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

KNEBWORTH HOUSE, PARK AND GARDENS 01438 813 825 www.knebworthhouse.com/your-event-at-knebworth/special-occasions Hertford Castle is a Grade I listed gatehouse originally built on the site of a Norman Castle and nestled in the heart of Hertfordshire’s county town. The venue stands proud in beautiful gardens alongside the River Lea, surrounded with ancient trees and enclosed by its original stone and flint turreted walls, echoing the historic architecture. The elegant rooms within the Downshire Suite on the ground floor are easily accessible, with beautiful high-ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, feature fireplaces and grand period sash windows overlooking the sweeping formal gardens. The Salisbury Room can create the perfect space to impress family and friends and say ‘I do’ with beautiful chandeliers and grand sash windows overlooking the manicured gardens, the room has the flexibility to formally seat up to 50 guests window facing or 60 guests fireplace facing. Another ceremony space is The Mayors Parlour, which is the perfect space for an intimate ceremony, with sparkling chandeliers, a huge ornate fireplace and a vista overlooking the formal lawn – the room can welcome from two to 24 guests. Optimising the light, the beautiful Victorian Conservatory brings the outside in and is perfect for standing ceremony for up to 20 guests, the area can be enjoyed all year round. Guests will be indulged by private dining within impressive rooms that epitomise the castle’s rich history and with magnificent views over the gardens. Combining flexibility and affordability, The Mayors Parlour, the smaller intimate private dining room seats from eight to 20 guests, 16 people can be welcomed to the grandeur of the Robing Room and a maximum of 50 loved ones can be seated within the relaxed Salisbury Room or 60 guests can be seated across two interconnecting rooms. Set in 250 acres of beautiful rolling Hertfordshire countryside and with 28 acres of formal gardens is Knebworth House, Park and Gardens. The romantic exterior of the venue featuring turrets, domes and gargoyles silhouetted against the sky does little to prepare the visitor for what to expect inside. Knebworth House’s Jacobean Banqueting Hall is one of the most beautiful spaces in the country and has played host to guests from Queen Elizabeth I to Queen Elizabeth II. The Knebworth Barns are made up of two 400-year-old Tithe Barns, lovingly restored to create a special wedding setting. The gardens date back to the 1600s and provide a beautiful scene for treasured photographs with the building as a stunning backdrop, the 28-acre formal gardens, maze, colourful borders, fine trees and a wilderness area with an exciting dinosaur trail. The Garden Gazebo is a perfect romantic venue to host a civil marriage ceremony for 180 guests and a drinks reception. Knebworth House itself offers exclusive hire of the Victorian Library, Edwardian Dining Parlour and the Jacobean Banqueting Hall, which creates an impressive and romantic setting with 80 loved ones when exchanging vows, 180 for the drinks reception and 60 for the wedding breakfast. Lodge and Manor Barns date back to the 16 th -century and has been lovingly restored to create a truly special setting for a ceremony and wedding breakfast for 180 members and an evening reception of 300 people. Alternatively, why not opt for the Cobbold and Lytton Barns? The beautiful oak structure offers a contemporary feel within the historic setting of Knebworth Park. With a private garden and direct access to the formal gardens, the Cobbold and Lytton Barns can fit 80 for the ceremony, 120 for the wedding breakfast and 300 for the evening reception. When couples book the venue, they’ll receive a free wedding breakfast tasting as well as one to one personal service for the wedding planning and the big day. HERTFORD CASTLE 01992 552 885 | www.hertfordcastle.co.uk LOCAL VENUES 23