop by and visit us here at Oxford Thames Four Pillars and see the newly refurbished College Barge, the ornate walled garden and new for Autumn 2012 our outside gazebo!

For anymore help and advice on planning your special please do give Sharon a call. She’ll be more than happy to help!

The post Planning your wedding day I Part 1 I The Venue appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.

We are proud to announce that we have teamed up with Bluestorm Solutions & Tablet Rentals Ltd to offer iPad streaming software for events, conferences, and summits. They are able to provide FULL 360 solution to our costumers, including the software, full setup, support onsite and even the actual iPads, as they rent iPads for the event through Tablet Rentals Ltd.

The iPad streaming software works by giving each delegates at your event an iPad while you hold your presentation. While you go through your different slides, those following the presentation will get the same images on their iPad screens and even more so, it gives new possibilities of interacting with those listening throughout your presentations.

Some of the features of the iPad streaming technology include the possibility of:

Streaming the presentation to an unlimited amount of iPads

LIVE ability to submit comments and questions on individual iPads throughout the presentation that can be viewed after

LIVE iPad voting in polls that can be added into the presentation

LIVE voting results submitted within the presentation

Ability to save voting results, questions, comments and other interaction captured from the audience

Branded iPads with corporate or event logo

The iPads will be set up, configured, and delivered ready-to-use to your event on the day, and this exclusive new iPad technology for events will give your audience a new innovative way to interact with your presentation like never before!

So what are you waiting for? If you have a presentation coming up at your next event, conference, meeting, or any other place you can see this great new iPad streaming technology work, just contact 0203 551 9997 / 0207 749 7242.

Plus, hire iPads from Bluestorm Solutions as part of your event at a Four Pillars Hotel and get a 10% discount. Quote Four Pillars 2012 when booking.

The post New iPad Streaming Technology for Presentations at Events appeared first on Four Pillars Hotels Blog.