Local Woman Wins Wanborough Great Barn Wedding Venue Competition

Published on: 4 Sep, 2021
Updated on: 4 Sep, 2021

By Hugh Coakley

Local girl, Shani Elliott and her fiance, Pete Bennett, have been announced as the winners of the Great Wanborough Barn wedding venue competition.

They will get free use of the barn for three days as well as the Wanborough Village Hall and free hair styling for their special day from Master Colourists, the new hair salon in Guildford, and Jacks of London.

Shani Elliott and Pete Bennett, winners of the Great Barn wedding venue competition, pictured in their “dream wedding destination”.

Pete said: “”We feel really fortunate. It was a total surprise as we had been told we were second. Lucky for us, the original winner had to pull out.

“We think it’s just fate.”

The Great Barn at Wanborough is a “hidden gem of wedding venues”.

Volunteer at the Great Barn, Kim Eden, said: “Shani and Pete absolutely love the barn. It is their dream wedding destination.

“They are such a lovely couple. I’m hoping they have the best ever wedding here.”

Shani grew up in Normandy and her mum and dad and grandma and grandad were all married at St Mark’s Church in Wyke, just four minutes away.

Shani’s connection to the area doesn’t stop there. Shani’s Grandad, James Quest, worked as a builder on properties in Wanborough, even featuring in one of the exhibits in the barn as he found some Saxon bones when he was digging in one of the gardens.

Shani and Pete celebrating winning the wedding venue competition with a glass of bubbly.

Shani and Pete have been together for nine years. Pete finally proposed on Valentine’s Day at Frensham Ponds. Unable to go shopping for an engagement ring because of loc down, Pete proposed with sizing rings he had ordered online. Shani was initially very confused but accepted straight away when she realized it was a proposal.

The couple trained a puppy for Puppy Walkers for the Guide Dogs, and Shani, along with a group of 11 other women, raised an impressive £25,000 for the charity.

Kim said: “Thanks so much to The Guildford Dragon NEWS for their support for our celebration of the wedding industry. There are approximately 280,000 weddings every year in the UK. Over 260,000 weddings were postponed in 2020. Over 250,000 people depend on work related to delivering a wedding day itself.”

You can follow the story of Shani and Pete’s wedding by following the Great Barn on:

Instagram: wanboroughgreatbarn
Facebook: Great Barn of Wanborough
www.wanboroughgreatbarn.co.uk

See Win A Free 2022 Wedding Venue At The Historic Great Barn Of Wanborough.

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