Our afternoon tea/hog roast wedding - where to hold near Bristol

lettice

Can anyone help me find somewhere to hold our wedding near Bristol? We are moving there shortly and want to marry close to where we are settling down!

Here's what we would like:
- Approved venue for civil marriage or close to local registry office
- Suitable for 75 guests
- Pimms to welcome our guests after the ceremony
- Afternoon tea reception (little sandwiches, sausage rolls, quiches, shortbreads, cupcakes, macaroons, scones, tea - that sort of thing!)
- Champagne or prosecco for the toast
- Hog roast for the evening catering (perhaps with us buying some bottles of cider for the guests to start the celebration)
- Option of having live music

Help!

Edited to add: We've had some good news - MrL has been offered a job in Cardiff, where I'm going to be working, so we are now looking for a venue to offer the above near Cardiff. I am really incredibly grateful for all your Bristol suggestions and hope this thread helps another bride!

We were really interested in going with Arnos Vale or Goldbrick House - both affordable and had some very helpful conversations with the wedding coordinators there!

LEJC

do you have a budget in mind?

Have a look at priston mill...its quite informal in its setting...and seems to offer reduced rates if you are a little flexible over times or days.

What part of Bristol....quite a large area....you could even look at westonbirt and the surrounding area around there

Did you want one venue to accomotate all and do both functions or are you able to have the tea reception at one venue and move on to the hog roast at another...
If you might be flexible have a look at or around chipping sodbury...I cant think of a venue that might be suitable for both but collectively the town has wonderful links with butchers etc and some lovely pubs that would do the hog roast,after you have married in the town hall or indeed the local tegistry office which is quite nice too.

LEJC

a little outside bristol....but might be worth a look
http://earthcottbarns.co.uk/index.html

in the other direction outside of bristol

http://www.aldwickweddings.co.uk/index.php

lettice

Hi LEJC

We're going to be the only people we know in Bristol although, of course, we're hoping to make friends! Our families are from South Wales and the Midlands so we're lucky that Bristol is right in the middle! As everyone will be travelling to our wedding, it doesn't really matter where they travel to in the Bristol area! We want to marry on a Saturday because it will make things easier for our guests. We are flexible with regards to the time of year.

Priston Mill can't cater for a hog roast for our number of guests nor offer an afternoon tea option although is otherwise lovely. Great setting. It works out around the £8000 mark for the works (canap!s, 3 course meal, wine, arrival drinks, prosecco, sausage/bacon rolls in the evening, venue hire). It's definitely an option but I'm not sure we want to spend that much!

We want to offer an afternoon tea reception to cut costs, as we feel we would be able to cut back by not providing wine with the meal and only arrival drinks, champagne/prosecco/sparkling wine, and perhaps something for later. My family aren't big drinkers, anyway. With this option we'd hope to be able to offer more than one arrival drink to our guests and perhaps more than one glass of champagne.

I feel we would have to provide wine with a 3 course meal and since everywhere either charges corkage or sells wine at a very high price, it's something we wish to avoid!

Our friends had a 'backyard wedding' recently and it was great. They obviously spent on alcohol, BBQ, canap!s, etc. but it certainly didn't cost them anywhere close to £8k. They had about half the number of guests than we plan to have and own their home. We're renting and don't think it's a good idea to have 75 guests in our home! Truth be told, I'd rather pay caterers/the venue to sort things out and clear up at the end of the night than have to rope family members in to help. But, at the end of the day, our friends didn't spend a lot on their wedding and it was fab! I don't think we need to spend loads either.

So, to answer your question re: budget, we just want to keep costs down because I feel uncomfortable spending so much on one day! We just want to get married and put on something nice for our friends and family - particularly as they live away from us and we don't get to see them as often as we would like.

I'd like to do everything - ceremony, reception, dress, flowers, and all that - for less than £8,000.

LEJC

been having a think about this one...and it sort of has me a little stumped.I can think of quite a few nice places that would do the afternoon tea but not the hog roast and I can think of some possible coaching houses that would do a great hog roast and delicious cider,but not have a clue when it came to a sophisticated afternoon event!!

I did wonder however if you were able to widen the area a little towards cheddar and down perhaps towards shipham you might be able to get something a little closer to your ideal....even have a look around weston super mare area as its far more rural there than the outskirts of Bristol.

Failing that the only other place I can think of is in Dorset...they would certainly come close to what you wanted but it would be more than priston mill in price

lettice

Thanks for your reply.

Can you let me know the other places you've come up with? We don't want to be so inflexible that we miss something that might really suit us!

I've made some enquiries so I'll let you know the outcome of them!

LEJC

very nice for small weddings...bristol
http://www.the-beeches.co.uk/home

another one for small weddings...I actually attended an evening funtion here and its like a large house...but ive no idea what outside space they have if any,as it was dark when we went..

www.oakandglass.co.uk weston super mare

both of these places would be great for the teas but possibly wouldnt be able to do a hog roast.

no experience of this place but typed in wedding venues wells and it came here
http://www.gantsmill.co.uk/

charlearose

a friend of mine had a hog roast reception meal at the Avon Gorge hotel a few years ago which was fabulous It has great view and a fantastic terrace that overlooks the Gorge and the food was amazing
they are licensed to do weddings as well

http://www.theavongorge.com/


and have a look at this as well as this is a group of hotels that offer the hog roast meal that you want and are also licensed for weddings
http://www.cliftonhotels.com/group-bookings/weddings/

2 of them are licensed for the wedding ( the square is fabulous ) but no 4 has an amazing terrace



I've stayed here for a riding holiday and its amazing location in somerset not sure if they do the civil ceremony bit though
http://www.knowlemanor.co.uk/catering-private-parties.php

also if you find your own venue then this company is in bristol so you could get them to do the hog roast for you if you want to cut cost

http://www.hogroastbristol.co/90270/info.php?p=2&pno=0

also have a look at this it a list of wedding venues ( not all of them do the marriage bit though but worth looking at it for ideas most of them allow you to bring in your own caters ect )


http://www./wedding-venues-in-somerset.html

if the ulr doesn't work just google those words cheap wedding success to get the website
lots of fab locations

charlearose

also this one here i put the review on it because it sounded excellent although you said you wanted bristol the unlimited drinks post ceremony would probably sway me they also do a pay bar as well which i think is always great money saver

http://www.orchardleigh.net/

Phone: +441373472550

Hire Cost For Venue: Less than £500

Recommended by Sue Crowle: "We had a wonderful wedding here on a off peck special deal, we chose a Tuesday in July and for £3,500+ Vat we had sole use of the house and grounds (500 areas), unlimited drinks post ceremony, 3 course meal for 80 people, unlimited wine with the meal and a glass of champagne for toast. There were 2 fresh flowers displays, followed by a disco and buffet. Plus a wedding planner, ours was Karl who was wonderful and dealt all my whims with a calm and can do attitude. We chose to organise our wedding in 8 weeks but there was pressure to book late to secure the date at that price, we were treated with the same respect to full paying parties. It is perfect for a one place venue as it has beautiful rooms to stay in and catered for all budgets. It also has an Island chapel if you want a church wedding. I would highly recommend it above the other wedding venues in Somerset we saw."

geri1965_2

Also have a look at Goldney Hall

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/goldney/corporate/weddings/

and Beeses Tea Gardens

http://www.beeses.co.uk/hire.php

Mobile hog roast

http://www.olishogs.co.uk/

charlearose

Forgot this one as well Right in Bristol but a very trendy but quirky location You can get married there and have the party and they can do hog roast as well

http://www.paintworksevents.co.uk/index.php?id=114


http://www.eastwoodpark.co.uk/Weddings/Special-Offers.aspx
they do the hog roast ( I'm obsessed with it )