Winter Weddings in Wiltshire

Our last wedding of this 2022 season is Saturday the 3rd of December, so an early finish this time round compared to last year’s December 23rd.   

Winter weddings in Wiltshire are becoming a thing for sure and one of my favourites was the one we hosted for a friend here at Longford Farmhouse just before Christmas Eve, eleven years ago.  We had a marquee in the front garden and the décor comprised a forest of hazel coppiced from a local wood, not saying who’s at this point. 

It helped that the bride’s brother-in-law was a lighting designer for a London based theatre company, who managed to create a magical, almost underworld feel.  A look of warm, dappled sunlight on the forest floor, whilst the heating system reinforced a late spring mood even though it was minus six degrees outside. 

A few years later, we hosted another Winter Wedding on New Year’s Eve, this time inside the house.  The bride and groom wanted to bring 24 of their closest friends for an intimate, long, lazy lunch.  One of my favourite concepts and four courses ensued.  The after party was to be held at their house in Durrington, with 60 additional friends coming for dancing and late-night food, so as soon as we finished service here at Longford, we had to schlep North in a hurry, and set everything up over there before guests arrived.  I can’t even remember what time we got to bed. 

Winter weddings are a completely different vibe, and in a good way.  They can be cosier, warmer, more intimate, heartier, not better, just different, in a way that baked hake with soused vegetables is different to venison stew with herby dumplings and buttery saffron mashed potatoes.