Marital Bliss

In the second part of our wedding special, we look at more unusual wedding venues, where the bride and groom are the focus of everyone’s attention.

A special occasion unlike any other, your wedding day calls for a banquet rather different to your favourite little bistro or buzzy dining pub. To celebrate blessed nuptials, one seeks something more than just a function suite for the wedding reception. This selected venue has got to have bags of character, more than a little uniqueness and of course, the surroundings to match the opulence of your big day.

Hintlesham Hall, near Ipswich
As decadent country house hotels go, many would say there are none which come close to the grandeur of Hintlesham Hall on the western fringes of Suffolk’s county town. Arriving here in suitable style aboard a vintage Rolls, few brides (or grooms) would fail to fall in love with their choice of setting for a memorable celebration, definitely fulfilling any dreams of becoming lord and lady for the day. Indulgently furnished, its 16th century Grade I listed historical charm inside and extensive parkland and terracing outside provide an artistic backdrop while the polished team know what it takes to make an event flow seamlessly.
Head Chef Alan Ford has been at the helm for 20 years and his rich classical cuisine hits the right note for guests of all ages and tastes. A typical indulgent five course menu might be lobster and poached salmon terrine; seared fillet of seabass with pesto couscous; pink champagne sorbet; tenderloin of veal, wild mushroom and Madeira sauce; finishing with a set coconut and lime cream with ginger infused pineapple. Carefully manicured lawns, mature trees and floral borders make the gardens to the rear a special venue for aperitifs while the 32 luxurious bedrooms mean the party can continue late into the night.
Hintlesham Hall, Hintlesham, near Ipswich, Suffolk
T: 01473 652334

The Library, Norwich
If a city wedding is more your thing, with a cosmopolitan buzz and fashionable modernity then the Library should fit the bill. Its 1930 Art Deco frontage with impressive Doric columns sets the scene for the dramatic interior. The first ever public library, its preserved interiors such as the original wooden book shelves lining the walls, the breath-taking high glass ceiling and lighting, do have more than a little ‘wow factor’. Outside the courtyard has bags of atmosphere, overlooking the hustle and bustle of Norwich’s marketplace. Jayne and Nigel Raffles, are some of the city’s most experienced restaurateurs, this being their fourth venture, sitting alongside Italian themed Pinocchio’s, vegetarian Pulse and the bistro-like St Benedict’s. A core part of the Library is the wood fired oven, perfect for smoky grilled meats. Aged sirloin with all the trimmings is just one of the main course offerings on their party menus, amongst interesting alternatives including an assiette of Moroccan spiced vegetables with fennel seed flat bread, cucumber-mint yoghurt and tomato salsa or stuffed leg of lamb with garlic, thyme and shallots on creamy mash with roasted parsnips and a red wine jus.
The Library Bar and Grill, 4a Guildhall Hill, Norwich, Norfolk
T: 01603 616606

Thorpeness Hotel, Golf and Country Club
The man sized ‘folly’ of Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie, a bit of a playboy Victorian gentleman, this mock Tudor styled village was built virtually from scratch in the mock-Tudor style during the early 1900’s. Even more eccentric than Thorpeness itself, its famous ‘House in the Clouds’ comically dominates the skyline, a red brick house sitting bizarrely high in the sky atop an old now lack timber-clad watertower. At the centre of the village is the Meare, a shallow 64 acre lake, which the Thorpeness Hotel, Golf and Country Club estate looks over. Weddings are offered in two venues, smaller receptions in the hotel itself closer to the village whilst bigger affairs are held over the twin floors of the New England styled country club, overlooking the beach. Downstairs for the formalities of the civil ceremony and upstairs for the celebrations. Chef Andrew Logan Smith reluctantly labels his food as ‘modern classics with a twist’ and his wedding menus certainly excite in keeping with the quirky feel to the village. The Londonesque canapé list includes unusual choices such as sweet pumpkin risotto cakes, minted garden pea cappuccino shots and mini fish and chips in pink FT paper cones.
The comforting set menu selections are more restrained in comparison, perhaps Orford smoked haddock soufflé roulade with watercress and horseradish salad, slow roasted confit of duck with root vegetables, garlic and dauphinoise potatoes, and classic puds such as banana bread with marmalade ice cream.
Thorpeness Hotel, Golf and Country Club, Thorpeness, near Aldeburgh, Suffolk
T: 01728 452176

The Hall at St Peter's Brewery
On the Norfolk/Suffolk borders, the bucolic countryside setting of a grand historic house on one side of a successful yet idiosyncratic brewery makes an unusual wedding venue. During the week the emphasis is on the comings and goings of a busy global business and at weekends a slower pace when the 13th century Hall is the centre of attention. Stone carved entrances, tombstones in the entrance, high high ceilings, wooden pews, tapestry wall hangings, its breath-taking architecture cannot fail to impress. Surrounded by a moat, the lawned site with grassy borders and farmland views make a picturesque location to accommodate marquees for up to 250 people. Now managed by Sam Goodbourn of Southwold based Wickedly Good Food, he has twenty years experience in outside catering behind him. Smoked salmon parcels of zesty cream cheese and crayfish tails, duck breast served with a citrus crepe suzette and a sweet citrus sauce, and chocolate and hazelnut roulade with passion fruit cream is just a sample of what’s on offer. Of course another good reason to go is to drink St Peter’s huge array of artisan boutique beers in situ, both draught and bottled.
St. Peter's Hall, St. Peter South Elmham, near Bungay, Suffolk
T: 01986 782288