Weddings at Bedford School

Bedford school

Photo: Olivia Judah Photography

Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Suzy Wimbourne Photography

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With elegant buildings nestled in a stunning 50-acre estate, Bedford School is a truly unique wedding venue.

Create your perfect wedding at Bedford School.

From your ceremony to drinks and canapÊs on the lawn to your wedding breakfast and reception, Bedford School offers a superb choice of historic and contemporary settings for your big day. Your whole wedding day can unfold on the school estate, or just your ceremony or reception; it’s up to you.

With every wedding tailored to individual requirements, we can create your perfect day and memories that will last a lifetime.

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Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Your Ceremony

Your Ceremony

Your ceremony package includes:

Bedford School is licensed to hold civil ceremonies and partnerships in two venues.

˚ Dedicated wedding co-ordinator ˚ Recital Hall or Great Hall chairs ˚ Facilities for playing music ˚ Access to the venue to set up the day before the ceremony (timing dependent on the date) ˚ Duty manager present throughout your event ˚ Stunning grounds for photographs ˚ Bridal room (Great Hall only) ˚ Ample free parking

The Music Recital Hall The award-winning, contemporary Music Recital Hall offers a stylish setting for your ceremony. With floor to ceiling windows, it offers stunning views over the school estate and 19th century chapel.

The Great Hall

Optional extras:

The Great Hall, housed in the main school building, offers an impressive, atmospheric venue for larger ceremonies.

˚ Banqueting chairs or covers ˚ Coloured uplighters ˚ Drapes ˚ Grand piano ˚ Gazebo or garden furniture for drinks reception

Venue: Capacity: The Music Recital Hall 110 seated The Great Hall 500 seated

Should you wish to be married at Bedford School, you must make your own registrar arrangements.

Bedford Register Office The Old Town Hall, St Paul’s Square, Bedford, MK40 1SJ T: 01234 267422 E: civilregistration@bedford.gov.uk

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Photo: Nadine Foster Photography

Photo: Jinjabird Photography

Photo: Suzy Wimbourne Photography

Photo: Milkbottle Photography

Chapel weddings

Chapel Weddings

Your Chapel wedding package includes:

The beautiful Grade II listed chapel, with its intricately carved pews, stunning altar and decorative ceiling, provides a traditional and truly memorable setting for weddings.

˚ Service in the school Chapel (given by the school’s Chaplain subject to availability) ˚ Duty manager present throughout your event

˚ Stunning grounds for photographs ˚ A mple free parking

For legal reasons a Wedding Ceremony in our Chapel is only available to members of the Bedford School community and Old Bedfordians.

Optional extra: ˚ Organist Venue: The school Chapel

It is also a legal requirement to obtain a Special Marriage Licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury in order to get married in the school Chapel.

The school’s Chaplain can be contacted through the school for more information and guidance for those considering getting married at Bedford School.

E: enterprises@bedfordschool.org.uk T: 01234 362204

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Capacity: 450

Photo: Olivia Judah Photography

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Photo: Grace & The Heart

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Photo: Milkbottle Photography

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Your reception

Your Reception

Your reception package includes:

After photos around the grounds and drinks on the lawn or in the foyer, head up the sweeping double staircase to the magnificent Great Hall in the heart of the school.

˚ Dedicated wedding co-ordinator ˚ Great Hall chairs ˚ 5ft round tables (long tables available for the top table) ˚ Facilities for playing background music ˚ Microphone for speeches ˚ Access to the venue to set up the day before the reception (timing dependent on the date) ˚ Duty Manager present throughout your event ˚ Stunning grounds for photographs ˚ Bridal room close to the Great Hall ˚ Ample free parking

This beautiful hall, with its four large stone arched windows that flood the room with light, offers a wonderful view across the school grounds.

Venue: Great Hall

Capacity: 220 for banqueting

Optional extras: ˚ Banqueting chairs or covers ˚ Coloured uplighters ˚ Drapes ˚ Grand piano ˚ Gazebo or garden furniture for drinks reception

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Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Photo: Grace & The Heart

Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Food and drink

Food and Drink

Your wedding co-ordinator will be delighted to guide you through all the food and drinks available for wedding breakfasts and evening buffets.

Celebrate your first meal together as a married couple with our delicious food and drink, all prepared in-house by our experienced, professional chefs.

Once you have made your menu selection, we are happy to offer you a tasting a month or two before your wedding.

Our chefs are passionate about their food, so not only are our ingredients ethically sourced but our menus also include the best of British seasonal fruit and vegetables available.

All of our dining packages include full service, crockery, glassware and white linen. Other colours of linen can be arranged on request.

Our chefs are also happy to cater for any special dietary requirements.

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Photo: Cat Lane Weddings

Booking your wedding

Civil ceremonies must be booked and paid for with the local registry office, which you can currently do one year ahead of your wedding date. We are happy to take bookings further in advance of this, but cannot offer a refund if the Registrar is unavailable on your preferred date. However, in this unlikely situation we would be happy to move your booking to the nearest available date. The same applies to Chapel weddings wherein you are responsible for obtaining the Special Marriage Licence.

Booking your Wedding To arrange a visit, please contact enterprises@bedfordschool.org.uk and our wedding co-ordinator will arrange a personal tour of our facilities.

If you would like to make a provisional booking, we are happy to hold your preferred date without obligation for 14 days. To confirm your booking, we then need a completed booking form along with a non-refundable 25% deposit of the expected costs, and a small refundable venue deposit.

The balance must be paid in full eight weeks before the date of your wedding, with any minor adjustments to numbers made a minimum of two weeks beforehand.

Your refundable venue deposit will be returned within 14 days of your wedding, providing the school is satisfied that no damage has occurred.

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Frequently asked questions

Can we hold both our civil ceremony and reception in the Great Hall?

Unfortunately, for logistical reasons, we are unable to facilitate both a ceremony and reception in the Great Hall on the same day. If you are holding your reception with us and would like your ceremony here too, it would need to take place in the Music Recital Hall.

Do you have disabled access?

Yes, all our wedding venues are wheelchair accessible and there is a lift to the Great Hall which is on the first floor.

Are we able to decorate the venues ourselves?

Can we choose our own evening entertainment?

Are candles permitted on the estate?

Yes, you may contract any band or DJ you wish as long as their equipment complies with our standards of safety testing and they have public liability insurance. There is no noise limiter, but the music volume must be kept to a tolerable level, to be determined at the discretion of the Duty Manager.

Real candles are not permitted in any school buildings, with the exception of altar candles in the Chapel.

What time does our reception need to finish?

Bars must call last orders at 11.30pm and music needs to end by midnight. Guests must vacate the premises by quarter past midnight and all suppliers by 1.00am.

Can we supply our own drinks?

Yes, subject to agreed times.

Decorations are permitted as long as they are tied or wrapped and nothing is stuck or pinned to walls or furniture.

Yes, subject to a small corkage fee per bottle (currently ÂŁ5.00).

When do we have access to the venue?

No, all food must be provided by our in-house catering team.

It depends on the date, but we will always do our best to allow you ample access the day before your wedding, then from 10am on the day itself.

Are fireworks allowed on the estate?

Can we hire our own catering company?

We do not permit fireworks, nor the release of lanterns or balloons for environmental reasons.

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Can we have a marquee in the grounds?

We do not allow marquees on the estate. However, you may hire a small gazebo for reception drinks on the lawn.

Do you supply a cake stand and knife?

These must be provided by you or your cake supplier.

Can our guests leave their cars overnight?

Yes, but they must be collected between pre-agreed hours the following day. The school takes no responsibility for any vehicles or property left on the school estate.

Next Steps To find out more about weddings at Bedford School or to arrange a visit, please call our wedding co-ordinator on 01234 362204 or email enterprises@bedfordschool.org.uk

Bedford School, De Parys Avenue, Bedford MK40 2TU +44 (0)1234 362204 bedfordschool.org.uk/weddings

Bedford School is part of The Harpur Trust