About Highcliffe Castle is a magnificent Grade I-listed property with a rich history. The distinguished diplomat Lord Stuart de Rothesay commissioned the construction of this Gothic Revival castle, a project he had dreamt about during his childhood visits to this clifftop overlooking Christchurch Bay. The castle was duly built during the early 1830s using reclaimed Norman and Renaissance carved stone. Highcliffe is certainly an impressive structure, with sumptuous Gothic Revival features and amazing stained glass. After surviving two fires in the 1960s, several enormous repair projects were completed in the 1990s and again in 2008, resulting in the beautiful wedding venue that exists today.
The Facilities The Wintergarden The light and spacious Wintergarden is the perfect room to host elegant wedding ceremonies. Walk steadily down the aisle towards stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and enjoy three fresh floral arrangements provided courtesy of the hospitality team at Highcliffe Castle. A fine baby grand piano is also available to set the mood at your ceremony. Spring/Summer/Autumn Weddings Ceremony-only weddings are held at 11am and 1pm. 3:30pm ceremonies will be followed by receptions at Highcliffe Castle. Winter Weddings (November-February) Ceremony-only weddings are held at 12pm. 2:30pm ceremonies will be followed by receptions at Highcliffe Castle. Civil Ceremony Capacity - 100 Guests Drawing Room If you're planning a more intimate ceremony, the Drawing Room is brilliant. Also, during your evening reception, this beautiful room can readily be combined with the excellent Castle Bar to give a superb space for drinks and dancing. Civil Ceremony Capacity - 40 Guests Evening Reception Capacity - 110 Guests State Dining Room This chamber is full of historic character, with exposed brick walls adding a wonderfully rustic twist to the elegance of your wedding décor. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer beautiful views of Poole Bay and the Isle of Wight Needles. Wedding Breakfast Capacity - 80 Guests Evening Reception Capacity - 150 Guests Great Hall The magnificent Great Hall boasts an impressive 30ft high stained-glass Jesse Window. This is a truly breathtaking space in which to host your wedding breakfast, formal reception and/or evening party, and holds up to 200 guests. Wedding Breakfast Capacity - 110 Guests Evening Reception Capacity - 200 guests The Castle Bar The Castle Bar will be available to you and your wedding guests from 5pm onwards, and will remain open until 15 minutes before the end of your event. You can either run a tab or arrange for your guests to pay for their own drinks.
Catering Food Selecting the right type of cuisine and the right style of presentation for your wedding breakfast and refreshments is a most important decision. Highcliffe have taken the time to handpick a selection of outstanding caterers for you to choose from. The Highcliffe Castle team will even help you choose which caterer is right for your tastes and budget. Drinks Highcliffe Castle will allow you the option to bring in your own drinks to be enjoyed after the ceremony, during the wedding breakfast and throughout the speeches. A modest corkage charge per head covers the following services:- Receiving and storing your drinks Chilling your drinks Glassware and service Recycling empties Repacking unopened bottles Storage of unopened bottles, up to three working days Beer, lager, cider and spirits are not permitted. Alternatively, you can purchase all your drinks from Highcliffe Castle. Accommodation While you cannot stay at the castle itself, there is accommodation in the nearby village of Highcliffe and the town of Christchurch. The venue is within easy reach of Bournemouth International Airport, the New Forest or Southampton. For more information, or to book Highcliffe Castle for your wedding, simply use the contact buttons below. Address Highcliffe Castle Rothesay Drive Highcliffe Dorset BH23 4LE
Reviews Marcus and Lucy - 09/09/2016 Lucy and I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for everyone's help in the build up and on the big day! We really couldn't have asked for a better wedding, everything (even all our decoration requests) were perfect, and it all ran so smoothly - we really do appreciate all the hard work that went in from your side to make it such a special day! We hope we weren't too difficult to work with, and thank you again for what was a very memorable day for us both! Rob and Natalie Smith - 11/10/2016 Hey Lianne, Natalie and I would just like to say a huge thank you to your and our team for making our wedding so amazing. We can't say enough, every one of our guests loved the castle and all had an amazing time. If there is anywhere you would like us to write a review we would love to give you an amazing one. Again just wanted to say thank you for everything that you did to work with us. Melissa Carvell-Clark - 08/08/2016 My husband and I married here in July. We took a long time to pick a place to hold our ceremony, visiting a multitude of places, but once we stepped into the front of the gardens we knew that this was the perfect place for us. The staff have been exceptional, even after the ceremony we received a beautiful letter and brochure for the castle which we thought went above and beyond. But in general the volunteers' knowledge and passion for the history of the castle speaks volumes and adds to each experience. The grounds are truly breathtaking and the walk down to the beach indescribable. The most beautiful room in the castle for me is the winter garden where we wed, it is so light and airy, you could marry in a thunderstorm and it would still be exquisite. It will forever hold the best of memories for us and we cannot wait to come back again and relive them soon.
