A Sun-kissed Cotswolds Wedding at Cowley Manor - Cowley Manor Wedding Photography

Cowley Manor Wedding Venue

Stephanie and Jacob got married at the beautiful Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds. They both live in the USA, but with Stephanie’s parents based in the Cotswolds, they couldn’t resist planning an English country wedding – and they really did it in style!

Cowley Manor and Spa is a stunning venue, and this was my first time to work there ( which always gets me excited ) . With its onsite spa and pool, it’s got everything you need for a super luxurious wedding weekend, and its gorgeous Cotswolds location, near to the lovely regency spa town of Cheltenham, makes it handy for those travelling from London, the south west, and the Midlands.

Stephanie and Jacob’s guests had a little further to travel – but they had impressively managed to get half of their family and friends over from the US for the wedding. Many of the guests had seized the opportunity to turn their trip into a larger adventure – some enjoying the beautiful Cotswolds, others heading off to tour the UK, and some planning on exploring mainland Europe while over here.

American Wedding Customs with an English Wedding Style

It’s always nice for me to see different customs at the weddings I shoot, and Stephanie and Jacob brought with them an American twist on one of my favourite wedding moments. I’m used to grooms first clapping eyes on their bride as she walks down the aisle, and I’ve always loved that moment of heightened emotion and excitement shared with family and friends in the room. Stephanie and Jacob, however, did what is more usual in the US and kept this ‘big reveal’ moment to themselves – and I must say I’m a convert! It was such an incredibly special moment as Jacob glimpsed his bride for the first time, in fact he could barely wait, he was so excited. It was a totally different vibe to that ceremony head-turn that I’m used to seeing – a tender, intimate moment shared just between the two of them.

After Stephanie and Jacob had greeted their parents, too, they’d set aside some time to spend precious moments with their family and friends before the ceremony. Stephanie had bought Jacob a delicious-looking bottle of whiskey, which she presented to him in Cowley Manor’s beautifully decorated Games Room, amongst their friends and parents, and the group raised a glass together before the wedding proceedings began.

Let The Wedding Celebrations Begin

Cowley Manor is an exceedingly beautiful venue, and Stephanie and Jacob had opted to have an outdoor ceremony under a breath-taking stretch marquee in the glorious grounds. A beautiful array of flowers every corner, and the walk from Cowley Manor’s doors, down the steps and over to the marquee was stunning. With the warm spring sun glowing all around, there couldn’t have been a more perfect setting for Stephanie and Jacob’s moving and personal humanist ceremony.

Once the formal proceedings were over, the heat of the day meant that lashings of thirst-quenching cocktails poured over plenty of ice were in order! Stephanie and Jacob’s wedding guests did not hold back, and kept Cowley Manor’s talented bar staff busy for the next couple of hours while they all mingled, got to know each other, and toasted the happy couple. Jacob’s best man, however, took his duties very seriously and did a fantastic job of shepherding the wedding guests forward for photographs, even dishing out some tips on posture and posing for those that were less sure of themselves. I’d hire him as my personal assistant in a heartbeat!

Soon it was time for a delicious wedding breakfast followed by some of the most moving wedding speeches I’ve ever witnessed! All the speakers did an absolutely brilliant job, and there was so much love for Stephanie and Jacob in the room, I could easily understand why everyone had flown halfway across the world to be with them on their wedding day. Stephanie’s brother said a few words about his sister to round things off, and he spoke so beautifully about the strong connection between them that almost every guest was moved to tears.

By the end of the wedding breakfast, the day’s heat had broken into rain and as the showers passed overhead it was time to leave the marquee and enter the beautiful interiors of Cowley Manor for more drinks and dancing. With some fantastic live music to get everyone on the dancefloor, it was a perfect end to a sun-kissed, love-filled day!

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