HUNTSHAM COURT | DEVON WEDDING VENUE
I love exclusive-use wedding venues. It gives couples the opportunity to immerse themselves in their big day, to completely take over a space and make it their own, and to extend that stay often for the whole weekend.
Huntsham Court was the first exclusive use wedding venue in Devon I had ever come across and to say it was love at first sight was an understatement. Over the years I have had the privilege and pleasure to photograph weddings there on many occasions, and that love has never dwindled.
Here, Jennifer, one of the Wedding Co-Ordinators, shares some of her thoughts, tips and ideas for your big day.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS:
Huntsham Court is a wedding venue which has room to host 130 guests, it opened i opened its doors to couples from 2012 who were looking for a venue that offered the perfect location with a relaxed attitude that the owners Chris Badham and Damian Llambias had been looking for themselves for their own wedding.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE WORLD OF WEDDINGS?
It was during the search for a venue to host their civil partnership that the present owners, Chris and Damian , struck upon the idea of finding a location for a hospitality business as well as a place to call home. Ideally they were looking for a historic house to rent for the ceremony, with plenty of bedrooms for all their family and friends while set in opulent surroundings. However, they only found expensive hotels or private mansions filled with valuable antiques and a 'look but don't touch' approach. After successfully finding a venue for their ceremony the journey for their business venture began. Chris and Damian had been trying to escape the city for a few years, but hadn't made the jump. Eventually they came across Huntsham Court, which fitted their brief with great bedroom space.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR VENUE VIBE?
Huntsham Court is your friendly home from home, available for guests to rent for unique private events in the relaxed grandeur of a real country house venue. Huntsham Court is also the largest private hire country manor house in the UK. Defined by our huge number of stylish bedrooms and suites, we can sleep up to 92 guests on site. The ground floor is made up of 5 grand reception rooms and beautifully landscaped gardens offering a huge number of different entertaining and dining spaces for up to 130 guests. Any good country house venue should adapt to the lead guest’s needs. For that reason, that’s what we are all about! You can rent the house dry hire and bring all your own suppliers, fill the bar with your own drinks with no corkage charges and relax into a wedding weekend you'll never forget.
WHAT AREA OF THE COUNTRY DO YOU COVER?
A lot of our customers tend to have a connection to the South West, so we see a wide variety of clients booking from all over the country and from abroad also.
HOW MUCH SHOULD BRIDES/GROOMS BUDGET FOR THEIR WEDDING VENUE?
If a couple is interested in hiring Huntsham Court for their wedding day, hire starts from £10,100 based on 19 bedrooms and can go up to £19,920 based on 40 bedrooms
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD BRIDES/GROOMS BOOK THEIR WEDDING VENUE?
On average, a year ahead is the usual for wedding bookings which then gives plenty of planning time.
WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION YOU GET ASKED....AND THE ANSWER?!
What time does the music have to finish?
Our Music license runs till 1am, meaning any live music such as a band or DJ needs to finish at 1am. However, we have Sonos in all 5 reception rooms and are very happy for the lead guests to plug in their own playlist and keep the good vibes going for the rest of the night and into the early morning!
WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL REQUEST YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
We had a couple ask if their house rabbit could come to the wedding.
The answer was yes, we are open to guests bringing their dogs (as long as we are asked beforehand, they are well behaved and know which room they are staying in), so a house rabbit wasn't much different in this case. He was their ringbearer for the ceremony!
WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR 2020/2021?
One of the things we love about our couples at Huntsham Court is that they are all so different and far from predictable. While you can't really call eco and sustainable weddings a trend, it is likely we will see a lot more of our couples making this conscious decision. Happily it is something we are seeing more of already. This years pantone colour was coral, next year it is expected to be a deeper and stronger version such as fuchsia which will be beautiful within flower displays.
IF YOU COULD WORK ON ANYONES WEDDING WHOSE WOULD IT BE?
We genuinely love working with the couples who book here at Huntsham Court. They are usually really creative, alternative and have a laid back approach. No wedding is ever the same.
WHAT IS THE BEST MONTH TO GET MARRIED OUTSIDE?
There is never a perfect month to get married outside, this is the UK after all! It can be 25 degrees for weeks and then pour with rain on the wedding day. We suggest to any couple planning to get married outside to always have a Plan B regardless. Of course we always aim for Plan A, but if Plan B is as organised then a last minute decision on the day means it will all fall into place regardless of the weathers agenda. Our outside licensed ceremony space is The Dovecot, with benches for the seating. These benches are here whatever the weather, meaning we can always have 2 ceremonies set up, one outside and one inside so we can leave the decision making right till the very last minute!
FREE BAR, OR NOT FREE BAR? AND HOW DO YOU CONTROL IT?
At Huntsham Court we offer weekend weddings, meaning friends and family get to catch up, enjoy quality time with the couple from Friday to Sunday (and you can extend further if you want!) One way of controlling the outlay on stocking the bar is to ask everyone to bring a bottle on the Friday night, creating a BYO Bar. Its a good ice breaker for guests who have never met and it takes some pressure off the couple to fill the bar for an extra night. If the couple are planning on a free bar, then there is no cut off time from when the drinks can be served from and till, so we suggest they outline times when they would like the bar operating. This way they can control their bar stock a little more easily. Huntsham Court doesn't charge corkage, so this is a huge cost eliminated from the start meaning many of our guests do decide to run a free bar as a result.
WHAT SHOULD THE PRIORITIES BE, BUDGET WISE, FOR A COUPLE, IN YOUR OPINION?
Aside from finding the perfect venue which truly reflects the couples needs with regards to space, accommodation and location, then priorities will always vary per couple. Food and drink will always be at the top of the budget list in most cases as this tends to be a huge part of the day. However, everyone will have their own interpretation of what the food should be like on the day. Whether its informal dining with vendors serving a variety of take away style food or a 5 course sit down dinner with silver service. At Huntsham Court, we do not have a set package for food and drink and allow our couples to pick whoever they want to cater for their event, meaning they can set their own budget to suit. A thing to remember is that guests always come hungry to a wedding!
WEEKEND OR WEEKDAY WEDDING? AND WHY?
At Huntsham Court we specialise in weekend weddings. Our bookings largely run from Friday to Sunday, with some extending further. With a leisurely arrival on Friday, it allows guests to get here in their own time without feeling pressured. Come Saturday everyone has arrived, settled in and know their way around the house and grounds which allows for a relaxed day ahead. Sunday is the sad farewells, however by this point the couple and all their guests have had plenty of time to enjoy their time together and are usually ready (though reluctant) to make their way back to reality. Weekends usually fit in more easily with guests diaries as well.
WHAT SHOULD COUPLES LOOK FOR IN A WEDDING VENUE?
What each couple is looking for in their venue will vary hugely. We would suggest making a list of areas which are most important to you. Does the house have enough accommodation for those you want to stay? Can they seat everyone for the ceremony and the wedding breakfast? Is there an option to get married outdoors? Does the venue charge corkage? By creating a list, this will narrow your search down massively. This way, you will hopefully avoid visiting dozens of venues and becoming bogged down with too much information.
SHOULD A COUPLE BOOK A WEDDING PLANNER? AND WHY?
At Huntsham Court all couples who book are allocated a dedicated wedding planner who offer up to 7hrs of planning time ahead of the big day. Having someone who knows the in's and out's of the house to help guide the big day I would say is crucial, it just means any queries, concerns and ideas are strategically worked out and met with solutions and suggestions which will then allow a smooth delivery on the day while avoiding unexpected surprises.
BEST WEDDING PLANNERS YOU KNOW? AND WHY?
All of the wedding planners on the team at Huntsham Court of course! They have all come from event backgrounds, with years of experience in the industry meaning they can give great advice and put couples in contact with some fantastic suppliers.
HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST COUPLES FIND THE BEST WEDDING SUPPLIERS?
At Huntsham Court we do not have set packages and give our couples the freedom to choose any suppliers they like, including the caterers. To help find the right suppliers for their big day we have pieced together a recommended suppliers list on our website as a guide. On top of this, the events team are well connected and are able to make recommendations, so we always suggest couples speak with their coordinator as well.
WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST A COUPLE LOOK FOR IN A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?
Wedding photography really depends on your personality. Some people are real naturals in front of the camera and are able to switch on a photo-ready smile. Others love the staged group shots of all the family and friends together. Then there are those who become instantly awkward in front of the lens and would prefer a more fly-on-the-wall approach to photos during the day. I think it is essential to decide what kind of person you are to then work out which wedding photographer will get the best out of you on the day, to really reflect you and your style while making sure you feel completely at ease.
DOES RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY MEAN GOOD LUCK?
In some cases, I would definitely say yes! There have been summer weddings which were meant to be bathed in glorious sunshine, but have instead been drenched in monsoon style rain. However, rather than this putting a dampener on the day it has become a highlight and resulted in some incredible wedding photos
WHY DO PEOPLE THROW CONFETTI, AND SHOULD YOU?
Confetti has been used in British weddings since the pagan times. They would have thrown flowers and herbs as these were commonly used as symbols of fertility and wealth, plus the beautiful aroma was said to ward of any negativity and bad spirits. Thankfully, herbs and dried flowers are making a come back as confetti these days which is good news for the environment. At Huntsham Court are very happy for couples to have confetti as a part of their day, providing it is used outside only and the confetti is completely biodegradable.
CONTACT DETAILS
Huntsham Court, Huntsham, Devon
+44(0)1398 361 277 | enquiries@huntshamcourt.co.uk
*To see more gorgeous weddings from my time as a Huntsham Court Wedding Photographer, and some thoughts from clients who I have photographed there, hop over to my YouTube channel.
