Planning a UK wedding from abroad is an exciting adventure, but organising every detail from thousands of miles away with a 5 hour time difference takes a special kind of trust. For Natasha and Jonathan, who live in the United States, creating their dream English Summer wedding at our historic Essex wedding venue meant relying on local expertise, plenty of video calls, and the confidence that everything would come together perfectly.
Although they had already completed the legal side of their marriage in the USA, they chose to celebrate with a blessing in the picturesque parish church at Layer Marney, (situated within the grounds of Layer Marney Tower), before hosting their wedding breakfast and evening reception in our Barn.
Remarkably, Natasha and Jonathan didn’t actually see their UK wedding venue in person until the day before their wedding. Jonathan’s Mum, Sharon, made an initial viewing of Layer Marney Tower in October 2025 and from the moment they booked, every decision from timings and décor to supplier coordination had been made from across the Atlantic. It was our privilege to help guide them through the planning process, ensuring every detail was ready for their arrival.
Here is the story of Natasha and Jonathan’s UK wedding.
I discovered it on the internet just by searching for historic wedding venues in England, within easy reach of my husband’s UK family for travelling. For reference, our wedding venue is located in Colchester, Essex, which is around 60 minutes from Liverpool Street Station in London by train and within approximately two hours’ drive of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, making it a convenient location for guests travelling from both the UK and overseas.
It didn’t worry me much after my mother-in-law was able to see it. Fortunately, she was able to come and see Layer Marney Tower before we fully committed to it. She took many photos and was a huge help through all of the planning. Our UK wedding venue also has a detailed wedding gallery of all our wedding spaces, as well as a virtual showround of our uk wedding venue.
The biggest challenge for me was setting up times to video chat with the vendors as there is a 5 hour time difference.
I used all of Layer Marney’s recommended vendors as I found this to be the simplest way of going about it all. I figured it would be better to have suppliers that were familiar with the venue.
I chose the photographer Lily and White because I love his work and I wanted someone who could capture the beauty of the venue, but who was also familiar with Layer Marney Tower.
We were legally married on 19th December 2025 and we celebrated by going out to dinner and watching my husband carol with his Christmas carolling group, funnily enough!
I could have nearly cried! In America we don’t have anything with that much history. I was just overwhelmed with awe and happiness.
My favourite parts of the day were the speeches, and sneaking off to feed the goats with my brother in law Harry (that walked me down the aisle) and my bridesmaid and sister in law Francesca.
Do it!!! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it!
To help plan their destination wedding in Essex, Natasha and Jonathan worked with a number of trusted local wedding suppliers, all of whom are familiar with Layer Marney Tower.
Catering by Bouquet Garni
Flowers by W Flowers
Wedding Cake by Tess’s Cakes
Bridal party makeup by Joanna Plimmer
Bridal party hair by Lisa Curtis
Evening entertainment by DJ Buzby
One of the greatest compliments we can receive is hearing that couples felt supported throughout their planning journey. After returning home to the USA, Natasha kindly sent the following message to our team.
“Jonathan and I would like to express our sincere gratitude for allowing us to celebrate our wedding at such a beautiful and special venue. Having both our ceremony in the church and our reception in the barn made our day truly unforgettable, and we could not have imagined a more perfect setting for such an important occasion.
From the moment we arrived, we felt so welcomed. The beauty, history, and charm of Layer Marney Tower provided an incredible place for our wedding and created memories that we will cherish for a lifetime.
We especially appreciated the freedom to explore the grounds and enjoy everything the estate has to offer. Being able to wander around, take in the stunning surroundings, and even spend time feeding the goats added such a unique and personal touch to our experience. These moments made our wedding weekend feel even more magical and gave us and our guests so many wonderful memories.
You (Karen) were an incredible help throughout the entire planning process, and we are forever grateful for your guidance, support, and attention to detail. Planning a wedding from overseas could have been overwhelming, but you made it feel manageable every step of the way. From providing vendor recommendations and detailed information to answering our countless questions and helping coordinate so many moving parts, your expertise and kindness gave us so much confidence and peace of mind.
Thank you for your hospitality, care, and for sharing such a remarkable place with us. We are so grateful to have celebrated our wedding at Layer Marney Tower and will always look back on our time there with great fondness.”
Natasha and Jonathan’s wedding is proof that distance doesn’t have to be a barrier to planning your perfect celebration. Whether you’re based elsewhere in the UK or overseas, our experienced team is here to help make planning your wedding at Layer Marney Tower as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. If you’re dreaming of a destination wedding in England, we’d love to help you begin your journey.
by Karen Brand – Wedding Manager
