The Bentley wins Best Venue in North West Wedding Awards for second year running

A city centre venue has won Best Venue in Merseyside in The North West Wedding Awards for the second year running.

The Bentley, on the corner of Brunswick Street and The Strand, picked up the award at a lavish ceremony at the Mercure Hotel Piccadilly in Manchester.

And general manager Ryan Dillon, who was also nominated as wedding planner of the year alongside colleague Jay Harris, says he is thrilled with the award:

“We go over and above for our weddings because it’s people’s big day, one that they have dreamed of possibly from being a child, so we want to make sure it’s as magical as they’d hoped.

“We always want to make every event the best for our customers because we want people to go ‘wow’.”

“To win the Best Venue in Merseyside last year was incredible, and we were really proud. To win it a second year running is amazing. Can we win it a third time? We’ll try. We’re going to keep on doing what we’re doing, and this has given us a huge boost. It’s been very emotional.”

Ryan has been general manager of The Bentley for eight years, and always aimed to make the party and events venue one of the best for weddings within the city.

It has its own wedding planning team which takes brides and grooms from initial meetings right through to every detail on the big day.

And it offers a range of tailored packages across its multiple rooms which include The Cunard, The Port of Liverpool, and the rooftop terrace which overlooks the Three Graces and, in particular, has spectacular views of the Royal Liver Building and Liver Birds.

Ryan continues:

“A wedding is someone’s big day and I take a lot of pride in making sure that there’s always huge attention to detail, even taking the bride and groom out of the room and giving them a little shot to calm their nerves; it’s the simple things, the little things.

“All the tables are uniformed, we have multiple rooms so people aren’t restricted to one, and we keep ahead of trends and styles.

“We’re opposite the Three Graces so people have that iconic view, and the rooftop terrace is one of the largest in the city, with that spectacular view!”

“I want to be proud of everything we do and when a bride and groom comes in the day after and asks to give you a hug, you know you’ve got it right, and that means a lot. It’s my name, and it’s the team’s name – and the team here has played a massive part in the award with the superb way they treat all our clients and customers.”

Like many businesses, Covid hit The Bentley but they have, adds Ryan, come back better and stronger, and the award shows consistency too.

“Our bookings have doubled on last year, and next year is looking promising, which all reflects on the city and helps it to stand out,” says Ryan. “Everything is looking positive for us here at The Bentley.”