January often gets labelled as a fairly miserable month, but I have to say it’s been anything but dull here at Butley. Plenty of blue skies and sunshine for starters, viewings with newly engaged couples and a surge of planning meetings for weddings happening this year.

Hello, I’m Donna, your new General Manager and guest author of this month’s blog post. Now four weeks into the role and I’m nicely settling into life at Butley and absolutely loving my new surroundings.

A little bit about me…

Having worked in weddings & events for just over 11 years, I’ve been lucky to have overseen many ceremonies and receptions, with elopements and intimate weddings being my absolute favourite!

I have a son aged 12 & a daughter aged 16, so I’m fully experiencing the teenage years right now! They’re both obsessed with football, so you’ll usually find me cheering them on pitch-side on a Saturday morning. Sadly, there isn’t much time for hobbies, but last year my son and I discovered a love for fly-fishing, so occasionally we’ll head off for a weekend on the riverside which although a little exhausting, it’s so relaxing for the mind.

And for a couple of little random facts… I have an unstoppable love for Mr Kipling’s French Fancies and I once did a tandem skydive. But never will again.

It’s been a whirlwind of a month so far, meeting lots of new faces, still getting lost in the Farmhouse (the rooms are never-ending) and I quietly squeal to myself every time I see some deer. I’ve been lucky to see so many, particularly at dusk and even managed to see a baby muntjac with its mother. There’s a resident owl too.

Butley Priory Cottage has now had the final touches of décor with some beautiful prints for the sitting room and bedrooms. So, with the sunshine on our side, it was time to call in Sadie from Big Fish Photography to capture some charming photos of the cottage.

This adorable two bedroom cottage, (sleeps 4 + 2 with sofabed) sits right next door to the Priory, making it the perfect addition for wedding guest accommodation. With the forest on our doorstep, it’s an ideal location for a weekend break in Suffolk with plenty of enjoyable walks to be had and local pubs for lunch. You don’t need to be a wedding guest to come and stay and it’s a dog-friendly cottage too.

Nigel has been busy with sanding and re-painting the floorboards at the Priory. Arguably one of the mightiest annual tasks on the calendar, it’s a messy job and we’re very grateful to him and his right-hand man, Richard. We’re all excited to see it looking refreshed for our next wedding viewing day on 5th February.

The Farmhouse has received a thorough Spring clean which, with all its vast, endless rooms, has kept Kimmy occupied. We’ve also been planting trees, Winter flowering cherry and for Autumn colour, Liquid Amber, Maple, Cotoneaster and Forest Pansy.

Last week, I met up with Emily Chantal MUA, Kerry-Ann’s Cake Boutique and Gemma Giorgio Photography – three wedding supplier friends who I’ve known for some years now. They wanted to come and say hello to me in my new home and have a peek around the Priory and Farmhouse. I hope we’ll see more of them here this Summer.

And so, we move into February, heralded as the month of love for Valentines. We’ll be greeting our first guests of the year to the Farmhouse and welcoming more couples to the Priory on our wedding viewing days.

For all you lovers out there, why not escape to a romantic cottage break for Valentines to Butley Priory Cottage? Available from Fri 11th-Sun 13th February, coupled with long forest walks, a visit to nearby Orford or Aldeburgh before returning to the quiet charm of the cottage with a roaring log fire, it’s an enchanting bolthole for a weekend with your love. To enquire, simply drop us a line here.

Lastly, our congratulations to The Unruly Pig for winning the Number 1 spot in the UK Top 50 Gastropubs. Just 5 miles down the road from us, it’s a delightful place for a spot of lunch after your viewing or during your stay.