Castle Wedding FAQ’s

We’ll be more than happy to answer any additional questions you may have,
simply give us a call, drop us an email or send us a contact form.

BOOKING PROCESS

When can we come and have a look round the Castle?
We would be delighted to show you round Eastnor Castle to bring to life what we can offer you for your special day. Please contact Hayley, our Wedding Planner, to book an appointment or see our Wedding Showround page for more information.

How long can you provisionally hold a date for us?
Once you’ve been for a showround, we can provisionally hold a date for you for 5 working days. If we haven’t had any other interest in that date by the end of the 5 days we can extend the provisional booking for you but if we do have other interest in the date then we will ask you whether you would like to book or release the date.

What deposit do I have to pay when I confirm a date?
Once you have booked a date, we will send out a contract and a deposit invoice for 50% of the Castle Hire fee. The balance of the Castle Hire fee is due six months prior to your wedding date and the full balance of payment (to include all catering, a drinks deposit and any extra bedrooms) will be invoiced 8 weeks before your wedding day.

When do I have to confirm final numbers?
We need an idea of your final numbers 6 weeks prior to your wedding date and actual final numbers need to be confirmed at least 5 working days before your wedding.

CEREMONY

How many guests can we invite for a Civil Wedding Ceremony?
We are licensed to hold Civil Wedding Ceremonies for up to 150 guests.

Which room would we have our Civil Wedding Ceremony in?
The Gothic Drawing Room, Great Hall and Octagon Rooms are all licensed for Civil Wedding Ceremonies although the most popular choice is the Gothic Drawing Room. We can also hold ceremonies outside in several different settings.

How long does a Civil Ceremony take?
A Civil Ceremony normally takes around 25 minutes, a little longer if you include readings or music.

Do we have to book the registrar separately?
Yes, it is a legal requirement that you contact the Registrar separately and ensure they are available to conduct a Civil Wedding Ceremony on the date you have chosen and it is best to do this before you confirm your date with Eastnor Castle. We will give you the contact details of the local registrar when you come for a showround.

Do we have to pay any extra for the Civil Wedding Ceremony?
Yes, there is a fee of £500 for holding a Civil Ceremony inside the Castle and there will also be a fee to pay directly to the registrar in order for them to conduct the ceremony for you.

Can we use the Church in Eastnor village?
Yes, St John the Baptist Church is in the village of Eastnor and can hold up to 150 guests. Couples from all over the country have been married at the church; you will need to contact the vicar to discuss the arrangements and check availability. We will give you the contact details of the Church and vicar when you come for a showround.

What does a Humanist Ceremony involve?
A Humanist Ceremony is a celebration rather than a legal ceremony and can be carried out anywhere within the Castle or the grounds. If you have a humanist ceremony you will also need to arrange to be legally married with the local Registrar.

RECEPTION

What is the maximum number of guests we can have for the Wedding Breakfast?
We can fit 80 in the Dining Room and 150 in the Great Hall for a sit-down meal on 5′ round tables.

Can we have a long top table?
Yes, you can have a long top table in either the Dining Room or the Great Hall but please bear in mind that a long top table takes up the space of 3 round tables, reducing the capacity to 78 in the Dining Room and 130 in the Great Hall.

Do you have any high chairs we can use?
Yes, we have 4 high chairs which you are welcome to use.

Do I have to lay the name cards etc. out on the morning of our wedding or can you do that for us?
We can lay the table with your name places, favours, menus etc. as long as they are given to us in table order. We will lay these out for you on the morning of your wedding.

Can we bring our own caterers in?
It is essential that we offer a consistently high standard of catering and therefore only offer our own excellent caterers, A to Zest Catering, who offer an exceptionally high level of service and competitive prices.

Do you cater for special dietary requirements?
Yes, as long as we know in advance then we can cater for most dietary needs.

Can we taste the wine before we select it?
Yes, you can purchase any of the wines from the wine list to taste before choosing.

Can we bring our own wine in?
Wine and champagne must be purchased through Eastnor Castle and we don’t offer a corkage service. If there is something specific you would like to offer to your guests which isn’t on our wine list we will be happy to try and source it on your behalf.

Why can we not have red wine outside of the Wedding Breakfast?
Red wine can be consumed throughout your Wedding Breakfast but we don’t allow it to be served outside the Dining Room. The reason for this is that it can stain our precious flagstone floors and furniture if it gets spilt, causing permanent damage.

Can we have helium balloons?
We don’t allow helium balloons in the Castle as the ceilings are extremely high and it’s therefore almost impossible to retrieve them if they escape up to the ceiling.

Can we have table crystals?
We don’t allow table crystals as these can sometimes fall onto the floor and cause accidents by getting underneath high heels. They also scratch the stone floors.

Can we have confetti or rose petals?
We don’t allow the throwing of confetti or rose petals in the Castle or grounds. Confetti and rose petals leave a residue and whilst we make every effort to clear this up, we would hate for any of our brides to arrive and see the remnants of someone else’s confetti.

Can we have candles around the Castle?
Candles can be used on the tables as long as they are in a safe candle holder (a maximum of 5 candles per table is permitted).

Can we decorate our own napkins?
You can as long as we know in advance so that we can ensure they are ready for you to collect and decorate the day before your wedding.

Can you provide an easel to hold our table plan?
Yes, we provide an easel which can hold your table plan.

Can we launch Chinese lanterns?
Unfortunately, we don’t allow Chinese lanterns to be launched as the debris impacts on our local residents and farmland. It also causes harm to local livestock. This ruling is in line with recommendations from the Country Land Association.

Can we have fireworks?
Fireworks are permitted on Fridays and Saturdays only and must be fired by 10pm. We ask that you use our recommended supplier for any firework displays.

Will I need a microphone for the speeches? If so, do I have to provide my own?
A microphone is not needed for speeches in the Dining Room but a microphone and PA system is required for speeches in the Great Hall and we provide these free of charge.

Do we have to use a marquee for the evening reception?
A dance marquee would be required for your evening reception if your guest numbers exceed 150 and/or if you have a band consisting of 5 band members or more.

Can we decorate the marquee?
Yes, we can get a quote from our marquee supplier for you.

BEDROOMS

Can we stay over the night before our wedding?
You can choose to hire the Castle the day before your wedding for a pre-wedding party if you’d like to. We offer a competitive Dinner, Bed & Breakfast rate for the night before, based on a minimum of 10 guests. Please enquire for further details.

How many people can stay overnight in the Castle on the night of our wedding?
We have 11 double rooms, 1 single room and 7 z-beds so we can accommodate 30 guests overnight. We also have 4 holiday cottages around the estate which can sleep an extra 34 guests.

Where does the bride normally get ready?
Most brides choose to get ready in the Tulip Room as it has lots of natural light, plenty of mirrors, lots of space and its own bathroom.

Do you have a Bridal Suite?
We don’t have a dedicated bridal suite; all 12 bedrooms are beautifully and individually appointed so the couple can choose their favourite room and then allocate the other rooms to their guests accordingly.

Can my guests call independently to book a bedroom?
The couple must co-ordinate the booking and payment of all bedrooms that are required. We are not able to take bedroom bookings and payment from individual guests.

Can we bring our own cots and / or bedding?
Z beds or cots must be booked for children or additional guests staying in the bedrooms however parents may bring their own travel cot and bedding for babies under 3 years old.

Can we have breakfast in bed?
Breakfast is served in the Dining Room or Octagon Room the following morning, normally at 9am. Unfortunately, we are not able to serve breakfast in bed.

OTHER QUESTIONS

What time can we arrive at the Castle on our Wedding Day?
Exclusive hire of the Castle starts at 11am. We normally recommend the bride arrives at 11am with whoever she’s getting ready with and then the groom and any other overnight guests can arrive from 12.30pm. That way we can ensure the bride is out of sight before anyone else arrives!

Will I have one contact at Eastnor Castle when planning my wedding or will I deal with a number of different people?
Hayley, our Wedding Planner, works full time at the Castle and will work with you right up to your big day. Hayley will invite you to come for a meeting approximately 10-12 weeks before your wedding day to discuss the logistics of your day. At the planning meeting, you will also meet our Operations Manager, Steve, who will be here on your wedding day to ensure that everything runs to plan. Hayley and Steve work very closely together.

Do you have other hotels / B&B’s locally?
Yes, there are plenty of other hotels and B&B’s locally. We will give you the contact details of all local accommodation when you book.

Do you allow children at the Castle?
Yes, we welcome children to the Castle but ask that they are supervised at all times.

What age do you classify a child?
Anyone aged 11 and under is classified as a child.

Is the Castle lit from the outside at night time?
Yes, the front and back of the castle is lit by floodlighting at night.

Do you recommend having a break between the day and the evening?
We strongly recommend that your daytime reception rolls into your evening party without a break. In our experience, a lull in the day can impact on the success of a wedding.

Can my photographer come to the Castle before the wedding to look round?
Yes, but please make an appointment beforehand.

Can you recommend any local suppliers? (florist, photographer etc.)
When you come for a showround, we will give you a comprehensive contact list with details of local suppliers such as photographers, florists, cake makers etc.

Do you have a cloakroom we can use?
We don’t have a dedicated cloakroom but we do have a hanging rail by the front door, where guests can leave their coats.

What time do we have to finish the party?
In order to conform with our Premises Licence and out of consideration for local residents, all wedding parties must finish by 12 midnight.

What time do we need to leave the Castle the next day?
We serve breakfast at 9am and all rooms will need to be vacated by 10am. This is so that we have an hour to clean and service the rooms before the next event, which will start promptly at 11am.

Can we have lunch at the Castle whilst we are getting ready?
Yes, we can provide a sandwich lunch for you while you are getting ready. This would need to be ordered in advance.

Can we drop anything off the day before our wedding?
Yes, you can drop table plans, name cards, favours etc. the day before your wedding and also your dress and suits if you’d like to.