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Aylworth Manor
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Priory Steps Ox House
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Celebrate this summer with a stay at an award-winning Wolsey Lodge offering luxurious bed and breakfast accommodation, whether it’s for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 extended bank holiday weekend, a staycation minimoon or as a wedding guest (quite a few Wolsey Lodges are also wedding venues.) Wolsey Lodge is a non-profit membership that lodge owners join and to attain the Wolsey badge, they must live up to certain expectations of excellence.
The many locations throughout the UK include countryside dwellings, coastal spots or those built near popular towns like the elegant Aylworth Manor that’s situated just outside Cheltenham in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Nestled in its own farmland in a picturesque Cotswold valley, it sleeps six guests bed and breakfast, boasts unrivalled rural views and has an all-weather tennis court. The Granary at Aylworth Manor is a luxurious conversion sleeping four self-catering, with two guest bedrooms, a large kitchen, diner and sitting room and a mezzanine area. Guests wanting to explore will be close to the glorious gardens at National Trust property Hidcote and 100 miles of footpaths on the national trail Cotswold Way.
Ox House based near Stroud also offers stylish self-catering sleeping up to four people and is nestled in the north Cotswold countryside. It was previously a dairy that’s been converted to a bed and breakfast of the highest standards set on a working farm. It’s built around a pretty walled garden and provides privacy and comfort in equal measure.
Across the border in Wiltshire, Priory Steps in Bradford-on-Avon offers visitors the chance to combine market-town facilities with access by rail. Originally a terrace of six 17th-century weaver’s cottages, it was converted in 1985 into a wonderful bed and breakfast property showcasing panoramic views stretching across the town. There’s also the cosy Bullocks Horn Cottage located in Malmesbury dating back 200 years. The cute cottage garden is home to an arbour for al fresco dining and accommodation is in the form of two twin bedrooms and a single bedroom.
Your Glos & Wilts Wedding has teamed up with Wolsey Lodges to offer readers 10% off accommodation nationwide. To take advantage of this exclusive offer, visit https://wolseylodges.com and click ‘buy vouchers’ quoting countyweddings2022 on checkout. This offer is valid until the end of September 2022.
THE GIFT OF GIVING
Helping children around the world escape poverty and find education, Vurchoo has launched Studs of Hope: an evergreen collection of unique and affordable earrings that represent and donate to the country they are inspired by.
Beautifully and individually designed, the pieces are first and foremost an accessible way to help those in need but are also made to be delicately desirable and effortlessly fashionable. Comprised of gold, silver and mixed metals as well as ethically sourced gemstones, Studs of Hope brings ethical jewellery to the masses for only £40 per pair – proving it doesn’t need to cost the earth to make a difference.
Vurchoo are giving one lucky bride the chance to win three pairs of the Gold Feather Studs for each of the bridesmaids.
Check out www.vurchoo.co.uk
Outside eremonies Are Here To Stay
It’s official! Outdoor ceremonies are now a permanent fixture. Is your dream to say your vows barefoot on the lawn with sun shining overhead, breeze in your hair, birds singing in the trees? We can’t guarantee the weather, but the open sky is now all yours. James & Kerrie Photography at The Cider Barn, Dillingotn Estate
Originally brought in as a temporary covid measure, the law changed in April to allow couples to say I Do outside at any existing licensed venue. Somerset Registration Service has been working with wedding venues across Somerset & North Somerset to give couples a greater choice of spots to say their vows. There are still a few essential boxes to tick for safety and accessibility, but otherwise all venues with gardens or outside space may be able to offer that open air option you’re looking for.
Simon & Kiana Photography at Huntstile Organic Farm
Our Outdoor Top Tips Inside or out, only licensed venues can hold legal ceremonies, so still no vows on the beach or on top of Glastonbury Tor. Ceremonies can be held anywhere in the gardens and grounds. It’s worth not straying too far away though – bathroom breaks, catering top ups, and getting yourself from the prep room to the aisle are major considerations. Let your venue help you find the perfect spot – trust them, they know what will work for everyone on the day. Make sure the site is accessible for your guests – heels, mobility issues and grassy hills aren’t a great combination! Let your guests know the plan – they might want to opt for a change of sensible shoes and an extra cosy layer or a broader brimmed hat and some sun screen. Have a bad weather backup plan. This is England, after all. Don’t feel bad if you need to head inside. We’ll make sure the ceremony is so full of love you’ll forget you had to switch plans! While the old rules already allowed outdoor vows with the wedding party standing under a permanent structure like a gazebo or bandstand, this really does free things up. Venues have added stone circles, private woodlands, walled gardens and lakeside lawns to their ceremony offers – even marquees now get the go ahead. Spots where only nonlegal blessings could take place are now a choice for the real deal. Our registrar teams are super excited about a season of joining happy couples in some truly gorgeous new locations.
