About
A private island on the Thames at Bray, Monkey Island Estate is one of England’s most secluded wedding settings. Reached by footbridge or boat and ringed by seven acres of manicured gardens, here you have a genuine countryside escape with easy access – just ten minutes from Windsor and under an hour from London. Ceremonies are tailored to the style of the wedding party: Couples might marry beneath an expansive marquee or pitched tipi on the lawn, exchange vows in the light-filled River Room, or host a grand celebration in the Marlborough Ballroom. Three curated packages – The Pavilion Collection, The Island Collection (exclusive island hire) and The Lawn Collection (up to 300 guests) – offer a considered starting point for weddings of every scale.
The estate knows how to hold a wedding weekend: Newlyweds will make use of the romantic Shepherd’s Hideaway, ending the evening around the firepit under open skies. The following morning, the Floating Spa – treatment rooms hidden inside a blue narrowboat, moored on the river’s edge – provides the perfect restorative interlude. With 41 bedrooms and suites and three Private Residences, complete with indoor and outdoor pools and riverside gardens, few venues offer what Monkey Island can: a handsome white-stuccoed island retreat on the Thames, wholly yours for the weekend.
Why Our Editor’s Love
- Few venues offer an entire private island as a wedding backdrop. Monkey Island delivers rare seclusion while remaining conveniently close to Windsor and London.
- From intimate dining to lawn marquees and grand receptions of up to 300, Monkey Island accommodates both personal gatherings and large-scale celebrations all within one cohesive setting.
- YTL Hotels offers newlyweds a major perk: a complimentary honeymoon at one of the group’s luxury resorts in Malaysia or Thailand (subject to T&Cs).
Testimonials
It was beyond our wildest dreams, truly. You executed everything so perfectly and we can’t believe that this was the first time you executed a fully outdoor wedding. Everything ran like clockwork, our guests complimented the service, the seamless operations, and the quality of food. Many said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to! We are still on cloud 9 and could not have had the wedding of our dreams without the monkey island estate team. All our guests said the staff were consistently smiling, kind, proactive and approached everything with a real ‘can do’ attitude.
-Rachel & Joe
We can’t stop smiling about the day-it was genuinely perfect. A huge part of that is thanks to the phenomenal team! Their positivity, professionalism, fantastic service, attention to detail, and refreshing can-do attitude made a big difference. It is rare to find such an amazing team, and you were truly incredible! Thank you again and again for your efforts, organization, ideas, attention to detail, positivity, and for implementing everything we asked for, no matter how big or small. The day would not have been so fantastic without you.
-Imogen & Blake
