Highcliffe Castle - Weddings in the New Forest

Getting Married at Highcliffe Castle

Highcliffe Castle specialises in the civil wedding ceremony and holds up to 3 ceremonies per day (1 only on Sundays). We offer just the ceremony, ceremony with reception or just the reception, to give you a choice for your big day.

The marriage ceremony is held in the beautiful Wintergarden. If you are holding your ceremony only here, the fee is for use of the Wintergarden, Drawing Room and grounds for up to one and half-hours. Within the fee we provide flowers in the Wintergarden, use of the Castle piano and use of a reserved parking area.

Ceremonies are generally conducted at 11am, 1pm and 3.30pm and may be held any day of the week. The 11am and 1pm slots are designed for couples wishing to hold their reception elsewhere and the 3.30pm slot allows couples the opportunity after their ceremony for further celebrations at the castle. With any ceremony we are able to serve drinks whilst photography is taking place

We regret that confetti or rice (including the biodegradable varieties e.g. rose petals, rice paper) is not permitted to be thrown or used as table decorations in the Castle or grounds. Wedding bubbles make a good alternative and are available from the Castle gift shop.

The Castle is available for weddings and receptions all year (currently closed Xmas/NY period) although in winter months please bear in mind that the castle has only limited heating and outdoor lighting.

Fee for Civil Ceremony (inclusive of VAT) An additional fee is payable to the registrar

Ceremony Only
April 1st 2008 - March 31st 2009	Mon - Sat £630	Sunday £895
April 1st 2009 - March 31st 2010	Mon- Sat £645	Sunday £915
April 1st 2010 - March 31st 2011	Mon - Sat £665	Sunday £945
Ceremony & Reception
April 1st 2008 - March 31st 2009	Currently fully booked
April 1st 2009 - March 31st 2010	Mon - Sat £2995
April 1st 2010 - March 31st 2011	Mon - Sat £3250

Some Sunday or late availability receptions may be available on request - please contact the Events Team

For further details please contact our Events Manager -
Jaine Fitzpatrick at Highcliffe Castle on 01425 278807.
E-mail: weddings@highcliffecastle.co.uk
We will be pleased to make an appointment to see you.
Dorset Registration Service can be contacted on: 01202 225153.
Email: registrationinformation@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Wedding Receptions

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Option 1 - available for 11am or 1pm ceremonies
Ceremony followed by drinks and/or canapés served on the lawn. You can choose from our drinks list or alternatively you may wish to supply your own drinks, if so we make a service charge per guest which covers service, chilling and glass hire.

Option 2 - available for 3.30pm ceremonies
Our ceremony suite (please see floor plan) is available to hire from 3pm -11pm any day with optional civil marriage ceremony and suggested use is as follows:

Wintergarden -
up to 100 seated guest for the civil ceremony
Dining Room -
up to 80 seated guests for your main reception
Octagon -
bar area, meet and greet, evening buffet
Drawing Room -
dancing and any other evening entertainment

The entire suite can hold up to 150 in the evening. The design of the rooms offers a blank canvas for any theme. Please note the Wintergarden is not included in the hire after 5pm.

Cloakrooms are situated to the left hand side of the Dining Room. Disabled and baby change on the ground floor, ladies and gents at basement level.

Catering
Due to the uniqueness of the Castle, you will be asked to select from our nominated caterers who offer a variety of styles and prices to suit your requirements. Our events team can offer guidance as to which caterer might best suit you, you will then be asked to deal personally with your chosen caterer, you will also pay the caterer directly.

There are no kitchens at the Castle and these caters have been carefully selected for their experience and understanding of working within a Grade 1 listed building.

Drinks
You are welcome to supply your own post ceremony drink, table and toasting wine, we will supply glasses and serve throughout the day for a small service charge per guest.

We have a bar available for the evening, you are welcome to pay the entire bill, put an amount behind the bar or simply leave guests to select and pay for their own drinks.

Please note: Normal licensing rules apply. The bar will close 30 minutes before end of event.

Floor Plan

Things to be aware of…….
There is only limited outdoor lighting in the grounds, guests should take additional care returning to their vehicles in the evenings.

No access will be available to vehicles left overnight until 7am, pay and display charges apply from 7am. If possible please park at your hotel and use local taxi firms.

We do have heating, however the Dining Room can still get cold in the Winter months, please advise guests to dress accordingly.

A separate contract will be issued for couples having a reception at the castle covering our Standard Terms & Conditions of Hire.

Caterers - please contact each caterer directly when you have decided on a date with the Castle and Registrars. Each caterer will have their own terms and conditions of business.

Useful Contacts

Alfresco - Contact: Richard - Tel: 01425 275162
www.alfrescocatering.biz | Richard@alfrescocatering.biz

Basilica - Contact: Niall - Tel: 07867 973752
www.basilica.biz | niall@basilica.biz

Beales Gourmet - Contact: Tony - Tel: 01202 517828 www.bealesgourmet.com | info@bealesgourmet.com

Merlins - Contact: Amanda - Tel: 01202 880446 www.merlinscatering.co.uk | info@merlinscatering.co.uk

Nomad Food - Contact: Melissa - Tel: 01929 551978 www.nomadfood.co.uk | Melissa@nomadfood.co.uk

Photography

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Each wedding is allocated 1½ hours on site and it is important that you inform your photographer of this requirement. For example an 11am ceremony needs to complete photography by 12noon and a 1pm ceremony needs to complete by 2pm.

We ask you and your photographer to show courtesy to everyone getting married at Highcliffe Castle on that day and respect our time constraints that do usually allow for any flexibility. When the booked time has elapsed we reserve the right to ask the wedding party and photographers to leave the grounds.

Parking

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We have 100 spaces on site and a further 600 within a 10 minute walk. On hot or busy days the car park can get very full. If this concerns you we would recommend hiring a bus/coach etc to transport your guests to and from your reception venue. Please contact us if you would like some more information on this.

We have a reserved area for wedding guests, however they do need to pay and display and the price is currently £1.60 for up to 2 hours. We will supply each couple with 12 parking permits to distribute to their principle guests and photographer. The official wedding cars can park on the castle driveway for the duration of the ceremony, therefore not requiring a ticket.

Music

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You will need to consider music for your wedding. The Wintergarden has superb acoustics and it would be a shame not to use live music for your ceremony. We have a baby grand piano in the room, which may be used. You may wish to have other live music such as a string quartet, a saxophonist or singer, these arrangements need to be made by you but the castle staff are happy to advise and provide information. Please keep us informed of your decisions.

Please note the conditions of a civil Wedding Ceremony prohibit the use of hymns and religious songs or readings of a religious nature. If you are unsure about the content of your music please discuss this in advance with the Registrar.

Flowers

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Several arrangements of fresh flowers, in neutral creams and greens, are provided in the Wintergarden within the costs. You may wish to have additional flowers supplied by our floral artist starting from £45 per display.

Gift Shop

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We have various prints and paintings of the castle available which make great gifts. For guests we stock single use cameras, films, batteries and in place of confetti -wedding bubbles are available.

You may also like to tell your guests that our tea rooms and castle exhibitions open from 11am.

How to Book

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Before any other arrangements are made, a provisional date must be agreed between you, the Registrar and the Castle.

When you have discussed and settled the date of your wedding with the Registrar you will need to confirm your booking with us.

The booking is confirmed when we have received the booking form and (non refundable) deposit, we accept cash, cheque or credit/debit cards.

We recommend that all couples take out wedding insurance

Payment Schedule
The initial deposit on booking is £100 for ceremony only or £500 for ceremony & reception
6 months prior a further payment of £300 or 50% of estimated total for receptions
1 month prior to ceremony - final balance/numbers required

When we have received your booking details and deposit a letter of confirmation will be sent to you along with your parking permits. You may pay by Debit/Credit card, cash or cheque. Please make cheques payable to "Highcliffe Castle".

The final balance is due 1 month prior to the ceremony, at this point you may wish to make an appointment with our wedding co-ordinator to discuss the fine details of your ceremony.

Cancellation Policy
All payments are non-refundable

All cancellations or alterations to the original booking must be made in writing, until written confirmation is received you remain liable for the balance of the booking. In the event of you being late for your wedding and it becomes likely that any subsequent bookings will be affected it may become necessary for your event to be postponed/cancelled.

In this case no refunds will be available and the castle will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Hirer by this action.

GUIDANCE FOR THOSE WISHING TO MARRY ON APPROVED PREMISES

1. As soon as a couple have made provisional arrangements for their marriage at your premises they should be advised to contact the Superintendent Registrar at the address shown below.

2. Without the presence of a Superintendent Registrar and a Registrar the marriage cannot go ahead and any arrangements for the use of the premises depend entirely on the availability of these two officials. It is, therefore, essential that the couple make an advance booking with the Superintendent Registrar as soon as possible.

A fee for this attendance will be payable as follows:

£275 for a marriage to take place on Monday to Friday

£300 for a marriage to take place on a Saturday

£350 for a marriage to take place on a Sunday or a Bank Holiday

and should be paid as soon as possible after notice of marriage has been given (see 3 below for details about giving notice).

3. The couple will also have to give a notice of marriage to the Superintendent Registrar(s) of the district(s) in which they live. This notice must be given in person by each couple and is valid for 12 months. Each couple should, therefore, attend the Register Office where they live as soon as possible within this twelve-month period so that a notice can be given.

4. To reiterate, the couple should be warned that any arrangements made for a marriage to take place on your premises are dependent on:

(a) the attendance of the Superintendent Registrar and a Registrar for the district in which the premises are situated; and
(b) the issue of the authority or authorities for marriage by the Superintendent Registrar to whom notice of marriage was given.

5. When notice is given in a different registration district from the one where the marriage is taking place, the couple will have to collect the authority before the ceremony and ensure that it is delivered to the Registrar who is to attend the ceremony.

6. The couple should be advised that only a civil, non-religious ceremony can be permitted by the Superintendent Registrar. Any music, reading, words or performance, which form any part of the ceremony, must be secular. The content of the ceremony must be agreed in advance with the Superintendent Registrar who will be attending the ceremony.

7. Any rights of copyright for music, readings etc permitted at the ceremony are a matter for the couple and the holder of the approval.

If you require any further information in respect of the above, please contact the Superintendent Registrar for your district.

Welcome to Highcliffe Castle - Civil Wedding Venue