Prices
Weddings with more than Thirty Guests
The heart of Downe’s appeal as a Wedding Venue is the fact that the wedding party (other than at a small garden wedding in the Garden Room) takes over the whole facility and has exclusive use of the public areas at Downe, the cottages and the courtyard. This exclusivity means that Downe becomes “yours” for the duration of the wedding celebrations.
There is something very, very special about a celebration by family and friends over several days when the venue is exclusively yours. The dynamic of the gathering generated by this simple arrangement of exclusivity is pure magic.
At Downe we provide the facility. That is the basic offer we are making. After that the choice of meal, alcohol, flowers, ceremony etc. is up to you. Although we are delighted to provide other services, you can arrange your wedding as you wish with the suppliers you wish.
1. The Accommodation
To achieve the exclusivity that is the special attraction of Downe, the wedding party must rent all of the cottages at Downe for a minimum of two nights (i.e. the night before the wedding and the night following the wedding). This costs £80 per night per person for bed and breakfast. This cost is usually charged directly to the wedding guests. (If you do not need to provide overnight accommodation for at least 24 guests for the wedding then Downe is probably not for you.)
Downe provides accommodation for 24 wedding guests in twelve ensuite double bedrooms in eight fully equipped luxury cottages. For a Saturday wedding the cottages are available from 4.00 p.m. on the Friday to 12 noon on the Sunday.
Additional nights’ accommodation in the cottages are available and this is particularly helpful for the principal members of the wedding party who often find it useful to spend a few days at Downe immediately before the wedding.
2. The Civil Wedding
The costs of the various licensed civil wedding venues at Downe are as follows:
- The hire of the Atlantic Room for a Civil Wedding (up to one hundred and twenty seated guests) £900
- The hire of the Conservatory for a Civil Wedding with up to fifty seated guests £800
- The Garden Room for a Civil Wedding with up to ten guests. £700
Dealing with the English weather!
One of the advantages of Downe is the ability to cope with the vagaries of the English weather. For many couples the perfect wedding is a wedding in the open air but the problem is the risk (even in June and July) of bad weather on the wedding day.
Downe provides the ideal solution. The wedding is booked on the basis that the civil ceremony will take place in the Atlantic Room or in the Conservatory. However, if the weather forecast is good the day before the wedding, the bride and groom can take the decision to hold the wedding in the Garden Room with the guests seated in the open air.
3. The Champagne Reception
Downe provides a number of lovely locations for a Champagne Reception and, depending on the size of the wedding party and the location of the Civil Ceremony, the Champagne Reception is provided in the Atlantic Room, the Conservatory or in the Dinning Hall, Drawing Room and Library in Downe House. The cost is £10 per person for the hire of the premises for the Champagne Reception.
4. The Wedding Breakfast
The costs of the various facilities to hold the Wedding Breakfast at Downe are as follows:
- The hire of the Atlantic Room, which can seat up to 80 for a formal meal on round tables: £1,600.
- The hire of the Conservatory, which can seat up to 40 for a formal meal on round tables: £1,000
- The hire of a site for a Marquee Reception and dancing afterwards – £2,000
Each of the above is hired for the evening up until midnight.
The cost of hire does not include the costs of tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery, glasses & tablecloths.
As previously stated, one of the joys of Downe is that it becomes “yours” for the duration of the wedding celebrations. This means that if the Wedding Pary wishes to provide the food for the Wedding Breakfast itself this can be accommodated at Downe. This is becoming a more popular choice in these increasingly greener times.
5. Additional Facilities at Downe
Additional facilities are available at Downe. These facilities include:
- Additional nights’ accommodation in the cottages either before or after the wedding for guests.
- An additional three double bedroom suites.
- Make up and hair dressing service for the bride and other members of the wedding party – this is a bespoke service and a quotation is provided in the light of the client’s requirements.
- Holistic therapies and beauty treatments at Downe Health Spa – see www.downespa.com for details of the therapies and beauty treatments available and the prices.
- Pamper Days at Downe Health Spa – see www.downespa for details of Pamper Days at Downe.
The Smaller Wedding
Downe also provides a beautiful location for the smaller weddings of less than thirty guests. We have a number of licensed locations for the smaller wedding including the Garden Room, the Dinning Hall in Downe House and the Drawing Room in Downe House.
Accommodation can be provided for all the wedding party either for a few days or for a week. Costs vary depending upon the accommodation required and what other facilities (e.g. a small private dining room or a champagne reception) are required. Do phone us on 01237 441 881 to discuss your requirements and we will then provide you with a written quotation.
Costs
Please note the following costs are not included in any of the above prices:
- Marquee Reception – The cost of the hire of the Marquee.
- Catering Costs – All catering costs.
- Ceremony Fees – The fees for Civil Ceremonies payable to Devon County Council are extra to the above and the dates and time of the wedding must be confirmed with the North Devon Registration Office.
Midweek Weddings
The above facilities are available for midweek weddings at reduced prices. Just contact us to discuss what you would like on your wedding day and we will provide you with a quotation.
Other Ceremonies
Downe is also available for hire for other ceremonies such as Renewal of Vows or Naming Ceremonies or Civil Partnerships.
