Shaw House in Newbury

In the centre of Newbury, Shaw House is an Elizabethan building which was recently given a £6 million renovation.

Although Shaw House is open to the public, I didn’t encounter anyone outside of the wedding party, so the House felt exclusive throughout the short ceremony. I was working in a reportage role, so the lack of public mingling certainly helped. As Shaw House is a registry office, you may find at weekends this exclusivity starts to fade, so before booking it is worth asking about this.

A custom made day

The bride and groom wanted a small wedding where they had a high level of control over the day. They pieced together an ad-hoc event which effectively split the day into three parts, the ceremony, a family meal and finally having a evening reception at the family home.

I think it’s fair to say the couple wanted to avoid the formality and ceremonial aspects of a wedding, so the wedding itself was very short. Within about 30 minutes we had arrived at Shaw House and left for The Wellington Arms in Baughurst. This brilliant restaurant was hired out  for the wedding party.  So no more than 10 minutes after leaving Shaw House in Newbury, we arrived for Pimms and drinks in the garden (I say we, I mean everyone had Pimms apart from me!).  It was very much a seamless transition from one location to another.

The Wellington Arms in Baughurst

The Wellington Arms (not to be confused with the Wellington Arms Hotel) is run by Jason King and Simon Page. They have clearly invested a great deal of effort and time in the creation of their restaurant. Much of their food is locally sourced if not self-produced (I assume the chickens in the rear field are not for display purposes!)

Without giving detail, as I just cannot review food – it’s an awesome place to eat.  Although due to the size, only suitable for smaller groups and definitely a place you’ll need to pre-book.

Later in the day

As I noted above, the day ended with a larger party at the family’s house. The emphasis was still very much on a close-knit family type event. I had already befriended everyone (well maybe I flatter myself), so by this stage, despite the small numbers, I could work relatively discretely.  Something which I always try to do, in balance with not being a stranger at a wedding.