TheVenue
The Tythe Barn, Launton in Oxfordshire
The Tythe Barn is a collection of beautifully restored Cotswold stone barns and a 17th Century farmhouse set on a working family farm in the Oxfordshire village of Launton near Bicester (if you know you know).
It's got the exact balance of laid-back but lovely that we were looking for. If we were interior designers, we'd probably call it — "rural chic". We wanted to keep the ceremony, reception, breakfast, and party all in one place and Tythe is just the one place for it. We hope you love it as much as we do!
The
Wedding Day
We're getting married on Friday, 17th May 2024
2 pm
Time for a toast and nibbles | Reception
Eeeeeek! We just got married. Join us for champagne and canapés under the willow tree or on the front lawn. There'll be a giant Jenga, boules, and croquet to keep everyone entertained.
Heads-up: The canapés are unlikely to be super substantial so make sure you've had a good breakfast before you arrive — especially if you're a lightweight like Marion (and Mark). We'll also provide rosé Nozecco for those that aren't drinking.
1.30 pm
Time to tie the knot | Wedding Ceremony
Weather-willing (come on May!), we’ll be tying the knot al fresco under the wisteria. We’re excited to have our friend, Sard (not her real name) as our celebrant. If you've ever met Sard, you'll understand the excitement!
If the heavens open (apparently good luck for Italian weddings, who knew?), we’ll retreat to The Cowshed for the ceremony. Mark’s a lucky charm though so we’re hoping the weather will be kind.
These timings might change but here's a rough schedule for the order of the (wedding) day.
4 pm
Time to eat, drink, and be merry | Wedding Breakfast
After all those bubbles, we're probably going to need some food. Enter the Wedding Breakfast. It's actually a lunch though, and there will be no breakfast food (sadly). Here's why it's called "breakfast" for anyone else that was as confused as we were.
We'll tuck into a three-course meal inside the Thatched Barn. All dietary requirements will be catered for and you can take your pick from three options for starters, main, and dessert.
7.15 pm
Time for something sweet | Cake Cutting
Did somebody say cake...? Hell yes, we did. We'll be cutting into a multi-tiered beauty, and serving up three flavours of cake with a glass of spumante. There will also be gluten and dairy-free cupcakes for the dietary-challenged, which will have no shortage of style in decoration. There may or may not be a champagne tower...
7.30 pm
Time to throw some shapes | DJ Frank
Who wants to see our first dance when you could see our (much more interesting) last dance at the end of the night? Get ready to throw some shapes under the disco ball because DJ Frank's in the house (read: barn).
Don't miss Mark's robot moves, and if anyone spots Marion throwing her hair around, please remind her that she has a sore neck to take care of!
9.30 pm
Time for late-night munchies | Pizza Feast
Dancing is hungry work. No problemo. We'll be serving up a selection of wood-fired pizzas and fresh salads in the Cowshed to keep you going.
If you need a minute to take a breather from all the action (Marion totally gets it), then The Cowshed should offer some respite, or you could also cozy up under a blanket outside in the fresh air by the warmth of the fire.
12 am
Time for carriages and bed | Sparkler Send-Off
If you're anything like Mark, you'll want to Cinderella yourself away before the clock strikes midnight (because that's exactly what we'll be doing). In fact, we invite you to send us to bed in style with a totally unnecessary sparkler send-off (because we can).
We recommend arranging transport in advance (here are some taxi numbers) so your carriage doesn't turn into a pumpkin.
M and M
🎶 Now this is a story all about how
Our lives got flipped-turned upside down
And we’d like to take a minute, just sit right there
We’ll tell you how we came together (if you actually care)
Marion and Mark met online once upon a (long) time ago before dating apps were a thing. It was called MySingleFriend.com and it sounds as bad as it was. They dated for about six months but the timing wasn't right. They both needed to age like a fine wine or a stinky cheese.
They reconnected eleven years later on the 1st of January 2022. For some reason, neither of them was hungover, and they managed to wait a whole three hours before sharing their second, first kiss.
Fast forward to the milestones — we'll make this quick...
Luna
Lola
🐾 We don't usually wear these Barbie suits but we were forced to after we were spayed.
Mark was bullied into asking Marion to be his girlfriend by his six-year-old student, and eleven months later they moved in together. After seven months of cohabitation, they realised there was something missing.
Along came Luna and Lola — two Birman cats who are more fluff than feline, and possess magical powers that can turn dog-people into cat lovers. It's spooky.
Fast forward to August of 2023. During a surprise trip to the island of Majorca, Mark slipped a ring into Marion's champagne and asked her to marry him. With the help of a ceramic lemon, Marion agreed.
The
Honeymoon Pot
The best gift for us is having you to share our big day
But if you’d like to contribute in some other way
We wouldn't say no to some extra pennies in the pot
For the honeymoon we’re planning after tying the knot.
The truth is, we have plenty of stuff. What we can never have enough of though is experiences. That's why we created a honeymoon pot for anyone that wants to generously bestow us with a gift. It's not expected though. We're just happy you can be there with us to celebrate.
After much debate, we're planning to visit Japan & French Polynesia for our honeymoon! Just pick an experience for our honeymoon and we'll raise a glass to you while we're having the time of our lives!
