S+R’s English estate wedding at the iconic Aynhoe Park brought together over 120 friends and family from both sides of the Atlantic. With our British bride and American groom dividing their time between NYC and Miami, this became a truly global celebration and a beautifully immersive destination wedding weekend in the Cotswolds.

As an experienced Cotswolds wedding planner, we designed a full weekend of celebrations to help guests travelling from around the world connect and settle into the atmosphere. Festivities began with a smart yet bohemian welcome festival party on the Friday evening. A fortune-teller, glitter face painting, retro games, live music, ice cream sundae bar and a trailer photo booth created effortless conversation points for new friends to break the ice.

For the wedding day itself, the design evolved to reflect the groom’s love of the sea and sailing - particularly fitting as the couple are now spending four years sailing around the world together. Subtle ocean-inspired details were introduced throughout the styling, with a hidden octopus motif woven into elements of the décor as a playful personal signature.

The couple chose to exchange vows in the local church before guests travelled back to Aynhoe Park, one of the Cotswolds’ most distinctive private estate wedding venues, aboard classic red double-decker buses. Cocktail hour unfolded on the lawn with a live jazz soundtrack, setting a relaxed yet celebratory tone. To surprise their American guests with a wonderfully eccentric British tradition, we arranged a performance by a local Morris dancing group, complete with a traditional maypole, adding theatre, humour and cultural charm to the afternoon.

Guests were then welcomed into a seated wedding breakfast before moving into the orangery for His and Hers cocktails alongside the cake reveal. As evening celebrations unfolded, a live band and DJ kept the dance floor full, while personalised cocktails and temporary tattoos added a fun, immersive element for guests.

The celebrations concluded with a surprise after-party hidden within Aynhoe Park’s secret underground cellar bar. Styled with sea-inspired props and atmospheric wave lighting, the space became an unforgettable late-night destination where guests celebrated into the early hours. The weekend concluded with a recovery brunch and IV drips on Sunday, ensuring guests departed feeling as cared for as they had throughout the celebrations.

This wedding perfectly reflects our approach at The Bijou Studio — creating highly personal, thoughtfully designed multi-day weddings in the Cotswolds that allow couples and their guests to fully experience the celebration together.

“Words cannot really cover how fabulous The Bijou Studio has been or how grateful we are for all they have done. I could provide you with a near-endless list of practical reasons why you should take them on as your planners. Incredibly organized. Experienced. Well connected. They do everything (literally everything), are creative, adaptable... etc etc, the list goes on.

At the end of the day, though, our wedding was magical, and The Bijou Studio made that happen. They understood us instantly and recommended so many unique touches that made our day special. They were also a joy to work with; so full of energy and enthusiasm. Neither of us can imagine doing it without them" - S+R

Captured by Taylor Porter Photography

As featured on Over The Moon