A Destination Wedding Weekend in the English Countryside

Schuyler Claiden is a born-and-bred New Yorker, but her heart has always been in England. “I’m definitely an Anglophile,” she says, laughing. And she comes by it honestly: Her dad is a Brit, so she has dual citizenship—as well as a taste for PG Tips, the royal family, and Colin Firth. Her husband, Tyler Parsons, remembers how, when they were deciding where to marry, she casually floated the idea of a U.K. wedding day. “It was an easy decision,” Tyler says. “I knew it was her dream.” London, surprisingly, didn’t factor in: “We wanted to give our friends the classic English countryside experience,” the bride says. To that end, they booked Wilderness Reserve, a historic manor house in Suffolk complete with cozy cottages, grassy fields, and roaming sheep.

From there, the couple—who met through mutual friends in 2015, and had their first date at Tiny's in Tribeca, where Tyler also proposed in 2017—set about planning a long weekend of events with the help of Pocketful of Dreams. On the itinerary? A welcome BBQ, Beverly Hills–themed pool party, archery and clay shooting, and more. So keep reading to see all the fun (and beautiful!) details from their destination wedding, as photographed by Emilie White.

First up: The couple sent out stunning botanical invites by Stephanie Fishwick that set the tone for their English countryside celebration. As a surprise to the Schuyler, the bride's mother and wedding planner also worked with Stephanie to repurpose their custom crest on the rehearsal dinner menus.

Following a welcome cookout of lamb burgers on Thursday night, guests hit the property's pool on Friday for a Beverly Hills Hotel–themed pool party. "We envisioned this as our most outlandish, modern event, with big balloons in the pool, spicy margaritas, a make-your-own-mimosa station," says the bride.

That night, everyone split up for one of two rehearsal dinners: a casual gathering (with mac-and-cheese and pizza food trucks!) for most, and a seated, candlelit meal in the manor house for the 30-person wedding party. “It was our Downton Abbey moment,” Schuyler admits. Schuyler wore a gown by Oscar de la Renta to start the night, and later changed into a second look by Valentino.

But before dinner began, Schuyler and Tyler took time to pose for portraits around the stunning, ivy-covered property. As a funny note, the bride adds that when she and Tyler first started dating, she joked with her friends that she wasn't sure she could date him because their names rhymed. "But, clearly, I got over that quite quickly," she says with a laugh.

For the formal rehearsal dinner, the couple added their own modern touches to the room’s classic decor: Matte gold plates played off gilt frames, while acrylic Chiavari chairs and candelabras echoed the crystal glassware.

The morning of the wedding, wet weather squelched plans for boat races and wellie tossing (the Brits have made a legit sport of hurling rubber boots), but the couple was unfazed. “What could be more English than rain?” the bride jokes.

And, of course, with a weekend full of beautiful bridal looks, Schuyler pulled out all the stops on her big day. For that, she selected an Oscar de la Renta gown and capelet, which she paired with a sweet bundle of lily of the valley. "I wanted something small, simple and elegant," she says of her tightly packed bouquet.

Schuyler's six bridesmaids wore mismatched gowns in different shades of blue. "Each girl wore something different that I felt suited her figure and personal style," she says. "I wanted some sense of cohesiveness so we looked for dresses in a similar icy blue color, with the exception of my sister and maid of honor, who wore white."

The bride rode to the nearby church in a 1971 Rolls Royce (something borrowed from Wilderness Reserve!).

After months of struggling to find a ceremony site, the bride and her father happened upon St. Edmund King & Martyr Church after a trip to a nearby brewery. The bride was “blown away” by its beauty, so she emailed the reverend—and, luckily, the site was available on their date!

There, the ceremony went off with just one hitch: “At one point, the reverend took a long pause and looked at us expectantly,” she recalls. “We looked at him, like, Um, what now? We didn’t realize it was our cue to kiss!”

With that minor detail taken care of, everyone was free to enjoy cocktails back on the lawn at the manor house while the couple explored the property for more stunning photos. At this point, Tyler slipped into a white dinner jacket for—you guessed it—dinner!

Dinner took place in the manor’s orangery. “We wanted the reception to feel like a very chic home with flowers and chinoiserie everywhere,” Schuyler explains. In lieu of a seated dinner, the meal was served at stations so guests could party nonstop. “We didn’t want anyone to have to wait for a drink or food,” Schuyler says.

Also, in lieu of a traditional wedding cake, the couple opted to do a Champagne pour. She adds, "Neither Tyler nor I are huge fans of sweets, and I knew I would be too excited to eat the cake so we opted for something almost everyone likes—Champagne!"

Dinner and dessert took place in two different buildings on the property, so the trees between were decorated with fairy lights and lanterns to guide guests along the way.

Back in the orangery, though, the couple was surrounded by their loved ones, who gave memorable toasts and speeches. The outdoor space was decorated with trees and more blue flowers to tie with the inside reception decor.

The couple chose "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith for their first dance. "We had fun with the song! It originated as a joke but turned out to be perfect," Schuyler says.

After dancing, the bride changed into yet another Oscar de la Renta gown—for the rest of the night and the sparkler exit. But the night (and dress changes!) didn't end there!

Instead, everyone partied upstairs until 11 p.m., when a noise ordinance (to not disturb the sheep!) forced the group, including the bride now in Zuhair Murad, to the basement for more dancing, drinks, and bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches.