Country House Weddings turns 30 in May 2025!

In May 2025, Leez Priory, one of, if not the first, country house in England to be licensed to hold civil ceremonies, will be celebrating 30 years of making wedding dreams come true.

In May 1995, our Chairman & Founder, Harry Bramer, was successfully granted a wedding license to hold civil ceremonies at his ancient Tudor Mansion in Essex. Shortly after, Leez Priory, which was already one of the first venues in the country to be dedicated to holding wedding receptions, held its first wedding, becoming an exclusive-use wedding venue. This special day marked the beginning of Country House Weddings. 

Now, 30 years later, with six exclusive-use country house wedding venues in the Group, and countless happy couples having passed through our doors, Country House Weddings is thrilled to be celebrating this amazing milestone and making May 2025 one to remember in several exciting ways!

30th Anniversary Party

Not only that, but Harry, his son Nick, and the Country House Weddings Board of Directors are throwing a 30^th anniversary party at Leez Priory to thank staff for their continued hard work. The party will be in early June and will serve to unite teams for the first time in years, as staff from Somerset, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Cambridgeshire descend on Essex for this grand affair. With speeches from Chairman Harry and his son, Marketing Director Nick, an anniversary tree planting, and a charity raffle, paired with live music, activities and the delicious food and drink our venues are known for, this will be a well-deserved reward for the hard-working teams, especially those who have built their careers in the company.

The Group is pleased to say that over the years we have developed amazing relationships with our staff, with many long-serving team members across the Group, who have seen the company grow and evolve over the last three decades. Such as St Audries Park Deputy Manager, Courtney, who has been with the company 10 years as of April 2025, and Enquiries & Sales Support Exec, Aly, who transitioned from St Audries Park Venue Manager to the Marketing department during her 15-year tenure. Executive Head Chef, Nikki, who has been a part of the CHW family for over 20 years, is a stalwart of CHW as she oversees seven kitchen teams in six counties. All five Directors also have exceptional dedication to CHW with at least 10 years under their belts, having worked as part of the company in various roles before taking the reins.

Invited to the party will also be the Group’s Trusted Suppliers, who continuously support the venues, helping to make our weddings even better. Many of our suppliers have been recommended by us for years, including some who have been with us for more than a decade. We hope to see many familiar faces at the party as we recognise those who have supported us.

Help us reunite with our first couples!

Not only are we celebrating a special anniversary, but so will our couples who married in May 1995! We are looking to track down the couples who married at Leez Priory in May 1995, to invite them to attend our 30th anniversary party in early June – it’s going to be a fun-filled day with musical entertainment, delicious food and drink, and great company.

If you said ‘I do’ at our venue in May 1995, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch via marketing@countryhouseweddings.co.uk. Please note, we will need to confirm your wedding with us for you to attend, however, we can’t wait to meet you!

30% off for our Leez Priory couples

In celebration of May marking 30 years since we held our first wedding at Leez Priory, we’re giving couples who tied the knot at Leez Priory 30% off Dinner Date tickets!

Book your Dinner Date in May 2025 to enjoy a four-course meal with starter, sorbet, main, and dessert in the beautiful surroundings of our Tudor manor house, and relive your wedding day. To redeem, you must book and pay in May 2025. Please note, you will need to confirm you married at Leez Priory to qualify. One per couple. Terms and conditions apply.

Our anniversary is shaping up to be an amazing celebration. Watch this space!