The Setting
It was 1262 when nobleman John de Burgh first granted the family Guise the Elmore Estate, with the rent being a nominal ‘clove of Gillyflower’ each year. The current Guise’s, Anselm and Sarah, have combined 35 years of experience in the music and events industries and turned Elmore into something that makes the best of their skills and passions while maintaining tradition and keeping the incredible history alive.
The Vibe
Unlike many grand historical houses, Elmore Court was not built for military, religious or ostentatious purposes. It was built as a functional homestead for family use and entertaining guests. Everybody who has come to stay in the house has felt the unique warmth and energy of the building. Many have commented on a certain magic about the place when it is being used for bringing people together. However, this allure can be partially attributed to the kind and welcoming nature of Anselm and Sarah.
Main House
The main house has four stunning ceremony and reception areas, the primary one being the Hall – the heart of the house and an ideal location for a ceremony for up to 150 seated (and 50 standing) guests. The Drawing Room, The Morning Room, and The Porch (the front steps of the house are useable for an outdoor ceremony) make up the other three licensed ceremony areas.
Accommodation
For accommodation, there are 16 beautiful bedrooms with unique characters. These include the oak-panelled Master Suite with a Caesar-sized bed, en-suite facilities, and a double bedroom attached, which can also be used as a bridal dressing room. Further rooms include the fantastic Oak Room with its 350-year-old 4-poster bed and freestanding copper bath. Every room has been carefully modernised, then individually styled and redecorated to maintain the traditional feel of the house and inspire guests with their inventive attention to detail. The total sleeping capacity is 39 persons, with the option of adding supplementary single beds. All rooms include their carefully selected all-you-can-eat breakfast menu, consisting of the classic full English alongside yoghurts, mueslis, cereals, fruits and pastries. Everything is high quality, free range and locally sourced as far as possible.
Caring for the Environment
An environmentally sustainable ethos is the foundation of operations at Elmore. The Gillyflower has been built using earth and timber from the Estate, and a newly installed Biomass boiler heats both the house and Gillyflower using wood from the estate. In-house catering is an exceptional offer, with food being sourced locally and from the kitchen garden. Whilst the focus is on how to make the most of your celebration during your stay, the intent is to get back to the basics of how a traditional country estate was run. The vision is that the House, Gardens and Estate will all work together to become a shining example of low impact and self-sufficiency without compromising comfort and style.
Receptions in The Gillyflower
The jewel in Elmore’s swan-topped crown is The Gillyflower. It represents everything this generation of the Guise family is trying to accomplish. These festival-minded souls enjoy seeing you and your guests have the wedding ceremony and party of your dreams. Within the house, they celebrate tradition, while in the Gillyflower, they embrace innovation and evolution.
The Gillyflower boasts a 200-seated dinner capacity and up to 400-dancing to the custom-made Funktion-One AmbiSonic Sound System, designed to have specific features to make it perfect for weddings and events. The circular speaker layout means the sound can be contained within the dance-floor space so those who don’t feel like dancing can still comfortably converse and observe the frolics of others, which is perfect for the older generation who may not like the music or its volume! Meanwhile, those on the dance floor are treated to a sound quality worthy of any club. The sound can also be calibrated to fill the whole space should you want to crank things up to a proper wall-of-sound party vibe. The building is fully soundproofed, so the music will not disturb early sleepers.
A unique fibre-optic lighting system designed and installed by Bruce Munro adorns the Gillyflower. There are huge seated windows with views over woodland and the Cotswolds. Outside, in full view of the Gillyflower, is a cosy fire pit with paths leading through the wild meadow to a huge area for boutique camping. The Gillyflower is constructed from local estate-farmed timber and rammed-earth walls hidden behind ‘living walls’ consisting of Ivy, Virginia Creepers and other beautiful climbing plants. Hi-speed Wi-Fi, biomass-powered air conditioning, a premium built-in bar, a catering marquee and an in-house events manager ensure this is the most complete and cutting-edge country wedding venue available in the UK today.
#SGGLA Wedding Venue of the Year 2022
SoGlos readers voted Elmore Court their SGGLA Wedding Venue of the Year 2022.
“Offering exclusive hire of its stately house, gardens and award-winning sustainable party space, which is constructed from rammed earth, Elmore Court is top of mind for couples looking to get hitched.”
