Emma Deeley said goodbye to a fashionable London lifestyle when she moved to the small village of Launton in Oxfordshire after marrying her husband, Will. Together they own and run Tythe, a wedding and event venue set at the heart of their family farm. Here Emma talks about the success of this beautiful location:
I’m a former London-based professional dancer and personal trainer who swapped ridiculously high stilettos and the King’s Road for life on a farm, wellies and a family”
Emma Deeley, Tythe
C&B: “Emma – it looks to us like you’ve brought the unique style of Chelsea to your area of the British countryside – how long ago did you set up Tythe and what prompted your decision to open the venue?”
ED: “Tythe was founded back in 1998, when we transformed the first of the lambing barns on the farm into an event space. The way farms are run and managed has changed dramatically over the years and many farm buildings, like the Tythe barn, became redundant – particularly with the introduction of large pieces of high-tech machinery. The Tythe estate has grown significantly since then and now offers a wonderful collection of beautifully restored barns and an impressive 17th century farmhouse all set within manicured gardens and mature grounds…”
Tythe and our working family farm is located in a fantastic spot – central to both the north and south and only five minutes from the M40 linking London and the midlands. We also have the beautiful 12th century St. Mary’s village church only a short stroll through the gardens from Tythe…”
Emma Deeley, Tythe
C&B: “Do you still remember who your first clients were? And how many weddings do you now hold annually?”
ED: “My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Peter and Sarah were our very first clients! We’ve now been running weddings for 25 years but up until last summer we had offered only day weddings. With the introduction of our new Farmhouse accommodation and a move to longer weekend or 2-night midweek weddings we’re opening up the diary to around 60 weddings annually…”
C&B: “What does Tythe offer over and above other English country locations?”
ED: “Firstly, Tythe has such a strong heritage – as a family we have looked after the land and cared for the buildings on the estate for over five centuries. Secondly, we consistently adapt our offering at Tythe to keep up to date with our demographic. We’ve created a destination with Tythe that reflects how couples want to celebrate their wedding ‘today’ – think game-changing spaces where they can pamper, party, marry and chill. Twenty plus years in the business has given us a considerable knowledge and experience for how to plan and run weddings; the key isn’t to ask a couple to structure their day so that it conforms to a format at Tythe, rather that Tythe fits perfectly around the couple’s dream for their own unique wedding day…”
C&B: “What would you say have been your biggest challenges related to running the venue?”
ED: “The recent transition from a ‘one day’ wedding venue to a ‘two or three day’ venue, with accommodation, has brought in a number of challenges. Not only have we been adapting our business model and re-training our staff to host couples and their families for ‘staycations’ but we’ve had to re-structure our entire marketing strategies to focus attention on a new market that’s looking for the complete wedding experience over a period of days…”
C&B: “Talking of challenges, how do you arrange things so that the unpredictable British weather isn’t an issue?”
ED: “Having been established since 1998 we have, over the years, had quite a bit of time to fine-tune the ‘wedding day’ and to manage the flow of the day so that it’s perfect – whatever the weather – and continues to benefit from every inch of the estate. There are lots of systems in place and we are fortunate in having a rather attractive indoor ceremony setting should an outdoor wedding not be possible. The Cowshed, with its floor to ceiling glazing, luscious plants and Persian floor rugs offers an impressive space with a cool indoor/outdoor vibe when the reception drinks need to be brought inside. Outdoor wood-burners offer a real treat on colder days and is where Espresso Martinis can be sipped whilst curled up on sheepskin covered benches…”
High wedding season tends to be from spring through to October – capitalising on the incredible wisteria that envelopes our pergola in May through to the wonderful Autumn colours…”
Emma Deeley, Tythe
WHAT HAPPY COUPLES SAY ABOUT TYTHE:
“The whole team at Tythe is amazing; they’re kind, accommodating and experts in weddings!”
“If Disney were to make the idyllic wedding venue…this would be it.”
“That’s what’s so special about Tythe… it feels like a real bubble of love because everything is so brilliantly contained in one place.”
“I don’t have enough words to say how amazing Tythe was, from start to finish the whole experience was just perfection…”
“Our celebration at Tythe was nothing short of magical, the team’s professionalism and genuine care for every aspect of our weekend were truly remarkable.”
“What can I say about Tythe? Well, this place is perfect…”
C&B: “Which other luxury brand associations are you most proud of, what sort of media coverage do you typically attract and what do you do to cultivate interest in the Tythe?”
ED: “Absolute Taste, obviously, as they’re our amazing in-house caterers; they boast an incredible ‘little black book’ of contacts so having them on board is perfect and so ‘on brand’ for Tythe. Dave Jordan, founder of entertainment agency Gigz Management, is one of our long-standing relationships and one that ensures all the DJ’s that play at Tythe are both super professional and very cool. We often have suppliers who are at the top of their game returning to Tythe, like photographer Igor Demba and stylists Duchess & Butler, which not only re-affirms that we are moving in the right direction, but also allows our weddings and Tythe to continue to stand out as some of the best events in the country. Pippa Middleton’s florist, Lavender Green recently discussed taking a place on our list of suppliers…”
ED: ”We’ve had a number of wonderful articles written about Tythe – a particularly lovely piece went into Harpers Bazaar in April 2023, written independently by Jade Beer, on the UK’s most luxurious wedding venues. Elle magazine featured Tythe in their piece on the country’s most successful wedding venues and Love My Dress are currently running a fantastic series on Tythe called ‘A Tythe Summer in Six Dresses’. Beyond weddings, Tythe was selected by the brilliant Hermione de Paula as the backdrop for her recent Couture photo shoot and we are keeping our fingers crossed for this exclusive…”
Our collaboration with Jade Beer is incredibly exciting and the fact that Jade wants to be involved so closely with us is so flattering. I still pinch myself regularly that she is part of the team!”
Emma Deeley, Tythe
ED: ”For a while now, Instagram has been our most active platform and we do send out a lot of ‘Live’s’ and video footage, however our YouTube channel is about to get very animated with the launch of a number of different series. There will be different sections within the channel with visitors able to follow all aspects of today’s weddings – the planning and inspiration as well as tuning in to a series on interiors – which we have just started filming; I’m finding it all very exciting! Oh, also look out for a Podcast, that’s hopefully next once I free up a bit of time…”
If anyone is thinking of changing career but afraid to take those next few steps – don’t be! I never planned to run a venue and my husband certainly never thought he’d be organising weddings but, despite the huge amount of work and the very long hours, it is the most fantastic industry to be in. If you’re asking yourself “have I got the courage to do it?” there’s only one answer – “I do!”
Emma Deeley, Tythe
C&B: “What’s coming up at Tythe for the remainder of the year and beyond?”
ED: “We’ve many exciting projects on the horizon; the interior and gift store is almost ready to launch with a wonderful selection of carefully sourced and curated products – many of which are hand-crafted by local craftsmen – and we’re currently in conversation about renovating some further farm buildings into additional accommodation. ‘Retreats at The Farmhouse’ is a concept I’m exploring as I feel the house and grounds offer a wonderful opportunity to ‘switch off’ from the outside world; I’m also researching some potential collaborations – so watch this space!”
WEBSITE: http://www.TheTytheBarn.co.uk
