Your Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Wedding - April/May 2024 (Issue 44)

WEDDING TRENDS FROM PYTHOUSE KITCHEN GARDEN In full bloom These fabulous wedding venues boast pretty, flower-filled gardens What’s new? The Pythouse Estate nestled in the picturesque Wiltshire countryside in Tisbury is a wedding venue where couples can legally marry in nearby Hatch House or enjoy a blessing and reception in the enchanting grounds of the Pythouse Kitchen Garden, feasting on homecooked dishes using ingredients grown there, paired with delicious drinks. Sprigster Drinks is firmly rooted in the three-acre kitchen garden, where a regenerative approach to food production crafts sustainable non-alcoholic drinks. Championing a zero-waste ethos, even the leftover fruit mash is composted and goes back on to the garden to help create the next batch. The creators of the award-winning Sprigster Drinks infusions are gardeners who love to cook and cooks who love to garden combining both passions into delicious drinks inspired by the countryside. The team at Pythouse Kitchen Garden has recently revealed their top eight wedding trends taking over the garden in 2024. 1. Provenance, food miles and seasonality For weddings at Pythouse Kitchen Garden, food most definitely takes centre stage. The restaurant, headed up by chef Darren Broom, has received high praise from critics for its modern and timeless menus, made daily with garden gatherings. As couples are becoming increasingly conscious of provenance, food miles and seasonality, Pythouse delivers with their sustainable approach to gardening and cooking. Everything takes inspiration from their centuries-old garden, which has long supported the virtues of a simple and regenerative lifestyle. All dishes are grown in the three-acre garden or reared from happy local herds which include organic lamb legs cooked over a fire. 2. Making many meals of it Weddings are shifting away from one sit-down meal towards all-day grazing and free-flowing meals which are easily captured at Pythouse. The team set up food and drink stations for guests to explore the venue whilst they dine. From canapés and cocktails in the walled garden to a banquet on the terrace, a homemade cake cut in the fairy-lit conservatory or a selection of late-night snacks by the fire in the orchard, many meals make happy guests. 3. Drinking and dining as part of the entertainment With a team of talented hosts, cooks and gardeners, a wedding at Pythouse elevates the menus and drinks to help create precious memories and photos that will last a lifetime. From cooking a feast over flames on the wood grill to crafting cocktails in the indoor-outdoor bars using fresh garden herbs, and bringing out the cake adorned with garden fruit to a banquet table dressed in flowers picked from the garden that morning, Pythouse curated and designed the entire experience to create a magical day for both the happy couple and their guests. 4. Catering for the sober-curious, drivers and moderators As the low-no movement grows so does the need for tasty non-alcoholic choices at weddings. Offering options to guests who either don’t drink or who prefer to moderate has become increasingly important. It’s easy at Pythouse with their very own garden-grown and locally sourced Sprigster Drinks range of alternative aperitifs, game-changing cocktail ingredients and celebratory bottles of fizz with zero added sugar and nasties. 5. The ‘Single Estate’ Wedding For sustainably minded couples, the ease of a bespoke wedding where practically everything is arranged and sourced on-site is a huge draw. From the service to the cake, flowers, food and drinks, and even the accommodation, the abundant Pythouse Kitchen Garden and the community that surrounds it can deliver. 6. Turning hosting into a mini holiday Increasingly couples are looking to turn their nuptials into a mini holiday for their nearest and dearest. At Pythouse the honeymoon suite is a meticulously curated and romantic shepherd’s hut for two. For an extra 30 or so guests, the Glamping Glade in the orchard, with its thoughtfully designed bell tents, provides a sociable camp to set up the day before and carry on the celebrations into the next day. 7. Nature as the backdrop Couples want a stunning setting, and the rising popularity of festivalthemed, table-scaped and country garden weddings has exploded in recent years. Fuelled by social media, the event as a content-gathering opportunity has increased the desire for carefully curated images. At Pythouse, nature provides the most beautiful seasonal backdrop, from a riot of colours in spring and summer to a more muted and cosier feel in autumn and winter. 8. Try before you buy Couples want reassurance that everything will go to plan, their guests will be wowed and the day will be the best of their lives and expectations will always be met at Pythouse. Founder Piers and the team host a lunch and garden experience for the couple, allowing them to get a feel for their bespoke package. They will tour the three acres, pick out the flowers and plan a unique experience that completely fits with their wishes. www.pythousekitchengarden.co.uk/weddings-events 15 THEMED VENUES

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