THE WED 2025 Trend Guide

Vendors

Venues

Magazine

Guides

Home

Magazine

Real Weddings

An Enchanting Manor Wedding in the English Countryside

An Enchanting Manor Wedding in the English Countryside

A fairytale by the lake – a wedding steeped in elegance and joy

In the heart of the rolling Chippenham countryside, friends and family journeyed from all corners of the world to a charming English manor, gathering to celebrate the love shared by Joshua and Charlie. The ceremony began by a tranquil lakeside, unfolding like a page from a storybook. The grooms, in elegant Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen, descended the staircase with their mothers close behind, each step rich with sentiment and grace, a moment suspended in time. The reception that followed was nothing short of enchanting. Beneath delicate drapery and the soft glow of countless candles, the room came alive with a warm, timeless beauty, casting an inviting glow over loved ones as they dined and danced. More than a wedding, Joshua and Charlie’s day was a radiant celebration of connection, joy, and enduring love – a true fairy tale come to life. Join us as we step into this unforgettable chapter of their story.

An Enchanting Manor Wedding in the English Countryside

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met at a restaurant in Soho in October 2014. We had a whirlwind romance for three weeks before Charlie moved to America for work. We spent 8 months doing long distance, and with Joshua traveling back and forth to the US. When he came back, we moved in together.

^{The Proposal}

Josh asked me to marry him in 2019 on top of a mountain in Sri Lanka. We tried to get married twice before, but COVID ruined it. We are really thrilled, as we wouldn’t have done anything like this. This was the wedding we always wanted to have, and it was the most magical weekend.

^{The Engagement Ring}

We bought matching platinum rings with an 18-karat gold thin band in the middle. We got them engraved with the wedding date and used them as our wedding rings. Charlie also added his late father's wedding ring on the day of the wedding. An Enchanting Manor Wedding in the English Countryside

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

Our friends and family that came in from all around the world to celebrate with us stayed onsite at the beautiful manor house. Having our Friend Benedick Cork sing us down the aisle on a grand piano which was very special, getting to walk with our mums down that staircase around the lake was beautiful and something we will never forget. We had Red perform during dinner and then finished the night with a set from Fat Tony which was an incredible finish.

Our Team of Vendors

We are in the event industry, so we wanted to do this properly. Our companies played a huge part in this, providing the catering, staff, chefs and biscuits for the keepsakes. We wanted something summer chic, there were non-negotiable like a four-string quartet and serving oysters.

^{The Location}

The venue is the most beautiful venue I’ve ever seen, and I saw it on Instagram years ago. Plus it's dry hire so our companies Opus 11 and Kalon 11 were able to work there, we had the most incredible set of suppliers. Encore produced it, Wild at Heart did all the florals, and then we catered and staffed it. We had 50 for Friday, 135 for Saturday, and then whoever managed to get up for the barbecue. There was a different theme and design for each day.

^{The Ceremony}

We got married down by the lake, our friend Benedict Cork played Shania Twain on a baby grand as we walked down the aisle. We walked down each staircase with our mums. It was really beautiful.

^{The Reception}

We had a four-string quartet, and Red sang on the lawn. We served Billecart salmon and all Opus 11’s best canapés.

^{The Special Touches}

We had Red performing during dinner. Fat Tony did an hour and a half set from 23.30, and we served our favorite desserts, Trifle, Bread pudding and Treacle sponge in the orangery after dinner. This really switched things up after the beautiful food we served for the sit-down meal.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

Our first dance. It felt like no one else was in the room, and it was a really special moment. Also, the speeches, we had four, both of us and the two best men, it was their most entertaining hour and a half of the day. They were brilliant.

Our Style

^{The Grooms Looks}

Our suits were bought by our friends Elton John and David Furnish as our wedding gifts. Josh wore Tom Ford and I wore Alexander McQueen. We changed for the party, I wore Saint Laurent and Dolce and Gabbana and he wore Prada and Dsquared.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

Details are important, but don’t sweat the small stuff, people are there for you, and having all your loved ones in one room will be an amazing time regardless. Also, don’t invite people you don’t know for politics’ sake. It’s the most important day of your life, and you want to look around the room and see everyone you love looking back at you.

An Enchanting Manor Wedding in the English Countryside

^{For On The Day}

Make sure you have lots of moments together as a couple. Stand back and watch everyone, go off and have a special moment to escape the crowds together and be at the moment because it goes so quickly, even if it’s 3 days! Take some moments out, and don’t worry about speaking to everyone. You’re not being rude, you're just busy.