Weddings FAQs
Here you will find many answers to some standard questions. Please get in touch if you can’t find there are any other questions you might have.
The Venue
The Ellington suite can seat up to 85 for a formal wedding breakfast and 120 for the evening celebration.
In order to conform with our Premises Licence and out of consideration for local residents, all music must end at:
Thurs-Sat: 12 midnight, we then close the bar at 12.30pm
Sun-Wed: 11.30pm, bar closes at 12 midnight
Viewing and booking
Our wedding co-ordinator, Chrissie Heise will be happy to show you around and answer any initial questions you may have. You can contact her on 01604 859551 or send an email using the link at the bottom of this page. If Chrissie is unavailable, the duty manager should be able to assist you.
Once you have chosen a date that is available we will hold your date for seven days to give you time to check the registrars availability (if appropriate). After that time we will require a deposit of £600 (non-refundable or transferable).
The room hire includes the use of tables, chairs, linen, crockery, cutlery, glassware and a complimentary bedroom for the bride and groom.
No, apart from the room hire the only charges relate to food and drink and any specific items that you have ordered
At the point of paying your deposit, you may reserve all our guest bedrooms.
You can either allocate them to your guests specifically, or offer them on a first come, first serve basis. Please bear in mind that any rooms not used must be released 14 days before the event and we will require full contact details for every guest staying and a current debit/credit card for any rooms used.
Food and drink
We cannot permit guests to bring their own food onto the premises, with the exception of any special dietary requirements that the hotel cannot reasonably cater for. Wedding/celebratory cakes are also permitted, but we cannot take any responsibility for food safety in these situations.
Allergen information is available for all menus on our website and in all food service areas in the hotel. When you make your food choices we will supply you with allergen information pertinent to your selection. We will do our utmost to cater for any of your guests’ dietary requirements.
Very happy to! After you have cut the cake, our staff will take the cake to our kitchen, where our chefs will slice the cake and present it on platters that we will serve to your guests.
Ceremonies
The Walnut Tree Inn is licensed to hold civil ceremonies for up to 60 people in our restaurant area and up to 100 guests in our main function room. This includes the wedding couple, the registrars (2) and a member of staff, so you can invite 55 guests (or 95 in the function room)..
Yes, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday
There are a number of ways you can personalise your ceremony including live or recorded music and floral decorations, and we are happy to accommodate your wishes. We want to help make your wedding day perfect.
You can include readings of poetry or prose either by one of your guests, yourselves or the superintendent registrar. You can also write your own marriage vows, in addition to the legal marriage declarations.
Further information can be obtained from the Registrar.
A booking with the registrars for a wedding or civil partnership can be taken up to two years prior to the ceremony.
Yes, you will need to let the registars know which songs you are playing when. Typically there is guests assembling music, bride entrance music, signing of the register music and wedding couple exit music. The tunes would need to be supplied to us on an iPhone or similar with an 3.5mm jack. These should be organised into playlists e.g. “guest assembling music”. Please also make sure these are downloaded onto the device, just in case there are any internet issues on the day!
Decorations
It’s your day and within reason you can decorate the room as you wish, we only ask that anything affixed to the structure of the building is non-destructive, so for example Blu-Tack is okay, but drawing pins and sticky tape are not.
You may have access from 10:00am on the day of your wedding.
By 10am the following day.
We are happy to dress your tables for you, all we ask is that the decorations are dropped off with us the day before the event with clear instructions!
Yes we do, and there is no charge to use it!
Candles can only be permitted during the dining part of the event. Although please note that you will responsible for making good any damage caused.
We would recommend electronic tealights for other times.
Children
Yes, we welcome children, but they must be under adult supervision at all times.
Yes, we have 4 high chairs, which you are welcome to use.
Eleven years and under.
Entertainment
You can supply a DJ or a band, we are licensed for both. We have our own in-house DJs, and with our association with live music in the area are able to recommend and book bands of many different genres to suit your tastes. If you wish to book a DJ or act from us, there is a £70 deposit to pay, with the balance of £250 due on the day direct to the performers.
We advise couples to choose just a few special songs (including first dance) for the DJ along with a rough idea of the kind of music you would like to be played.
