Your Herts and Beds Wedding - June/July 2020 (Issue 80)

WARE PRIORY 01920 460 316 | www.warepriory.co.uk The Manor of Groves is a beautiful Georgian manor house set against a backdrop of its 18-hole golf course, stunning grounds and gardens. Coming through the main drive, couples will view the immaculately kept grounds and a beautiful haven of tranquillity, which creates the perfect setting for a wedding day. The venue offers a great choice of spaces for internally or externally catered weddings. The Colonnade Suite has an exclusive bar and benefits from the stylish loggia complete with original Neoclassical tiled flooring and glass façade opening out to private gardens. The Manor Suite has a wealth of air-conditioned adaptable space and can accommodate up to 450 guests. The suite benefits from an exclusive bar, cloakroom, as well as a private powder room for the bride. Other ceremony areas include the outside ceremony, weather permitting (450 capacity), Drawing Room (60) and The Library (40). Most of these can be used for a reception. Doors from The Manor Suite lead out to the magnificent Oriental Garden complete with flowing waterfall, oriental timber bridge, pergola, gazebo and breathtaking views. It also has an atrium roof that offers couples a light-filled space that lends itself to daytime and of course evening celebrations when couples feel as if they’re dancing under the stars. A team of experienced wedding planners will be on hand from the moment of first enquiry to the wedding day itself, guiding couples through their planning from start to finish. For weddings using the venue’s catering, a complimentary menu tasting for bride and groom is offered and included within a package is a night’s stay in one the manor house’s four-poster rooms. MANOR OF GROVES HOTEL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 01279 600 777 | www.manorofgroves.com Situated in seven acres of picturesque gardens, Ware Priory is a traditional Grade I listed building that’s steeped in history, with some of the architecture dating back to Medieval times and plenty of areas to capture stunning images. The main Ware Priory building is a stunning spot with its white- washed frontage and stonewalled exterior surrounded by beautiful, well-kept flower beds and distinctive windows. Ceremonies take place in multiple locations at the venue, The Priory Hall (100 guests) sits in what were the cloisters of the original Friary. The open arches were filled in during the mid-1800s with stained glass and mortar to form the room we see today. During the course of the restoration in the mid-1990s a small piece of Medieval graffiti, in the form of a rose, was uncovered together with remnants of some mid-Victorian murals which have been preserved and restored. The Conservatory (100) offers a bright and spacious interior with easy access to the riverside gardens. Although licensed for civil ceremonies, the Conservatory is the ideal place for wedding breakfasts and receptions and can accommodate up to 120 guests. For a more intimate setting, the Hadsley Room (40) is a great place for a ceremony. The space is part of the Lady Suite and is situated on the first floor of the Priory in what was originally believed to be the Abbots Lodgings. It boasts a superb example of a crown post roof and has a vaulted ceiling. The large refectory table in this room dates back to the 14 th -century and is believed to be from the original Friary. Lastly, Fletcher’s Lea is ideal as a larger space for a ceremony (200) or a wedding reception with 160 guests for dining and 220 for a buffet setting. Fletcher’s Lea is a standalone building which affords exclusivity as all catering and bar facilities are housed within it. Additionally, there’s a private terrace offering views over the River Lea as well as access to all the gardens within the Priory Estate. All these spaces are perfect for a reception. The venue’s currently offering wedding night accommodation at Hanbury Manor, for the bride and groom and £100 discount with the venue dressing partner Victoria’s Events, as well as complimentary bacon rolls for the evening buffet. During these uncertain times, the team is offering a virtual tour of the venue instead of showing people round in person due to social distancing. 20