Three Wigan businesses team up for new wedding venture

Fran Abbott from Seasons Celebrancy, Sara Luisa from Lovely Lending Co and Ryan Connor from Hyde Studios are joining together to offer micro weddings at Wigan Hall on Frog Lane – for generations the home of the parish church’s rector.

Micro-weddings are is an intimate affair, with a small number of guests.

They still feature time-honoured traditions that make a wedding but on a much smaller scale.

Ryan’s photography studio, which opened last year, will be transformed in a ceremony room for up to 30 people.

Fran and Sara decided the place would be perfect for weddings after they visited the space for different reasons.

Fran said: “My son is very good friends with Ryan and I used to teach him.

"I heard about this studio and just came to have a look at how Ryan was doing, never thought anything about the celebrancy side.

"I was walking around with Ryan and I said wouldn’t it be lovely to have weddings here.

"I was halfway through doing some training in celebrancy at the time, now I’m trained up to do things like weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies.

"As soon as I came here and the amazing space, we sort of put our heads together.

"There seems to have been a surge in smaller weddings with the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.”

Sara said: “I’m a psychotherapist as well as doing prop hire and styling for weddings.

"I came to look at the space to look at maybe doing workshops or having clients and as soon as I walked I just went ah weddings!

"There is nothing like this in Wigan, it’s so peaceful here.

"You’d have to travel to find something like this and normally they’d be quite big.

"If there is anyone that wants to be completely creative and have like a Star Wars or Egyptian theme, then the backdrop gives them the opportunity to do that.

"With big weddings some people don’t like being the centre of attention and this completely takes that away.”

Currently they have three weddings booked in and are hoping more bookings will come in.

Couples will still need to register their marriage before the ceremony.

While it is currently just ceremonies available at Wigan Hall, the team are currently in talks with the Old Courts about using their space for wedding receptions.

Fran said: “You get a maximum of 30 guests and I think that’s nice because you get to choose the real ones that you want there.

"A micro wedding gives you the opportunity to upgrade your wedding and spend your money on what matters.”

Ryan said: "Since we have set it up as a studio, the amount of people that have come in and said oh I could get married here.

"Its pin-drop silent and the gates give you extra privacy.

“We’re also having conversations with the Old Courts about offering packages and using their venue for a reception.

"Its something that can be developed over time.”

For more information visit the Seasons Celebrancy website: www.seasonscelebrancy.co.uk