• About
  • Find a Vendor
  • Submit
  • Advertise
  • Brides Club
  • Your Jewish Life
  • Contact

Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

  • Real Jewish Weddings
    • City Chic
    • Fashion Forward
    • Outdoor
    • Destination
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • France
      • Beach Weddings
    • Super Luxe
    • Budget
    • DIY
    • Same Sex
    • Covid Weddings
  • Jew-ish Weddings
    • Real Jew-ish Weddings
    • Jewish-Catholic Weddings
    • Jewish-Chinese Weddings
    • Jewish-Christian Weddings
    • Jewish-Greek Weddings
    • Jewish-Hindu Weddings
    • Jewish-Humanist Weddings
    • Jewish-Irish Weddings
    • Jewish Japanese Weddings
    • Jewish-Muslim Weddings
    • Same Sex Jew-ish Weddings
  • Inspiration + Guidance
    • Engaged? Start Here
    • Ceremony
      • Chuppah ideas
      • Jewish ceremony music
      • Jewish wedding ceremony 101
      • Jewish ceremony traditions
      • Ketubah Ideas
      • Jewish wedding legalities
      • Jew-ish ceremony ideas
    • Reception
      • Music
      • Speeches
      • Entertainment
      • Venues
    • Food & Drink
      • Kosher catering
      • Wedding cakes
      • Drinks
    • Decor
      • Decorations
      • Favours
      • Floristry
      • Guestbooks
      • Stationery
    • Style
      • Brides dresses
      • Shoes & accessories
      • Grooms
      • Bridesmaids
    • Advice
      • Converting to Judaism
      • Real blogging brides
      • Dear Karen…
    • Honeymoons
    • STG Live
    • Five Minutes With
    • Wedding Must-Haves
    • Wedding Consultancy
  • Jewish Brides Club
  • Find a Wedding Vendor
Home > A Demetrios Bride for a Stylish Jewish Wedding at Super Cool Venue Aynhoe Park, Banbury, UK

A Demetrios Bride for a Stylish Jewish Wedding at Super Cool Venue Aynhoe Park, Banbury, UK

30/04/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0041
You’re in for an EPIC start to the week with today’s Jewish wedding, set at one of my all-time favorite venues: Aynhoe Park and featuring one of STG’s all-time favorite bands (and Recommended Vendor) The Function Band!

Britain’s coolest listed estate, Aynhoe Park is a 17th-century country house bursting at the seams with taxidermy animals (including a polar bear — and a unicorn!), classical sculpture, disco balls, and an eclectic art collection.

Gorgeous couple Danielle and Alex looked at venues all over the world, but none compared to Aynhoe. Take a peek at photographer Alex Beckett’s delightfully quirky snaps of their day, and I think you’ll agree with them. I just love how Aynhoe Park combines old-fashioned English eccentricity with 21st-century edge. Saying this place has character doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I also want to mention here that groom Alex planned this whole wedding on his own, top to bottom — how awesome is that?! Danielle had her hands full taking care of the couple’s adorable baby boy, and she had enough faith in her husband-to-be’s good taste to hand the reins over — though she drew the line when he offered to choose her gown!

And it’s a good thing she did, because the racerback fishtail Demetrios dress she ended up with could not have been more perfect. Now over to Danielle…

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0003

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0048 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0003 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0003
How we met

Danielle, the bride: I met Alex when he first came to Dubai on holiday and we had a mutual friend. We had some really good nights out as friends, but he lived in the UK and I lived in Dubai.

I came back to the UK for Xmas 2012 and we ended up having our first kiss and then we spoke every single day, every single minute of the day. We managed a long distance relationship for one year. I would fly back when I could, and he would come to Dubai when he could. I think we managed to see each other every 4-6 weeks.

Once the year was up Alex asked me to move back and move in with him, which eventually I said yes to. It was hard for me leaving all my family in Dubai, but I knew I wanted to be with Alex and knew I had to give this a go.

Two months after moving back we had a dog, one year and half after moving back I fell pregnant and we had a beautiful baby boy called Arthur, and then obviously the wedding 🙂

So we started dating from December 2012 / I moved back to UK in January 2014 / I had Arthur on May 13, 2016 / we got married July 20, 2017.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
World’s. Coolest. Venue.

Aynhoe Park was the second venue we went to see and we instantly fell in love. I had always dreamed of getting married abroad so we looked around the whole of the world, but to us nothing compared to Aynhoe Park and how much it suited our personalities and what we wanted from a venue.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
 A Wedding Planned by the Groom

For our color scheme, we went for crisp white flowers with some foliage – we wanted to keep it clean and fresh. 

I would just like to mention that Alex, the groom, arranged the whole wedding from top to bottom – which is very rare – and he did an amazing job. I knew he knows how to plan a great party and he has good taste, so I trusted him with everything.

He even tried to pick my wedding dress and hair, haha. He obviously got shut down straight away.

Many people cannot believe me when I tell them that; however, looking after my baby boy, Arthur, is where I preferred to spend my time and energy.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
A 3-day wedding

The wedding took place over 3 days.

Day 1 – guests close to the bride and the groom were invited to stay at the house. The men did clay pigeon shooting, provided by Honesbrige Shooting School, on the west lawn of Aynhoe Park while the ladies had a champagne lunch.

This was followed in the evening by a bbq and cocktails for all at the house, also on the west lawn under the stars, with lighting provided by the original wooden fire pits. The pre wedding party went until 1 am.

Day 2 – The wedding went from 4 pm till 12 am, then all guests were invited to the after party in cellar, where a DJ played until 3 am. A late menu of pizza was served at 2 am, along with some of the wedding cake. The bar stayed open until the last guest was done.

I fell off the chair during the Jewish dancing – I couldn’t sit properly back on the chair as my dress was so tight and I think I just slipped, haha. I hit my chin on someone’s head, which did hurt but because I had had a few drinks , I got myself back up and ready for round 2. But the looks on some people’s faces were a picture.

For the food we went with Aynhoe Park kitchen, as they were able to offer us what we wanted. We went for bang bang chicken to start / posh fish and chips for the main / chocolate brownie for dessert.

Day 3 – Breakfast was provided for all house guests.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
An Aynhoe Park Invitation

Our wedding invitation featured the logo of Aynhoe Park.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
Hair + Makeup

My hair was done by a lady called Angel – I decided to go for an updo as I always wear my hair down. I wanted something very natural that I could take down after so I could party with my hair down. My hair was up at the back and I had some bits down by my face.

My makeup was done by one of my best friends who I went to beauty college with, Nancy Lomas, who now owns her own salon called the Beauty Manor Salon. I trusted Nancy to do my makeup, and we have a relationship where I could tell her what I don’t like or she could tell me to be quiet.

I am not used to having a lot of makeup on my face as I only wear bronzer – I hate foundation – so I found it hard to have makeup trials, but Nancy did my makeup perfectly on the day.

A Demetrios Dress

My dress was from Amorae Bridal shop and it was by a designer called Demetrios. I only tried on about 5/6 dresses and instantly knew which style was for me. It definitely wasn’t the one I was expecting, which was long sleeve and low back.

The racer neck in my dress was the only style that suited me, and I had to have a tight fitted fishtail dress. So when I tired on this dress, even though I still had 1 1/2 stone more to lose from my baby weight, I still felt comfortable and happy in it and knew that when I lost all the weight completely it would be my dream dress.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
A Veil with Crystals

I had a veil with very delicate crystals on and kept it very plain. It was also from Amorae in Ongar. The only jewelry I wore on the day was my wedding rings.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
Jimmy Choos

They were always going to be Jimmy Choos in nude. They are the comfiest shoe for me, and I can dance all night in them. Although I did take them off at about 3 am 🙂

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0017
Bridesmaids in Navy

I had 8 bridesmaids – my sisters and my niece, and the rest were my best friends. They wore navy dresses as I thought this was classy, and it also went in with the theme as Alex wore a navy and black suit.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0041   Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0041
A Floral Chuppah

We both searched on Pinterest and decided what flowers we wanted, then spoke to our flower lady to design the chuppah.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0048
A Hebrew Ceremony

The ceremony was amazing, as the chazan sung the whole of it in Hebrew. This was something I really enjoyed, and his voice was just amazing. The blossom trees at the beginning of my aisle were just beautiful and I had no idea beforehand that Alex had arranged them to be there, so this was a nice surprise.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0048 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0048
Love Never Felt So Good

We chose Glasgow Love Theme from “Love Actually” for my dad and me to walk down the aisle – when I heard it I knew it was just the perfect song for me. Once we were married, Alex and I walked back down the aisle to Michael Jackson’s Love Never Felt So Good – these words just explain it all really, which is why we chose it.

Our first dance was always going to be a fast dance song – Alex and I aren’t the slow dancing sort of couple 🙂 It was called Sexual by Neiked – the minute I heard this song, both Alex and I were singing along to it and decided we would have it as our first dance. We had The Function Band (who were AMAZING!) play it with all the instruments, which sounded amazing – Dan said he would make the music sound amazing and he did 🙂 

I also had a dance with my dad and we danced to Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder – it was so nice to dance with two men in one day who mean so much to me.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053
Flowers

The flower lady is called Georgia Westwood at Studio Sorores.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053
Our Fabulous Photographer

Our photographer was called Alex Beckett. We went for Alex because we loved his work online and thought he would be perfect for our venue and us. We loved his quirky pictures, and he was perfect for Aynhoe Park and had also worked there before.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0063 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0063
Cake in Four Flavors

Danielle designed the cake – I knew what I wanted, something plain and simple but with roses separating each tier. We had 4 tiers. They were all different flavors – carrot cake, vanilla sponge, chocolate cake, red velvet – the whole cake went. The lady who did our cake was called Julie from Flourgirl Cake Studio.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0069 Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0069
The Fabulous Function Band

Alex and I had an initial meeting with our band, The Function Band , and decided to go with them before even hearing them play in person – until the day of the wedding, all we had seen was videos of the band, but for some reason we had good trust in Dan and his team.

And they did the most amazing job on the day – they made our wedding! Everyone was talking about them for a long long time. We used them throughout the whole day and night up until 4:30 am when the wedding finished.


Fan Favors

We had personalized fans for the women.


Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

Just enjoy every single minute of the day. People were saying to me to take a second and just stand back and take a look around; I forgot to do this because I was having so much fun. But seriously, you should just see what is going on around you and how everyone is there for you and how perfect your day is.

Jewish wedding Aynhoe Park UK_0053
Danielle & Alex’s little white book

Photography – Alex Beckett Photography
Band, production lighting, and staging — The Function Band
Videography – Pretty In White
Venue – Aynhoe Park
Bride’s dress and veil – Demetrios purchased at Amorae Bridal
Bride’s shoes – Jimmy Choo
Groom’s attire – Tom Ford
Makeup – Beauty Manor Salon
Flowers – Studio Sorores                                                                                                                                                                              Blossom Trees – Palmbrokers

Share this post:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Jewish Super Luxe Weddings, Outdoor, Real Jewish Weddings, Jewish City Chic Weddings Tagged With: Alex Beckett Photography, Navy, Demetrios wedding dress, Jimmy Choo, UK, black and white wedding, Tom Ford, Function Band, Fashion Forward, Aynhoe Park wedding venue

You might also like...

  • Jewish Wedding Spring Restaurant, Somerset House, London UK_0087A Pronovias Bride for an Intimate Last-Minute Jewish-Australian-Danish Wedding at Spring Restaurant, Somerset House, London, UK
  • A Sharon Cunningham Bride for a Jewish Interfaith Wedding with a Feather Chuppah at The Hyatt Churchill Hotel, London, UKA Sharon Cunningham Bride for a Jewish Interfaith Wedding with a Feather Chuppah at The Hyatt Churchill Hotel, London, UK
  • A Pnina Tornai Bride for an Ultra-Chic, Ultra-NYC Jewish Wedding at Liberty Warehouse, Brooklyn, USAA Pnina Tornai Bride for an Ultra-Chic, Ultra-NYC Jewish Wedding at Liberty Warehouse, Brooklyn, USA
  • A Carolina Herrera Bride for a Super Elegant Jewish Wedding at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire, UKA Carolina Herrera Bride for a Super Elegant Jewish Wedding at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire, UK
  • An Amanda Wakeley Bride for a London-Chic, Rose Gold and Grey Jewish Wedding at Rosewood, London, UKAn Amanda Wakeley Bride for a London-Chic, Rose Gold and Grey Jewish Wedding at Rosewood, London, UK
  • A Yolan Cris Bride for a Wonderfully Quirky Jewish Wedding at Aynhoe Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UKA Yolan Cris Bride for a Wonderfully Quirky Jewish Wedding at Aynhoe Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK

Jewish Weddings by Country

Vendors We Love

Weddings by Colour


Jewish Wedding Gift List


Awesome Jewish Gifts

Vendors We Love

Get posts directly into your inbox

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Kate Spade UK Limited
Liberty London
Monica Vinader
Biscuiteers Baking Company
Mr And Mrs Smith Honeymoons

Today’s Top Posts

  • A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
    A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
  • A Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at Mt Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Colorado, USA
    A Jewish Wedding Full of Personal Touches at Mt Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Colorado, USA
  • Breaking The Glass – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #7
    Breaking The Glass – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #7
  • Dates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to avoid for a Jewish wedding plus a 12 Month Wedding Planning Monthly Checklist
    Dates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to avoid for a Jewish wedding plus a 12 Month Wedding Planning Monthly Checklist
  • A Reform Jewish Wedding - a guide to an egalitarian ceremony under the chuppah
    A Reform Jewish Wedding - a guide to an egalitarian ceremony under the chuppah

Subscribe by Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Connect

Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Twitter
Advertise
Mailing List
Email Karen

Receive Smashing The Glass posts via Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

closeClick Here To Get The Ultimate Jewish Wedding Checklist

All content © Smashing The Glass 2023