"The first love story at the Balmayna."
Amir Khan’s £11.5 million lavish wedding venue has finally hosted its first marriage after a series of delays.
The “Dubai-style” Bolton tower opened on May 18, 2024, with a bang as the venue’s first-ever bride and groom celebrated their big day in style.
Video clips showed guests being serenaded by violins in front of palm trees and enjoying fruit canapes as they watched the bride arrive on a horse-drawn carriage and the groom in a Rolls Royce.
Named The Balmayna, the venue sits opposite a car wash and fly-tipping spot and has previously been criticised as “looking like an office building” and “tacky”.
In January 2024, broken fridges, sofas and dirty mattresses were seen dumped around the venue, sparking criticism from locals.
One said: “The venue is walled off, but all around it is full of fly-tipping.
“It is absolutely awful and needs cleaning up. It is disgusting. There are black bin bags with rubbish spilling out of them as well as old matrasses and everything else, including broken furniture.
“It really is not great.”
Two months later, pictures showed the venue’s grand chandelier hanging from a corrugated metal roof near a smoke alarm and cables.
But images from the wedding showed how staff had quickly managed to fix these issues as the building’s lavish marble floors and chandeliers were on display for all guests to see.
A Balmayna spokesperson said: “The first love story at the Balmayna.
“So elegant, so magical, simply a dream.
“We wish our bride and groom the most happiest of blessings. Such a stunning backdrop for your memories.”
Work on the venue has taken far longer than expected, with Amir Khan investing an initial £5 million since plans were first revealed in 2013.
He invested more money into the project and blamed the delays on “unprofessional management”.
But now, the venue is open for couples wanting to get married and it promises a “royal experience” and “a touch of magnificence and excellence in every celebration”.
The Balmayna features a waterfall and palm trees inside, along with a floral design.
In another posh room with red velvet sofas and an armchair, books about designers Chanel and Louis Vuitton plus butterflies in a domed display case can be seen.
There are also candles and pamphlets about The Balmayna – which translates as Enamelled in Arabic.
Amir Khan was not at the venue for the grand opening as he was in Saudi Arabia for the Undisputed Heavyweight Title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
But the retired boxer said: “The Balmayna’s doors have finally opened.”
Loading ...