Are you a fan of the British TV show, ‘Downton Abbey’? Well, imagine the fun you could have planning your wedding around an English country home, think along the lines of the incredible glamour you could inject into this theme, dressed as Lord and Lady of the Manor with a stunning historic building and immaculate gardens as the backdrop for your big day.
An English country house themed wedding is the ideal choice for a truly memorable day and the kind of jaw dropping photos and memories that you and your guests will treasure forever.
Over in England it isn’t just the A-listers and Royalty that tie the knot in such surroundings. Nope, in fact they are a surprisingly popular venue choice for ‘regular’ folks too.
Heres a quick guide to how to have your very own ‘Downton‘ style wedding day…
Location
You will find a broad selection of licensed wedding venues to choose from in all shapes and sizes in every part of England and British Isles as a whole.
- Castles
- Victorian and Edwardian styled homes
- Georgian mansions
- Halls
- Manor Houses
- Country Estates
Be it a huge castle with a moat, a period property with a beautiful galleried staircase, a romantic English country garden with a maze or a country estate with horses or deer in the background, the choices are almost endless.
Look online for inspiration, think of a part of the country you like or have links with and select a handful of your favourites to visit and explore in person.
Budget
If your budget will not stretch to a castle or huge Manor House, don’t be defeated. You can still have the wedding of your dreams, you may just need to look harder and be a little more resourceful.
A smaller period property dressed and decorated in the right way to accentuate its period features would be just the ticket for those on a smaller budget. Once you have your heart set on an English Country wedding you will find something to suit every budget, search online for locations in the area of your choice.
Glamour
Your choice of property will influence the way you dress and theme your day. You could consider embracing the authentic atmosphere by dressing yourselves and your guests in period costume for the day.
In addition to your clothing think about props too! Moustaches, pipes, hunting paraphernalia, parasols for the ladies or perhaps ballroom masks for the evening are just a few ideas that could help your wedding photographer capture some powerful and creative images of your closest family and friends. Get into character and become the Lord & Lady!
Make A Weekend Of It!
After lengthy planning and preparation it can be a real anti-climax for your day to be over in the blink of an eye so why not make a whole weekend of it and make it last as long as possible!
Some venues will be big enough to accommodate your close family and friends, whilst others will be able to accommodate a large party of guests so that you can all celebrate for the entire weekend, on the same location in dozens of rooms.
Whether guests are accommodated in their own rooms or in bell tents or tipis within the estate this can be fabulous fun, after all how much fun would it be to take over the entire place and really have a hoot with the most important people in your lives!
Again, use your imagination, a murder mystery evening, a medieval feast, a hog roast, or a glamorous candlelit banquet the night before your big day, could be the perfect way to get everyone in the right mood for the festivities to come!
All-Inclusive Package or DIY
Many venues will offer you a variety of all-inclusive packages to suit your requirements and take care of everything for you, although in the majority of cases, venues will be happy to do as much or as little as you want in their quest to make sure you are able to have your day, your way. More experienced venues will run the show flawlessly for you and take all the stress and worry out of planning your event.
You could of course make savings with a simpler, DIY approach and if this is the way you want to go, it is well worth discussing your ideas and wishes with the coordinator of the venue early on to make sure there are no restrictions in place that could affect your plans.
Popular, well established venues will be happy to recommend local professionals to you, so if you are looking for the best florist, photographer or caterer in the area they are going to be the best port of call for excellent advice. Using local professionals who are familiar with a particular venue usually results in less complications and confusion on the day.
Is the venue licensed…?
As I said already, it is your day, so it has to be your way! If the venue you have your heart set on as your location is not licensed to hold a legal ceremony, then ask for details of other licensed spots in the area and depending on the logistics, you could marry and party in two different locations!
Make Your Big Day Go Down In History
You are sure to find exactly what you are looking for if you look hard enough as there really are so many venues to choose from. Remember that gone are the days of restriction when it comes to wedding planning. Be inspired, use your imagination, embrace the venue’s history and beauty, plan well and create an incredible English Country House wedding that nobody will ever forget!
About the author:
Felix Marsh is a member of the team at Hestercombe – a classical, romantic English garden deep in the Somerset countryside. It is the perfect setting for your wedding. The breathtakingly beautiful grounds covers over fifty acres of landscape and formal gardens and are licensed for civil ceremonies.
