Challenge

Warley Park Golf Club in Essex needed an timber structure and seating to enable them to host weddings.

The requirement was for a roofed structure under which the bride and groom stand and wedding ceremonies were to be carried out. The sides of the structure were to be as open as possible so that guests would have a clear view.

A requirement for enough seating to comfortably seat up to 70 people had also been identified. It needed to be free standing and not fixed, to allow flexibility in seating arrangements, to accommodate various sizes of wedding party.

An area of tiered decking and balustrading had already been installed by the Warley park team and Branson Leisure was asked to develop a design that that was in keeping with the timber and natural surroundings.

Solution

Following a verbal outline of what was required, Branson Leisure's Kris Laskowski developed detailed designs for a shelter and backless seating for approval.

The shelter was made from pressure-treated Douglas fir, with a roof of Cedar shingle tiles. The shelter leg posts had to fit precisely between the existing balustrade posts on the podium over the lake.

The free-standing, backless benches were designed to be robust and sturdy, with sleigh-style feet that prevent them from toppling over. The legs and framework are made from chunky pressure-treated Douglas Fir. The slats and feet are made from Iroko hardwood and oiled with two coats of OSMO oil for extra protection.

In total, Branson Leisure made 18 seats, 2.5m long, for up to 5 people, as well as 2 1.3m long benches for the bride and groom under the shelter. 

All joints where mortised and tenoned on both the benches and shelter.

Outcome

Completion of this project enabled Warley Park Golf Club to become a new wedding venue for 2013.

Stuart Orrin, the Club's Financial Director said: "The timber shelter fits in beautifully with the open surroundings and trees of our golf club. Kris' shelter design perfectly accommodates the dimensions of the decking and balustrade that we had installed and the attractive and sturdy seating will last us for many years. "