Monkey Island Estate Wedding in Autumn

07.10.23

Fancy hosting your wedding on it’s own private Island? Monkey Island Estate is a stunning wedding venue in Bray, Berkshire that offers just that. Accessible only by bridge or boat, it is completely private and surrounded by the picturesque banks of the river Thames. I am lucky that Monkey Island estate is just a stone’s throw from my hometown of Marlow. It is also local to bride Emily & groom Matthew, who celebrated their gorgeous wedding weekend there in October 2023.

PREPARATIONS

Emily and Matthew began their preparations at Monkey Island, following welcome celebrations with their guests staying at the Estate the night before. The bridal and groom locations at Monkey Island are perfectly placed so that the couple are nearby, but also have ample indoor and outdoor space hidden away from one another. After a few photos, Matthew left early with the boys to greet their guests at The Queens Head pub in Little Marlow. Emily remained at the bridal suite with her bridal party, alongside the wonderful Holly Edmunds on hair and Laura Carroll on make-up. She looked exquisite in ‘Amber’ by Suzanne Neville, purchased from Ellie Sanderson’s boutique in nearby Beaconsfield.

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, LITTLE MARLOW

Their ceremony was held at St John the Baptist Church in Little Marlow, a beautiful little grade 2 listed church with a history going back over 1000 years. It is a very sentimental location to Emily & Matthew, with Matthew’s parents having married there in 1986. We had some fun recreating their wedding photos following the service! Following a beautiful ceremony, the guests gathered for confetti (well done Emily for going big on the confetti order)! I cannot emphasise this enough, you really can’t have too much confetti!

DRINKS RECEPTION

Following the ceremony, guests headed to Monkey Island estate for drinks and canapes. Although it was October, it felt like the peak of summer and the drinks reception was held outdoors in the sunshine. It was wonderful to work alongside Videographer Tessa and second photographer Ashleigh again – we always have such a great day together! For group and couples photos, we made the most of the estate’s stunning gardens, alongside backdrops of the white pavilions and views of the Thames. Despite being October, the gardens were still bursting with florals – another reason I love this beautiful venue!

the evening & party

In the evening were gifted with a little golden light later in the evening, so we nipped out between courses for some extra photos in the Autumnal light. Emily & Matthew’s day ended in an incredible party, with the incredible all-singing, all-dancing ‘Soul Brothers’ lighting up the dancefloor!

The most gorgeous day! Thank you for having me Emily & Matthew ♡