Towards the end of 2023 we received an email from Josh Wood, a past groom at Tythe, who was piecing together a series of surprises for his wife Lindsay to help celebrate their wedding anniversary. Listen up for tips any grooms out there! Josh and Lindsay had their wedding at Tythe on 23rd November 2017 and Josh explained how he wanted to surprise Lindsay by bringing her back to Tythe for a wander around the estate and to enjoy reminiscing on the wonderful day they’d had 7 years earlier. The plan was a visit to Tythe, a local lunch followed by a stay at the hotel where they spent their first night together. Being suckers for a bit of romance, we gave the green light.
It was the first time the couple had returned to Tythe since their wedding. Josh had done an amazing job of keeping the trip a secret so Lindsay was rather overwhelmed as they pulled up to the barn. We left the two of them to wander around the estate and to look back on what had been such a treasured day but afterwards they very kindly agreed to an impromptu chat. Coffee in hand, we discussed how they’d first come across Tythe, their thoughts when they visited for the first time, their initial showround and the changes that have taken place since their wedding day in 2017.
Lindsay explained how she had first come across Tythe online – “we both loved the idea of a barn setting and Autumn is our favourite month. We had already seen incredible feedback from other Tythe couples who all said ‘it’s so gorgeous – you’ll not be disappointed’.” Lindsay said that she’d struggled to describe in words to family and friends exactly what she was looking for in a wedding venue but knew it ‘was a feeling’. Remembering that moment, Lindsay recounts “we walked in the front door of Tythe and went ‘this is it'”. That day was a wintry November afternoon and the Thatched Barn was dressed with winter branches, collected from the farm, that were wrapped in fairy lights. This is something we do around mid-November and Lindsay and Josh immediately fell in love with the venue. “We were immediately sold and it was lovely because following the tour we were given time just to wander around together. It didn’t feel rushed and we had an opportunity to browse through images of past weddings at Tythe, something that can help illustrate to couples how Tythe can be transformed to create a truly personalised aesthetic.” Lindsay admits that both her and Josh were welling up “but I didn’t want to say ‘this is it’ as I felt we were both so overwhelmed by Tythe and it was our first venue showround.” Lindsay told me how she made a decision to view a few other venues, after her showround at Tythe, without Josh, but (luckily for us) expressed how “they weren’t a patch on Tythe.” I actually remember calling Josh and saying “none of them are Tythe!” The couple did pop back for a second look around and it was on that visit that they decided they’d fallen in love with Tythe and even moved their planned wedding date from October to November because “we loved the winter branches and wanted the barn to look as it did on our very first visit.”
I asked Josh whether they found the planning and lead up to the wedding day challenging or stressful – we all know bringing all the elements of a wedding day together can feel rather overwhelming. Josh was quick to recall that “nothing was too much trouble, every query was answered within a couple of hours and the booking process and planning was certainly not stressful at all.” Both Lindsay and Josh wanted a big family wedding with lots of family and friends present. “I wanted a fancy wedding but relaxed, effortless and we couldn’t have asked for more!”
The couple remember the caterers being so helpful and agreed “the tasting was an incredible opportunity to sample the food and very beneficial.” “My dad cried on the top table as the food was so good,” Lindsay remarked “all the guests talked about the food”. “What was very noticeable” Josh explained was how “the caterers and Tythe worked so well as a team, it was seamless!” At Tythe we have been lucky enough to have Absolute Taste as our long standing in-house caterer and we all get on so well, so for our couples to pick up on this is wonderful. “The pizzas were so popular” added Josh.
I talked through a number of the changes that have taken place at Tythe since 2017 and Lindsay remembers her time getting ready in The Nook. We also now have a dressing room for the bride in The Farmhouse and the groom has a space for him and his crew. Lindsay and Josh enjoyed exploring The Farmhouse and now want an excuse to renew their vows. Lindsay particularly loved “that everything is in one place, I like the idea that you get married in the barn, then go back to The Farmhouse which is just like going ‘home’. There’s so many rooms and the big banqueting table in the huge kitchen that can seat everybody is gorgeous – we were already spending money and seating our guests because we’d love to come back with family for an anniversary stay.” I explained how Will and I decided very early on that we didn’t want to run the house like a hotel, it was very important to us for it to feel like home to our guests. Josh loved the fact that a groom could add a game of tennis to his plans on the wedding morning and even a quick dip in the hot tub’. I’m not sure Lindsay agreed, stressing that for her the morning had been all about relaxing, being pampered and soaking up the vibes with her tribe.
What a wonderful way to remember the special moments that Tythe provides for our couples and how this old collection of barns dating back to the 14th century is still banging out those memories in 2024. I waved Lindsay and Josh off as they went on their way to lunch but not before sliding over a bottle of their wedding day wine – Pig in the Poke!
If you’d like to find out more about having your wedding celebration at Tythe, do get in touch with our team here – we’d love to chat through your plans!
Photographer – Abi Williamson Photography.
Florist – The Flower Fairies.
Harpist – Tori Handley.
Cake – Celebration Cakes by Catherine Scott.
Band – The New Breed.
