Would you get married at McDonald’s? Or say “I do” outside a Starbucks? That was the case for one happy couple, who held their wedding at Cobham Services in Surrey.
The Extra MSA location is, we believe, the first motorway services to have staged a wedding reception. More than 40 guests travelled around the M25 to attend.
It helped fulfil a childhood dream for bride Stacey, who had always wanted to experience a fast-food wedding reception.
Wedding trendsetters
Stacey’s grandmother, Dawn, acted as the wedding planner for the big day, and suggested Cobham on the M25 as the perfect location.
Dawn commented “The very nice lady on the phone was quite surprised by our request, but within a day of making the enquiry, I’d had an email back from the general manager to say they’d be delighted to host us.
“They cordoned off a designated area and set up tables and chairs to suit our seating plan and guest numbers, and even arranged coach parking for the vintage bus we’d hired as transportation.”
Dawn added: “Several families at the services said to us what a great idea it was to host a wedding reception at a motorway service station, so who knows, maybe we’ve started a trend!”
They’re lovin’ it
Stacey, who is from Surrey, said of her wedding venue choice: “Back from when I was a child I’d always dreamed of wearing a pink princess dress and having my wedding reception in a fast food outlet. I’ve repeatedly stated that fact, but even just two days before my wedding, my siblings couldn’t believe I was choosing to have it in a motorway service station – but it’s what I’d always wanted!”
Tom Dobson, CEO at Extra MSA, said: “A huge congratulations to Stacey and her partner. It was a pleasure to welcome them to Cobham, and to play our part in their big day. While we’ve never had the privilege of hosting a wedding at one of our motorway service areas before, we always try to go the ‘Extra mile’ for our customers – and we’re thrilled that we could make this unique celebration a reality.”
As a wedding gift, Cobham Services presented Stacey and her partner with £300 in vouchers, which can be redeemed at the on-site food and drink venues.
