The First Ever Elmore Wedding... A Decade On
2023 has indeed been a special year as we celebrate 10 wonderful years of weddings at The Court. This day, a decade ago, Lizzie & David tied the knot and officially became our first-ever Elmore Court couple! Since then, we’ve rejoiced in a multitude of weddings in all shapes and sizes and every single one of them has been as unique as the next.
Alongside those wonderful weddings, we've built treehouses, begun the process of rewilding the land, expanded the incredible Team E and one a few pretty cool awards for our work in weddings & sustainability.
Celebrating these significant moments with all of you is not just a joy but a true privilege and seeing as this time of year is for love, it only feels fit to go back to the 13th of December 2013 and relive the first magical wedding at The Court...
Tell us... How did you meet?
We met at a friend’s wedding; I’d pointed David out to a girlfriend over dinner suggesting he was the sort of man I should be dating. She promptly deposited him in front of me on the dance floor later in the evening much to my embarrassment. I asked David on a first date to the Big Chill the next weekend as I had a spare ticket.
Tell us your proposal story.
David went to see my parents before he proposed & when he arrived at the house unannounced my mum (rightly) assumed what he was there for. She rushed to open a bottle of champagne only for David to tell her he was only asking my Dad if he wanted to go to the rugby with him. She still hasn’t forgiven him! He took me to Paris as a surprise & proposed in a beautiful park in the winter sunshine.
Why Elmore Court?
Elmore as it is now and the Gillyflower were just a twinkle in Anselm’s eye when we first visited but we loved his vision & had absolute faith that he would make it happen. Even before it was restored to the beautiful place it is today it had that same magical feel; a grand and elegant venue, a much-loved family home and host to a lot of great parties over the centuries.
What was it like planning your wedding at Elmore Court 10 years ago?
Planning the wedding was a lot of fun because Team E was as excited about our wedding as we were. I trusted Anselm and Lisa entirely & they had so many ideas about how to use the space and plan a brilliant party. There were moments when we were walking around wearing hard hats and high vis that I did wonder if they’d pull it off in time but it somehow added to the excitement.
On the morning of your wedding, how did you feel?
I’d slept over the night before in what was one of the children’s dormitories with all my girlfriends on camp beds and we’d hardly got any sleep from laughing so much. We had a gorgeous, cooked breakfast next to a roaring fire before getting ready together & drinking champagne with my mum. It was such a special time, I felt so loved and lucky to be surrounded by my closest friends in the most beautiful place. That stopped me from feeling nervous, as did Lisa who had everything planned to the smallest of details. It meant I could just enjoy the moment and not worry about anything.
What was your reaction to your reception at the Gillyflower?
Being December it was cold so we offered shots of home made sloe gin to warm people up for the short dash to the Gillyflower. I loved that people didn’t know it existed and everyone had the same reaction to seeing the space…wow!
How did it feel being the first wonderful couple to marry at Elmore Court?
I felt a real sense of happiness for new beginnings: for me and David starting married life and for Elmore becoming what Anselm imagined it could be. Team E’s excitement about the first wedding also made it feel like the party we had all been looking forward to for a long time.
What were your favourite things about marrying at Elmore?
Watching the guests arrive from the Master bedroom with my bridesmaids. Our wedding ceremony in the Great Hall in front of the beautiful stained glass window, a huge Christmas tree & our friend playing the grand piano. Speeches in the Drawing room with roaring fires & cocktails. The Gillyflower reveal. Most of all that it felt like our home for the weekend.
How have you kept the spark alive, 10 years on?
Never going to bed on an argument, making space for each other's interests, appreciating what we bring to our team and spontaneous surprises.
If you were to relive one memory from your big day 10 years ago, what would it be?
Our first dance in the Gillyflower when everyone piled on to the dancefloor including my Dad.
Any tips for couples currently planning their wedding?
Trust that Team E will think of everything so relax and enjoy every moment, the planning included.
Wow, that really got us feeling warm and fussy, Lizzie & David you started our journey into the wedding world and we couldn't be more grateful!
Lizzie & David are proof that true, ecstatic love exists we hope they continue to have more wonderful happy years together full of love... and surprises!
From all of us here at The Court, thank you for 10 incredible years, we can't wait for the next.
Love always,
Team E xx
