A NORTH Essex business which has been helping couples celebrate their special day in style has marked 10 years. 

Houchins, a luxury wedding venue near Coggeshall, opened in 2014 and during that time a lot has changed in the industry. 

Adam Dixon-Smith, 61, is the managing partner, said Essex is one of the biggest counties for weddings outside London.

Houchins’ clients are mainly from CO postcodes as well as some coming from Suffolk, Hertfordshire and London.  

Having done 750 weddings over the past ten years, Adam said that “tastes change” all the time with the event management team being very aware of any changes in trends.

Gazette: Change - The venue in June 2014 before the first wedding in December 2014Change - The venue in June 2014 before the first wedding in December 2014 (Image: Submitted)

Adam added: “At the moment there is a move to less formality, a more rustic feel – weddings are becoming less traditional, couples are getting older, and more independent.

“Couples are less reliant on parents than they were 15, 20, even 10 years ago. They want the wedding their way.”

Another big change is the environment, which has always been very important to Houchins, with the venue changing to waterless urinals, being heated by water force heat pumps and getting rid of single use plastics as much as possible.

Adam said: “That’s always against the fact that 80 to 100 people in one place is the not most environmentally friendly thing.

“They want to celebrate their day, and they want to do as little damage as possible.”

He added: “A life without celebration is a pretty dull life.”

Gazette: Change - Adam Dixon-Smith has seen several changes to the wedding industry in just the past decade aloneChange - Adam Dixon-Smith has seen several changes to the wedding industry in just the past decade alone (Image: Farlie Photography)

The wedding industry has not been immune to the cost-of-living crisis either – with the average wedding going from 90 to 100 places six years ago to about 60 to 70 now as well as guests “noticeably less” in the bar.  

Adam himself, was brought up at Houchins farm when it was a “really busy place” with 6 full-time men being employed by the farmer.

It took about four years for Houchins as a wedding venue to launch in 2014 but Adam said with drive and passion, becoming a wedding is a great way for rural businesses to diversify, adding: “Without the wedding venue, it would still be a lacklustre farmyard in slight decay.”