When you think of Sark, what comes to mind? A beautiful, tiny island with no cars and a unique atmosphere that makes you want to return again and again.
Now imagine having your wedding there. Well, the good news is that you can and there’s a dedicated team at Stocks Hotel who are well experienced at making magical occasions for couples who want their special day there.
Wedding Eye spoke to Stocks Hotel’s Director of Business and Marketing Development Paul Armorgie to find out more:
What can you offer to a couple who are considering getting married at Stocks?
Stocks Hotel is essentially a ‘one-stop shop’ for most wedding requirements on Sark. Ellie Lalor is our dedicated wedding and events co-ordinator and we can offer every aspect of planning a wedding from reserving bedroom accommodation for up to 50 people, and catering for up to 60 people in our main restaurant and up to 65 people in our dedicated Cider Press function room.
We can cater for up to 90 people in a special stretch marquee and up to 180 people in a traditional marquee which can be hired from a local third party.
Is it possible to have the ceremony and reception at the hotel? Yes. We can happily host a civil service at Stocks but not a religious service. We can also cater for wedding receptions.
What kind of menu do you offer?
We offer a variety of menu options from buffets to more formal sit down meals depending upon the requirements of the couple. We offer three separate wedding packages which include specific menus and drink options.
Is there a celebrant resident on Sark or do couples have to organise that part themselves?
The Sark Greffier, Trevor Hamon is the licensed Sark island civil celebrant. There is a small private chapel at La Seigneurie and there are two dedicated churches on Sark; St Peters Parish Church (Church of England) and a Methodist Chapel.
Is it possible book the entire hotel?
Yes, this is our preference because it minimises the potential disruption for any other non-wedding guests.
What happens when you are approached by a couple interested in having their wedding in Sark?
Ellie is the primary point of contact from their initial enquiry to the moment the event is complete. Ellie can talk and walk them through every aspect of their requirements. No two weddings are the same.
How many weddings do you do each year?
This varies from year to year. However we prefer not to do too many weddings because Stocks is far more than simply a wedding venue, and we cater for many other guests as well. Weddings can be quite invasive of every aspect of our small hotel.
Is it very difficult to organise everything on-island?
The logistics have to be very carefully planned and synchronised. This is precisely what Ellie does, and she is extremely proficient at it. We have catered for many, very happy brides and grooms who can attest to this.
Stocks and Sark offer a fantastic venue for romantic & memorable weddings. In addition to bedroom accommodation and the catering facilities at Stocks, we can also provide wedding carriages and horses!
We have a dedicated beauty room at Stocks which can be hired out for wedding hairdressers and make-up artists, although we can’t provide the individual hair and beauty expertise.
We have a unique old quarry at Stocks which is a perfect venue for small, outdoor civil weddings and receptions, weather permitting.
We are not florists but we can provide a dedicated room for florists and floral arrangers. We can recommend a variety of florists from Guernsey.
We don’t provide any in house wedding entertainment but we have worked with a variety of wedding musicians and disco operators from Guernsey and further afield.
Photos ©Stocks Hotel, Sark.
