Not-so secret gardens

Celebrate your big day in the great outdoors

ALVESTON MANOR, CV37 7HP

01789 295 478 | www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/alveston-manor

Alveston Manor is a 16th century manor house situated within five acres of beautiful gardens. The grounds are well maintained with a splash of colour from the flowers and famous Cedar tree where Shakespeare did his first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Boasting original features throughout, the house has plenty of character and looks charming in photographs. The Manor Bar & Blue Lounge are ideal for guests to relax pre-wedding, along with the Manor Restaurant, which serves delicious meals and breakfasts.

Just a stone’s throw from the town centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, this hidden gem is traditional in décor but has a modern twist with the addition of a leisure centre and spa.

Celebrate In Style

The Cedar Room has beautiful windows facing onto the lawns and can accommodate up to 120 guests for the ceremony and meal and 140 for the evening celebration.

Outdoor ceremonies are held on the lawn in front of the Cedar tree with up to 120 friends and family. Additional seating can be added on the lawn or terrace in the summer months with the option for stretch tents if required.

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Couples who book their wedding at Alveston Manor will receive a free menu tasting, use of the honeymoon suite, a pre-wedding reservation in the Manor Restaurant, a Bridal Bliss Spa Package the night before and a private family breakfast the morning after the wedding.

TAMWORTH CASTLE, B79 7NA

01827 709 551 | www.tamworthcastle.co.uk

Tamworth Castle dates back almost 1,000 years and is full of historic touches. Situated within acres of beautiful grounds, it’s sat on top of a motte with plenty of places to take those all-important photographs, including the floral terraces that drop down to the banks of the River Anker and the ancient Tudor and Jacobean walls that bring a romantic and intimate feeling to any occasion.

Celebrate In Style

The Great Hall is used for ceremonies with candelabra and chandeliers throughout that create a twinkling glow and bring the room to life. The magnificent oak-timbered roof and decorated lead windows create a stunning backdrop for exchanging vows and set the scene for the rest of the day. This space has been wowing visitors for 100s of years and looks wonderful in photographs.

After the ceremony, couples can head to the courtyard to mingle with guests while the photographer gets to work snapping those key moments. The bandstand in the castle’s grounds provides a breathtaking backdrop and is worth taking a few minutes to visit.

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Tamworth Castle can work with its sister site, Tamworth Assembly Rooms, to create a bespoke menu and reception venue for weddings.

BENNETTS WILLOW BARN, WR2 4BS

01905 590 016 | www.bennettswillowbarn.co.uk

Nestled on a working dairy farm and surrounded by grazing fields, woodland and a lake, Bennetts Willow Barn is a charming setting to tie the knot. There are plenty of stand-out features including flowers that bloom throughout the year, fairylights, willow trees and a firepit.

Celebrate In Style

The happy couple can choose to run the day how they want, holding ceremonies outside in the gardens, in the yurt marquee or the barn. The

20m long yurt marquee is an exclusive-use space that’s adjacent to the gardens. It includes a firepit and outdoor space for garden games or even a bouncy castle and can seat up to 140 people or 150 without a seat each.

The barn is slightly smaller and can seat up to 100 guests at any one time, with a maximum capacity of 150 for the evening celebration.

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Bennetts Willow Barn offers a discount for hiring the barn or yurt marquee for a first-anniversary celebration or engagement party, and there is also on-site accommodation that’s perfect for extended celebrations.

THE ORCHARD AT MUNSLEY, HR8 2SQ

07974 249 656 | www.theorchardatmunsley.co.uk

Couples can celebrate their big day with a bespoke, tipi wedding at The Orchard at Munsley. The beautiful, natural surroundings of the Herefordshire apple orchard are the perfect setting for the big day and will keep guests talking for years to come.

The orchard makes a fabulous backdrop for photos whatever the wedding style. The orchard changes through the seasons, from pretty blossom in the spring, to a leafy canopy in summer, to the rich colours of autumn with the apples filling the trees.

Celebrate In Style

To keep things as simple as possible, The Orchard at Munsley offers one package which includes everything that couples need to create an unforgettable tipi wedding. The team take care of drinks throughout the day with a stocked and staffed bar, as well as three drinks packages available that covers the welcome drinks, wine on the tables and the toasting drink. The team also organise the basics, including the tipi, the generator for power and premium toilets. Lovebirds will work closely with the owner who will be there throughout the planning journey and on the day itself.

Couples who wish to have a church wedding can get married at Munsley Church and then stroll down the drive to The Orchard or have an outside ceremony under the naked tipi.

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The team will be there every step of the way to help with the planning and reduce the overwhelm.

CASTLE BROMWICH HALL GARDENS, B36 9BT

01217 494 100 | www.castlebromwichhallgardens.org.uk

Once part of the Earl of Bradford’s estate, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens is an early 18th century formal garden design rescued, nurtured and now owned by an independent Charitable Trust. Keeping largely to a periodrelevant style with plant species and heritage fruit from 1680-1760, it’s like visiting the Baroque countryside in the middle of a 21st century city. Offering 10 acres of formal walled gardens, encircled by a further 30 acres of local nature reserve, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens is one of the first licensed outdoor wedding venues in the West Midlands and the perfect space in which to host a wedding.

Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens is an outdoor dry hire venue, offering couples a beautiful blank canvas to create the day exactly as they want.

Celebrate In Style

Legal wedding ceremonies can take place anywhere on the extensive grounds. Options include the circular area of the Clair Voie with small amphitheatre vibes, amongst the blossoming heritage apple trees in the orchards, or how about in the classic space of the 1720 Orangery with its dramatic view along the Holly Walk?

The Archery Lawn is the perfect spot for a tipi, stretch tent or marquee, with the rest of the 10-acre site available for couples and their guests to enjoy and capture some incredible photographs.

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Couples choosing Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens for their wedding are entitled to preferential rates at the neighbouring Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel.

The hotel is hosting its first wedding showcase on the 15th and 16th April 2023. Come along and see the gardens set up for a wedding, chat with the coordinators about ideas and options and meet a whole host of other local wedding suppliers.