On Saturday 26th October 2013 I visited PentonPark, formerly known as Penton Lodge in Andover, Hampshire.
When I arrived, Danielle was putting the finishing touches
to her home made batch of chutney de pommes. She said the area is populated with apple trees, which may be a key ingredient to a classic apple pie for winter weddings!
I visited to have a look at the reception side of the
business. Penton Park also participates in other business ventures although
holding weddings is a key business idea that should become highly successful.
There is a widespread want for weddings and receptions to take place in the
countryside, in fantastic stately homes. Sadly, many of the stately homes have
become overly-corporate, pricing many budget brides out of the market. This
has, in turn, spiked the level of weddings abroad due to the sheer reduction in
costs.
Guy & Danielle
Guy and Danielle are the owners and residents of Penton
Park, a private country house venue which is hired out for wedding receptions
and corporate away days, as well as special birthdays and wedding
anniversaries. They live at the home with their twin daughters Georgiana and
Elizabeth, a gentle giant called Monty (Irish Wolfhound) and a sweet little
lady called Poppy (Working Cocker Spaniel).
In August of 2010, Guy and Danielle made the brave yet
life-changing decision to buy the property and refurbish it. Work began almost
immediately and the couple spent many a winter night huddled to keep warm,
powering through the cold months to complete the work. They married in the local
Holy Trinity church, and held their reception at Penton Lodge (now called
Penton Park).
Guy and Danielle married in February 2011. The reception did
not have a ‘theme’ other than being entirely family oriented, with the house
being the focal point. There were roaring log fires and candles lit around the
house, which lent itself to a very cosy, romantic atmosphere. The theme was
ball gowns and black tie, (no knobbly knees!) which is a perfect theme for this
kind of venue, as this is quite a respectable home, steeped in history.
Guests walked hand-in-hand together from the church to the
venue, a short five minute walk away. Danielle had her wet-weather wellies on
standby. Guests ate food sourced from the very land in which they stood. You could
not find food sourced more locally than that!
Above all else, Guy and Danielle know the venue personally
and have good relationships with local suppliers, allowing them to be flexible
in their approach to co-ordinating your day, and helping to satisfy your needs,
whether traditional or creative.
Penton Park History
The original build, Penton Lodge, was completed in 1720 and later
occupied by Lord Mayor of London, William Cubitt in the 1800’s. It is now a
Grade II listed building and a member of the Historic Houses Association.
It also assisted RAF Andover by operating as a recuperation
hospital. From 1947 to 2001, Penton Lodge then served as a girls’ boarding
school. In 1940, Penton Lodge became a household for relatives of Guy.
Penton Park aims to avoid becoming part of a network of
corporate venues, which sadly sees many fantastic listed buildings used purely
for weddings and profit. They work hard to ensure their packages are realistic
yet affordable.
Wedding Receptions
Currently, Penton Park operates as a reception venue
although plans are well underway to become sanctioned for wedding ceremonies by
the end of 2014 or early 2015 – this is only a year away! The local church, The
Holy Trinity, is a friendly church which still holds weddings. There is a bench
outside where some local elderly ladies like to sit, to catch a glimpse of the newlywed
bride as she leaves the church. This feels like a real community spirit.
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| Holy Trinity Church |
Guy and Danielle work hard to be competitive with pricing,
and are very flexible for couples that chose to celebrate at the venue. There
are no peak premiums for summer months, meaning the venue remains competitive all
year round and more so in the summer months.
The venue can host weddings from Monday to Sunday, although wedding
receptions are a maximum of twenty a year. Of course, this is not a negative
thing – it ensures no bride bumps into another on their way in/out of the
building. It also respects the refurbishment of the house and any noise from
the reception that could disturb the locals. The venue is very respectful in
this way.
Hiring the venue for your reception entitles you to exclusive
use of the ground-floor, the terrace and the grounds. This means there will not
be any other business activities on the day of your wedding, and no strangers
lurking in the backdrop of photographs.
Guest Numbers
Penton Park can cater wedding receptions for up to 100
covers indoors and 450 covers if you chose a marquee in the warmer months.
Indoor seating can be arranged as long banquet tables or
round dining tables, where the guest numbers can be quite flexible. Round tables
can seat around 60 covers, the average number of guests at a wedding.
Catering
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| English Summer Berries by Aundi Mason |
Penton Park currently uses three suppliers, depending on the
style of function they are providing you. The dinner designs can be unrefined
design but big on flavour, creative theme-oriented food or top quality meals
prepared by a chef who trained with Le Manoir.
Couples are entitled to arrange their own alcohol to stock
the bar too, which significantly helps to cut costs if you are particular about
your wines and spirits.
Accommodation
Whilst there is currently no guest accommodation at Penton
Park, there are future plans to design and refurbish a room into a beautiful,
romantic bridal suite. These plans should come into force in 2015.
In the meantime, Guy and Danielle have high recommendations
for the Norton Park Hotel.
Seasonal Penton Park
I asked Danielle what made Penton Park particularly special to
each season; During the Spring and Summer months, the area is carpeted with
bluebells, snowdrops and daffodils. It’s very romantic and makes for a
quintessentially English countryside wedding. There would be no issue in calculating
your wedding theme colours! I thought of white Victorian patio tables with
cream teas and pink blossoms.
In Autumn the leaves start to turn, apart from the Japanese
Maple, seen from the doorway of the house. It shows a very vivid red colour
that contrasts the rich green grass and compliments the rusty oranges of the
fallen leaves. The house feels cosy and you get spectacular dusk views of the
sun setting behind the trees.
In Winter, the outside temperature has dropped enough to
make full use of the log fireplaces. The roaring fires create a very wintery
atmosphere inside the house.
It instantly made me think of warm winter Pimms
served on arrival, later followed by poached pears in dark chocolate sauce for
dessert. If you’re lucky enough to get a dusting of snow in the evening, soak
up the ambience of watching it fall gently on the window frames as you
gracefully listen to the crackle of the wood in the fire place.
Wedding Show
Penton Park is hosting the 2013 wedding show on 24th
November. There are no ticket rules, just that brides turn up on the day! If
you let Danielle know of your arrival and the time you plan to arrive, they’ll
greet you with a bubbly drink upon arrival. The show runs from 11am and 4pm,
allowing couples to explore the reception venue and grounds as well as meet all
the suppliers favoured by the venue.
There will be a horse and carriage, cars, cakes, jewellers, flowers
and musicians. There will also be one of my own gift vouchers to take away.
See Guy in his wedding clothing, posing with Danielle's sister, showing off the venue to its full potential, showcasing as it would appear on your very own wedding day. Suppliers exhibiting at the wedding show include:
Accessories - Marvellous Milliner
Cakes – Delicious Cakes
Catering – Square Root Catering, Gig Lees, Aundi Mason
Dresses - Brides of Winchester
Flowers - Designs by Olea
Music – Tom Bott’s High Society Orchestra, Live Events Group
Photographers - Steve Dunster, Cat Hepple
Transport - Harroway Stud
Videographer - Story of your Day
Christmas Ball
Just as Penton Park hosts an annual wedding show, they also
host an annual Christmas Ball. The theme is black tie – please contact Penton
Park for details of obtaining tickets, and ticket prices. I will be there and I
cannot wait! There are many local inns and hotels that can accommodate overnight
guests.
Summer Proms
Another annual event Penton Park holds is the Summer Proms. The
next promenade will be held on 19th July 2014.
Local Area
Danielle highly recommends popping over to Highclere Castle,
located ten miles from Penton Mewsey. It is visible over the fields on clear
days, but is also open most days for visitors. If the name sounds familiar, it
is because Highclere Castle is the setting for Downton Abbey!
Queries
If you have any questions about planning your reception at
Penton Park or are interested in holding a wedding ceremony in the future, please
get in touch with Penton Park via their website – they will be all too happy to
help you plan and co-ordinate your perfect day, whether it is several months or
several years, guidance can be given to help you.
Pinterest
Click here to view my image board, of photos taken the day of my visit at Penton Park and of the local Holy Trinity Church.
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