Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1/The guest list is smaller</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Shuyu-and-Nick-274.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128715" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Shuyu-and-Nick-274.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Shuyu-and-Nick-274-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Shuyu-and-Nick-274-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Shuyu-and-Nick-274-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Shuyu-and-Nick-274-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image: First Sight Weddings</figcaption></figure>



<p>One of the biggest ways weddings have changed is the size of the guest list. These days, couples are far more likely to have an intimate wedding than a grand gathering &#8211; ideal if you&#8217;re on a more reserved budget, or you&#8217;d rather keep things cosy. </p>



<p>&#8220;Most weddings in 2020 and 2021 took place with hugely reduced guest numbers, so I think 2022 couples are reevaluating, prioritising and creating their &#8216;VIP&#8217; list,&#8221; says Emma from <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-tythe-barn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Tythe&nbsp;Barn (opens in a new tab)">The Tythe&nbsp;Barn</a>. &#8220;Not to mention, the word on the street right now is ‘inflation,’ and couples will be being savvy about how to be the most efficient with their wedding budget.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s not to say that couples are opting for rule-of-six type figures &#8211; simply scaling down slightly. &#8220;Pre-pandemic,&nbsp;Tythe would see couples considering a guest list of around 90-120 for the ceremony and wedding breakfast,&#8221; says Emma.&nbsp;&#8220;Now our average at present is around 70-90 guests.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2/The vibe is more intimate</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/EvennyJack-303-Tythe-Barn.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128717" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/EvennyJack-303-Tythe-Barn.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/EvennyJack-303-Tythe-Barn-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/EvennyJack-303-Tythe-Barn-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/EvennyJack-303-Tythe-Barn-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/EvennyJack-303-Tythe-Barn-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: Jonny Gouldstone</figcaption></figure>



<p>With smaller guest lists, there&#8217;s a real danger that guests can feel like they&#8217;re rattling around in a big, empty wedding venue &#8211; that is, unless you choose one that&#8217;s adaptable. </p>



<p>&#8220;The main&nbsp;barn&nbsp;at Tythe is&nbsp;just over 29 metres&nbsp;long, but&nbsp;our huge,&nbsp;moveable&nbsp;barn&nbsp;doors draped in fairy lights can&nbsp;track round to&nbsp;close in the room and create a more intimate setting,&#8221; explains Emma. &#8220;We also have a gorgeous linen curtain&nbsp;at the opposite end of the main&nbsp;barn&nbsp;which can&nbsp;be drawn to&nbsp;make the space feel smaller.&nbsp;We&nbsp;had a number of weddings&nbsp;at&nbsp;Tythe&nbsp;for 15 during the pandemic and by making these changes this number felt perfect in the&nbsp;barn!&#8221;</p>



<p>Another way to stop smaller gatherings feeling out of place is to make the most of outdoor spaces, which can be surprisingly flexible compared to fixed rooms.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-515.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128718" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-515.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-515-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-515-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-515-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-515-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: <a href="https://poppycarterportraits.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Poppy Carter Portraits (opens in a new tab)">Poppy Carter Portraits</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;Smaller&nbsp;weddings tend to gather in our&nbsp;intimate,&nbsp;manicured back garden, filled with&nbsp;pretty&nbsp;plants,&nbsp;oak&nbsp;pergola and fairy lights,&#8221; Emma says.&nbsp;&#8220;It&#8217;s so popular that we&#8217;ve even started offering couples the opportunity to enjoy their first dance&nbsp;here,&nbsp;under&nbsp;the&nbsp;stars.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3/Outdoor weddings are more popular</h2>



<p>Speaking of outdoor weddings, after a few years with only meetings outside allowed, more and more couples are looking for wedding venues with beautiful gardens for alfresco ceremonies &#8211; even if the British weather doesn&#8217;t always play ball. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="665" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-CopyrightDearestLove-481.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128719" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-CopyrightDearestLove-481.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-CopyrightDearestLove-481-360x239.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-CopyrightDearestLove-481-720x479.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-CopyrightDearestLove-481-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-CopyrightDearestLove-481-789x525.jpg 789w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: <a href="http://www.dearestlove.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Dearest Love Photography (opens in a new tab)">Dearest Love Photography</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;Outdoor weddings are nothing new &#8211; we&#8217;ve been offering them for over twenty years now &#8211; but the events of the past few years have definitely made it a more popular option as social distancing is less of a consideration,&#8221; says Emma.&nbsp;&#8220;Our ceremony space works for all seasons, too: the pergola is adorned with lilac wisteria in the spring, dense,&nbsp;deep green foliage in the summer and pretty festoon bulbs&nbsp;to&nbsp;light up those autumnal and winter evenings.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4/The weddings are longer</h2>



<p>&#8220;There might be fewer guests at the weddings now, but couples now really want to put the focus on showing their appreciation to those guests who <em>can</em> make it, and spend quality time with them,&#8221; Emma says. &#8220;Whether this is family members, close friends or relatives travelling&nbsp;from overseas, couples&nbsp;are extending their wedding day to take advantage of this precious time together.&#8221; </p>



<p>How exactly does one go about extending their wedding day? &#8220;Americans have for a long time incorporated a rehearsal dinner the night before&nbsp;a&nbsp;wedding and at&nbsp;Tythe&nbsp;we are experiencing more and more requests for a scaled down version of this,&#8221; explains Emma.&nbsp;&#8220;Couples are looking to enjoy the company of their guests both before and after the wedding day.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-IMG_3006.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128721" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-IMG_3006.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-IMG_3006-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-IMG_3006-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-IMG_3006-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-IMG_3006-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: Sam Bennett</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;The demand for the extended wedding played a big role in our decision to renovate our family Farmhouse at Tythe into luxury accommodation.&nbsp;Couples and their guests&nbsp;now&nbsp;have access to The Farmhouse from 4pm the day before their wedding and can&nbsp;enjoy&nbsp;the gardens, the&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;court, an&nbsp;afternoon tea&nbsp;or a dip in the wood-fuelled hot tub. It&#8217;s also a fantastic space for the bride&nbsp;and&nbsp;bridesmaids to get ready, and there&#8217;s a room dedicated to the groom and his ushers.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="668" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-Annie-James-0231-9645.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128722" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-Annie-James-0231-9645.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-Annie-James-0231-9645-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-Annie-James-0231-9645-720x481.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-Annie-James-0231-9645-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-Annie-James-0231-9645-786x525.jpg 786w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: New Forest Studio</figcaption></figure>



<p>&#8220;After the wedding, guests can then retire&nbsp;to the Farmhouse&nbsp;after the wedding&nbsp;for late night munchies, a night cap and a&nbsp;catch up on the day’s events. Then everyone can enjoy a leisurely (and hopefully not too hungover!) breakfast together the next day. It&#8217;s a great way to extend the day in a natural-feeling way, and ensure everyone gets quality time.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5/The suppliers are more local</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-8.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128723" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-8.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-8-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-8-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-8-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-PoppyCarterPortraits-WeddingPhotography-KerrySean-8-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: Poppy Carter Portraits</figcaption></figure>



<p>It might not be a direct effect of the pandemic, but these days, green is the new white when it comes to weddings. &#8220;Millennial and Gen Z couples&nbsp;particularly are keen to make the extra effort needed to ensure their venue and their wedding day isn&#8217;t going to have a huge impact on the environment,&#8221; Emma agrees.</p>



<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re definitely seeing a trend for a greener wedding, with couples&nbsp;being more mindful about wedding wastefulness, helping to support the local economy by hiring local suppliers and being more open using seasonal flowers and locally-grown foods for their menu. Tythe&nbsp;is fully committed to establishing itself as a green, socially-aware and inclusive venue &#8211; it&#8217;s our ambition to be net zero in the future!&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-EvennyJack-190.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-128724" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-EvennyJack-190.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-EvennyJack-190-360x240.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-EvennyJack-190-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-EvennyJack-190-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/Tythe-Barn-EvennyJack-190-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Image credit: Jonny Gouldstone</figcaption></figure>



<p>Wedding bells ringing in your future? Visit <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="thetythebarn.co.uk (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.thetythebarn.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Tythe Barn website</a> to take a peek around this gorgeous Bicester venue. </p>



<p><em><a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-tythe-barn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Tythe Barn (opens in a new tab)">The Tythe Barn</a>, Charbridge Ln, Launton, Bicester, OX26 4SR</em></p>


5 ways weddings have changed for 2022 and beyond

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