WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

Walking in a winter wonderland THEMED VENUES

Magical snow-capped venues for seasonal celebrations

FIREFLOWER TIPIS, STOW-ON-THE-WOLD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE (NATIONWIDE HIRE)

These magical tipis offer a rustic charm and blank canvas for couples to style as they wish for a winter wedding. During the colder months, the tipis look great dressed with sheepskin rugs and blankets, creating a cosy atmosphere, and doors can be added on along with indoor firepits. The interior looks romantic draped in fairylights and dressed with Christmas decorations.

Menu choices to complement a tipi wedding can be anything from fine dining or a grazing table set up inside to outdoor options including a barbecue, wood-fired pizza van, fish and chip van and a mobile horsebox bar. At night, guests can gather around firepits toasting marshmallows and watching a firework grand finale.

A selection of tipis and sizes are available to hire to create the right space for each couple’s requirements. A single tipi seats up to 60 guests so the more tipis that are linked together, the more space. There’s the option of adding a snug, catering tent and a separate smaller tipi as a children’s play area – the options are endless. The team also has a large range of furniture for hire including bars, atmospheric lighting and other fun ideas.

Ceremony licence? No Contact: 07814 684 424 | http://fireflowertipis.com www.facebook.com/fireflowertipis www.instagram.com/fireflowertipis

CLEARWELL CASTLE, ROYAL FOREST OF DEAN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

This award-winning, exclusive-use venue is nestled in 20 acres of picturesque grounds accessed via a sweeping driveway that is home to a historic Portcullis and a secluded lake that provide a wonderful backdrop for big-day photos. A surprise for guests are donkeys, Molly and Tigger that greet them on arrival!

Ceremonies take place inside the castle in the magical Ballroom which is a grand, church-like setting featuring a 75-foot long aisle set under glittering chandeliers, or outside in the Bandstand with the castle as the backdrop. The wedding breakfast also takes place in the Ballroom for up to 150 guests with a wide choice of menus available and the opportunity for couples to create their own.

Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01594 832 320 | www.clearwell-castle.co.uk www.facebook.com/clearwellcastleweddingvenue www.instagram.com/clearwellcastle

❤ We love… that the team can work with couples on their very own bespoke cocktail.

Turn to page 40 to see the real wedding of Jessica and James Wood that took place at the castle!

Scam to view video

ELMORE COURT, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

This exclusive-use wedding venue can be seen in all its glory in this behind-the-scenes drone footage taking potential wedding couples and their guests on a journey exploring the Grade II listed country house, the Gillyflower events ballroom and the rural location - with the final shot taken in the grand ceremonial hall.

Recent developments have seen the walled garden that forms part of the estate having been restored to its original use as a working-produce garden with dishes on the menu prepared by head chef Matt Greene and his team using ingredients sourced directly from it.

Ceremonies take place in a variety of areas in the main house including in the hall. Dinner and dancing are enjoyed in The Gillyflower, a romantic space that’s draped in fairylights and home to a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. It’s located in a separate building on the grounds and can be styled to suit any wedding theme.

Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01452 720 293 | www.elmorecourt.com www.facebook.com/elmorecourt www.instagram.com/elmorecourt

MANOR BY THE LAKE, CHELTENHAM, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

This award-winning, exclusive-use country manor house is nestled on seven acres of grounds in the heart of the Cotswold countryside that look magical under a blanket of snow during the winter months. It’s steeped in history and bursting with character with interiors that are well-suited to a Christmas-themed wedding.

Bespoke celebrations are what the highly skilled team do best and weddings can take place in a choice of rooms inside the manor including in the beautiful Ballroom, a light, bright space home to a bar, stage and dancefloor that opens out on to the lake and gardens. The Italian Pavilion situated next to the manor house and the Lakeside Pavilion, both framed by the immaculate gardens, make wonderful photographic backdrops for winter weddings.

New wedding packages are aimed at smaller, intimate affairs. There’s the Small-But-Perfectly Formed Collection for up to 24 guests and The Love Collection that includes exclusive hire, use of the honeymoon suite and a three-course feast for up to 50 guests with prices starting from £5,000. The two-day Lavish Collection is for those wanting to extend their festivities and spend quality time with their guests with prices starting from £10,000 and there’s also the Winter Wedding Collection, a seasonal offering including mulled wine, mugs of cocoa and woodland decorations in fun festive colours (think fairylights and birch trees against the backdrop of a roaring log fire).

The venue is currently offering some great deals on last-minute weddings and those booked to take place in January, February and March 2022.

Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01242 245 071 | www.manorbythelake.co.uk www.facebook.com/ManorbytheLake.Cheltenham www.instagram.com/manorbythelake

❤ We love... the discount of up to £500 off a wedding for all NHS and military workers.

Interior image of Fonthill Estate courtesy of https://angelawardbrown.com FONTHILL ESTATE, FONTHILL BISHOP, WILTSHIRE

The 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate is home to Bake Barn, a lovingly restored shooting lodge perched in a private remote spot in the Wiltshire Downs. It’s one of three venues available for hire on-site that also includes Quarry Wood, a stunning woodland spot where a wedding under a stretch tent can be enjoyed, and Deer Park Barn that’s perfect for micro weddings.

The stone and tiled exterior of Bake Barn, along with the pitched central glass doors, gives it an old-fashioned feel and it’s sheltered by a stone perimeter wall creating a courtyard with a part-grass, part-gravel area.

The interior boasts exposed beams and rafters, repointed stone walls and a wooden floor. A large fireplace at one end makes it the ideal choice for a winter wedding. Natural light streams through the middle of the building, which features glass doors on both sides, and the Beater’s Loft is a light and airy industrial-style space for couples seeking something a little more contemporary. Ceremonies take place here for up to 80 loved ones and there’s a separate entrance and private staircase for the bride or groom (or both) to enter.

The Main Hall can set up to 120 guests for the ceremony and also hosts the wedding breakfast. The covered Loggia situated outside in the pretty courtyard is another ceremony option that’s open on one side. Up to 50 people can be seated undercover here on hay bales or benches with the remainder standing or sitting outside in the courtyard which is also a great spot for a drinks reception. Those wishing to dine al fresco against the uninterrupted views can do this by hiring a marquee to erect on the lawn.

Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01747 820 246 | www.fonthill.co.uk www.facebook.com/fonthillestate www.instagram.com/fonthillestate