Old Rectory Estate Wedding | Aman and Emmanuel

Nov 1

FUSION WEDDING AT THE OLD RECTORY ESTATE, SURREY

The Old Rectory Estate in Surrey is a real hidden gem when it comes to luxury wedding venues in the UK. With a French inspired manor house, and Italian landscaped gardens, the estate has so many beautiful spots for your wedding photos.

Aman and Emmanuel planned a relaxed wedding ceremony to celebrate their long-awaited union with loved ones, and an absolutely banging party to honour their combined cultures and heritage. Aman said
”We wanted our wedding to demonstrate our two cultures and personalities coming together. A lot of our relationship has been away from my family (during Covid, in Rwanda, or long distance), so we're keen to celebrate with our loved ones as we embark on this new chapter!”

Here are some highlights from their beautiful day, including some 35mm film snippets.

GETTING READY

There is plenty of space and beautiful rooms at The Old Rectory Estate to get ready for your wedding ceremony. With big windows to let in lots of natural light (my personal fave), it is such a stunning backdrop for your personal details and last minute touch-ups before you get hitched.

ROMANTIC DESTINATION WEDDING VIBE PORTRAITS

Aman and Emmanuel decided to have their couple portraits and group photos before their ceremony. I highly recommend doing this, especially if you are having a later ceremony or winter wedding to make the most of the natural light; not only this, but it means all you then have to do is relax and enjoy your day with all your key photos done! No scrambling after the ceremony to find your uncles and aunts, or taking you away from your guests during drinks reception.

This modern couple really embraced their time for portraits together, walking among the stunning grounds of the estate with the sun shining it felt like we were in the South of France!

A CEREMONY IN THE ITALIAN GARDENS

Follow the path by the house, and you will come to the most beautiful stairway leading up to the tranquil Italian walled gardens. Aman and Emmanuel chose this spot for its intimate setting, surrounded by flowers and cyprus trees, it was the perfect spot for a joyful ceremony. Family was at the heart of their ceremony, with Aman’s sister acting as celebrant, readings from Emmanuel’s sister, and a performance by Aman’s youngest sister. Aman was supported down the aisle by her parents, both so incredibly proud and happy to be there for her. Emmanuel’s best friend played the part of best man, waiting at his side as Aman entered the ceremony.

I love how they both looked to each other for reassurance during the day, Emmanuel bringing the party vibes and Aman bringing her elegance and delicate nature to the bigger moments.

Family and friends gathered at the front of the house for confetti! I always like to think confetti is a way of sprinkling love and warm wishes as the take their first walk into married life together.

A FUSION WEDDING CELEBRATION

Aman and Emmanuel really wanted to embrace and celebrate their different cultures for their day, encouraging guests to change into outfits that reflected their heritage and culture for the evening celebration. With a fusion of Aman’s Indian, and Emmanuel’s Rwandan background, it was truly felt in everything from the music, to the food, to the outfits, and to the dancing! It is always an incredible privilege to be a part of fusion weddings, embracing your customs and traditions alongside you.

Canapes and fizz were soon followed by cutting of the cake and a fantastic choreographed first dance. All the guests get involved with dancing with Aman and Emmanuel, including a special family dance where both sides of their families performed traditional dancing. There was so much joy and pride during this part of the day, absolutely everyone was on the dancefloor for the Bhangara and afrobeats!