How to prepare well for a Victorian-themed wedding in Hertfordshire

You might not have realised that many customs of modern weddings can be traced as far back as the reign of Queen Victoria, which ran from 1837 until 1901. Well, okay, you might have had an inkling – especially given recent publicity surrounding the bicentenary of Victoria's birth.

Last year, TV historian Lucy Worsley even staged, as screened on BBC Two, a historically authentic recreation of Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert. If you are enchanted by the Victorian era, you can bring much of its magic to your own nuptials right here in Hertfordshire.

Prepare the bridal dress carefully

Royal weddings tend to inspire wedding attire nationwide – and our Victorian ancestors were likely similarly influenced by their Queen marrying in a white gown.

The classic white wedding gown grew in popularity as a status symbol during her reign. Although this type of gown was usually deemed expensive, it became less so for the middle class by the 1870s. The more lace, the better for the Victorians, so you might not want to skimp in that area!

Consider a suitably intimate setting

Whereas weddings tended to be public events for the whole community in the Georgian era, they were comparatively small and private during Victoria's reign. It's fitting, then, that we offer our Manor House, itself dating from 1853, for small and intimate weddings.

For any number of day guests ranging from 20 to 96, the Manor House is ready and waiting – but if you'd prefer a larger wedding, that's possible too, in our Apsley Suite. This air-conditioned space can accommodate 100 to 320 day guests, while also leaving you free to use a caterer of your choice.

All in all, Shendish Manor is a beautiful example of Victorian architecture – and everyone at the wedding will be able to appreciate its architecture in even more of its glory when they head out into the 160 acres of parkland and formal gardens circling the property.

Attention to detail is crucial when preparing a Victorian wedding; the Victorians deemed flowers, for example, to be symbolic as wedding decor. However, Shendish Manor is well-suited to hosting a wide range of Hertfordshire weddings, Victorian-themed or otherwise.

For this reason, calling +44(0)1442 232220 or emailing enquiries@shendish-manor.com to hire our venue could help you to get everything else falling quickly into place.