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

FANHAMS HALL 01920 460 511 | www.exclusive.co.uk/fanhams-hall/weddings Walkern Hall is an imposing Georgian Manor House, which is the ideal setting for a country house wedding. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, magnificent trees and extensive parkland, this venue is a very secluded area only four miles outside Stevenage. The premises does not currently have a wedding licence but there are plenty of stunning areas in the garden to have a blessing or humanist celebration. Two areas are perfect for a marquee or tipi reception depending on the number of guests. Whichever space is chosen, lovebirds will have the entire garden exclusively for their day with beautiful flowerbeds. The hall is a venue with no fixed package and no corkage, couples are given free rein to plan the wedding of their dreams. WALKERN HALL 01438 869 346 | www.walkernhall.co.uk Fanhams Hall is a Jacobean mansion tucked away in the Hertfordshire countryside, offering an amazing location for weddings. The historical Long Gallery and Great Hall, as well as Japanese gardens, tea house and fountain plaza, make for picture-perfect weddings. The Japanese Gardens were designed by Mr Inaka and laid out by Professor Suzuki. Japanese gardeners would come over each summer in pre-war days to carry out work on ornamental lakes and the hill to plant the trees and shrubs. There’s an array of romantic locations at the hall such as the Grade II listed Great Hall with an original minstrel’s gallery and Jacobean fireplace; or for a more unusual wedding venue, the elegant Long Gallery has a wonderful sense of arrival and more than a touch of grandeur. This space is perfect to say ‘I do’ in front of up to 120 guests. The Hertford and Ware are also available for a ceremony with up to 120 loved ones with a contemporary feel and are perfectly placed for couples to host an evening reception in The Lakeside Pavilion below. The space holds 200 members in the evening with designs that are in keeping with Japanese- style gardens and boasts a private veranda with panoramic views and a beautiful water fountain. For summer weddings when the sun is shining, the original Japanese Tea House is licensed to host romantic wedding ceremonies and can be used in conjunction with The Lakeside Pavilion and The Great Hall. Surrounded by 27 acres of beautifully manicured gardens, the Grade II listed Tea House, traditionally called ‘The House of the Pure Heart’ was imported from Japan and erected in 1900. The Jacobean Great Hall is a stunning reception setting for weddings all year round with a traditional high-beamed ceiling, stone framed lattice windows, original minstrel’s gallery, large stone fireplace, a classic black and white tiled conservatory and views onto the formal gardens. When couples book the venue, they’ll receive the bridal suite included for the night of the wedding and menu tasting for two. GOING local Where to say ‘I do’ in East Herts www.amymurrell.co.uk www.louiedonovanphotography.co.uk LOCAL VENUES 19