GETTING MARRIED IN ENGLAND
By Glynn Burrows
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Glynn Burrows talks about England’s various wedding venues and facilities. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on Acast.
I can recommend it, as I did it in 1983 it seems to have been an ok sort of decision……..
Seriously though, for most of us, our wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience so why not make it a day or a week that you and your family will never forget by taking a trip and making it a destination wedding?
One of my guests’ sons wanted to marry in the Church of the village where their surname originated. Many of us have what is called a locative surname and that is either a place name, such as “Windsor” or the name of a feature in the landscape such as “Hill”. If your surname is also a town or village (and there is only one place of that name,) why not go there and tie the knot? My guest and her family stayed in the grounds of The Hall and walked across The Park to the Church for the ceremony, with a reception in the village. They had an amazing day but made the whole experience all the more memorable by turning it into a four-day family break in the area.
For many families, spread all over the country, or the world, these family occasions are the only times we get together, so why not take the opportunity and spend a few days in the same place and get to know the extended family too?
That is just one way to make the day even more special. What about special interest weddings? If you are interested in steam trains, why not get married on the footplate and have the reception on board the train while it is going through the countryside?
If your passion is country houses, like Downton Abbey, why not take your vows in a Country House? There are many such venues in the UK and arranging your wedding in an Elizabethan or Jacobean mansion is something which is quite possible to do. Other periods in History are also available, so, if you have always thought of yourself as a Lord or Lady of a Castle, you could get married in a Medieval Castle, or, if you prefer the Victorian and Edwardian periods, why not choose the terrace of an Arts & Crafts “Butterfly” House. (Named because of its shape, not because it houses butterflies.)
I was married in a Medieval Church, which dates to the late Saxon and early Norman periods, and we have so many buildings from the Medieval period, you would be spoiled for choice. A tiny country Church or a magnificent Cathedral, even a ruined Abbey or Priory, all are possibilities as venues. One couple I know had their wedding party at a museum of the days of steam and early fairgrounds, with photos taken on the carousel and other steam engines. The family had great fun on the old Victorian rides.
The next consideration will be the “Wedding Breakfast”, which isn’t really breakfast at all, but is the meal and party after the ceremony. Venues for the afternoon and evening range from marquees on the lawn, old farm barns, and right up to the ballroom of a Country House. One Medieval Coaching Inn I use frequently has everything on-site, so you could have the ceremony, meals, and evening entertainment in the same buildings and there are plenty of rooms for guests too, so you wouldn’t need to move from the spot.
Talking of accommodation, the wedding party can all stay in one place, or they can be distributed around the area of the wedding, depending on the size of the group and the wishes of the Bride & Groom. Some wedding venues have accommodation on site and others do not, but we can easily find something to your requirements in the area.
England also has incredible photo opportunities. Around every corner, there are amazing architectural gems, natural views, and beautiful scenery. Wedding photographs are always the ones we hang on walls and send to our friends and family, so, having a wedding shoot at a Medieval Ruin, in the gardens of a Country House or even in the streets of a picturesque village, really does make a difference.
So how do you make your dreams come true? First of all, decide what you would like and then contact me with your list of must-haves and would love-to-haves. It is your wedding and, surprisingly enough, most things are possible!
Glynn provides customized, private tours and also helps his clients trace their English family history. Past guests have visited and experienced stately houses and gardens, castles and churches, ruins and villages, birding and wildlife, World War II airfields, and general area taster tours too. Accommodations can be in all types of establishment, from character buildings such as windmills, thatched cottages and castles, self-catering or five star luxury – just say what you want and it can be arranged. Nothing is too much trouble for Glynn! Visit www.Norfolk-Tours.co.uk
