BOVEY CASTLE, DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK, DEVON Set within 275 acres of beautiful countryside and rolling valleys within Dartmoor National Park is this magnificent castle, part of the Eden Hotel Collection, boasting neo-Elizabethan architecture. There are plenty of activities and country pursuits for guests to enjoy including the 18-hole championship golf course, cider and sloe gin making, clay pigeon shooting, archery, fly fishing and off-road driving. The Elan Spa, which uses ESPA products, promises to relax, revive and restore the mind, body and spirit while The Gentlemen’s Quarter is an exclusive retreat for the discerning gent, offering traditional treatments including a luxury wet shave using Truefitt & Hill grooming products. The 60 individually designed bedrooms and suites located in the original manor house and private mews offer sweeping views of the woodland, valley, gardens or across Dartmoor. Each of Bovey Castle’s three-storey lodges features three en-suite bedrooms, sleeping up to six adults and eight people in total. Equipped with full kitchen facilities, an open-plan lounge and a dining area that leads out on to a balcony, these 22 self-catering lodges are ideal for wedding guests. For those wishing to stay on after the wedding, the chefs at the castle can provide freshly prepared meals delivered straight to the door. The hotel features two award-winning restaurants, the 1 AA Rosette Smith’s Brasserie, with a Mediterranean-inspired menu and all-day dining where the terrace overlooks the valley and River Bovey. Opening soon is the Great Western Grill paying homage to the hotel’s history, recalling the glamour of the restaurant’s Art Deco origins, with roots planted in classical cookery, Both establishments take advantage of the local fresh produce available with the game, lamb, aged Dartmoor Farmer’s beef and fish from the coast on the menu. Ceremonies take place in the stately Cathedral Room for up to 120 guests, in the Adam Room for up to 30 loved ones or in the Library for an intimate gathering of up to 14 people. The Summerhouse can host outdoor ceremonies for up to 120 guests and there’s a selection of stylish function rooms for the wedding breakfast, from the Great Western Grill to the Bovey Room and the Mulberry Room. Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01647 445 000, www.boveycastle.com ♥ We love... that exclusive-used weddings can be booked. FRIEDA AND THE MOON, NR LOOE, CORNWALL Nestled in a 13-acre smallholding in the beautiful Cornish countryside in an unspoilt natural environment famed for its dark skies and star-gazing is this boho-inspired venue that has been purposefully designed with small weddings in mind. The Studio is the wedding venue, an oak-framed timber building bathed in natural light with expansive views over woods and farmland towards the sea. It houses an Italianate ceiling and a spectacular Ocean Window which is a celebration of the Cornish seas in stained glass. The wrap-around balcony and three tiers of circular lawns offer endless photo opportunities and are where the vintage horsebox street food truck is positioned for outdoor wedding catering. Couples can spend two or three nights in one of the two lavishly styled luxury romantic escapes set in their private paddock lovingly named the Tabernacle, a secluded fairytale cabin that sleeps two people, and the Observatory, a copper building with a large sky window above the bed. Each comes with a wood-burning fire and a hot tub. Ceremonies take place in The Studio or outside on the lawn and evening ceremonies by candlelight can also be conducted. Small receptions can also be accommodated here and in the surroundings. There are also several other outdoor locations ideal for hand-fasting ceremonies including the Hornbeam Circle, an illuminated woodland altar lit with candles and fairylights at twilight, in the surrounding woodland, or down by the spring and stream. Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 07870 778 660, www.friedaandthemoon.co.uk ♥ We love... that small reception options include a vintage high tea of homemade sandwiches and cakes or grazing plates served on old-fashioned crockery with antique linens enjoyed either inside The Studio or outside on the lawn. The Stargazy Pie Cafe is perfect for larger groups serving a range of delicious street food options and drinks such as tapas with gin cocktails, curry with Tiger beer and shepherd’s pie with champagne. 22
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=