Mary Catherine & Huw

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A two-day celebration at one of England’s most storied private gardens — planned across two hemispheres, executed without a single missed beat.

The Vision

Mary Catherine & Huw Came To Cotswolds Weddings With A Very Specific Challenge.

They were based in Australia. They had fallen in love with the idea of a Kiftsgate wedding. And they needed someone on the ground who could be their eyes, ears, and hands for every detail of a 133-guest, two-day celebration.

The brief was ambitious: a church ceremony at St. Eadburgha’s in Ebrington, drinks in the water garden, a marquee dinner with live music, wood-fired feasting, a DJ set until midnight, and a second day of celebrations — all at one of the Cotswolds’ most exquisite private estates.

What they needed was a planner who didn’t just understand weddings — but understood Kiftsgate specifically. Its rhythms, its logistical complexity, its particular magic.

FRIDAY

The Ceremony & Celebration

Mary Catherine and Huw’s brief was different in character but equal in ambition: a classic English church wedding followed by an estate celebration that felt generous, relaxed, and utterly of its place.

The two-day structure gave guests time to settle into the experience rather than race through it. Day One centred on ceremony, arrival, and the long summer evening. Day Two was quieter — the same people, the same setting, a different pace.

The day began with the estate being readied across every zone — the marquee dressed and laid, florals placed, bar set up, drinks tables positioned. By the time guests boarded coaches to St. Eadburgha’s Church in Ebrington, Kiftsgate was already waiting for them.
The church ceremony was followed by a return to the estate, where Marcello Music played acoustic guitar in the water garden as guests arrived to champagne and the view that makes Kiftsgate unlike anywhere else. Canapés were served across the water garden and pool area before guests moved through to the marquee.
Dinner unfolded in a relaxed, unhurried sequence — sharing boards, a wood-fired feast from Wild Oven, speeches woven between courses, cake cutting, first dance. Tru Groove took the evening from dinner to dancefloor with two live sets before switching to DJ, and Wild Oven’s pizza Landrover appeared outside the manor as the night wore on. The last guests left at midnight.

Behind the scenes, the team executed a full turnaround of the space, resetting and reconfiguring in preparation for the following day, while preserving the integrity of the gardens.

Saturday

The Continuation

Day Two offered something rarer than a second wedding — a second chance to be present. The same people, the same setting, a different pace. Without the formality of ceremony, guests arrived already relaxed, already belonging to the place.

Behind the scenes the morning involved a full reset — the estate methodically cleared, refreshed, and handed back to itself. By the time guests arrived, there was no trace of the day before. Just Kiftsgate, ready again.

Execution Highlights

Cross-hemisphere planning: Full wedding managed remotely for clients based in Australia, with seamless communication from first brief to final debrief.
Multi-zone logistics: Simultaneous management of pool area, water garden, courtyard, and marquee across both days
Church-to-estate transfer: Two 53-seater coaches coordinated with 10-minute precision, ensuring guests arrived at Kiftsgate in time for a standing canapé reception
Supplier team of 10: Fourteen suppliers briefed, sequenced, and managed across the two-day build, including a full overnight reset between Day One and Day Two.
Contingency management: Original wedding car cancelled close to the date; replacement sourced and confirmed without the couple being impacted.
Timeline integrity: A 16-hour Day One schedule — from 7:45am make-up to midnight last guest — held without a single significant delay.

The Result

A wedding that felt effortless — because everything difficult had been done long before the guests arrived. Mary Catherine and Huw were fully present for every moment of both days. Their guests moved through the experience without ever encountering a queue, a gap, or a moment of uncertainty.

Kiftsgate provided the setting. The supplier team provided the craft. The planning provided the invisible architecture that made both possible.

Luxury wedding car in Chipping Campden Cotswolds with bride and groom arriving at countryside venue