Lady Violet Manners Wore the Rutland Family Tiara to Marry Viscount William Garnock at Belvoir Castle

Both fashion items also boasted the significant symbol of a myrtle—the very bloom, associated with love and commitment, that is depicted in diamonds on the Rutland family tiara. The bride admits that she was speechless when she saw her family’s heirloom diadem for the first time on her wedding day. “The earliest known appearance of the tiara was in an 1897 portrait of [my ancestor] Janetta, the seventh Duchess of Rutland,” she says. “She was also painted wearing the tiara during the 1880s and 1890s. Since then, it has adorned many of my ancestors, including my Granny Belvoir, Diana Cooper, and a great many more. It’s a surreal thing to have it placed on your head knowing all that history—and it’s much lighter than it looks.” She paired it with Tiffany pearl-and-diamond drop earrings.

William, meanwhile, waited for her at the altar wearing a kilt in his family’s Lindsay tartan and monogrammed Viscount Garnock cuff links with the family crest.

Stuart, the Manners family’s vicar of 20 years, officiated their service. As a nod to the couple’s love of the American West, he wore a pair of cowboy boots as he led the crowd through the Welsh hymn of “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”—a song specifically chosen to honor Violet’s late Welsh grandfather. After he pronounced them married, the couple processed back down the aisle to the sound of bells, a piper, and a church organ.

Violet and William then rode in a Chamberlayne-Macdonald carriage back to Belvoir as onlookers cheered. “The carriage belongs to William’s mother’s family, which made the ride even more meaningful,” the bride says. “I kept picturing how our ancestors must have traveled the same route centuries ago.”

“It was a fairy tale, riding up through the crowds, many of whom know and love Violet already, to the castle at the top of the hill,” William adds.

An afternoon cocktail hour that included Champagne, oysters, and canapés, as well as speeches from family and friends, was held in Belvoir Castle’s Rose Garden. Then, come evening, the couple and their guests attended a black-tie dinner in the castle’s ballroom. The bride changed into a vintage dress from Jane Bourvis, which she accented with pearl buttons from Jaipur in India and a caped veil. “This elegant, long-sleeve satin-silk dress was intentionally plainer and more classic in style than the daytime one,” says Violet. “They both represent so much of my character. I’m a big believer in dressing for the mood, and I knew I’d want to feel cool, relaxed, but still elegant and timeless for the dinner party and black-tie evening.” William, meanwhile, paired his Lindsey kilt with a Prince Charlie velvet doublet, made at Stewart Christie’s in Edinburgh, as well as gold cuff links commemorating his service to Queen Elizabeth II.

After dinner, it was time for dancing. William swapped his kilt for a three-piece tuxedo, and Violet put on a secondhand Balmain dress with tassels. She considered it a tribute to her mother. “My mum brought all of us girls up buying our designer dresses, shoes, handbags, and much else from the famous secondhand shops in London,” she says. “We all love them, and I love that one of my three dresses is from a secondhand shop. It’s a nod to everything my mum’s imparted.”

Thanks to the many whisky cocktails—the drink of choice for the groom—the party became a spirited one. “Everyone present lived every moment,” he noted. “It teed up what went on to be an unforgettable night of cannon fire, dinner, and dancing to the very early hours.”

Now that it’s all over, both the bride and groom feel the utmost gratitude for their families and the Belvoir Castle staff who made their wedding possible. “Our dreams came true, if not were surpassed,” William says.