Romantic riverside weddings at The Red Lion Hotel in Henley

MG Hotels has announced a new bespoke wedding service and introduced inclusive wedding packages for their two luxurious and unique hotels:  the Red Lion in Henley on Thames and the Manor Hotel in Datchet, near Windsor.  Both are wonderful places for couples to celebrate their special day.  The Red Lion Hotel is a landmark building which dates back to 1531, idyllically located by the river Thames next to Henley Bridge, overlooking the famous Henley Royal Regatta course. The Manor is a four-star boutique hotel in the centre of the beautiful village of Datchet, overlooking the village green and a stone’s throw from the banks of the Thames.

Romantic Riverside Weddings - The Red Lion Hotel in Henley

All couples want to add a “wow” factor to their special day: at the Red Lion Hotel, the bride and groom can choose to arrive or depart by boat from the Red Lion lawn, providing any wedding photographer with the most wonderful natural scenery as backdrop – the tree-lined banks which look beautiful whatever the season and graceful swans gliding by. The Red Lion’s experienced team expertly organizes every type of celebration, from an intimate dinner for a dozen guests to a seated reception for 160 people. Exclusive use of the whole graceful ground floor of the hotel, including the wood-panelled Riverside Room, Isis Room and Thamesis Room, is available in the evening and there’s a picturesque cobbled courtyard which accommodates a marquee.

Located in the Royal Borough very close to Windsor, The Manor Hotel offers other unusual possibilities for a perfect but different wedding celebration. It’s possible for the whole wedding party to tour Windsor’s landmarks in an open-top bus between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast, for example!  Again, riparian activities can feature prominently: boat trips can be arranged to take the wedding party past Windsor Castle for those special photographs. Previous bespoke weddings at The Manor have featured a Moroccan tent lit by flickering lanterns and a cocktail bar with lively barmen shaking and stirring everything from an Acapulco to a Zia.

MG Hotels’ bespoke weddings can include tailored menus – their team of expert chefs will create exclusive dishes or re-create favourites which are meaningful, such as a traditional dish relating to a holiday, or somewhere the bride or groom has family connections with.

Asian weddings are often celebrated at The Manor, where a talented multi-national team of staff are practiced in a huge number of regional and specialist dishes. At both venues, no detail is too much trouble , even the wine and champagne can be specified and specially shipped in from as far away as South Africa or New Zealand if a couple request it. MG Hotel’s philosophy is “Let us grow your idea together”.

As well as offering a bespoke service, wedding packages are available at The Red Lion Hotel which include a wedding planner, room hire, a Master of Ceremonies, drinks on arrival and a three-course wedding breakfast with wine and sparkling wine for toasting the happy couple, all from just £65 per person.

Package prices at The Manor start at £60 per person, to include the use of the Honeymoon Suite for the night, as well as a wedding planner, room hire, flowers, a Master of Ceremonies, drinks on arrival and a three-course wedding breakfast with wine.

Brides and grooms may wish to note that Datchet is also becoming known as “the wedding village”, as it has a number of specialist wedding retailers.

MG Hotels is holding wedding fairs on Thursdays from 5 – 9 pm – please contact the hotels or visit the website for dates.