couple’s
Congratulations on your engagement and thank you for viewing our beautiful venue! At Dodford Manor, you hire more than just the venue. Our award-winning wedding team will help you plan your perfect day, providing support whenever needed to help ensure your big day is exactly as you have always imagined.
Our interactive couple’s portal will help you along your wedding planning journey, containing everything you need to know about catering, entertainment, barn layouts and so much more.
Our award-winning team of event managers have worked together to ensure this portal contains all you need to know, including a few handy tips and tricks to make the planning process as enjoyable and fun as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does my Exclusive Use start?
Your exclusive use venue hire begins at 11:00 on the day of your wedding, everyone is welcome to arrive from this time and begin your celebrations! This includes your suppliers and wedding party.
How do I book my registrar?
Please see the following link to book a registrar for your big day! They have a selection of registrars available, although we do advise this is one of the first things to consider so that they have your preferred date available as well and everyone is one the same page!
https://northamptonshire-self.achieveservice.com/service/Make_a_Ceremony_Enquiry
Am I allowed to bring my dog?
Yes! We would love to welcome your furry friends here on your big day, we only ask they have somewhere off site to cosy up once you and your guests are seated for the Wedding Breakfast in the Oak Barn. Please see the following link to our recommended pet sitters (Wedding Suppliers | Dodford Manor) who will be delighted to take your pets on a lovely holiday to be pampered and spoilt! Please note that pets are only allowed for your ceremony and drinks reception on your Wedding Day and we are not able to allow pets onsite for your viewings, planning meeting or Taster Day as we have to be mindful of other people’s allergies or phobias.
What is your maximum capacity?
For your day time celebrations we can host 170 guests, moving into the evening we can welcome up to 200 guests. This allows for plenty of space for dancing and merriment well into the night!
Am I allowed my own caterer?
Our wonderful caterer’s Jenkinsons have sole use of our kitchens, they come highly recommended having been with us for many years. They offer an extensive and globally inclusive range from Greek mezze to barbecue platters, Indian Cuisine or Roast Dinners to name merely a few! Jenkinsons have considered all pallets with any dietary requirements catered for as standard and smaller plates for the little ones! Evening food is also catered through our kitchens and we offer a wide range of options for this, including street food, pizza, fish and chips and so much more.
Do we have a meeting before our big day to discuss times, decorations etc?
Yes! You will be contacted to book a face to face meeting a few months before your big day to iron out any creases and get all your ideas onto paper. One of our diligent Event Managers will sit down with you to work through our experience-led planning document and assist with any question you may have, whether it be timing’s for speeches or how tall is a good centre piece! We are always here to help and every question is worth asking to make your day run as smoothing and worry free as possible.
Can you set up our decorations?
Yes, your event manager on the day will set up and take down any decorations you bring and can also offer assistance on what works well if you are stuck for ideas. The following day it’s all packed away and ready to go home with you as newlyweds! This being said, family and friends are welcome to help with the set up, sometimes we could use some muscle or an extra pair of hands depending how much decoration you have!
When can I drop off my decorations?
Decorations can be left with us up to two days before your wedding and dropped off between the hours of 8:30 am and 10:00 am. You can also drop any drinks off at the same time so they are ready for the chillers on the eve of your big day.
Do you have a corkage fee?
No! We are delighted to be a completely ‘no corkage’ venue throughout your drinks reception and wedding breakfast, we can even mix up your favourite cocktail if you provide the ingredients! After your Wedding Breakfast, the bar will be open for your guests to help themselves to another tipple or two. We also have our very own cellar drinks menu or per head drinks packages should you not wish to sourcing your own.
When is your taster day?
All couples are invited to a taster day roughly one year before their wedding. This gives you a chance to sample some of Jenkinsons’ new and most popular dishes, giving you some inspiration for your own menu. We also have some of our fabulous suppliers in attendance and flavourful wine for you to try!
How many people can sit around each guest table?
We recommend 8 – 10 guests per table, 8 is our most popular arrangement as this gives everyone plenty of room with 10 being the maximum. We can also accommodate highchairs and wheel chairs.
How will you know where I want my decorations?
We will work with you at your planning meeting, taking as many notes as possible to ensure everything is exactly where you envisioned it! We suggest everything is labelled when dropped of so we know what it is and where its going. Less can sometimes be more especially with a venue as beautiful as ours! We also have some incredible venue decorators listed on our Wedding Suppliers page who can help partially decorate or fully decorate the venue for you.
Can guests leave their cars in the carpark overnight?
Yes! You are more than welcome to leave your cars with us over night. We kindly ask that they are collected by 10:00 am the following morning.
Do you have local suppliers I can use?
Yes, please visit our supplier’s directory for a full and recommended list of local suppliers that all know our venue inside out!
What time should I book my ceremony for?
From our many years’ experience, any start time between 13:00 and 15:00 is great, although 14:00 would be the recommended start time for your ceremony. We want you to enjoy your day to the fullest and starting to early can mean early doors!
How long do the ceremony’s last?
Your civil ceremony typically lasts half an hour, but will be longer if you are having readings or songs. You are also welcome to use our ceremony space for a blessing rather than the official civil ceremony should you wish.
We would like to reserve a date, how do we do this?
How exciting!! Please email us on [email protected] to reserve a date or enquire regarding our availability.
