Why Book?
For a quintessentially English wedding in a grand, genteel setting, and with the fairy dust that only somewhere as versed in events as Goodwood can sprinkle. The wedding planning team here is as professional as they come, with a butler and chef at the couples’ disposal and no notion or vision too fantastical to contemplate, particularly with Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, Qatar Goodwood Festival and Goodwood Revival under their smart leather belts. Aside from this refined event muscle and the sheer stately splendour of it all, the joy of a wedding here is in the multiple reception or ceremony location choices, along with the chance to keep the wedding party and close guests on-site (11,000 acres of it) across a long weekend. Combine the evocative countryside, different styles of venues and Goodwood’s ‘nothing’s impossible’ approach to bringing events to life, and it’s easy to see why this majestic corner of West Sussex appeals to discerning couples. Whatever they opt for, they’re in safe hands, and in one of England’s most ravishing country piles.
Venue style:
Goodwood’s pedigree needs little introduction. Passed like a shiny baton between the Dukes of Richmond down the centuries, the estate’s history is unsurprisingly illustrious. As is its events resumé, with the current Duke mobilising (in trailblazing fashion) the estate for what would become the world’s leading motoring festival. These historic houses were, after all, designed and built with entertaining guests in mind, and the 11th Duke was prophetic in his efforts to put this grandiose setting on the international map, keeping The National Trust at bay. As such, the venue spaces have been tried and tested over the years, and cater to different styles of weddings, whether it’s an intimate affair in the Goodwood Hotel’s cosy country interiors, a classical celebration in The Kennels or a high-octane weekender in the imposing Goodwood House. Then there’s the family element – Goodwood is one of the few English country piles in this lofty league to remain in the same blue-blooded family. As such, despite its hard-to-fathom size, an authentically warm, homely feel pervades – the antithesis to the corporate invasion of an old historic house. There’s a sense, from the planning till the big day, that couples are embraced by the Goodwood family as opposed to simply working with a venue.
Set the scene:
All the trappings of a bygone, aristocratic era live on here: the butlers, the eye-watering art collection, the silk drapes, the ludicrously large family portraits and the gravel drive that cars crunch into, slowly as passengers gape at the Georgian oomph. The house lords over an 11,000-acre stretch of bucolic West Sussex countryside that skirts the edge of the South Downs. Manicured gardens and springy lawns fold into the parkland and woodland beyond that the current Duke’s ancestors once hunted in. It’s a Brideshead Revisited scene, where pillars soar, sheep-dotted fields stretch as far as the eyes can muster, and chandeliers, mirrors, mouldings and more chandeliers receive a good dollop of gilt. Whether guests are greeted by the Butler and the George Stubbs paintings in the Front Hall, or by a cool glass of Champagne in the Regency-style Kennels, couples will need little in the way of decorations, safe in the knowledge that their guests will be blown away at every turn.
Event spaces:
Three main event spaces offer couples multiple locations and combinations for tying the knot and/or celebrating their nuptials. And while Goodwood House, The Kennels and The Goodwood Hotel accommodate different flavours of weddings, the common thread here is inconceivably high standards, luxurious interiors, and sharp attention to detail.
Goodwood House speaks to those looking to marry in opulent, high-society style. It’s an exclusive use set-up, so couples can truly live out their Dukely dreams, welcoming guests into their stately abode. The Front Hall is popular for drinks and canapé receptions, with its traditional warm-hued rugs, resplendent decor and pillars lining up to greet guests. The jewel-box Egyptian Dining Room lends itself well to more intimate dinners, notably rehearsal dinners with families and close friends before the big day. This intriguing, intimate room is a paean to the 18th century’s fascination with ancient Egypt, expressed decoratively with gilded sphinxes, crocodiles and cartouches. Ceremonies are at their most ornate here in the Yellow Drawing Room, where the canary-yellow wallpaper seems to glow even brighter with the natural light, and all the decadent touches seem to trace that beloved Georgian symmetry. Seating up to 180, the Ballroom is unapologetically opulent, with portraits of Kings, Queens, Dukes and Duchesses hanging from merlot-hued walls, velvet drapes warming marble pillars and guests faces caught in the glow of the chandeliers. All those extra parts are sewn up – the charming, Bridgerton-esque Card Room for signing the register and the striking Tapestry Drawing Room is typically pinned for the wedding photographs – well away from the hubbub of guests yet in the most exquisite, light-flooded room where tradition and heritage hold sway. There’s even a room dedicated to ‘downtime’ – the Music Room, where couples and family members can peel off to recollect themselves on elegant sofas or simply enjoy a quiet chat while gazing out towards the colonnade.
With its classic architecture, topiary-framed entrance and richly-painted rooms, The Kennels’ still embrace a traditional country house aesthetic, just with less embellished, antique-heavy spaces for couples to add their mark to. The exclusive use option gives the full run of the property, with drinks and canapés taking place in the elegant Music Room or Library, and tables spread out across the Terrace Dining Room for dinners or lunches – making full use of the sweeping ceilings and soaring arches from building’s previous life as a substantial abode for the 2nd Duke’s beloved hounds. The building’s old, mottled brick walls not only make a sensational backdrop for wedding photos but serve as the ultimate subdued canvas for flower arrangements. On sunny days, the wedding party can spill onto the terrace, where a verdant lawn stretches out as far as The Kennel Walls (a boon for those inviting small children). While there are various grades of packages, the exclusive use offer ensures a handful of guests can stay in allocated rooms at The Goodwood Hotel, with a suite reserved for the newlyweds.
For a more affordable option, with the rolling West Sussex countryside still delivering on the idyllic backdrop, The Goodwood Hotel is utterly charming. Rooms feel more intimate here, with interiors seizing on a fresh riff on the traditional farmhouse. Smooth woodwork and modern lighting ease this ‘gateway to Goodwood’ into the 21st century, and light spills in through large Georgian windows to illuminate guests and the festivities before the evening’s moody glow comes to the fore. Couples are offered exclusive use of the ceremony room – a bright, contemporary space ready to be decorated however couples see fit – whether it’s statement floral arrangements or a more pared-down look, leaving the bucolic surrounds to do the talking.
Food and drink:
For all estate venues, (excluding the sole room hire package for The Goodwood Hotel), couples can motor over to Goodwood for a memorable tasting. Menus are radically seasonal and local, with most vegetables and herbs sourced within a 25 mile radius of Goodwood and beef, pork and lamb all estate-reared on Europe’s largest lowland organic farm. This estate-to-plate ethos is a real pull for foodies, with guests known to wax lyrical for years to come on just how delicious the wedding reception dinners here are, across all venues. Couples can look forward to sampling the likes of beetroot-cured smoked salmon with buckwheat crumpets, sirloin steak with glazed beef ox cheek, parsnip and smoked potato purée. Consider the food here elevated classic English fare – the sort you’d hope for in a gastro-pub, which really allows the bounty of the English countryside to sing. Couples can finely tune each dish to their preferred wines, and ensure every canapé at the wedding reception is a tasty morsel to draw out the various characteristics of the Champagne or English sparkling wine. The menu choice is extensive, the ingredients top-notch and the chef’s prowess refined over years of running world-class events.
Accommodation:
One of the real perks of a Goodwood wedding is the opportunity to keep close family and friends on-site, with ample rooms for them to stay in dotted around the estate. The 10-bedroom Hound Lodge is perhaps the most classically luxurious with a firelit drawing room, chaise longues and a rich, Regency colour palette. Brides, grooms and their contingent will relish waking up in these refined, Jane Austin-esque rooms, fresh from a good night’s sleep in eiderdown quilt-covered beds. Not only does the estate provide a vintage bus or Land Rover defenders to transport guests staying here around the estate, they’ll be welcomed by the Lodge’s own butler, who is on hand to fix anyone a drink, a hot water bottle or suggest a good walk around the estate.
The Goodwood Hotel is a cosy, comfortable spot for guests to hang their hats, with scrumptious breakfasts to wake up to, leveraging ingredients grown on the estate, and curtains swinging open to pastoral views. Impressively, the homely hotel is biomass-powered, adding to the estate’s eco-credentials and honouring the beautiful natural landscape that envelopes Goodwood’s various properties. Rooms are spruced up to luxury hotel levels, with thick, printed curtains, divinely comfortable beds and countryside accents (see the tartan pillows and fresh bathroom flowers).
A cluster of tastefully dressed cottages guarantees bridal parties the utmost privacy during the preparations, doubling up also as romantic boltholes for newlyweds.
A real advantage of a Goodwood wedding is that guests can entertain themselves with reams of outdoorsy activities, courtesy of the estate’s privileged location at the foot of the South Downs. Having loaded up on scrumptious breakfasts, groups can meander through wildflower meadows amid a cacophony of birdsong, or traipse along the edges of grassy hills with heart-thumping views of the Trundle. Goodwood offers its own curated wiggle of walks through the estate’s parkland and ancient woodland – the ultimate tonic for an evening of excess – while keen cyclists take to the routes, gawping at the scenic countryside racing past.
The story:
Crowned by a dashing Georgian house, The Goodwood Estate is one of England’s most alluring, particularly for its soft, romantic countryside. Its heritage is as magnificent as the architecture itself – home to the Dukes of Richmond for over three hundred years with a treasure trove of stories featuring royals, aristocrats and even movie stars. The first Duke (illegitimate son of Charles II by his French mistress, Louise de Kérouaille) originally rented Goodwood for its foxhunting credentials – a curious fact to learn if you’re considering The Kennels for your wedding day. Fast forward to the late 20th century and the 11th Duke of Richmond saw an opportunity to put Goodwood firmly on the international sports map by founding the Festival of Speed (1993) and the Goodwood Revival (1998). Before taking on the estate, the Duke was a successful advertising photographer in London and he now lives with his wife, The Duchess, and children at Goodwood.
Goodwood has become a household name, recognised for its yesteryear glamour, as a magnet for avid motorists and as one of the most remarkable estates in the country, wrapped by an evocative pastoral landscape.
The need-to-know:
Budget: Minimum facility fee at Goodwood House for £7,200 (rates vary depending on the estate venue chosen, for format and the ‘package’ couples opt for.
Capacity: From 120 at The Goodwood Hotel / From 32 at The Kennels to 180 in the House.
Location: Goodwood House, Kennel Hill, Chichester, P0180PX
Website: www.goodwood.com
Instagram: @goodwood
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