点评:Farnham Castle is absolutely stunning. The grounds were full of gorgeous flowers which made for the perfect backdrop for our photos, and the venue itself offers a wonderful variety of spaces that work seamlessly together throughout the day.
We had our ceremony in the Lantern Hall, which is intimate and romantic, almost replicating a chapel setting. For our wedding breakfast and evening party, we were in the Great Hall - a wonderfully impressive and grand room that perfectly and seamlessly transforms into a dancefloor setting in the evening, with great space for a band and dancing.
The castle also has a great number of on-site hotel rooms for guests - spacious, well-equipped, and at a very reasonable price including breakfast the next morning. It was lovely to spend the following morning with our friends and family debriefing over breakfast. The honeymoon suite was grand and beautiful.
The Coordination: Our coordinator Mallory went above and beyond in the six months leading up to the day – answering our (very extensive!) emails of questions and requests, organising calls and in-person meetings, and keeping us calm on the day itself. She was inconspicuous and professional during the running of the day, incredibly organised, and did it all with a smile. The day ran smoothly and seamlessly thanks to her.
The Food: Unbelievable. Similar quality to fine dining. The kitchen dealt with our tweaks and dietary requirements with ease, adjusting our menu seamlessly. One coeliac guest noted "it was the tastiest gluten-free food I've ever eaten," and so many of our guests reached out in the days that followed to say it was the best wedding menu they'd ever had. The food was also served and cleared away quickly, with every guest at a table receiving their plates at the same time - no awkward waiting while the person next to you sits without their dish.
A Note on Inclusivity for Same-Sex Couples: We had a same-sex female wedding with two brides, and the venue was generally very accommodating. Inclusive language was used throughout our planning process, and we never had any of those awkward "there's no groom" conversations that we experienced at other venues. They even allowed us to replace the St George's Cross with a Pride flag for the day (at an additional cost), which was a lovely touch.
However, something to be aware of: the spaces available to get ready in the morning are quite heteronormative. There's a beautiful outbuilding (the Gatehouse) over two floors traditionally for the bride - lovely big windows flooding it with light, making the perfect photo space, with plenty of rooms so things don't get cramped. The other space is a very "manly" room traditionally for the groom - painted dark blue, dark wood furniture, limited light, and open-plan with no privacy or alternative rooms for hair and makeup. There is also no bathroom in this space, meaning you’d have to leave to use the toilet and risk being seen by guests. We'd made the decision for both brides and bridesmaids to get mostly ready together in the Gatehouse, then separate for the final 90 minutes to keep our dresses a surprise. This meant one bride had to migrate to the groom's room, get dressed in front of her whole party, and have portrait/first-look photos in a less well-lit, less pretty space. It was also cramped, with bridesmaids having to squat in a corner to avoid being seen in parent reveal and first-look photos. There was also a slight logistical challenge with pre-ceremony registrar meetings, as we had to coordinate guests being seated around 20 minutes earlier than scheduled to avoid them seeing the brides walking around the castle fully dressed. It would be wonderful if the venue could consider a second, more feminine or gender-neutral getting-ready space that accommodates a bride and her party - especially for same-sex weddings where both parties need that beautiful prep experience.
A Few Other Notes: The reception/hotel staff were occasionally a little disorganised, particularly with a few guests whose early check-in rooms weren't available at the suggested time despite having paid for early check-in. They were also slow to respond to emails and not particularly informative regarding guest bookings. It's also worth noting that "exclusive hire" may not mean quite what you expect - we were told the whole castle would be reserved for our wedding party regardless of room bookings, but later found this wasn't entirely accurate. Something to clarify upfront.
Finally, this venue is by no means cheap, and there are plenty of additional costs that aren't immediately obvious (aisle carpet, fairy lights, individual charges per chair if you want the more modern design). We know this is standard for most venues, but worth considering if you want the highest spec of everything. We were fortunate enough to increase our budget and are so glad we did, because our day was absolutely perfect and the venue looked incredible.
Local Supplier Recommendations
● Senior Mac Photography - knew all the best spots for beautiful photos
● W4 Videographers - worked brilliantly alongside Senior Mac
● Grey Vine & Co Flowers - stunning flower arrangements
● Catherine Taylor Hair & Beauty – a kind and talented team of beauticians
In summary, Farnham Castle gave us the most perfect, magical wedding day. The venue is breathtaking, the food is outstanding, and Mallory made the whole experience feel effortless. With a few small improvements to inclusivity of spaces and transparency on accommodation, this venue would be truly flawless. We couldn't recommend it more highly.
翻译:法纳姆城堡真是美得令人惊叹。庄园里到处都是娇艳欲滴的花朵,为我们拍摄照片提供了绝佳的背景;而城堡本身也拥有众多风格各异的空间,这些空间在整天的活动中能够完美搭配、相得益彰。
我们的仪式是在“灯笼厅”举行的,那里氛围温馨又浪漫,简直就像一座小教堂一般。至于婚宴和晚会,我们则……我们当时身处大礼堂——那是一个极其壮观且气派非凡的厅堂,到了晚上便能自然而然地变身为舞池,空间宽敞得足以容纳乐队演奏和众人跳舞。
这座城堡还配备了大量酒店客房供宾客入住:房间宽敞、设施齐全,价格也相当实惠,费用中还包含了次日的早餐。第二天早上,我们能与亲朋好友一起享用早餐并畅谈当晚的体验,真是愉快至极。蜜月套房豪华又漂亮。
协调工作:我们的协调员马洛里在婚礼前六个月里尽心尽力——回复我们大量的问题与请求邮件,安排电话会议和面谈,还在婚礼当天帮助我们保持冷静。整个婚礼过程中,她低调而专业,做事井然有序,而且始终面带微笑。多亏了她,婚礼才得以顺利圆满地举行。
美食:简直不可思议。品质堪比高级餐厅。厨房团队轻松应对了我们对菜品的调整需求及饮食限制,完美地修改了菜单。有一位乳糜泻患者客人说道:“这是我吃过的最美味的无麸质食物。”此后几天,许多宾客也纷纷联系我们,称这是他们参加过的最棒的婚礼餐点。此外,食物的上菜和撤盘速度也相当迅速。每位宾客都能同时收到自己的餐盘——再也不用尴尬地等待,看着旁边的人空着手坐着。
关于同性伴侣包容性的说明:我们举办了一场由两位新娘参加的同性婚礼,场地方面也给予了极大的配合。在整个筹备过程中,他们都使用了包容性的用语;我们也从未遇到像在其他场地那样那种尴尬的“这里没有新郎”之类的对话。他们甚至允许我们在当天将圣乔治十字旗换成骄傲旗帜(需额外付费),这一举措真是贴心至极。
不过有一点需要注意:早上供客人准备更衣的空间其实相当符合异性恋规范。那里有一栋两层楼高的漂亮附属建筑(即门楼),传统上供新娘使用——拥有巨大的窗户,光线充足,是拍摄照片的绝佳场所;楼内房间也很多,不会显得拥挤。另一个空间则是一个极具“男子气概”的房间,传统上是供新郎使用的——墙面涂成深蓝色,摆放着深色木制家具,光线昏暗,且为开放式布局,既没有私密性可言,也没有可供换装或化妆的独立房间。这个空间里也没有浴室,这意味着新人需要离开房间才能上厕所,而途中还有可能被宾客看到。我们决定让新娘和伴娘们主要在门楼里一起完成化妆和着装,最后90分钟再各自分开准备,这样就能让新娘的婚纱保持惊喜效果了。这意味着新娘必须进入新郎的房间,在所有宾客面前换装,然后在一个光线较暗、环境也不太好的地方拍摄肖像照和“第一眼见面”照。房间十分拥挤,伴娘们不得不蹲在角落里,以免出现在父母揭晓环节以及“第一眼见面”照片中。此外,婚礼前的登记员会议也带来了一些后勤方面的难题。由于为了避免宾客看到新娘们身着婚纱在城堡中走动,我们不得不将宾客就座时间提前了约20分钟。如果场地方面能考虑增设一个更具女性化风格或性别中立风格的准备空间,供新娘及其亲友使用,那就再好不过了——尤其是对于双同性情侣的婚礼而言,双方都需要拥有这样美好的准备体验。
其他几点注意事项:婚宴现场及酒店的工作人员有时显得有些缺乏条理。尤其是对于那些已经支付了提前入住费用,但在约定时间仍无法入住的客人来说。此外,他们对邮件的回复也很迟缓,对于客人的预订信息也未能提供太多有用的说明。还有一点值得注意:所谓的“独家包场”可能并不像你想象的那样——我们最初被告知整个城堡都会为我们的婚礼团队所独占,无论房间预订情况如何,但后来发现事实并非完全如此。这一点需要事先明确说明。最后,这个场地绝对称不上是便宜,而且还有许多一开始并不显眼的额外费用(比如过道地毯、串灯,以及若想选用更现代的椅子设计则需支付的单独费用)。我们知道大多数场地都是如此,但如果你想获得最顶级的服务与配置,这一点还是值得考虑的。我们很幸运地增加了预算,也为此感到非常高兴——因为我们的婚礼日堪称完美,整个场地看起来也美轮美奂。当地供应商推荐
● Senior Mac Photography——熟知所有最适合拍摄美照的地点
● W4 Videographers——与Senior Mac Photography配合默契,工作表现出色
● Grey Vine & Co Flowers——花艺布置堪称一流
● Catherine Taylor Hair & Beauty——一群友善且技艺精湛的美容师
总之,法纳姆城堡为我们呈现了最完美、最梦幻的婚礼日。场地令人叹为观止,美食更是无与伦比,而Mallory则让整个婚礼过程显得轻松自如。只要在空间包容性以及住宿信息透明度方面稍作改进,这个场所便堪称完美无缺了。我们极力推荐它。