Over the past week I have been lucky enough to have the lovely Izzy interning with Mrs T Weddings. Not only has she been a fantastic member of the team, but she is so passionate about weddings! As you could imagine I couldn’t wait for her to share her thoughts on having a ‘staycation wedding’ in the UK. Over to you Izzy.
Mrs T x
Staycation or Staywedding?
I’m all about having a staycation wedding in the UK, I question why do you need to go abroad to have wedding?
This may be the next normal for many people with all of the Staycations which have taken place this summer and allowed for us to discover the beauty of our own country. The UK simply has everything to offer, Seaside’s and riversides, hills and lakes areas of outstanding natural beauty and it is beyond the perfect place to host your wedding.
From a 17 year old girl’s perspective, I would choose somewhere in the UK which I know will have so much meaning to me in years to come and will be easy to visit on special occasions by both myself and my groom as well as our guests.
My Dream Staycation
If I were to get married now I would certainly pick a small seaside village called St Mawes in Cornwall for my wedding due to growing up there for many summer. It has great meaning to me and my family due to my Mum running here own holiday business down there but also the quality family time which we have spent together down there for the past 17 years. Through having my wedding in such a meaningful and tranquil place I know it wouldn’t only be a special day for me but also all of my friends and family. It is a beautiful village in all seasons with easy access to the beach allowing for the perfect and less formal wedding with guests having fun in the sea and accessing the wedding through both sea and land.
With the current situation there is so much uncertainty into the future and what the new normal will be or whether we will go back to how life was before lockdown. Obviously, no one would want their special day to be postponed again due to this virus. So why not choose to have your wedding in the UK.
Many UK country venues have lots of scenic outdoor space, making it perfect for your wedding day. What’s better than hosting your special day in the beautiful countryside or a secret area of outstanding natural beauty on your doorstep. There are so many phenomenal places where you could celebrate your special day that come of great convenience to you and all of your guests due to not having to travel abroad. I reckon that some of the UK’s locations are more stunning than the areas in which you would have been considering for an overseas wedding.
You may ask what are the benefits?
Travelling comes with great costs and may not be appealing to all of your guests. Especially as it is likely that many will have work or have family commitments which will restrict their freedom to travel. If you have your wedding on your doorstep (even if it is the other side of the UK) it’s far more likely that all of your guests will be able to come. You’re sure to want the people who you love to share your special day with you.
Wedding Planning can be stressful at the best of times, add in the international element and the stress can skyrocket – unless of course you have a fabulous wedding planner like Mrs T weddings! 😉 Oh and don’t forget you have all those long weekend visits to your venue you’ll need to fit in as well as everything else going on in your life.
Jump on the eco trend. As we are becoming more of a conscious society we are becoming aware of global warming and the tragic affects which humans are having on the earth. By hosting your wedding in the UK you will reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding.
My top places for a Staycation Wedding
Ellenborough Park – a beautiful converted 15th century manor house hotel located in the Cotswolds. A perfect place for a wedding surrounded by the gorgeous countryside.
Cliveden– an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire. It is fit for royalty and surrounded by stunning garden and would be a magnificent place to hold your Staywedding. Did you know this is where Megan stayed the night before she married Prince Harry.
Coworth Park – “From walking down an aisle of wildflowers to a magnificent celebration in the oval room, there’s something both charming and unique about a countryside wedding” Coworth Park has everything to offer including spas and golf courses for their guests. And… Did you know that this is where Prince Harry stayed the night before his wedding.
Osea Island – your own private island… “An idyllic haven of peace and tranquillity basking serenely on the blackwater estuary, yet remarkably, little over an hour’s drive from the city.” It is surrounded by 550 acres orchards, meadows and salt marshes accompanied with gorgeous housing accommodation. For your own wedding you could hire out the whole island and have your guests stay in different properties.
Lusty Glaze Beach – named the UK’s best coastal wedding venue and Britain’s Best Beach it truly is a unique venue if you want to bring that abroad feeling to you. Located on a golden beach and below the Cornish cliffs – paradise. Fun fact.. It is the only venue in Cornwall where you can legally marry on a beach.
Aynhoe Park – stunning views overlooking the Cherwell valley that divides Northamptonshire from Oxfordshire. Located at the heart of 250 acres of capability brown Cotswold countryside. The 17th century stately 28 bedroom home is a private country house – with a huge amount of British eccentric craziness behind those impressive doors.
Soho Farmhouse – located in the gorgeous Cotswolds neighbouring the village of Chipping Norton. It is spread across 100 acres of Oxfordshire countryside and has incredible facilities to offer for both you and your guests. Cowshed Spa, Japanese restaurant, lake, you name it they have it!
Babington House– stunning grade II- listed manor set in 18 acres of countryside set in the heart of Somerset and can host up to 120 guests. The ideal location for a small and more intimate wedding, yet still with the style and gorgeousness you expect from a Soho House property.
Hedsor House– an Italianate-style mansion in Buckinghamshire overlooking the river Thames. It is one of the UK’s most extraordinary and spectacular exclusive wedding venues. It is described as Vogues Dream Wedding Venue. For sure you will have the wedding of a lifetime here.
So where will you choose for your UK Staycation wedding?