£2,000 - £2,500 for Venue Hire
Up to 150
Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
Wedding Licence
Exclusive Bridebook Deal
Bridebook Couple Discount
We offer 4 exclusive days for your hire and help with planning, budgeting and assistance on your wedding day.
Bridebook Deal
Offer Available
Complimentary Wedding Coordinator
Flexible Rural Country House wedding venue, licensed for inside and outside ceremonies. Sole use of large beautiful grounds for 4 days. Glamping/Camping space available.
Shillingstone House Pricing & Costs
Venue Hire Only
Prices Start At
£2,000
Maximum Price
£2,500
£2,500 venue hire – this includes the use of all the gardens, a field for parking, a site upon which a marquee can be placed, the use of the kitchen garden and playground area for camping if required and the use of the Gazebo or dining room for a civil ceremony (small only in dining room).
£2,000 venue hire – this includes the use of the main two lawns, a field for parking, a site upon which a marquee can be placed and the use of the Gazebo or dining room for a civil ceremony (small only). You can always add the walled garden or camping area later if you wish.
Both include our help from the moment you visit to the moment you depart!
What is included in this pricing:
Day before set up available
Choice of preferred caterers
Wedding coordinator available on the day
Exclusive use
Shillingstone House Features & Capacity
Overview
Venue Type
Country House
Manor House
Dining Capacity
150
Reception Capacity
150
Usual Access Time
8:00AM
Usual Finish Time
12:00PM
Late Night Extension
Yes
Ceremony & Reception
Church Within Walking Distance
Sound System Available
Fireworks Permitted
Wedding Licence
Outdoor Ceremony Available
Confetti Permitted
Venue
Landscaped Gardens
Exclusive Use
Marquee Permitted
Pet Friendly
Disabled Access
On-Site Parking
Outdoor Reception Space
BLANK CANVAS
Food and Drink
External Catering Permitted
No Corkage Charge for Own Alcohol
SELF CATERING TO FINE DINING - ANYTHING GOES!
Cultural Specialists
Other
Shillingstone House Full Description
CURRENTLY TAKING BOOKINGS for 2024/25 and 26 - Mid May to Mid September -
Shillingstone House is renowned amongst our past couples and suppliers for its
* Flexibility
* the Blank Canvas that it offers
* The advice and care we give you from enquiry to leaving on honeymoon
* The 4 days of Celebrations - Thurs-Mon - Wed/Sun for special dates.
It is the perfect venue for a country house wedding. Set in a secluded position and surrounded by the rolling hills of Dorset, the beautiful extensive grounds are yours for the 4 days of your wedding. A day for the marquee to go up, a day for decorating, a day for your ceremony and party and a day for brunch or barbecue with friends who have travelled far. The fourth day the marquee goes down.
The gazebo in the garden is fully licensed for outside Ceremonies and the dining room for small inside ones. Rain is catered for in many ways!!!
Space to glamp/camp on Friday and Saturday night is available and a fully furnished bell tent Is available in the walled kitchen garden for your wedding night.
With only 6 weddings a year each one is individual. You choose your own suppliers from Marquee company to catering service but we are here to advice throughout your journey. We do not charge corkage. Decorating the marquee/gazebo/grounds etc. is part of the fun and we like to feel that Shillingstone becomes your home for the 4 days of your wedding.
If you look at the blog on our website - shillingstonehouse.co.uk - you will find pictures of our past weddings with links to their suppliers. You can see that we have held every type of wedding here with catering from hog roast and fish and chips to full sit down dinner - everything is possible - even a blowup football pitch!
Small Fireworks are allowed and please bring your favorite pet to the ceremony but they need to leave afterwards.
Get in touch and come and visit - we would love to see you. You really need to see the grounds to realise their full potential.
Personal Message from the Manager
Name of Wedding Contact: Caroline
We would love to welcome you to Shillingstone House and show you round our beautiful grounds and gardens and very much hope that we can become the venue for your wedding. We will be here to support you from your first visit to waving you goodbye ant the end of your journey and like to think that Shillingstone becomes your home for the four days of your celebrations. You really need to visit to realise Shillillingstone House's full potential. Many couples return to have an anniversary picnic!
Experience
Year Business Was Established
2012
No. of Weddings Hosted
Between 30 and 50
Public Liability Insurance
Yes
No. of People In Team
2
Reviews
(24)
Hayley Farndon
Happy couple married in September
September 2023
The most breathtaking venue
There are not enough words to express just how glorious Shillingstone House is. With beautiful, whimsical charm, gorgeous gardens and a relaxed atmosphere- it was doubtedly the most perfect venue to be married in and the best choice we made when planning. Caroline and Michael are the kindest, warmest and most thoughtful hosts and simply went out of their way to make our day perfect. I would not hesitate to recommend Shillingstone House to anyone- there are not enough superlatives. The best day in the best setting imaginable.
Loren & Harry
Happy couple married in August
September 2023
Stunning day at a beautiful venue
Shillingstone House is a stunning venue with beautifully kept gardens. There are plenty of areas for photos, activities and fun. The owners are experienced and mega helpful. Caroline helped out the morning of our wedding when things weren't going to plan. Would 100% recommend.
Jo Shaw
Happy couple married in July
September 2023
We loved Shillingstone House!
Caroline and Michael at Shillingstone House were so lovely from the offset. You can hire their incredible grounds for an outdoor do-it-yourself wedding although they do have a recommended list of suppliers to use too. This was perfect for what we wanted and their gardens are immaculate and they've put so much effort into making it a lovely venue. Caroline was great with communication and providing her great knowledge from previous weddings. I would highly recommend Shillingstone House as a wedding venue - it's an incredible setting.
Mr and Mrs Coll
Happy couple married in May
August 2023
Fairy Garden Wedding
I had the pleasure of getting married at Shillingstone house in May of this year.
It is a beautiful setting with panoramic views. No need for extra floral expense as the gardens are very well kept and make for a stunning photographic background.
There are a variety of choice over spacing your marquee and my guests loved being able to join us camping on site. We hired the bell tent and it made for a comfortable magical night with fairy lights galore.
Caroline and Micheal were brilliant hosts, helpful and approachable.
All our guests commented on how much they loved the place. Thank you so much.
Chryssie and Jonny Coombs
Happy couple married in August
September 2022
The perfect country garden wedding
We had our wedding on August bank holiday weekend and everything about it was just perfect. We had our ceremony on the lower lawn, followed by games on the main lawn and a clear span marquee on the field facing out to the beautiful house. Sir Michael and Lady Caroline Salt are clearly very proud of their grounds, and so they should be, everything is looked after so beautifully and with attention to detail. They were such lovely hosts and we felt like they cared as much about our day as we did. It's a perfect venue to put your own spin on it, it could be as formal, over the top, casual or laid back as you choose it to be. All our guests commented on what a beautiful venue it is and we could not recommend it more. We just wish we could do it all over again - we will definitely be visiting again for anniversaries.
Jack & Tabitha
Happy couple married in July
November 2022
Dream Venue
We wanted to have our wedding the way we wanted and were struggling to find a venue that would allow us the freedom we wanted... Untill we found Shillingstone house. The house and gardens are stunning and the absoultely perfect base to make your wedding your own. We were able to choose all our own suppliers and Caroline and Micheal are the most lovely hosts.
Check out the blog of past weddings, on their website! I found it so useful for inspiration for our wedding.
Shillingstone House Location & Contact Details
Address
Shillingstone House, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 0QR, England
Travel Notes
We are two hours from London by car and about 40 mins from Poole and Bournemouth.
Nearest Town
Blandford
Nearest Motorway & Junction
M3
Nearest Train Station
Gillingham Dorset
Nearest Airport
Bournemouth
Shillingstone House Press & Awards
(4)
Industry Awards (1)
Best of Bridebook Gold Award
Bridebook Awards (1)
Frequently Asked Questions
(10)
Describe the best wedding that happened at Shillingstone House?
Our weddings are all so different that it is impossible to chose the best one. Some are planned on a tight budget and some are more lavish but all have been hugely enjoyable for us and more importantly for the couples who have taken the venue.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Make the day your own but don't overdo the decorations or you will be exhausted by the setting up! Set your theme and then look at Pinterest or your mind will boggle!
What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?
Too many to choose! They are all so different - from the bride who colour themed the things she made for the day to the bride who made her own cake, to the couple who made the tent reflect the countries that they came from to the one whose families had grown all the flowers banked around the marquee and now I can add a blow-up 5 a side football pitch on the Sunday!
Describe Shillingstone House in 5 adjectives
Country House/Rural/flexible/fun/beautiful
Where’s the best photo spot at Shillingstone House?
Again too many to choose - we ask that the photographer comes to the venue before the wedding to choose their favourite spots.
Have you had any celebrity guest or wedding at Shillingstone House?
No but we did have the bank Reef playing at one wedding.
What’s your favourite canapé?
Again we have had so many different caterers here and each one produces something different and new
What’s your favourite midnight treat?
Chatting round the fire-pit when the generator goes off, cooking marshmallows, lighting sparklers and continuing the party into the night.
What is Shillingstone House most unique feature?
Its grounds and its ability to offer a blank canvas - each wedding is totally amazing and totally different
What part of your business are you most proud of?
Our relationship with the bridal couple and their families and the positive feedback we have received. "5 stars isn't enough for this beautiful setting. Sir Michael and Lady Caroline Salt made our wedding set up so easy and relaxed. They went above and beyond for us and are such lovely people."
Bridebook Benefits
Bridebook GiftCaroline at the end of a telephone or email for advice, planning help, support from your first visit and throughout your planning journey.
Bridebook Special OfferCaroline at the end of a telephone or email for advice, planning help, support from your first visit and throughout your planning journey.