Creslow Manor is a remarkable survival: a Grade I listed house in the tiny hamlet of Creslow, near Whitchurch in the Vale of Aylesbury, and one that describes itself, credibly, as the oldest continuously inhabited house in Buckinghamshire. The core of it is medieval, and so are the walls around the garden, which gives the whole place an enclosed, slightly secretive quality that photographs beautifully and feels even better in person.
The land around it has a genuinely royal history. The great field at Creslow was for centuries the grazing ground that supplied the Royal Table, and the hamlet has stayed almost untouched as a result: a house, a church, a handful of farm buildings and a great deal of sky. There is no pub and no passing traffic. For a wedding that turns out to be an advantage rather than a drawback, because whatever happens here happens entirely on your terms and nobody else’s.
Weddings are exclusive use and built around a permanent marquee overlooking the walled gardens, hung with crystal chandeliers beneath a starlit ceiling, with its own dance floor and a fully staffed bar. Civil ceremonies take place in the rooms of the manor house itself, which gives the day a lovely contrast: the intimacy and the low ceilings of an ancient house for the vows, then all the space of the marquee and the lawns for everything that follows. Up to 220 can sit down to dinner and 300 stand for the evening, and live music, discos and fireworks are all permitted.
Where the band plays
The marquee is the room, and a permanent structure like this one is considerably better for live music than a temporary hire. There is a proper dance floor already in place, a defined area for a band to set up, and none of the guesswork about levelling and flooring that comes with putting a marquee in a field. Marquees are forgiving acoustically in that they do not ring, but they do not hold sound in either, so a band that mixes with a little discipline will always sound better here than one that simply pushes the volume. At 200 or more guests the space carries a larger line-up very happily.
Ceremony, drinks and the walled garden
The walk from the manor house out through the walled gardens to the marquee is one of the real pleasures of the place, and it is exactly the stretch of the afternoon that live music improves. An acoustic duo, a string quartet or a single singer playing in the garden while the drinks go round costs relatively little and does more for the atmosphere than almost anything else you could spend the money on.
How the evening runs
Celebrations here typically run to midnight, which is generous: dinner can take its time, the speeches need not be rushed, and the band get two full sets with a proper encore. There is parking on site and the approach is down quiet lanes, so give suppliers clear directions and a sensible arrival slot. As the site is rural and entirely yours, check whether amplified music has to stop before the bar closes, and book transport for a little after the last song.
Bands available in Buckinghamshire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Buckinghamshire.
- Wedding Bands in Buckinghamshire
- Events Bands in Buckinghamshire
- Buckinghamshire Tribute Acts
- Buckinghamshire Wedding DJs
- Buckinghamshire Corporate Entertainment
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.