Today marks the fifteen year anniversary of opening our home for wedding celebrations, and it therefore feels like a fitting day on which to launch a more concerted effort to capture the experiences of life at Homme.

Weddings have changed dramatically since our first gathering in May 2004, with a wonderful explosion of ways to personalise a wedding day and many brilliant local suppliers we have enjoyed working with over the years. What has remained unchanged is the precious heart of every wedding day – a very special commitment made by two people in love in the presence of those they love most.

It is a privilege to share Homme for these occasions, the proceeds from which have been used exclusively to fund the ongoing restoration of the house and grounds. Outside, the main garden has been brought under control and transformed into the beautiful space it is today, while new orchard, bog and water garden planting has been added. The walled garden has been revived as an ornamental kitchen garden space with over 25 varieties of fruit tree, the walls of the walled garden have been part-restored (we will get there!), the rose garden re-planted with myriad old, scented rose varieties, and the parkland restocked with a range of native and non-native ornamental trees for future generations. Work continues in the woodland, to thin, replant and fell as required.

The derelict Summerhouse was restored to a glory predating living memory in 2011 thanks to incredibly generous grant funding from English Heritage and The Country Houses Foundation (now The Historic Houses Foundation), and Homme’s 18th century Coach House fully restored and offered for guest use in 2015. The Main House has received unbroken TLC over the last fifteen years, not least earlier this year when the beautiful flying staircase in the main Hall was completely restored.

While much has been achieved, there are many areas which still require attention and a project list to keep us busy for years to come, both practical and more far-fetched (vaulted cellar bar, anyone?). We look forward to sharing the journey as we tackle the expected and unexpected challenges of life here at Homme.

The traditional fifteenth wedding anniversary gift is crystal, so we shall crack a bottle and raise a glass – both to the beautiful place we call home, and to every couple who has chosen to share the most important of days with us here at Homme. We are enormously grateful to each and every one of you, and hope you have very special memories of your celebrations here.

And of course we wish a very happy anniversary to Alex and Gary, who started this journey with us in holding their wedding here at Homme exactly 15 years ago today.