Wedding Venues - Caswell House, Oxfordshire

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Written By Chris Kelly

If you are looking for a venue with an exclusive feel, in a gorgeous Cotswold setting, with stunning gardens, made with beautiful converted barns with onsite accommodation, then look no further!

Caswell House has it all, and a team that work tirelessly to ensure that you enjoy the very best day as you celebrate with loved ones.

Bride and groom kissing outside Keepers Retreat at Caswell House in Oxfordshire with veil floating

The Venue

Caswell House is located near Brize Norton, just outside Oxford in the Cotswolds and with it’s long private driveways and impressive buildings, it’s easy to see why this venue is so popular. As you leave the main road make your way down the driveway, you are first greeted by the main house which is stunning, and then you make your way between the main barn and the on-site accommodation, towards the parking area.

The Team at Caswell

Having worked with the venue for the last 6 years, I’ve gotten to know most of the team pretty well, it’s got a wonderful and dedicated group of people striving to offer the best service possible. You find that it’s a venue the employees love to work for and it shows. Nothing is too much trouble and from a photographers point of view, they are a dream to deal with, overcoming any issues with the most minimal fuss.

The Bridal Preparation Area
Providing a great space for bridal preparation is key for a lot of venues now and being able to have your day at one venue without the travel and time constraints is a huge advantage - the Dressing Room across from the main entrance is fantastic. It’s got plenty of space for most bridal parties, allowing several hair and makeup artists to work together without having to compromise on light or room to move. The far end boasts a huge mirror and enough natural light to please the MUA’s and give any photographer or videographer a great setting to shoot in. As well as a small bathroom, the Dressing Room also boasts a private room for a dress/suit to be hung and put on, before they can come back into the main room to reveal to their bridal party or parents. As a huge bonus, the Dressing Room also has fantastic air conditioning - not something you’d usually have on your list of requirements, but during the summer it is certainly welcome!

The Old Stables
It’s not just the Dressing Room that is available for getting ready, within the courtyard of Caswell House there is also a room which had a large double bedroom with ensuite and downstairs a lounge with kitchen and table football - as the main door opens into the courtyard, it offers the chance for preparations to spill outside for a relaxed and sociable moment. Often when the weather is favourable, it’s great to get ready and enjoy a drink outside with your bridal party before the guests arrive for the ceremony.

Your Ceremony
With two perfect spaces within meters of each other, you can decide if you want to go for an outdoor ceremony or stay indoors making use of the beautiful barns which can seat a surprisingly large group of people (up to 140!). Both options provide their own charm and so it really is up to you how you’d like to plan for your day - the team are super flexible too, so if you plan for outdoor but the weather isn’t so kind, things can be moved and updated on the day. All of the registrars that I have worked with at Caswell House have been amazing, so kind, thoughtful and considerate, determined that the ceremony is about you and your marriage rather than them and their speeches. Following a ceremony it’s usually customary for confetti to follow, this can either be done as you walk back down the aisle, or as you leave the bar, following your first drink as a married couple.

What happens once you get married?

The Reception
The bar at the venue is well stocked and provides excellent service for your drinks reception and the catering team will be on hand with a wide selection of canapés; during the reception it’s a great opportunity to get time with your guests, but also make a few moments for those important group photographs, which can be taken at a number of locations, none of which will take you or your guests far from the action. As well as food and drink, Caswell House offers a few areas for any live music to take place - so if you wanted to have an acoustic set going on to create a musical accompaniment to your drinks celebrations, this can be done easily too.

The House and Gardens
One of the incredible selling points when it comes to this venue are the wonderful surroundings; obviously, you have the main house acting as the perfect Cotswold backdrop for any set of couple portraits, but the gardens at this venue are stunning all year round. With a wide array of plants and flowers that all come into their own at different times of the year, you can even include this into your vision for colour on your day - from the beautiful hanging wisteria at the side of the main building and on the bridge, to the deep purple lavender set throughout the rockery, and the roses scattered around the main courtyard, there really is so much to see.

As well as the flowers and plants, there are a number of areas to enjoy; just off the main garden you have a gateway to the orchard which is stunning during the autumnal sunset and the fields that reach out beyond that give you the feeling you’ve escaped into the country. Moving back towards the main barns, you also have a beautiful bridge which overlooks a small pond, creating some great photographic opportunities - and who knows, you might see the ducks too!

As a further part of the venue to explore you also have some more rustic looking barns just off the car park - these make for the perfect place to have a bit of fun as the black metal sided buildings allow for any colour to pop and so if you were feeling creative and wanted to throw in some smoke grenades or champagne sprays, there’s the best place!

Your Wedding Breakfast
Held in Wenmans Barn, the team can offer a variation of seating options, from the more commonly used round tables that can seat around 10/12 people, to the long tables capable of seating a lot more! I’ve seen a few variations on the seating plan and becoming more popular is also the sweetheart table, which is a small table just for the bride and groom to sit at, which can be a great option if you just want a moment together, or simply can’t decide on which of your family and friends you need on the top table - so don’t have one!

Evening Celebrations

Evening Reception
Following your wedding breakfast, you will spill out back into the bar and if the weather is still good and you have the light, your guests will more than likely grab their drinks and relax in the courtyard - this makes the perfect time to capture those candid moments. If you are looking at having your wedding between April and October then you should still have time for a few more photographs at sunset and this time between your meal ending and the evening entertainment starting is a great period to grab your partners hand and take a walk. Caswell House offers a few superb locations to catch the last of the sun and taking a few moments together to reflect on the day so far is recommended. After this it’s time to dance!

Dancing and more
Typically, the room used for your wedding breakfast is turned around by the team to create a large dancing area, as well as a great space for a band or DJ to setup - this will be at the far end of the barn and makes for the perfect place for you and your guests to show off your moves. As well as live music, the venue also has plenty of space in the bar area and Joslins Barn for some little extras - some guests opt for a photobooth which can be setup in either room and gives your guests the chance to get a little silly and create some memories for themselves.

In terms of evening food, the caterers on the day can offer you several options including the very popular pizza oven, meaning your guests can enjoy seemingly endless slices of fresh and tasty food to fuel them for the remainder of the evening.

Accommodation and Travel

On-Site Accommodation
As well as a spectacular Honeymoon suite, Caswell House has a further 15 en suite rooms for your guests to make use of - 4 of these can be made into family rooms with cots and camp beds available for the little ones. What’s more, you can then all enjoy a relaxed breakfast the morning after as a large and luxurious continental breakfast is served in the Rymonds Barn dining area where you can relive the memories of your amazing day together.

Local Accommodation
With the venue being located near to Oxford there are a lot of options for hotels and overnight stays, most convenient and cost-effective is the Premier Inn which has a few locations close by including Witney, Kidlington and Botley (prices from £48 p/n subject to availability).

My own personal favourite is Mollies Hotel and Diner near Buckland - they offer high-spec, contemporary rooms at a great price (from £80 p/n), and in addition the diner is a walk across the car park and offers some incredible food.

If you are looking for a larger space to get family and friends together, there’s also a fantastic cottage that sleeps 14 in the nearby village of Brize Norton called Malt Barn. One bride and her bridesmaids hired and used this venue to start hair and makeup before moving over to Caswell for the final touches.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Although there is an airport near by, it’s more likely your guests will be arriving by train or by car. Oxford station is located in Central Oxford and is about 15 miles away from Caswell House, although there is another station at Hanborough which is a little closer (11 miles). Car parking at the venue is not a problem, and there is more than enough parking space for all of your guests on the day - you’ll have until 10.30am the day after the wedding to start making a move, giving everyone time to wake up, refresh and chck-out.

Taxis
If you are looking to get a taxi from the venue, it’s advisable to book this prior to the date, some of the local companies include; Charlie’s Taxis 01993 845253, Damo’s Taxis 01993 703322, MJ Taxis Ltd 01993 800999, Royal Cars 01865 777333 and Tammi’s Taxis 01993 776976.

Accessibility
Caswell House is flat access and free of steps throughout the venue with a disabled access toilet. All guest areas are spacious with easy access for wheelchairs and they have ample parking situated just behind the venue. In addition, they have an easy access bedroom available in Rymonds Barn, with wider access doorways and larger bathroom.

Weddings at Caswell

If you wanted to see more from some of the weddings I have captured at Caswell you can check out some on my blog…

Emma & Jason

Hayley & James

Chris Kelly

Wedding and Family Photographer

gingerjamphotography.com
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