Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding - October/November 2020 (Issue 85)

38 The day passed in a whirlwind of excitement and happiness. It was the best day of our lives for both of us. It was extra-special to have all our family and friends from around the world gathered together, especially in the current situation when we don’t know when we will be able to see some of them again. Since we were working around the chapel, we looked for reception venues that were nearby. We liked the beautiful grounds at Stoke Place as well as the fact that we could book the venue exclusively, and there were plenty of rooms for our guests to stay. James was a King’s Scholar and Captain of School at Eton College so he had always wanted to get married in the chapel there. It’s an incredible location and an immense privilege to get married there, so I was happy to go along with that! We had to get a Special Marriage Licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury and demonstrate a close connection to the Chapel at Eton to be allowed to be married there. The ceremony was one of our favourite parts of the day and ended up being very intimate despite the grand setting. The readings we selected were very special to us and watching everyone singing the hymns together in the incredible surroundings was very moving.