Ana & Animesh
The little details…
Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire
Photography: Weddings by Nicola & Glen
Additional photos of Bev & Rich’s wedding courtesy of Jessie M Photography
A fine dining wedding
We’ve been honoured to be on the recommend suppliers list at Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin starred restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire for the past 15 years.
It is a wonderful venue and one where we’re always made to feel very much at home. We’ve performed at countless weddings here over the years, and have also been booked by the venue to entertain diners at Le Manoir’s own events on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.
So, when Ana & Animesh asked us to provide a wedding music package for them, we were only too happy to oblige.
Le Manoir is tucked away in the Oxfordshire countryside, and just strolling around the beautiful manicured gardens is a lovely way of spending half and hour - not to mention a beautiful setting for a wedding photoshot, as you can see from these beautiful photos taken by Nicola & Glen.
It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location to hold your wedding or special event. We can’t recommend it highly enough!
Ana & Animesh’s live music package
Ana & Animesh’s wedding took place in the beautiful conservatory at Le Manoir, which is yours for the day.
The conservatory doors open out onto the picturesque garden, with the local church visible just over the wall. It’s a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony - and also, check out that gorgeous canine ringbearer (who, sadly, doesn’t come free with the venue…)
Our jazz quintet played guests into the conservatory, and then we serenaded Ana down the aisle. The couple had requested a range of pop songs as pre-ceremony entertainment including Make You Feel My Love and they even included a Disney classic, A Whole New World!
The band then continued playing jazz standards whilst guests enjoyed drinks and croquet on the lawn in the summer sunshine.
Dinner entertainment
Of course, a wedding at Le Manoir is all about the food, so after the drinks reception it was on to the main event - an exceptional dinner prepared by Raymond Blanc’s world-class team.
Ana & Animesh decided that they wanted to dine in style, with sophisticated live background jazz music.
After talking through the options with them, we decided that a different band from Mike Paul-Smith Music would perform over dinner. We swapped piano for guitar to subtly change the vibe of the performance, and also selected another of our exceptional vocalists to perform. As Mike Paul-Smith Music is a collective of around 35 musicians, it’s no problem for us to provide multiple line-ups on the same day as we did for Ana & Animesh.
Other music options at Le Manoir
Ana & Animesh chose not to have an evening party; but, for those wanting to stay and dance, the conservatory at Le Manoir also makes a perfect space for dancing as it opens out onto the garden, providing a lovely atmosphere.
As the sun sets the party band begins playing and guests can usually move freely between the dancefloor, bar and outdoor seating area. In fact, it’s not at all uncommon for guests to be dancing on the outdoor patio under the stars whilst the band play inside, just a few metres away.
As Le Manoir can accommodate a maximum of 50 or so guests, it makes for a very intimate and personalised celebration.
Here are some pictures of Bev & Rich’s wedding - another wonderful couple who we performed for at Le Manoir.
Another popular option at Le Manoir is using the garden for entertainment during an afternoon drinks reception. Bev & Rich also chose to have our roaming band The Vintage Strollers performing for them - this band is made up of musicians from the larger Get Downs line-up, so can entertain your guests in the daytime before the rest of the band arrive for the evening party.
The Vintage Strollers can play completely acoustically; or they can be gently amplified with wireless microphones, allowing the music to be heard across a wider area.
A day at Le Manoir is always a wonderful experience and we can’t wait to return there to work with the exceptional team very soon.
