Adam and I recently stayed at Elmore Court above the banks of the River Severn in Gloucestershire to find out what makes it the ultimate wedding and party venue. With an impressive heritage, glorious grounds, stately buildings and tastefully cool decor, it didn’t take us long to fall in love with Elmore Court. So much so that, whilst we are swiftly approaching 4 years of marriage, I am a little bit sad that we can’t do it all again.
Here are just a few of the reasons why Elmore Court enchanted us:
The Heritage
King Henry III granted the land at Elmore to the Guise family in 1274. At the time, they paid the grand sum of ‘the Clove of one GillyFlower’ each year in rent. Since then, the family has loving passed down Elmore Court through the generations, with Anselm Guise taking ownership in 2007. Wanting to ensure that the property could be properly preserved whilst also fulfilling its party potential, Anselm carried out extensive renovations, opening it as a wedding and party venue in 2013.
Credit: Eve Dunlop
The House
Elmore Court houses a stunningly eclectic mix of architecture and decor ranging from spectacular stained glass windows in the hall, used for marriage ceremonies, to enormous roaring fireplaces in the drawing room. All surrounded by acres of perfectly manicured grounds, resident wildlife and distant views over the River Severn. This house was born to entertain. We’ll leave you to swoon over the pictures as they say far more than we ever could.
The Gillyflower
Most venues we’ve seen squash the evening entertainment into the dining space. Admittedly, it normally works out fine and your guests are unlikely to have any complaints. But for your wedding day, do you really just want “fine”?
If not, Elmore Court has the perfect solution; The Gillyflower. A purpose built party paradise combining traditional techniques and local materials with cutting edge design. This is the ultimate marquee with rammed earth walls, a meadow roof to blend it discretely into the grounds, state of the art lighting and sound systems ready for your band, and sound proofing so that you can party the night away without annoying the neighbours.
Credit: Eve Dunlop
Credit: Eve Dunlop
The Bedrooms
Elmore Court has recently revamped 8 of its bedrooms, giving you 16 beautifully individual rooms for you and your guests to share. The new rooms are cool and contemporary with features including copper bathtubs and gorgeous marble walk in showers. The “older” rooms definitely don’t play second fiddle though; Adam and I shared the master suite which has an incredible 8 foot wide Caesar size bed (waking up, it took me a few minutes just to find my alarm clock on the bedside table!), a swoon-worthy rolltop bath, views across to the River Severn and a large separate dressing room.
The rooms come in a range of sizes for all budgets, including a few family friendly rooms with bunk beds. There’s also a brand new Coach House, perfect for the bride and her bridesmaids the night before the wedding. With all the space on offer, you can party into the small hours with your special guests then leisurely enjoy breakfast together in the morning. No need for expensive taxis, designated drivers or cutting the night short with midnight carriages. Perfect.
Credit: Brett Charles
The Food
Elmore Court offer their own catering service so you don’t need to worry about finding anyone else. We sampled a sumptuous sharing menu with hummus, crudites, fragrantly spiced Persian lamb, and a selection of beautifully presented grains/salads/vegetables. Perfect for creating a fun banqueting feel but equally, you could opt for a more traditional menu.
The Entertainment
Dinner was followed by a round of raucous songs performed by the fantastically flamboyant Hamish Guerrini. Not only did he have us singing along with his guitar, his talents also extend to creating personal wedding poetry and officiating wedding ceremonies, which he has done for the likes of Emily Eavis and Savannah Miller. You don’t have to hire him for your special day, but it’ll certainly be far more memorable and joyous if you do.
Exclusivity
When we got married, we wanted to find somewhere with exclusive hire for the whole weekend. Some of our friends have had beautiful weddings but were left running around at the last minute in a panic. Elmore Court gives you full exclusive hire so you can decorate to your heart’s content at a relaxed pace. For such a grand venue, it feels incredibly like being at home with your close friends and family.
Where can I find out more about weddings at Elmore Court?
Visit Elmore Court’s website to find out more details and arrange to visit the venue.