Holly & Walt
Dear Jackie, Ted, Andrew, Kate, Chef Mike, and the rest of the amazing staff at LTM,
Words cannot express how thankful we are to have had our wedding hosted at Lord Thompson Manor. We feel so blessed by the event and it could not have been more special. I was going to try to squeeze all of this on a nice card…and let’s just say after the 4th try I realized it was a mini novel and I had no hope.
It has been almost a week since our wedding and Walter and I are both going through wedding withdrawals. Not only because everything was so beautiful, but because we felt like we gained friendships and a family while we were there. We no longer have excuses to call or email you– and, well frankly, that pulls on our heart strings a little, but it goes to show you how much your staff meant to us.
From the second we stepped foot on the property for a tour we knew this place was special, the staff was special and we would be hosting the most special night of our lives here. Throughout our 12 month engagement your entire staff was readily available to answer any questions we had about the venue, decorations, menu etc. and you continually inspired us with new ideas and made our wedding into something we never could have dreamt up ourselves.
From the moment we walked in Friday to the moment we left Sunday afternoon, everything and I do mean EVERTHING was perfect. Hurricane Sandy definitely threw us for a little bit of a loop, but everyone at Lord Thompson Manor remained our constant, and reassured everything would be ok and unaffected and you could not have been more right. The wedding, the flowers, the food, the décor EVERYTHING went off without a hitch – it’s as if hurricane Sandy never happened when we arrived Friday night, and for that we are forever grateful.
Chef Mike – Your food recommendations and menu preparation from the rehearsal dinner, Saturday lunch, wedding reception, down to the after party was just culinary genius. You were SO easy to work with and really listened to our thoughts on changing/adding/subtracting some things, and of course came up with something way better than we imagined. The soup at the rehearsal dinner was to die for, and I can’t tell you how joyful I was when I saw the crème brulee slip in front of me at the rehearsal due to my gluten allergy. While everyone else was face first in their bread pudding, I felt I was equally able to enjoy my dessert, if not more. It has now been a week after our wedding and people are still RAVING about your Chilean sea bass. I don’t know what you did with it, but you might have some people salivating at the Manor’s front door soon. Now onto the after party food – as Ted can attest I am not a shy bride when it comes to eating…but I think I single handedly took down 4 burgers myself (bunless of course ) and I know people LOVED the mini reuben’s and hot dogs. Having a gluten allergy can certainly be an annoying at times, especially for events or your very own wedding. You worked with me so I can enjoy everything and felt as if I didn’t miss out on a thing. Thank you, thank you – you were truly amazing.
Andrew- Thanks so so much for all your help and assistance over the year. Your knowledge and presence at the scotch and whiskey bar was clearly a HUGE hit – people are still commenting about it to this day. Your enthusiasm and interaction with our guests was evident as you had more women drinking scotch and smoking cigars than the men! (Now that’s an accomplishment) My dad was looking forward to this part of the night and he did not leave disappointed Thank you so much for going above and beyond for us – I know my father is still talking about your scotch 😉
Priscilla – A wedding is not a wedding without the bride looking her best and you definitely brought you’re a-game. I couldn’t have been happier with the way my entire bridal party looked. When you are working with 4 girls and 2 mothers you are bound to have SOMEONE not like the makeup or hair but not with you. I can honestly say each and every girl, with all completely different styles, loved their makeup and hair. As for me, what can I say…my hair and makeup were done to absolute perfection. I was rocking out pretty hard to the band and let me tell you, my hair and makeup stayed put as if I had just gotten it done 15 minutes prior. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me look so beautiful on my day.
Kate – Kate, where do I even begin? To give you an idea I think this statement sums it up… we were leaving on Sunday, reminiscing about the day with my parents, about how perfect everything was and I noticed my dad getting a little teary eyed. He said “Holly everything was so perfect, and I’ll tell ya Kate was just amazing, I mean really amazing, I felt as if I had a third daughter for the weekend.” Kate, you were so amazing and gracious to everyone you touched. From the moment a guest checked in to the moment everyone left, you treated them like royalty. Anything anyone needed or wanted it seemed as if you were always 5 steps ahead. As for me (of course I am getting emotional writing this), you were like an extension of my bridal party. You kept me calm, reassured me that whatever decision I made (whether it be inside or outside haha) came from me, and truly calm my nerves the second before I walked down the aisle. You were there helping me get out the door, fluffing my dress, fixing my veil, putting the flower in my hair and the list just goes on and on. I kept making a joke all night that you were like my fairy god mother that popped up right when I needed something. I felt a piece of my hair starting to slip after I oh-so eloquently bounced around the music and within seconds I felt your little fingers put the piece of hair right back where I belonged. Kate, thank you for making me feel like a princess for a day, without all of your help and guidance I honestly don’t know if my day would have been the same.
Jackie – You are a gift sent from heaven. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for EVERYTHING. You were so warm and gracious to Walter and I form the moment we met. You ability to see things and create a vision or a concept is like nothing I have ever seen before. I went in wanting one thing, and I am SO HAPPY I took your advice and guidance to re-create the look and feel of my wedding based off my dress. You were able to pull elements of my original vision and create something far more spectacular than I can only dream of. Your attention to detail is remarkable – from the rehearsal dinner, our beautiful ceremony down to the wedding reception. I know I gave you approx. 15 minutes to pull the ceremony from outside to inside due to the weather and it’s as if you never missed a beat. I had apprehensions about having my ceremony inside and all I can say is you made a believer out of me. The crystal trees, the beautiful petals down the aisle, the intimacy and warmth we felt from our guests all made our ceremony something we will never forget and it was all because of you. Also – the cornucopia at the cocktail reception was awesome! Most importantly, we felt an overwhelming sense of home with you, and it’s something our guests felt as well. Even after our party ended it was you and Ted who we reminisced with about our night, it was you who we shared our laughter with and it was you who made this day so very special for us. Everything you touched on our weekend was filled with compassion and love – thank you once again for working so hard to make our day so beautiful and memorable. I cannot wait until we see you guys again someday.
Ted- Where do I begin….we both feel like we gained a friend for life. I know Walter can’t thank you enough for anything and everything you did for him over the weekend..no matter how small the detail, including his last minute wardrobe changes . We honestly wondered at times if you had a clone because we still can’t figure out when you slept. We felt an amazing connection with you…so much so that it’s hard to express our gratitude in words. There was not a moment that we didn’t feel like you were “a part” of our wedding, and that made our weekend that much more special. Your unsurpassed level of professionalism and attention to detail made our wedding a truly magical experience. Your words of guidance and encouragement calmed our nerves, and you always gave us a sense that everything was in control. For a bride to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy her day, knowing that everything is being taken care of is a true testament to how amazing you are and how much we trusted you. You approached every detail of our wedding with graciousness and warmth and really made our wedding day a beautiful memory that Walter and I will always hold dear to our hearts. Thank you thank you for making everything come together. Your behind the scenes work, your effort, your dedication and passion for your job definitely did not go unnoticed. You are part of the reason Lord Thompson makes everything seem like a fairy tale, and your voice solidifies this fact. I will never forget your song to us during dinner “Love changes everything “because we truly felt the lyrics that came out of your mouth. Thank you for all your support, leadership and presence throughout our entire weekend. We loved what emerged that day and you were a HUGE part of it. Please let us know when you are having one your concerts and we promise to make it to one soon (hey we are looking for excuses to come visit you guys). We look forward to see you this spring/summer in Maine!!
In closing, the list of breathtaking details and memories are far too long to list, but we hope we are expressing the level of gratitude that each and every one of you deserve. Our wedding was perfect, our guests were amazed and you filled our hearts with joy and gratitude. Thank you for welcoming us into your home and into the LTM family. We are honored to say we were married here, where our lives will begin as husband and wife.
Always in our Hearts,
Holly & Walt