Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding - April/May 2020 (Issue 82)

Where to wed in ... West Be kshire and Newbury COMBE MANOR BARNS 01488 668 931 | combemanor.com The sweeping valley of Combe is one of the most unspoilt and beautiful locations in the South of England. The backdrop of Combe Manor – a beautiful seventeenth-century family home – is spectacular, the lawned courtyard adjacent to the barns are perfect for guests to mingle with views of the rolling grounds and formal gardens. The house is classical Queen Anne-style brick with a wide driveway leading to the large, enclosed barn complex with stable yard. The barns are built in local brick and flint with wooden walls and traditional tall sliding barn doors. Just next door is a charming little 12 th -century church with a picture-postcard pretty churchyard with a short grassy walk to the barns. Couples can opt to host their ceremony in St Swithun’s Church, with up to 120 loved ones, or in Combe Manor Barns for up to 150 guests. Post-vows, receptions take place in the L-shaped Barns with the lawned courtyard in the middle for up to 180. The barns were originally used as a theatre and so they have wonderful acoustics, a stage and a large backstage area with a separate entrance for the band and/or DJ to set up. This means that the evening party works particularly well with a huge dancefloor and the tables and chairs from the wedding breakfast can also stay in situ during the latter part of the evening. Couples like the fact that there are distinct spaces in the venue for the different parts of the wedding day but that they flow really well into each other Couples booking this big-day venue will benefit from a stunning bridal suite, and it’s a dry hire venue with a choice of five preferred caterers and unlimited opportunities to visit the venue prior to the wedding and three days’ exclusive access before the wedding to set up and two days’ access afterwards to clear up. This allows each couple to feel really comfortable with the venue and relaxed about the wedding and the chance to make it feel very personal to them. Owner Sybille Russell gives individual and personalised contact to each couple from the initial enquiry stage through to the days afterwards. She welcomes couples and their families into the family home prior to the wedding ceremony and a small and dedicated team are on hand to supervise the reception until the last guests have left. Everyone who visits Combe Manor Barns comments on the beauty of the setting and the unique atmosphere of the venue. As they only have one wedding a week, available dates are limited.  facebook.com/scottyphotos1/ WASING PARK 0118 907 0199 | wasing-weddings.co.uk Set within a vast estate in the heart of the Berkshire countryside, Wasing Park offers a fairytale of rural seclusion, a charming cluster of historic buildings forming a picture-perfect ‘wedding village’. Wasing Park has a flawless fusion of traditional and contemporary spaces, from the exposed brick walls of the Castle Barn to the light- filled, neutral décor of the Garden Room – there’s an ‘old meets new’ atmosphere. When it comes to enchanting places to say, ‘I do’, couples are spoilt for choice. The glorious Garden Room (140 capacity) offers wonderful views over the grounds through floor-to- ceiling windows. In the summer months, the Victorian Summerhouse (150) offers an exceptionally picturesque ceremony setting. If a religious ceremony is preferred, the quaint St Nicholas Church (100) is located just a stone’s throw away within the estate. Receptions take place in The Castle Barn (140) boasting Italian moodlighting and dramatic oak beams set the scene. Needing little in the way of decoration, the Castle Barn’s neutral canvas invites couples to impart their own chosen style. Transformed for the evening (250), a raised stage allows for a DJ or band to entertain guests as couples dance the night away whilst also feasting on street food or pizza on the terrace. There’s unique and quirky on-site wedding accommodation allowing up to 62 guests to stay including a luxurious honeymoon suite. Couples will be invited to a Tasting Evening to sample wedding food alongside other couples. When choosing to take The Old Estate Rooms for their wedding night, Wasing Park is delighted to offer Kitts Cottage for the night before a wedding and for wedding preparations on the morning of the big day. Located on the estate this quaint cottage sleeps seven guests and is the ideal space for a cosy meal or relaxing beauty treatments with friends and family the night before. Couples can take advantage of the estate’s incredible yoga instructor, and book some pre-wedding restorative yoga, meditation and breathing sessions. studiorouge.co studiorouge.co REGIONAL VENUES 23