Carrie Johnson had first dance with husband Boris to Sweet Caroline at rustic wedding party where she wore ‘rented £25-a-day Savannah Miller bridal gown’ worth £3,500
- The Johnsons held their wedding party at Daylesford House in the Cotswolds on Saturday with an estimated 150-200 guests in attendance
- Carrie wore a silk gown from Savannah Miller which usually costs £3,500 – but rented it for £25 a day
- The venue is owned by billionaire JCB chairman Lord Bamford, one of the Tory Party’s most prolific donors
- Guests were treated to Carrie’s favourite cocktail of gin, vermouth rosso and Campari on their arrival
Carrie Johnson ‘rented a £25-a-day bridal gown’ and had her first dance with husband Boris Johnson to Sweet Caroline at a rustic wedding party where guests sat down to eat South African street food on hay bales.
The conservationist, 34, celebrated her wedding to Boris Johnson, 58, for the second time yesterday after first marrying in a secret ceremony of just 30 guests during the Covid pandemic.
They celebrated by dancing to the Neil Diamond tune, following their wedding 14 months ago, The Sun reported.
In a bid to promote sustainable fashion the bride wore a silk Ruby gown from Savannah Miller, older sister of actress Sienna Miller, which usually costs £3,500 – however Carrie rented it for just £25 from London-based website Wardrobe HQ.
Guests arriving at the wedding party on Saturday at the Grade I listed Daylesford House in Gloucestershire, owned by JCB chairman Lord Bamford, were greeted with champagne and Carrie’s favourite cocktail, a negroni.
Boris Johnson and Carrie Johnson in the garden of 10 Downing Street after their secret wedding last year at a church in Westminster
The pair celebrated their nuptials in the grounds of Daylesford House in Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds
Aerial shots showed the marquee being set up on the grounds of the Grade I listed building
Hay bales and barrels could be seen outside the marquee, which are thought to have acted as tables and chairs for the guests to eat their street food
Daylesford House is owned by billionaire Lord Bamford, who is one of the Conservative Party’s most prolific donors
During the celebrations, guests ate South African street foods, described as ‘eco-friendly’ – despite guests arriving in Rolls Royces, Range Rovers and a helicopter, increasing the event’s carbon footprintc, The Telegraph reported.
A handful of MPs loyal to Mr Johnson were invited among the 150 or so guests, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, Ben Wallace, Nadine Dorries, Amanda Milling, former Tory party chairman and former culture secretary John Whittingdale.
On arrival, each guest was given a concoction of gin, vermouth rosso and Campari finished off with orange peel, The Sun reports.
The guests, who included Boris’s sister, journalist Rachel Johnson, and former Neighbours star Holly Valance, enjoyed a lavish but private party on the estate.
It is thought Carrie had spent time carefully planning the wedding party with Lady Bamford to celebrate her nuptials, 14 months after the couple initially married in a Westminster church.
In the run-up to the wedding, organisers had been seen installing hay bales outside the huge marquee where the party was held, to stop onlookers from getting a glimpse inside.
A source told The Sun the bride stole the show as she walked in to greet guests.
A giant love heart-shaped orchard was pictured in the grounds surrounding Daylesford House
They said: ‘Boris could not tear his eyes off her and neither could a lot of the people there.’
They added she looked ‘sensational’ and that the whole event was ‘elegant and stylish’.
Thrifty Carrie also rented a dress for her first wedding ceremony to Mr Johnson, 58 – a bell-sleeved, embellished tulle number by Greek designer Christos Costarellos, which bought new would cost £2,830 but was loaned for £45.
Aerial shots of the estate show the enormous marquee being set up ahead of the party, including the hay bales placed outside and huge barrels which looked as though they were acting as tables – suggesting the couple had opted for a rustic theme to their lavish party.
Rather than a sit-down dinner, the party is reported to have had a more relaxed atmosphere with a food truck offering mouth-watering meals to guests who fancied a bite.
Caterers from eco-friendly BBQ eatery Smoke and Braai had been spotted setting up shop on the grounds at Daylesford House on Friday in advance of the fanfare – in keeping with Carrie’s sustainable theme.
The floor-length, halter-neck gown named Ruby by designer Savannah Miller has an original price tag of £3,500 but is available for a day rate of £25 on London-based website Wardrobe HQ, which Mrs Johnson, 34, has been using for more than three years
Rachel Johnson, Boris’ sister, seen arriving at the party in Gloucestershire
Stanley Johnson, Boris’ father was also seen arriving at Daylesford House in Gloucestershire, for the couple’s first wedding anniversary
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a key member of his cabinet was also seen arriving at Boris’ anniversary party on Saturday
Nadine Dorries, who consistently launched a staunch defence of Mr Johnson as he clung to power, is seen arriving to the event on Saturday evening
Actress Holly Valance and her property tycoon husband Nick Candy are seen arriving at Daylesford House in Gloucestershire
Johnson (left) with Lord Bamford, chairman of JCB, at the new JCB Factory in Vadodara, Gujarat
The tents are close to the Daylesford Estate’s heart-shaped orchard. It is not known if it will form part of the event
The menu is thought to have included lime and mint-infused pineapple, skin-on fries, cherry wood-smoked pork with honey and mustard slaw, and Aberdeen Angus ox cheeks.
It is thought guests ate on hay bales which had been positioned outside the marquee in a more casual dining setting.
Guests included close friends and family – with a few Tory MPs thrown in from the groom’s side.
While Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss were most likely out of the picture due to their bid to become the next prime minister, loyal friends Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg were spotted arriving.
The prime minister’s father Stanley Johnson, 81, was also pictured driving into the estate, with Boris’ sister Rachel, 56, joining celebrations. She also gave a speech during the evening.
Actress and former Neighbours star Holly Valance also attended the party with her husband Nick Candy, a British property developer.
MailOnline previously reported that the coup that forced the PM to resign has had an impact on who is among the 150 to 200 guests – with Michael Gove, who was sacked for telling his old friend to go, said to be among those who were culled.
Green Tory Lord Zac Goldsmith, a great defender of the couple and a Tory strategist on the environment – a passion for Mrs Johnson, was also due to attend, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Lord Bamford, 76, is a billionaire who is one of the Conservative Party’s most prolific donors.
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘We do not comment on speculation regarding private or family matters which do not involve any ministerial declarations or taxpayer funds.’
The PM and his wife had planned to toast their marriage at a party at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s grace-and-favour country home in the Chilterns. But they were forced to change their plans following Mr Johnson’s resignation.
Daylesford House, which is just a mile from Lord and Lady Bamford’s organic farm of the same name, boasts 1,500 acres of manicured gardens including pristine lawns, an 18th-century orangery and a secret garden – complete with octagonal swimming pool, shell grotto and alfresco pizza oven.
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