Opening Night at Sandon Manor

It’s always an exciting prospect watching a venue develop and grow from an exciting new project to an all-singing all-dancing wedding venue. Last year we shared the renovation progress of Sandon Manor’s beautifully restored main house and guest accommodation, the Dovecote, but this time we have the privilege of showcasing the rest of their brilliant new venue spaces, at their opening night no less.

Expect stylish interiors, a big dose of historic charm and a state of the art Dance Pod, and that’s just the Medieval Barn!

Kate says…

The renovation and transformation of Sandon Manor as you see it here today has taken place over a number of stages. First was the Manor House and Dovecote and now it’s time to share the final piece(s) of the wedding venue jigsaw – the rest of the areas that make up our country house wedding venue. To officially launch the re-opening for 2023 we hosted an opening night to showcase our newly refurbished venue including the Medieval Barn for banqueting (complete with brand new cocktail bar), Dance Pod with bespoke light and sound systems, Ceremony Hall, Hay Barn bar building and Courtyard with Summerhouse.

We wanted the aesthetics of Sandon Manor to very much be echoed throughout the opening night photoshoot. The natural, winter decor perfectly complemented the industrial details, working in perfect harmony with the venue’s existing interior design and styling.

The natural look doesn’t detract from the beautiful historic features present throughout the venue, it all adds to the relaxed yet stylish atmosphere at Sandon Manor, where guests can stay for a leisurely wedding weekend. We want our guests to relax with friends in the luxurious Sandon Manor House, cozy up in the Dovecote and enjoy the wild natural surroundings over their wedding weekend which is held across the stylish, newly-renovated venue spaces.

It is a pleasure to be able to share our lovingly restored venue with couples, suppliers and friends yet again, and to receive their feedback on our opening night was truly wonderful. The Ceremony Hall and Medieval Barn where we dined includes bespoke artwork, polished concrete floors, natural plaster walls, medieval beams, exposed brickwork, Crittall windows, large olive trees and an industrial bar complete with a copper top, Art Deco light fittings and hanging foliage.

Velvet Johnstone, a slow, heart-led design studio, specialising in bespoke and made-to-measure wedding attire, provided the bridal outfits, including a chic mini dress and modern bridal trousers and top combo. This was styled with a range of beautifully-made wedding accessories by Smoke and Mirrors. To complement his ‘bride’, our groom wore outfits from Vintage Suit Hire, a family-owned business providing stylish suits for sustainable weddings.

The shoot was designed and styled by Wilt Studio who is our recommended florist/stylist and knows our venue and style well. She very much works with what’s here, showing off the best of the venue every time. For our opening night Ellie focused on seasonal produce; a beautiful blend of dried and foraged foliage, branches, flowers and seed heads to create a ceremony arch installation and table decor which was rambling, stark in places, textural and modern. The perfect aesthetic for our winter showcase event.