ROCKBEARE MANOR | DEVON WEDDING VENUE

Growing up in East Devon, the wedding venues in Devon have a very special place in my heart. Often knowing them as private houses in the past, having worked there as a teenager, or simply driving past when out and about, revisiting them as a wedding photographer is always a joy!

This is absolutely the case with the gorgeous Rockbeare Manor, who have sisters venues; Priston Mill and Coombe Lodge, in Bristol.

Checking in with Aimee, one of the Directors, she gave me all the news and views from this stunning Devon wedding venue.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS:

Rockbeare Manor is the third stunning venue in a collection that is operated by our highly dedicated and experienced team at PM Hospitality. Back in 2006 my husband, Andrew Carveth set up the business to manage the catering at a stunning countryside venue called Priston Mill , near Bath. In 2009 Coombe Lodge, an impressive Jacobean house near Bristol, designed by the distinguished architect Sir George Oatley was added. Both of these venues continue to host many weddings and events and are well known, and highly regarded in the North Somerset area.

Aimee joined the business in 2014, when a mutual friend introduced Andy and her. Aimee had been running wedding venues in the South East and after a move down to beautiful Devon was looking for similar opportunities. It came just at the right time as Andy was looking for someone to oversee the project at Rockbeare Manor, and launch it as a new wedding and events venue in Devon. Aimee was initially based up at Coombe Lodge whilst all the final agreements were being finalised at Rockbeare Manor and the from 2015 onwards was based solely at Rockbeare Manor, overseeing the transformation from beloved family home to the wonderful contemporary and elegant that it is today.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE WORLD OF WEDDINGS?

After her A-levels Aimee went on to do a Hospitality Degree at Bournemouth University which she loved, especially the placement year in industry, which was spent at Ascot Racecourse. There, Aimee gained some invaluable experience in various departments from Human Resources, to event planning and catering operations. After completing her degree she was lucky enough to get a full time position back at Ascot Racecourse as their Event Planner so it was her job to coordinate all the weddings and events that took place at this iconic location. From there she went on to work as an Event Manager for an exclusive catering company who also operated large scale Christmas events, but since 2007 Aimee has been running wedding venues. Initially in Surrey and West London, and now in Devon.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR VENUE VIBE?

There is something about Rockbeare Manor – it has a dream-like quality. It's a captivating and romantic place – both the Manor itself and setting too, as it has beautiful views across Devon to Haldon Hill, Haldon Belvedere and even Cawsand Beacon on Dartmoor. Above all it's stylish and elegant, whilst feeling relaxed and welcoming.

WHAT AREA OF THE COUNTRY DO YOU COVER?

We are based in South West

HOW MUCH SHOULD BRIDES/GROOMS BUDGET FOR THEIR WEDDING VENUE?

At Rockbeare Manor our exclusive venue hire is between £1400 and £3900, excluding accommodation and catering.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD BRIDES/GROOMS BOOK THEIR WEDDING VENUE?

18 months is normally quite safe, in order to give a good choice of dates. If you are hoping for a specific Friday or Saturday in the holidays, you may need to book up to two years in advance to guarantee you get first choice. We do have couples that book with only a few months lead time - anythings possible!

WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION YOU GET ASKED....AND THE ANSWER?!

What time should I book my Civil Ceremony for? I always think the best weddings are the ones when you're having so much fun that you look at your watch, when you're on the dance floor towards the end of the night and wonder where the time has gone. It's so important to keep the flow of the day going throughout the whole event and there are lots of things that will help - plentiful food and drink, entertainment, fabulous speeches, great music, and momentum. With that in mind, we suggest around 2pm as the ideal time for a Civil Ceremony. This gives the bridal party and their guests more time to travel and get ready - it's important to make the morning of the wedding relaxed and enjoyable. Not only that it means you avoid a large amount of spare time which typically occurs after the meal and speeches if you've had a particularly early ceremony. If this time isn't filled with something to engage your guests there is a danger they may get a little sleepy after a big meal and it can be hard to get them into party mode!

WHAT IS THE MOST UNUSUAL REQUEST YOU HAVE RECEIVED?

If two alpacas could attend the wedding! The Groom had proposed to his Bride on an alpaca trek, and so they both thought it would be fitting to include these gentle animals in their big day. It's these sorts of things that make every wedding so individual and personal.

WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR 2020/2021?

In 2019, we have seen a huge increase in the demand for plant based menus, sustainability of food produce with a shift towards menus that cater for guests with specific dietary requirements. This is only going to increase in the coming year and so we have worked hard to develop our vegan and vegetarian offering, making it just as tasty and flavoursome as the menus which include meat and dairy. We also cater for a huge number of gluten intolerant guests and most of our menus can be adapted for those guests without even knowing the difference. That's something that we'll continue to do - we want to look after every guest, no matter what the allergy or intolerance, to the same high standard and we're really pleased to have been able to continually achieve that. In the last six months we've catered for a fully vegan wedding, a fully gluten free wedding, and a vegetarian wedding too using fresh local produce and all were very well received.

IF YOU COULD WORK ON ANYONES WEDDING WHOSE WOULD IT BE?

For Aimee, working on a family wedding is always so special. Her eldest brother Richard got married at Rockbeare Manor in May 2018 and the family had such an amazing day. Aimee did a lot of the planning with them, and although it was hard to switch off of 'work-mode' on the day she still loved every minute. Aimee have two other brothers, so she is hoping its one of them next!

WHAT IS THE BEST MONTH TO GET MARRIED OUTSIDE?

I'm torn! April in the parkland is so pretty, with the Spring flower meadow at the front of the Manor in full glory. It's normally warm, but not too hot. I also love September, when the leaves are starting to turn - there is so much depth in the landscape and the photo opportunities, especially on the driveway are gorgeous.

As far as the rain goes - you'll never know! It's just as likely to rain in the height of summer as it is in the winter months so it's best not to pin your hopes on fine weather. What will be will be, and it will be amazing whatever the weather! The beauty about Rockbeare Manor is that it's so spacious (and beautiful) inside. We've got space for separate rooms for your ceremony and wedding breakfast, as well as lots of light and airy space for your drinks reception and photos.

FREE BAR, OR NOT FREE BAR? AND HOW DO YOU CONTROL IT?

There is a balance with this one. If the budget allows, definitely provide a selection of drinks for your guests - after all, good food, drink and company and three of the elements that help create a wonderful vibe on the wedding day. A generous drinks reception with at least a couple of glasses per person works well, followed by half a bottle of wine per person with the meal and a toast drink for the all important speeches. In terms of the bar, our suggestion would be to have it on a complimentary basis for your guests, with the exception of shots, doubles and bottles of wine and champagne as there can (sometimes!) be a tendency for the wedding guests to get a little overzealous at your expense. A free-bar is often not a luxury that some couples have due to budget restrictions and that's also fine. People often expect to have to pay for some drinks at a wedding so will always generally come prepared.

WHAT SHOULD THE PRIORITIES BE, BUDGET WISE, FOR A COUPLE, IN YOUR OPINION?

Other than the marriage itself, an element of the day that people will always remember is the food (for all the right, or wrong reasons!). It's a really key element of the day and so important that it's right. It’s easy to say, but remember that the most important thing is the fact that you and your other half are getting married! It’s not unusual for all of the little details to take over, so I would always recommend not getting too drawn in to spending unnecessarily on wedding paraphernalia - save your money for the elements of the day that you and your guests will appreciate.

WEEKEND OR WEEKDAY WEDDING? AND WHY?

This is very personal choice as some couples may not have much flexibility due to work commitments or shift patterns. Teachers for example have to get married in the school holidays but in this case, the day of the week often doesn't matter. We therefore host lots of weddings on Monday - Thursdays in school holidays.

Whilst it always used to be the tradition for weddings to take place on a Saturday that isn't the case any more - obviously Saturdays are still really popular however we regularly do weddings on all days of the week. Thursdays have been hugely popular this year as they are priced at a slightly reduced rate which means that the Bride and Groom can invest their budget into other areas of the day such as décor or wedding photography.

Andy and Aimee got married on a Friday and they loved the fact that all our guests could make a weekend of it. They had a meal out at a local pub the night before the wedding, and invited close family and friends back to their house the day after the wedding for lunch and fizz. The same applies for Thursday weddings. Often friends and family love the fact they can plan an extended break in Devon - as it's such a picturesque place to visit.

WHAT SHOULD COUPLES LOOK FOR IN A WEDDING VENUE?

Finding a wedding venue is a huge decision and there are so many lovely ones around - people in Devon are spoilt for choice! Think about the 'must haves' whether that be exclusive use, indoor / outdoor ceremony options, onsite accommodation or the ability to bring in your own wine. That will help in the shortlist process. Ultimately, couples have got to feel looked after and welcomed, and often instinct is as good as anything. Having a great rapport with a venue team that you feel are genuine, and really care about doing their best for you goes a long way. That's the way we look at it at Rockbeare Manor - we love weddings, we love what we do and will always do our absolute utmost to help create a unforgettable day for the happy couple.

SHOULD A COUPLE BOOK A WEDDING PLANNER? AND WHY?

This depends entirely on the location of the wedding, budget and the time-restraints of the couple getting married. Often wedding planners are engaged when a couple have busy jobs that don't allow for the hours of researching suppliers and all the inevitable ground work that goes into planning a wedding. There are also some wonderful wedding planners that can help in the final stages of the planning, to help bring it all together and co-ordinate your décor requirements on the day itself. At Rockbeare Manor, it's relatively rare that our couples use a wedding planner as our team are hear to answer any questions, help with supplier referrals, give advice on timings and menus and generally be on hand to make the whole experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

BEST WEDDING PLANNERS YOU KNOW? AND WHY?

For on the day help with styling and décor I think that Kirsten at The Little Wedding Helper does an amazing job . She is lovely to work with and very creative so perfect for couples that are wanting something unique and personal to them.

HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST COUPLES FIND THE BEST WEDDING SUPPLIERS?

There are obviously lots of great resources online, and researching different suppliers is all part of the fun when you get engaged. A wedding suppliers social media pages are now just as prevalent as the website so they are definitely worth a look, and here you can see up to date images of their work as well as reviews from previous clients which can be so useful. Recommendations go a long way. Speak to your friends and family if they have recently got married, and also ask the advice from your wedding venue. We work with hundreds of suppliers every year and we get to know which ones really come up to expectations and reach amazing standards.

WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST A COUPLE LOOK FOR IN A

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?

First you need to identify the style of wedding photography that you like as they do vary. Wedding fairs are a good place to see a photographers work and also meet them in person which I think is so important. If you get on well with your photographer and build up a good rapport it will make the day so enjoyable, and much easier for you if you are a little camera shy.

DOES RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY MEAN GOOD LUCK?

Hopefully - because it rained on our wedding day in October!! But in all seriousness, we are sure you can be lucky whether it rains or shines as at Rockbeare Manor we are not superstitious.

WHY DO PEOPLE THROW CONFETTI, AND SHOULD YOU?

Confetti is a lovely age-old tradition and it's such a happy part of the day and so I hope it continues. Our preference at Rockbeare Manor is either fresh petals, or dried flowers both of which work really well, whilst causing minimal damage to the environment.