Welcome to Dodmoor House

Thank you for choosing Dodmoor House to host your wedding celebrations. We are very excited about it and will do all we can to ensure the occasion is memorable.

Above all, we want to give you the flexibility to organise your day just how you want it to be. So please read on, as well as carefully checking through our separate terms and conditions, and contact us if you have any queries before signing the booking form.

We want to work closely with you over the coming months to ensure everything runs smoothly on the big day. We’ve therefore compiled this ‘welcome pack’ to assist.

We will liaise with you closely over the coming months and will also contact you four to six months before your wedding date to organise a midweek date in the daytime to pull together all the details and finalise your day.

We really want you and your guests to have a wonderful time at Dodmoor House. In fact, the most important guideline of all is to enjoy yourselves!

Thank you and congratulations!

Exclusively Yours

Yours will be the only wedding at Dodmoor House that day and there will be no other overnight guests there, ensuring that the venue is, indeed, exclusively yours.

Total Fee

We have agreed a total fee with you for your wedding, which includes VAT at the prevailing rate. It includes a £500 Booking Fee, which covers the initial stages of your wedding journey with us up to this point. The remaining amount is made up of a Wedding Planning Fee and a Wedding Venue Fee in equal parts.

Wedding Planning Fee

Half of this Wedding Planning Fee is payable at your time of booking, and the second half is due one year before your wedding date (if you book within 12 months, then the full Wedding Fee is payable up front).

This covers the comprehensive wedding planning service which we offer to you from the moment that you book Dodmoor for your special day, right up until your wedding day itself.

We are available for you to contact us by phone or email with any questions you may have, while we regularly update our website and social media pages to give you extra inspiration. We also host regular Open Evenings, which give you the chance to bring family/friends to the venue, chat to us about your plans and meet recommended suppliers. You are very welcome to attend all of them!

Around 2-3 months before your wedding, we will host your Day in Detail planning meeting on a midweek date in the daytime. This will be your chance to chat through your plans ‘in detail’ with your designated wedding coordinator, who will send you the in-depth notes from this meeting, contact your suppliers and liaise with you over the final couple of months to finalise everything.

As part of your Wedding Planning fee, we also undertake to ensure that the venue is kept updated and maintained to the same high standard as when you first looked round and fell in love with Dodmoor!

Venue Fee

The Wedding Venue Fee is due two months before the big day and covers exclusive use of Dodmoor House as a venue for the date specified on the booking confirmation. It includes staffing of the bar, glassware and the supply of up to 120 chairs, as well as tables as set out in the plans which appear on our website in the ‘info’ section.

It includes a number of extra decorations that are kept updated on the ‘additional decorations’ section of our website (also found under the Info tab), but not those items available through Hire @ Dodmoor.

We should also stress that it does not include table linen or napkins, cutlery or crockery, or waitressing staff. These should be ordered through the caterer, who will be hired separately and directly by you. It also does not include any evening disco lighting or PA system, which would be provided by your supplier (or through the DIY DJ system if you choose to book this from us).

Cancellation

None of us want to imagine any scenario in which a wedding day can’t take place, but we need to at least set out all the ‘what ifs’ for you at this stage. They are also covered in our Terms and Conditions, which you should read carefully.

As soon as your booking is confirmed with a receipt invoice emailed by us, you will have entered into a binding contract with Dodmoor House.

You should be aware that the £500 Booking Fee is non-refundable in any circumstances (after the initial 14-day cooling off period has expired) as it is for services already provided before your time of booking.

If you were to cancel the wedding for any reason, the Wedding Planning Fee (which is payable in one or two instalments) could be refunded for any months in which you hadn’t yet received the potential benefits of this service.

So if you booked the venue 18 months in advance, and cancelled after six months, you would have used 6/18ths of the wedding planning fee (33%). In this case you would have paid 50% of the Wedding Planning Fee already, we'd therefore refund the remaining 17% of the total Wedding Planning Fee.

If you booked the venue 12 months in advance you would pay 100% of the Wedding Planning Fee initially. If you then cancelled after six months, you would have used 6/12ths of the Wedding Planning Fee (50%) so there would be a 50% refund of this fee possible.

If you booked the venue 24 months in advance and cancelled 18 months later, you would have used 18/24ths of the wedding planning fee. In this case you would have paid the full Wedding Planning Fee in two instalments, so a refund of 25% of the total Wedding Planning Fee would be due.

Please note that the Wedding Planning Fee is not calculated on the specific amount of visits, phone calls or emails that have been dealt with in that time, it is worked out on a monthly basis (just as the price of a gym membership does not vary according to the number of gym classes you attend) as we are available all of the time to help you and each wedding ultimately takes the same amount of detailed planning.

If we were to re-sell the date to another couple after your cancellation, we regret that this would not affect the amount of refund that we could offer to you (as the Wedding Planning would have already taken place).

Any remaining amounts – such as those relating to drinks ordered and consumed on the day - must be settled on the day after your wedding, before checking out. Late payment costs will otherwise be incurred.

Please read the Terms and Conditions carefully to see the specific clauses relating to ‘Force Majeure’ events which prevent a wedding from taking place, such as with covid-19, but please we would initially look to find a postponement date for you within 11 to 12 months of your original date (albeit normally with some flexibility needed on a different day of the week or month of the year).

Wedding Insurance

We would strongly recommend that you take out a wedding insurance policy for your own peace of mind.

Terms and conditions

Please read our attached terms and conditions carefully and be aware that in signing the booking form, you agree to be bound by not only the terms and conditions, but also the contents of this welcome pack. Please ask us if you have any questions or concerns.

Third Party Services

Our recommended list of local contacts on our website - https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/suppliers - is designed to help you, although you must appreciate there is no contractual liability between us in respect of any third parties, such as caterers, photographers and DJs.

While we are happy to make recommendations in good faith, you must satisfy yourselves about the services they offer before you enter into any contract with them. Payment terms in respect of any third party services will be as agreed between you and the relevant third parties.

Guest Numbers

There are no minimum guest numbers at Dodmoor House (unlike some other venues) so you have complete flexibility over how many guests to invite. We may ask you for a guide to your likely numbers, but your booking is not dependent in any way on these numbers and we regularly host intimate wedding days with 15-30 guests.

We can accommodate up to 100 (or 110-120 guests at a push!) for a wedding ceremony in the Courtyard Barn, but we are restricted by the following capacities for the wedding breakfast:

:: 74-76 guests on round tables

:: 90-96 guests on trestle tables

:: 120 guests with informal seating around the venue (no set seating plan)

Table plans

Please do take a look at our website on the info section for a full list of table lay-outs – https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/table-plans - up to 74 on round tables and 90-96 as the overall maximum on straight tables. Make sure that you include any children on the table plan and please be aware that musicians or audio-visual equipment take up extra space in the room.

We ask you to deliver all table plans and place cards to Dodmoor House the day before your wedding. The caterers will require two clear table plans – one to be displayed on a board for your guests and an additional working plan for the kitchen. We have two boards that you can use, which are either A1 in size or 59cm x 69cm. They are both hard-backed so we will fix your plan into place on the board or please have a look at the options on our Hire @ Dodmoor table plans.

Please bundle up your name cards per table and highlight any vegetarians, under-16s, those aged 16 to 18, and anyone with special dietary requirements on the table plan. It would also be helpful for us to know in advance where young children or guests with mobility problems are sitting.

Evening guests

We can host up to 180 guests in total for the evening party (and are licensed for 200), although it may be sensible to try to keep numbers slightly lower in winter months (to around 150-160 guests) when the spill-over grass car park cannot necessarily be used.

It is also sensible to coordinate with us before setting the arrival time for any evening guests to ensure they do not arrive during the speeches. The time will depend on when your church service or civil ceremony took place, but most evening guests are invited for around 7pm or 7.30pm. Please feel free to ask our advice over timings before sending out your invitations.

You may like to leave the cutting of the cake until the arrival of evening guests, while you could also choose to distribute a bar token in advance to give them one free drink.

Caterers

There are two recommended caterers – Lemon Zest and Portfolio Events. They have both been selected due to their flexibility, experience and, above all, their wonderful food and service!

If you wish to use any other caterer (apart from Lemon Zest and Portfolio Events), then an ‘outside caterer fee’ will be payable and this will be added to your final balance payment due two months before the wedding day. The outside catering fee is £60 in 2024 & 2025 (but is likely to increase in 2026).

Contact details for a number of other firms with whom we have worked at Dodmoor House are included in the list of Daytime Caterers on our main suppliers list (please note that the ‘outside caterer fee’ would still be payable if you book one of these firms).

If you do wish to bring your own caterer to Dodmoor House, we require the firm to have all appropriate Health & Safety certificates and to sign up to our catering terms and conditions. It is important to note that they would also be responsible for the service of the food, laying of the tables, table linen, napkins, crockery and cutlery along with disposing of all rubbish from the venue.

Please be aware that there are health and safety issues, as well as questions over fridge space, staffing and public liability insurance, related to any self-catering so we would recommend that you should find a catering firm to take any such worries away from you.

There is no separate kitchen hire fee if you use a separate evening caterer, but we have increasingly found that some evening caterers, especially hog roast suppliers and food vans, aren’t including staff to clear up the food waste around the venue in their quotes and can sometimes struggle to find staff to perform this function.

We ask that all evening caterers should supply enough staff to serve their food and stay on to clear up any rubbish afterwards please, before taking this rubbish away with them.

We would be happy to quote you separately for additional evening staff to help your evening caterer (subject to availability of staff) and waste disposal at the end of the night if needed. Please do ask for details in advance.

Wedding Breakfast

We would suggest having one wine glass and one water glass per guest to maximise table space, as well as restricting yourselves to one choice of white wine and one choice of red wine to make service easier (but you could have rose wine as well if you would like).

We provide carafes of iced tap water for each table and we will serve the wine for you during the meal, which tends to last between 90 and 120 minutes, depending on the number of guests and courses.

You could choose to eat in the Courtyard Barn if your numbers are below 60 and you have either got married in the Catesby Barn or at church.

BBQs and buffets as your main meal

Buffets would normally be laid out in the Courtyard Barn, with a starter – and often dessert - served to the table. This gives the waitressing staff enough time to set up the buffet tables in the Courtyard Barn (just in case you have had to have part/all of your drinks reception there due to bad /cold weather).

Alternatively, you could have speeches at the table before your meal but you would then have to be fairly confident of how long the speeches would last (so that the food didn’t ruin).

As with barbeques, which can be set up in the courtyard, we work with the caterers to coordinate the order in which guests are then served.

You could also consider a choice of two main courses to increase the range of alternatives, while some couples prefer to skip the seated wedding breakfast entirely and opt for a more informal bbq or hog roast.

Speeches

These normally take place after the dessert has been cleared, with Dodmoor House staff bringing round full glasses of champagne or sparkling wine, as well as non-alcoholic options for any children. We estimate five glasses per bottle of champagne.

We would advise against having speeches immediately before your main course as there is a risk that the food (especially if it is hot) could be spoiled if the speeches run over. If you have speeches after your main course, it is sensible to announce a five-minute delay after the speeches before the dessert is served to allow guests time for a short break.

You are welcome to use our cordless microphone for speeches. If you are thinking of showing photos during the speeches, we can organise the hire of a projector and screen from our Hire@Dodmoor range.

Tea and Coffee

The caterers often serve tea and coffee buffet-style in the Courtyard Barn after the meal, partly to offer greater choice for refills and also to clear the Catesby Barn so that we can move the chairs and tables ready for the evening entertainment.

This depends on the time that the meal started and when any evening guests are due. We would at least recommend background music at this time, while other ideas include live music, fun casinos and magicians.

Cake

The wedding cake is often cut immediately before your first dance in the Catesby Barn once any evening guests have arrived or could also be cut during the tea/coffee buffet in the Courtyard Barn or before the meal if you would like it served for dessert!

We supply the cake knife, while the caterers will take the cake away to cut it up and serve it, often with the evening buffet. You need to decide whether you would like a tablecloth on the 2ft diameter cake table (which has a chrome base and wooden top), or our rustic wine barrel and we have a number of cake stands that you are welcome to use.

Evening Food

You can choose from a huge range of evening food options, such as pizza vans, fish and chips, bacon sandwiches and cheese/pate platters.

In tandem with a local farmer, we also offer a burger bar, toastie shack or hog roast for evening catering and we can provide full details on request. This is for the classic pork bun, with crackling, apple sauce and stuffing, fun cheese toasties or burger bar with beef burgers, bacon and sausages. Guests can then add the following toppings to make their perfect burger; slices of tomato, cheese, onion, gherkins, lettuce leaves, tomato sauce, HP sauce or mayo.

This also includes a dessert option to have alongside your evening food. You can choose from our popcorn station, donut wall or our sweet shop/wall – or combine them all together for a tempting ‘Treat Wall’!

You should ideally plan any evening food between about 8pm and 9pm, but we can help to advise on the best time to coordinate with your evening entertainment.

Please remember that we ask that all evening caterers should supply enough staff to serve their food and stay on to clear up any rubbish afterwards, before taking this rubbish away with them.

Suppliers

You are more than welcome to bring any of your own suppliers, however we do have a number of recommended suppliers. Please follow the link below to see our recommended suppliers.

We have looked to find people who are as committed to personal service as us, although please note that we cannot be held liable for third party services which are agreed directly with you and feel free to use any of your own contacts if you wish.

https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/suppliers

Civil Ceremonies

We are registered for civil wedding ceremonies in both the Courtyard Barn (for 100 guests) and Catesby Barn (for up to 60 guests) along with four separate areas in the gardens and courtyard. Please follow the link (https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/outdoor-ceremonies-info) for more information on outside ceremonies.

It is always sensible to contact the registrars before booking Dodmoor House to reserve your slot as they work on a first-come, first-served basis for ceremony times, we just ask that you do not book a ceremony before 12.30pm. The law, however, dictates that you pay the registrars’ fees directly.

You would need to get in contact with the Registry Office to check their availability by visiting: https://westnorthamptonshire.zipporah.co.uk/Registrars/Account/Register

You will need to register an account and answer a few questions, before you can then check their live availability calendar.

Please note that the first time given (eg 1pm-2.30pm) is the time that the registrars will hold their pre-ceremony meeting, with the ceremony 30 minutes later (in this case at 1.30pm).

The wedding ceremony lasts about 20/25 minutes, depending on readings and music. Live music, such as a string duo or harp, may appeal to you (although please talk to us first if you have more than 80 guests in terms of available space), while we also have in-built speakers and an audio system that can be connected to your phone/playlist.

We would recommend using the courtyard as the aisle, walking up the steps and into the Courtyard Barn. If it is wet, you can nip across to the Catesby Barn under an umbrella before getting ready to make your entrance through the under-cover area between the two barns.

We normally open the bar before the ceremony so that guests who arrive early can buy a drink and gather either in the bar or the courtyard. Please note that guests are not allowed, by law, to take any alcohol into the ceremony room for up to an hour beforehand but we will let them know this at the bar, with last orders called 30 minutes before the ceremony starts.

Church

If you are getting married in church, please allow about 50 minutes for the service, 30 minutes or so for photos and then travelling time to Dodmoor House. You may like to think about using some of the flowers from your church service at Dodmoor House. Pew ends could, for instance, be hung on hooks in the Courtyard Barn.

The most popular church close to Dodmoor House is Weedon Church. Please contact the church/vicar direct to see how you can join the congregation there on a regular basis ahead of your wedding. We ask that you plan your ceremony so that you do not arrive with your guests to Dodmoor House before midday, please

Timings

The timings of the day are very much down to you, but you may find it helpful to have a look at our timelines for the day to get a clearer idea of how long things may potentially take. https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/timelines

Please do ask us to put together a tailored timeline for your day according to the availability of the registrars/church service and your own wishes.

Drinks reception

There is no corkage charge, enabling you to bring all of your own drinks for the reception drinks, wedding breakfast and speeches. These drinks will be served to you and your guests by our staff.

However, you should be aware that this policy does not apply to drinks served before a civil ceremony (when the pay-bar is open) and comes to an end immediately after the end of the meal, with the pay-bar operating exclusively for the evening celebrations. Any unused bottles of wine will be put away at this point and gathered for you to collect in the morning.

After the ceremony or your arrival from church, drinks will take place at the lawn, in the courtyard or in the Courtyard Barn. If it is raining after a civil ceremony, we will quickly stack the chairs and then, when you and your guests all have a drink, we will discreetly clear them away.

We can also offer waitress service for any other drinks (sometimes guests do ask for a beer or a Coke!) to be purchased from the bar.

The drinks reception tends to last about 90 minutes but this may depend on the number of photos, canapés and the number of guests.

Please ensure enough time if you would like a receiving line – either the two of you (which can take up to 20 minutes) or you and your parents (about 30 minutes) - and you could then be announced into the room last of all.

Unlimited Drinks Package

Instead of providing your own drinks, we also offer the convenient alternative and wide range of choices offered by our unlimited drinks package. There are four different packages to choose from - Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby and Diamond based on your budget and drink preferences.

As part of our Unlimited Drinks Packages, we offer a fun Cocktail Station for your drinks reception, which can be used in the Courtyard Barn, Courtyard or on the Front Lawn.

This offers you a variety of exciting daytime drinks choices, so that your guests can select from a range of up to four cocktails after an initial round of drinks are served after your ceremony or arrival from church.

Within four separate packages, there are choices of a Gin Bar and a Mojito or Martini Bar, with a selection of hot drinks for the winter and a range of refreshing cool drinks.

This all reduces the stress, hassle and leftovers for you – but still controls the overall cost of your drinks.

Drinks reception drinks: These are served to guests immediately after your ceremony or on arrival from church on trays by our waiting staff. Choose a Fizz option, a fun cocktail and maybe a Beer, as well as soft drinks. We will then also set up an interactive drinks Cocktail Station wherever you have your drinks reception and photos, so that cocktails can be ‘made to order’ for your guests right in front of them.

Meal drinks: In the meal, our waiting staff will top up guests’ glasses. We also supply carafes of iced tap water to the tables. In addition to your choice of red, white and rose wine, we are happy to continue serving cocktails, beers and soft drinks, but sparkling wine service (and interactive cocktails) would cease.

Speeches drink: We will pre-pour glasses of bubbly and hand these round to your guests before the speeches, including a fun soft option for the children.

Each drink has an individual price per glass/bottle, so we can keep count of how many of these are served to your guests and we calculate the overall cost of drinks served in the drinks reception, meal and speeches.

However there is still a guaranteed maximum price per person, depending on the package you choose.

16/17-year-olds are half-price, 4-15 year olds are £6 per child and children under 4 years old are free!

If the overall total price of drinks consumed is less than the guaranteed maximum package price, then you pay the lower amount and make a saving!

If the price is greater than the maximum, you only pay the guaranteed maximum (we cover the difference and you get drinks for free!)

We won’t stop serving drinks or restrict the amount, as this offer is designed for those who want a maximum cost to help control budgets whilst indulging their guests with drinks and offering lots of choice!

Tasting sessions take place regularly at our open evenings or you can buy some bottles of wine to try at home.

To see a full list of the drinks that are included in each of the packages, please follow the link below

https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/drinks-at-dodmoor

Please note that drinks prices and guaranteed maximum prices are for the current year and apply from the start of the drinks reception until the end of the meal or speeches. Prices in future years are likely to rise by an estimated £1 per adult each year in normal circumstances.

Background Music

We have an inbuilt audio system that can play your playlists through our speakers in the Courtyard Barn, Catesby Barn and courtyard throughout the day (with an outside speaker at the lawn). Please make sure your playlists are downloaded in advance, while we can supply an easy listening playlist by request.

Dodmoor DIY DJ system

While our speakers are of sufficient quality for background music, we would strongly recommend that you ask your DJ/band to provide their own speakers in the evening, while you are also welcome to book our DIY DJ system, with includes a PA system and coloured/disco lighting.

You can see more details here - DIY DJ

Bands and DJs

We regularly welcome a range of DJs and bands to Dodmoor House for some great evening parties!

You should be aware that, in accordance with our public licence to minimise disturbance to our neighbours, a noise limiter has been fitted into the two main barns.

You are welcome to book any of the bands, DJs or singers on our recommended list, who can all work well at the venue. We would just ask that all singers/bands finish their final live set by 11pm (but they can then play a DJ set until the close).

If you wish to book any other band, DJ or singer, please ensure in advance they can comply with the following requirements of our entertainment licence:

:: We have a noise limiter system set at a maximum of 94 decibels

:: We ask all bands not on our recommended list to provide - and use - an electronic drum kit to ensure they can stay within this limit

Please note that our entertainment licence does not allow any band to play at Dodmoor House unless they are able to comply with these requirements.

We also ask that you do not use any smoke effects, strobe lighting or foam/glitter/confetti machines or devices.

We are always happy to discuss your ideas or to talk directly to your band, singer or DJ in advance before you book them – please just call us on 01327 341736 or email us at weddings@dodmoorhouse.co.uk

Bands tend to play two one-hour sets during the evening and we ask them to finish their final set by 11pm with disco music playing until the end of the night (with the Catesby Barn doors closed after 11pm).

We have compiled a recommended list of bands that can all comply with our noise limits – please see the separate sheet and view the full list on our website - https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/bands

If you would like live music, you may also like to consider a solo singer or duet, who have the flexibility to play in the Catesby Barn or even (in the summer) a first set in the courtyard, we just ask that live music moves inside by 9pm.

DJs work well and we have our own recommended DJs who can offer good value packages - https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/dj - as well as the DIY DJ.

DJs and solo singers take about 40 minutes to set up, while larger bands can take up to 90 minutes to get ready, so these times need to be allowed for in the planning of the evening timings.

Honeymoon Suite

Our complimentary honeymoon suite enables you to get ready in peace and privacy, before spending your first married night together in luxury, complete with some bubbly and our very best wishes.

You will be welcomed to the honeymoon suite from midday on the day of your wedding if you are getting married at Dodmoor, although you can normally access the Dodford Room dressing room from 11.30am.

We will deliver a Continental breakfast to your room at 9am the next day. We ask you to vacate the room by 10am in time to collect your flowers, drinks and other possessions before settling the final bill by your check-out time of 10.30am (these will have been gathered together for you the night before).

There are likely to be viewings taking place around the venue on each Saturday morning but we promise not to come anywhere near the honeymoon suite and you are welcome to enjoy breakfast in the room (or even in the gardens) at your leisure.

We will do our utmost to respect your peace and privacy the morning after your wedding, but we are grateful for your understanding that we do conduct viewings on Saturday mornings from 9.15am.

Mercure Daventry Court Hotel, Daventry

The Mercure Daventry Court Hotel is a 4* hotel six miles away which offers a special rate for Dodmoor guests of £100 for 2024 and £110 for 2025(per night including breakfast, group transport back to the hotel at the end of the evening and VAT at 20%). The hotel can offer an initial allocation of up to 15 rooms (2024) and 10 rooms (2025) depending on their availability.

Please note that these rooms are not automatically secured and will depend on availability at the hotel. Allocations can be set up from 9 months prior to your wedding date when you will need to contact the hotel directly to secure rooms for your guests.

An early check-in from 1pm is included in the rates for 2024, subject to availability. The hotel have confirmed a check in time of 2pm will apply to those booking in 2025.

If guests wish to check-in earlier and if rooms are available, there is a supplement to be paid at check-in. Guests can check availability and prices in the week leading up to their arrival by emailing the hotel reservations team.

Those that need to check-in before their allocated time, but can’t due to lack of availability will be able to change in the leisure facility changing rooms, leave their luggage at reception and collect their keys and bags when they return to the hotel at the end of the night.

Please note that any rooms from your initial allocation which are not booked by your guests will be released back onto general sale 6 weeks before your wedding.

To take advantage of this deal, you will need to contact the hotel directly, 9 months before your wedding, to arrange a group allocation of rooms for your guests by emailing reservations on HA0I0-RE@accor.com.

Please note that guests can only be included in the Dodmoor House room rate if they book directly with the hotel either by email: HA0I0-RE@accor.com or by phone 01327 307 000 (Option 2) or 01327 307019.

Anyone not booking in this way (or separately online) will not be included in the deal and will need to make their own transport arrangements back.

All guests are welcome to leave their cars in the Dodmoor House car park overnight, at their own risk, we would just ask that these are collected by 11am the next day please.

Please note that the transport offers are not available for guests who book outside the specific Dodmoor House rate and the hotel cannot guarantee their availability so early reservations of the allocation are recommended.

Grand Prix weekend

Silverstone Racetrack has an effect on the availability and pricing of local hotels on the weekend of the British Grand Prix (although the circuit is 10 miles away so there is no direct effect here in terms of noise, while racegoers and wedding guests tend to travel at much different times).

The date is normally confirmed in the previous October/November and is usually one of the first two weekends in July.

Our partner hotel, the Mercure Daventry Court, is unable to offer any rooms on the Grand Prix weekend and other hotel rooms locally are both difficult to find and very expensive to book.

We will offer a £1,000 discount on your venue fee to help cover the increased cost of hotel rooms and/or any group travel arrangements for your guests back to a chosen hotel a little further afield, such as in the Rugby area.

However, until the date of the race is known, it is also worth reserving rooms at the Daventry Court Hotel (as well as at another hotel a little further afield) as these rooms will revert back to their normal price for any non-Grand Prix weekend date.

Please do contact us for any further advice.

Details of other accommodation in the local area

There is an enormous amount of accommodation in the local area from luxury or budget hotels to more individual bed and breakfasts. We are always happy to advise if you are looking for something specific.

Please do have a look at a number of recommended suppliers by following this link to our website: https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/accommodation-near-dodmoor-house

When using alternative accommodation we would recommend planning your transport arrangements in advance due to our rural location.

Set-up

At the day in detail planning meeting, we will organise a time for you to come over (normally the morning of the day before the wedding), to drop off your various items, such as drinks, name cards, table plans and favours. We will then ensure that drinks are put in the fridges well in advance and we will set up the venue exactly to your requirements on the day itself, so you can concentrate on getting ready and enjoying yourselves!

We are very happy to put any relatively simple items in place but we would ask florists to arrange flowers and stylists to put any more complicated items in place, such as chair covers, please.

On the Day

We will have a wedding coordinator in charge of making sure that everything goes to plan and liaises with you, as well as the caterers and photographer, to coordinate timings. You would normally meet them at the planning meeting 2-3 months before the wedding (if not before) and would liaise closely over the next few weeks.

They come in the morning to help set up the venue and meet you when you arrive, stay throughout the day and then normally leave at around 8.30pm/9pm when the evening party is going. They will introduce you to your evening manager, who will help organise taxis for guests and make sure the party runs smoothly.

We have staff to serve drinks, clear glasses, move chairs/tables, run the bar and clear up, but we do try and remain in the background as it is very much your day and your venue.

It is therefore a good idea to nominate a best man/usher to make any announcements during the day (such as asking guests to move through for tea/coffee after the meal).

We are always happy to move around decorations/wedding items for you on the day and will be as careful as possible, but please be aware that we cannot be held liable for any accidental damages that occur; if you are particularly worried about any items, then we would advise you to ask a member of the wedding party to do this for you instead.

Access to the Venue

You are welcome to have access to the Catesby Barn and Courtyard Barn from 9:30am on the day of your wedding to start setting up. We would be grateful if you could give this information to your florist and cake-maker.

We also guarantee access to the bridal suite from 12pm although it may be possible to use the room next door to the bridal suite from 11.30am (please check in advance). We ask that, except by prior arrangement, all guests should have departed the venue car park as quietly as possible 30 minutes after the end of the wedding (with the latest possible end time being midnight).

Photos & Confetti

You are very welcome to use the grounds at Dodmoor House for your photos, whatever the weather (there are just some areas which are not accessible, such as the 'private' garden area at the back of the lawn - however there is signage for awareness).

We would be grateful if you could only provide real or dried petals, as we cannot allow paper confetti of any kind (even if it's biodegradable). All confetti must be kept to the steps in the courtyard or inside the barn. We are unable to have confetti cannons at any time of the day/evening (including the first dance).

Dogs

Your VIPs (Very Important Pets!) are extremely welcome to take part in your special day, especially in wedding ceremonies at Dodmoor and for your drinks/photos (we do ask that dogs are kept on a lead at all times and have someone in charge of looking after them please).

You should check with your chosen caterers in advance if they are happy for dogs to be in the meal-room, while we ask that dogs aren't taken into the honeymoon suite or dressing-room due to future guests' possible allergies. We therefore require all dogs are taken home at the end of the night please.

If you are interested in a dog chaperone (who can also offer overnight care), we recommend Pamper My Poochie

For more information please have a look at this blog - Dogs at Dodmoor

Mezzanine & Courtyard Bars

The pay bar will be open before a ceremony, during the daytime for any extra drinks via waitress service and will be exclusively open after the ‘no corkage period’ finishes after the end of the speeches.

If you are getting married at Dodmoor, we welcome your guests on their arrival (normally from around 60 minutes before the wedding ceremony) and offer them the chance to purchase a drink from the main bar area. We are allowed to serve drinks from the bar up until 30 minutes before a ceremony, when last orders will be called. Guests will then have 15 minutes ‘drinking up’ time before we start to ask them to take their seats for the ceremony.

This is because the registrars are strict in not permitting any alcoholic drinks inside the ceremony area within one hour of the ceremony taking place and have recently reinforced these rules with all venues, while they also wish to ensure that there are no delays in the ceremony starting on time.

These rules also extend to no drinks at all (apart from water) or food being present when either of you are having your pre-ceremony meeting with the registrars.

During the drinks reception after you are married, as well as for the meal and as a toast for speeches, our 'no corkage policy' operates.

After the meal has taken place, this comes to an end and any unused bottles of wine are stored away, ready to be collected by you the next day. The pay-bar then opens exclusively (it could also be open earlier if you prefer) and prices are kept at town centre pub levels, with card payments only.

You are welcome to set up a bar tab, which could either last until a particular time or be for a set amount (we can warn you when the maximum is close to being reached).

We can exclude shots, spirit doubles, Champagne and cigars/cigarettes from a tab but would recommend that all other drinks are included.

Please tell us if there are drinks that you and your guests particularly like. We don’t normally stock real ale as it is a specialist item, but we can order in a keg of London Pride as a one-off (if you buy the whole keg in advance at cost price). We would charge a corkage fee of £1.50 per pint for your guests in the evening. Please discuss this with us in more detail for up-to-date prices.

Depending on the time of year, we have a pop-up bar that will open in the early evening either in the courtyard or Courtyard Barn. This will remain available until the demand is reduced, after which staff will continue to offer waitress service to guests who choose not to go to the Mezzanine Bar.

The bar is licensed for use from midday, with final orders taken at 11.45pm and time called at 12am.

It should be noted that the law dictates we cannot sell alcohol to anyone aged under 18 (or permit any sale that we know will be drunk by anyone under age), although 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds can drink wine, beer and cider at their tables with a meal. We would ask you to supply us with the names of all those aged under 18 before the wedding day to comply with our licensing duties please.

Hire @ Dodmoor

There is a wide range of decorations and garden games which are included in the Venue Fee - https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/additional-decorations

However, we also have a range of different items which you can hire from us to give your wedding that extra wow factor.

We have our rustic fairy light LOVE letters which you can hire all day and can go both inside and outside (depending on weather).

If you have a sweet tooth, why not try one of our dessert options for the evening. We offer sweets, popcorn and donuts. There is also the option to make every dessert lover’s dream and have a Treat Wall in the Courtyard Barn!

We can also offer you the option to be your own DJ with our DIY package and also have a photo booth for the evening party.

We are always looking to add extra items to Hire @ Dodmoor to help add extra touches to your wedding day, so please check back regularly via the link below to see what we have added!

https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/hire-at-dodmoor

Candles

Candles look wonderful and we encourage you to use them, with the only proviso being that they must be contained in something, like a bowl, hurricane lamp or tea-light holder. We have five hurricane lamps in the Courtyard Barn and numerous tea-light holders around the venue, as well as two hanging candelabras in the Catesby Barn, and we are happy to supply ivory candles for all of these. You are welcome to supply any other candles to fit in with your colour scheme if you prefer.

For the ceremony, we ask that any candles you would like to display on the floor of the aisle are either entirely encased in a lantern or that they are LED candles. The registrars are not keen on candlesticks on the registry table as they are worried about the potential fire hazard when you sign the register.

Sparklers, fireworks & Chinese lanterns

Sparklers are a wonderful addition to your wedding day and create some fantastic photos, however we do need to be aware of the health and safety implications (which is why we don’t normally allow sparkler arches to take place after 9pm).

Dodmoor House staff will help by organising the guests into two lines, handing out sparklers and helping to light all the sparklers at the same time.

Dodmoor House can sell you long burning sparklers on a sale or return basis. We will count them back on the night and you will therefore only be charged for how many are used. This will be added to your final invoice, which will be settled the following day.

We will need you to confirm that you are aware of the dangers and will communicate these to any guests that may be involved in the sparkler arch.

However, due to the rural position of Dodmoor House, with horses, sheep and crops in nearby fields, we have reassured local farmers and neighbours that we will not hold any firework displays or let off any wish lanterns.

Thank you very much for your understanding in our desire to safeguard animal welfare, protect crops from possible fire and maintain good relations with our neighbours.

No Smoking

In accordance with the law, there is no smoking inside the barns including E-cigarettes and vapes, although these are allowed in the courtyard/lawn areas.

Children

Children are extremely welcome at Dodmoor House and we encourage a family-friendly environment. We would, however, ask you to be aware that the Grand Union Canal and a railway line run next to the property. We have installed perimeter fencing but you will understand that we do require parents to be responsible for their children’s safety at all times.

‘Day in Detail’ planning meeting

We will contact you four to six months before your wedding to organise a midweek date in office hours to meet up and discuss everything in detail. Please contact us in good time to arrange an appointment if you may have limited availability due to your own work commitments.

This meeting should take a couple of hours and establishes all the timings and details. We will email you some detailed questions to answer in advance, as well as a summary of what was discussed afterwards.

Future visits & open evenings

You are always welcome to return to Dodmoor House during the planning stages. We only ask that you make an appointment first and that you avoid Sundays as we are closed (this is our one family day of the week). We are also normally closed on Bank Holidays and over Christmas/New Year.

Saturdays can also be rather busy in getting ready for other weddings, although we do understand that weekdays are not always possible and we would be extremely grateful if you could respect the privacy of any couples who have either just been married the day before (and are still in the bridal suite!) or those who are setting up their wedding items ahead of their big day. Thank you!

We normally host regular open evenings throughout the year, inviting a selected range of suppliers to each one – so you would be welcome to return with guests and to taste our full range of house wines, soft drinks and sparkling wines.

Measurements

We are often asked for measurements of certain areas, especially for flowers, so we have compiled a list for your guidance at https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/measurements

Please also see https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/table-linen-and-runners for sizes of your chosen tables for cloths and runners.

You will find lots of detailed information regarding layouts and table plans on the website in the info section - https://www.dodmoorhouse.co.uk/info