Elmore Court

While Elmore Court dates back to 1580, the Guises have lived on this spot since 1274. It’s been a family home, first and foremost, for over 750 years.

When the present owner, Anselm Guise, inherited Elmore Court in 2007, he was running an electronic music events business and hosting parties around the world. Naturally, his first thought was that Elmore Court would make a wonderful events space. In fact, it was designated a party house by Sir Berkeley Guise back in the late 1700s. And since being repurposed to host weddings and events in 2013, the place has retained that spirit of festivity and fun.

Everybody who stays at Elmore Court feels the unique warmth and magic of the place. It is a truly stunning location, the historic gardens giving way to wetlands, woodlands and the Cotswolds beyond. For couples and wedding parties, it offers a celebration of love, rooted in nature. Rejoicing in the richness of what it means to be alive, Elmore is a place where people connect with one another and with the natural world. A place where couples can enjoy the romance and intimacy of a nuptial ceremony, surrounded by history and landscape.

Guests can choose from a range of ceremony and reception options, from the Court’s Great Hall to stunning outdoor spaces to an original Norman church. As such, it can host civil and other ceremonies, with four licensed areas in the main house, while Christian marriages and blessings can be held at Elmore Church.

In keeping with Elmore Court’s rich history of celebration, Anselm completed the construction of The Gillyflower, a unique ‘future-rustic’ events space in 2013. Ballroom, party room and place of wild abandon, it is a deeply joyous setting for wedding parties and events.

And the beauty of it is you can make as much noise as you like. Given its location in this quiet corner of rural England, the Elmore team wanted guests to be able to celebrate without causing any disturbance. Using Elmore soil and timber, they devised a ‘rammed earth’ wall structure that’s fully soundproof, meaning you can turn the volume up – and no one outside will hear a thing.

With a capacity of 50 to 200 people, and sometimes more, The Gillyflower has a dining area, a fully serviced bar, and a dance floor. It boasts a state-of-the-art sound system designed by Funktion One, which delivers the cleanest, clearest sound you’ll ever hear. The LED lighting system is cutting-edge too, with a ‘lightshower’ installed by internationally renowned lighting artist, Bruce Monro.

Outside, in full view of The Gillyflower, is a cosy fire pit with paths leading through the wild meadow to a boutique camping space. In fact, the whole Gillyflower experience is nature-based and sustainable. In addition to its natural, home-sourced materials, the building has a meadow roof that boosts biodiversity, blending with the adjacent fields and landscape beyond. It also has living walls consisting of ivy, Virginia Creeper and other beautiful climbing plants.

A unique blend of rustic beauty and cutting-edge entertainment technology, The Gillyflower is one of the most innovative rural wedding event spaces in the UK today.

The house itself is a wonderfully eclectic mix of architectural styles, from Elizabethan to Victorian. The downstairs mainly comprises four large reception rooms: The Hall, Dining Room, Drawing Room and Morning Room.

Upstairs are 16 beautiful bedrooms, from which you can choose where you spend your first night of married life. Each bedroom is designed with the utmost love and care, prioritising comfort and convenience for guests. The rooms include the oak-panelled Master Suite with a Caesar-sized bed and en-suite facilities. There’s also the fantastic Oak Room, with its 350-year-old four-poster and freestanding wooden bath.

In total, the house can accommodate 37 guests, in addition to the married couple. There’s also a Coach House, created especially for the night before and the morning of your wedding. You also have access to a private kitchen, although a much-needed breakfast is provided in the Dining Room on the morning after your big day.

Food and drink are a major part of what Elmore Court does. The team puts a great deal of thought and care into their menus and is committed to delivering at the highest level.

Everyone at Elmore Court is deeply committed to sustainability, and that principle is reflected in their food and how they source ingredients. Vegetables, fruit and herbs are grown onsite in the Walled Garden and Greenhouse. And through the introduction of longhorn cattle to Elmore’s rewilding land, they have access to free-roaming and hyper-pasture-fed beef, which is used in roasts, BBQs and feasts. From seasonal menus to bespoke wedding breakfasts, the team ensures every meal reflects the quality and creativity for which Elmore Court is known.

Elmore Court also has a well-stocked cellar, and there is a fabulous team of waiters, waitresses and bartenders who’ll serve you with warmth and style. There is a superbly stocked bar in The Gillyflower, while those staying overnight will find a much-needed nightcap at the bar in the main house.

You are, of course, free to source your own caterers and alcohol for your big day. But once you’ve sampled the five-star-rated food and drink on offer, the Elmore option might be hard to resist.

Anselm and his team are deeply committed to protecting the natural environment for future generations. In recent years, they’ve embarked on an ambitious rewilding project to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. As part of this rewilding adventure, everything that happens at Elmore Estate aims to preserve the spirit of the land. The way they let nature recover and flourish. The way they let large herbivores roam. The way they farm and produce their food. From hot water and heating to building materials and energy, they’re investing in renewable sources and sustainable methods.

The vision is that the house, gardens and estate will all work together to become a shining example of low-impact enterprise and self-sufficiency, without compromising comfort and style.

And this good work means that wedding guests can party with the planet smiling at them.