I've been visiting venues around Greater Manchester and Lancashire during my wedding planning journey and, before we got there, Beeston Manor was 100% the one that excited me most. The pictures were beautiful, the venue includes accommodation, the grounds are to die for. And so, when we were invited to a wedding there last year, it was with a critical eye that I went about my day, and it is this critical eye that told me Beeston Manor wasn't right for me. Why? Too many places for people to break off into. There was the breakfast room, the gardens, the reception area, the foyer at the bottom of the stairs to the ceremony rooms, the corridors, the car park and, most inviting of all, people's own bedrooms. The best wedding I ever attended was one with a contained reception - we had nowhere to go but the buffet or the dancefloor and, as a result, we spent the night eating tiny cakes and sandwiches in-between the Time Warp and the Macarena, and had the absolute best time. No-one has a bad word to say about that wedding, which is exactly what I want from mine. But just because the venue wasn't right for me, doesn't mean there was anything wrong with it. Insight into different aspects of Beeston Manor, below...
The Ceremony
Held upstairs in the manor, the ceremony room is beautifully laid out, and designed with romance in mind. The space is bright and airy, yet somehow intimate, and the aisle is the perfect length for making an entrance. Stunning even without extra trimmings, this room is the prettiest ceremony space I've seen, and doesn't take much gussying up to look the part.
Held upstairs in the manor, the ceremony room is beautifully laid out, and designed with romance in mind. The space is bright and airy, yet somehow intimate, and the aisle is the perfect length for making an entrance. Stunning even without extra trimmings, this room is the prettiest ceremony space I've seen, and doesn't take much gussying up to look the part.
The Food
Breakfast wise, I can only speak based on the options served at the wedding I attended, but I have to say, what I ate (mini beef brisket with bay leaves and red wine, served on a bed of creamed potatoes, a rich gravy and honey roasted root vegetables) was GOOD. Everyone at the table cleared their plates, and there wasn't a grumble to be heard.
On the other hand, the evening food served at that same wedding was a tad underwhelming - I like my sausages and bacon on the overcooked, crisped up side, so the anaemic breakfast barms didn't work for me at all.
Breakfast wise, I can only speak based on the options served at the wedding I attended, but I have to say, what I ate (mini beef brisket with bay leaves and red wine, served on a bed of creamed potatoes, a rich gravy and honey roasted root vegetables) was GOOD. Everyone at the table cleared their plates, and there wasn't a grumble to be heard.
On the other hand, the evening food served at that same wedding was a tad underwhelming - I like my sausages and bacon on the overcooked, crisped up side, so the anaemic breakfast barms didn't work for me at all.
The Evening Do
Here is another place Beeston Manor fell short for me - the evening do. And although this may not be an issue if you have very confident friends, or book the venue in the winter/autumn seasons, something that stood out to me was the amount of light on the dancefloor. Set up in the conservatory, the dancefloor is surrounded by windows, some of which don't have blinds. Imagine it being the height of summer, light out until very late into the night, trying to jump around to Teenage Dirtbag while the sun shines down on you and all the strangers sharing the floor with your not-quite-drunk-enough self. It's still completely possible to have a great time (we did) but perhaps not the ideal setting for a boogie, y'know?
Here is another place Beeston Manor fell short for me - the evening do. And although this may not be an issue if you have very confident friends, or book the venue in the winter/autumn seasons, something that stood out to me was the amount of light on the dancefloor. Set up in the conservatory, the dancefloor is surrounded by windows, some of which don't have blinds. Imagine it being the height of summer, light out until very late into the night, trying to jump around to Teenage Dirtbag while the sun shines down on you and all the strangers sharing the floor with your not-quite-drunk-enough self. It's still completely possible to have a great time (we did) but perhaps not the ideal setting for a boogie, y'know?
The Accommodation
On-site and adorably rustic, the accommodation at Beeston Manor is definitely a major selling point. The beds are comfortable, the baths roomy, and the breakfast buffet worth staying for. Yum.
Overall Pros
- On-site accommodation
- Stunning grounds (great for pictures)
- Beautiful ceremony space
- Delicious food
- On-site accommodation
- Stunning grounds (great for pictures)
- Beautiful ceremony space
- Delicious food
Overall Cons
- Too many hidey holes for guests to disappear into
- Sunlit dancefloor
- Barely cooked sausages, delivered from a very narrow area, which leads to a crowding of people nabbing the food before it even gets past the door, resulting in hungry/confused guests in the main room
- Not an exclusive venue (there was a children's party taking place in another room)
Have you visited Beeston Manor? What did you think?
- Sunlit dancefloor
- Barely cooked sausages, delivered from a very narrow area, which leads to a crowding of people nabbing the food before it even gets past the door, resulting in hungry/confused guests in the main room
- Not an exclusive venue (there was a children's party taking place in another room)
Have you visited Beeston Manor? What did you think?
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