A former Benedictine nunnery in Leicestershire is being
relaunched as an exclusive wedding venue to serve the growing trend
for small and intimate ceremonies.
Langley Priory, a Grade II listed property in Diseworth, near
Castle Donington, is owned by Tim and Teri-Lee Wagstaff, who have
just spent £40,000 on renovating the property ready for a new
chapter in its 800-year history.
Langley has hosted weddings since 2004, but numbers were limited
and the Wagstaffs had to apply to North West Leicestershire
District Council for permission to expand their operation.
The couple were given the green light last month, but say they
still intend to limit numbers to ensure that the venue retains an
exclusive feel - and because the hall will remain their home.
Langley Priory, which is set within a large estate allowing
guests the freedom to enjoy rose gardens, lawns and three
ornamental lakes, has a wedding ceremony room, a dining room and
drawing room, which opens out onto a terrace. The renovation work
has seen a number of the rooms redecorated, as well as the creation
of a new bar with modern décor and a sound system.
Tim and Teri-Lee organise the weddings themselves, including
preparing the rooms, greeting the guests and arranging the flowers,
and Tim says they are looking forward to welcoming the increasing
number of couples who are turning their backs on large-scale events
in favour of more intimate weddings.
He said: "There is a very different feel to a smaller wedding
and it is a growing market, either because the bride and groom are
getting married for a second time or because they want to spend
their budget on making it a really special day shared only with the
people who are closest to them.
"We were delighted to be given permission and we can't wait to
open the house to more couples, but while we could aim to fill our
diaries with as many weddings as we could, we want to limit the
number of ceremonies we have here.
"The reasons are firstly that this is our home but also because
we don't want to lose sense of the fact that there is something
really special about getting married at Langley Priory."
The weddings are the first of a number of projects that will see
Langley make the most of its estate. It is waiting for planning
permission to open a private day spa on the grounds, while further
plans include a scheme to convert an unused stable block into
accommodation and educational workshops.
The hall, which is Tim's childhood home, is something of an
undiscovered secret, unknown even to many people who live in
Diseworth.
"We are set in a hollow, which means we can't be seen from the
main road and so we are wonderfully secluded," Tim said.
"Couples love that, it gives them the sense that the house is
there just for them - which, on the day of their wedding, it
is."