USEFUL INFORMATION

You can find key information and details on planning your wedding below. We are ready to discuss
your wedding requirements, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

YOUR CEREMONY

Civil Ceremony If you are planning on getting married at our beautiful venue, the following details will assist you: Old Down Manor is licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies in the following rooms: The Orangery – seats 150 Is the largest room available with a beautiful limestone floor, high ceilings, chandeliers and the most impressive view of the Severn landscape. Perfect for larger groups with a long aisle and rowed seating. For your reference the Orangery is 22m long x 4.8m wide at its narrowest and 5.4m at its widest point. The Grand Hallway – seats 70 The heart of the house with a sweeping galleried staircase for the bride to make a grand entrance and boasting the most resplendent chandeliers. The Atrium/Hallway is 10.5m long, 4.6m wide at its narrowest and 6m at its widest. Bernays Room (seats 65) and Piano Room (seats 35) At the front of the house, overlooking the well-kept gardens and manicured lawn, the Bernays and Piano rooms are ideal for more intimate ceremonies, and can be used separately or together (can seat 100 in total using both rooms) Cellar – seats 25 For a slightly unique experience, the refurbished cellar is available for use. You will need to book an appointment with the local registry office, which is South Gloucestershire Registrars. Telephone: 01454 863 140. The registry office and yourselves will need to liaise to book your civil ceremony (which you can book a year to the date) and help you to give notice. For a civil ceremony you will need to think about your music. There is the option of having a pianist using our baby grand, a harpist or any form of live music or using a CD with your chosen tracks on our Bose sound system. We will require around 3 tracks for when the guests take their seats, 1 track for the entrance of the bride, 3 for signing the register, and 1 for your exit as husband and wife! Church Ceremony For a church ceremony, you will need to book and liaise with the church. Generally, you are able to be married in the Parish in which you were born/live. The smaller Manor gates leading to the stag car park are 240cm wide; therefore, we suggest asking your transport provider for the width of any wedding car to allow for alternative arrangements, if necessary.

YOUR DAY

Exclusively Yours Old Down Manor offers complete exclusivity when booking your special day. This means that the house is yours for a whole day and night without the fear of seeing another bridal party or interferences from other guests. With this luxury you can completely relax, intimately sharing the day with your loved ones. Our exclusive use includes the following from 12pm – 1am (if not using accommodation) or 12pm – 10am (the following morning):

•  The use of all ground floor reception rooms including the resplendent Orangery, quiet Library, Grand Hall, Bernays Room and Piano Room
•  The Immediate grounds including the Rose Garden, Victorian Rockery and main lawns
•  Bar open from 12pm – 1am selling many wines, spirits, draught lager and real ale
•  Exclusive cellar nightclub with state of the art sound and lighting systems (includes its very own bar and toilets)
•  Silver cake stand and knife
•  Easel for your table plan
•  High quality tableware – linen, napkins, crockery, cutlery, glassware
•  Table name/number stands
•  Dedicated wedding co-ordinator
•  Front of house manager (who will run your day) and a host of highly trained waiting and bar staff
•  Complimentary use of the Bridal Suite on the night of your wedding

Added extras that you will need to think about :
•  Photographer
•  Videographer
•  Wedding attire
•  Honeymoon
•  Florist
•  Wedding rings
•  Invitations, table place cards, table names and display table plan
•  Wedding cake
•  Transportation to and from wedding and reception (church wedding only)

Timings for the day:
 Below is a rough guide for timings based on a 2.00pm civil ceremony at Old Down Manor:
1.00 Guests to arrive
1.45 Groom to meet registrar
1.50 Bride to meet registrar
2.00 Civil ceremony
2.30 Drinks, canapés and photographs
4.00 Wedding Breakfast to be served and speeches
7.00 End of day time
7.00-8.00 Optional break
8.00 Evening guests to arrive
9.00 Evening buffet
12.30 Last orders at the bar
1.00 End of event services

CATERING & BEVERAGES

Wedding Breakfast The Orangery holds 120 people on 5’6” round tables of 10. There is a choice of a long or a round top table that can be located at the far end of the Orangery or in the bay window halfway down the Orangery on the right hand side. Old Down Manor provides the finest table linen, napkins, glasses and tableware, which is included in all of our packages. The chairs that we supply are called Chiavari, which are neutral, allowing for all colour schemes. We provide: •   A wooden Easel for you to display your table plan- we recommend A2 size •  Table name stands in silver •  A 14” cake stand and knife in silver •  A microphone for speeches using our Bose sound system Should you wish to have table decorations, we can recommend venue stylists and florists. Alternatively, we give you complete flexibility to decorate the venue yourselves. As the Orangery has high ceilings, flowers with a little bit of height work especially well. We allow candles; however, they must be placed in a tray or item where melted wax can be caught. Three months before your wedding, the team at Old Down Manor will invite you in for your pre-wedding meeting where we will go through the finer details of your special day. For children, we are able to offer a children’s menu or your chosen wedding breakfast at half portions, at half the price. We provide highchairs on request for younger children. Beverages The bar will be open throughout your special day for your guests to use. On all of the drinks packages we offer a non-alcoholic alternative for the adults and can offer the ‘little ones’ soft drinks. We can also arrange a bar tab at your discretion. Evening Entertainment There is a choice of where you may wish to hold your evening entertainment. Whether it be in the Orangery, the Cellar or the Bernays Room. We can cater for Ceilidh bands, DJ’s and most types of entertainment. Table Plans During your 3 month pre meeting we will provide you with a table plan based on your numbers. Our round tables are 5’6″ and can cater for up to 10 guests per table.

ACCOMMODATION and FACILITIES

Manor House The Manor house has 8 beautifully appointed en-suite bedrooms which take the names of local villages in the area. Each room has their own distinctive style. All of the rooms include: •  Luxury boutique interiors •  Luxury bed linen and towels • Toiletries •  Robes •  Guest information packs •  Breathtaking views •  Tea and coffee making facilities •  Wi-Fi •  Full English or continental breakfast FoxholesThis renovated property sleeps 11. A modern house perfect for family get-togethers or celebrating any occasion with friends. The property boasts 5 spacious bedrooms, 4 of which are en-suite, and an open plan kitchen, and a dining/lounge area. An additional bathroom and large dressing room are also available to guests. The property is light and bright with good views and private off-road parking. Guest Facilities Old Down Manor is situated within 66 acres of beautiful park land and gardens. You will be given complimentary admission into the park. At Old Down Manor you can enjoy: • Indoor heated swimming pool • Lake • Walks around the park • Café for lunch time snacks • Browse in our Farm Shop to take home mementos of the day Breakfast Should the accommodation at Old Down Manor not be sufficient we work closely with local accommodation providers available in the surrounding area (please see the below). Your guests may wish to book a room rate only and join you for breakfast the following morning. At your three month pre-wedding meeting we will organise breakfast at a time convenient to yourselves and your guests. Breakfast is charged at £15.00 per adult and £7.95 per child for additional guests joining for breakfast only. Local Accommodation Premier Inn Thornbury Road Alveston Nr. Bristol Avon BS35 3LL Telephone: 0871 527 8152 B&B Village Farm Elberton Olveston Bristol BS35 4AG Telephone: 01454 411065/ 07771 893748 Email: cheryl@themerediths.co.uk

TRAVEL & PARKING

Car Parking On your wedding day, we will provide a car-parking attendant to help direct guest where to park. We have a car park located by the Manor’s main gates and behind the Orangery, as well as a smaller car park opposite the office for the less able. Where possible, direct your guests to the front of the house allowing them to take in the breath-taking views.  Directions Please use the map below to get directions to Old Down Estate from where you are or call us on 03447 769380 and we will be happy to help guide you to us.

CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?

WEDDING ENQUIRIES

We are ready to discuss your wedding requirements and the availability of Old Down Manor or The Barn at Old Down for your big day. You can fill out the form below or contact us via phone on 03447 769380 – We look forward to your enquiry.

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Old Down Estate
Foxholes Lane
Tockington
Bristol
BS32 4PG

Telephone: 03447 769380
Email: info@olddownestate.co.uk