A beautiful Cotswolds venue occupying a rare niche in the world of weddings. Within easy reach of Oxford, London, the M40, and M4, this 17th Century manor house is set in mature, landscaped, grounds enclosed within the remaining arms of a 15th Century moat. Friars Court operates exclusively and uniquely as a ceremony-only venue.
Friars Court welcomes prospective ceremony couples with as few restriction as possible - few limits on the day, time, location or minimum number of guests: Friars Court will, happily, host a ceremony for a couple with a handful of guests in the middle of a peak season Saturday afternoon. The option to hold a drinks reception after the ceremony enables couples and their guests to make the very most of this fabulous and unique venue.
Founded, in 1149, as the first Hospitaller in Oxfordshire by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, Friars Court became a private residence after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. Most of the house you see today is the result of major alterations in 1650. After a succession of different owners and tenants, the estate was bought by Richard Willmer in 1920 passing first to his son, John, and on to his grandson, Charles who still lives in the house.
Friars Court was the first private venue in Oxfordshire to create an outdoor garden ceremony location. Now the rules no longer require a structure for a civil ceremony, Friars Court has added more garden locations for your ceremony including two pergolas, the Entrance Porch, Summer House and ever-popular Rose Arbour. Also ratified are specific open areas within the grounds where specimen trees, garden ornaments or water (rather than a structure) will create a glorious, photogenic, backdrop for a truly outdoor garden wedding ceremony experience.
As there has to be a bad-weather back-up plan, Friars Court also has the Garden Room (maximum capacity - 80 people). The Garden Room has large windows looking out over the grounds and a partially-glazed roof, ensuring the space is light and bright even on the dullest of days while the neutral décor will highlight any decorations and colour schemes. The sofas of the adjacent Old Laundry seating area are grouped around a wood-burning stove creating a comfortable, quiet and warm seating area or even, perhaps, the location for a small and informal wedding ceremony.
Total numbers at a wedding, whether outdoor or indoors, are governed by the capacity of the indoor space.
As Friars Court is a family home, there is no accommodation available on site. However, there are ample options in the local area for guests wishing to stay the night.
To contact this venue, please click on the details above and below.
AddressJust wanted to say a huge huge thank you to Jeffrey and everyone else at Friars Court, including Percy, Nelson, Carson and Mrs. Hughes (especially the latter two who calmed my nerves completely during my pre-wedding talk with the registrar) - you all helped to make our wedding day even better than we ever could have imagined.
For the whole year leading up to the wedding, Jeffrey was constantly on hand to help, advise, problem-solve, put my mind at ease and do pretty much anything else that was needed to ensure everything went well and we felt so much less stressed with him on our team. On the day itself we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves knowing that, between Jeffrey and our caterers Sadlers, we didn't need to worry about a thing. That's probably the best gift a bride could ask for on her wedding day! Thank you Jeffrey, our wedding really wouldn't have been what it was without you.
I want to pull all the stars out the sky and give them to you! Even then, that wouldn't be enough! Jeffrey, you simply are my fairy godmother. You were instrumental in helping to create the venue of my dreams - you have exquisite taste and a knack for creating shameless beauty in the smallest and even most insignificant of things. Although we met only a handful of times, I feel like I've known you all my life. You put together a breath taking piece from the muddled suggestions in my brain, and we cannot thank you enough. I wouldn't have done it any other way and would not have changed a single thing. Thank you for creating such a beautiful place for us to wed. I couldn't find the words to express how grateful we are for all the advice, and help you provided every step of the way. You went above and beyond anything we could have expected. There are no words. Just. Thank you!
This is just a quick note to say thank you so much for everything that you did for us in the run up to the wedding, on the day and in fact, the day after! We had the most incredible day, and it was absolutely perfect for us. Not least in a large part for all the assistance you gave us with your calming, but epic-ally long emails in the days before and providing distractions when needed – all in the line of duty. The marquee looked fantastic, the barn looked incredible - although I don't really remember the ceremony much – it really is a bit of a blur! Everyone has complimented us on how beautiful everything was, and that is largely down to you (and Charles!).
Friars Court is a fabulous place to have had our wedding, and not just because the grounds are beautiful, but because your help was invaluable to us. We genuinely couldn't have hoped for more. Our wedding day was memorable for all the right reasons, and we really cannot thank you enough for everything.
Once again, thank you so much from both of us, you helped make the day so special.