Shillingstone House

(33)
£2,250 - £2,750 for Venue Hire
Up to 200
Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
Wedding Licence
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Description

CURRENTLY TAKING BOOKINGS for 2026 - 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 but you can now choose your own special space within the grounds (if H&S allows) 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

Overview of Shillingstone House

Venue Type
Country House
Manor House
Dining Capacity
200
Reception Capacity
200
Usual Access Time
08:00 AM
Usual Finish Time
12:00 PM

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

Pricing for Shillingstone House

Venue Hire Only

Prices Start At
£2,250
Maximum Price
£2,750
£2,750 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). £2,250 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

Reviews for Shillingstone House
(33)

Hannah and Sam
Happy couple married in September
September 2024
Thank you for making our big day run so smoothly

See Below!

Elliot & Hannah
Happy couple married in July
August 2024
Venue for quite simply the best day of our lives.

My (now) wife and I were married at this stunning venue on 27th July 2024 and quite simply, it was the best day of our lives. We are a very laidback couple who did not want the drama of going from venue to venue to find the perfect place so with our first stop arriving at Shillingstone house, we found literal perfection for our needs. The full control of making the day the way you wanted, the stunning gardens and grounds that are maintained to perfection, the hospitality from Michael and Caroline, the assistance in every detail where needed and the above and beyond attitude to make sure your day truly is the greatest it could be. Here, you do not just get a beautiful setting for any occasion, but also the support from experienced and extremely kind hearted individuals who have your best interests at heart. I could not recommend anything more in my life. To all involved, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You made not only our day magical, but our families and friends are still telling us how great it was. We will forever be grateful.

Mark & Jasmine Sillence
Happy couple married in July
July 2024
We couldn’t have imagined a more perfect wedding

The day far exceeded our expectations. We want to thank you both for your support in the lead up and the day. You made it so easy for us. The little extra touches you helped us with meant so much to us. When you appeared with those corks, a huge weight was lifted for example. We couldn’t have asked for more and both sat on our honeymoon reflecting the help you gave. We should have the final photos any day now. We are just figuring out how to get them as there are so many. We will definitely share some with you. Our guests were so amazed at the house and gardens. One of our guests from Spain said he felt like he was on a film set with how amazing it was. If someone is reading this and still considering whether to book or not, don’t hesitate anymore. I am certain it will be a magical day!

Hannah and Rufus
Happy couple married in June
July 2024
Best day and wedding venue ever

A beaming bride reviewing.... I cannot begin to thank Caroline and Michael enough for letting myself and Rufus have our wedding day at Shillingstone House, not only was the day itself so magical and joyous in their beautiful grounds, but the lead up to the day was fantastic. Caroline was extremely helpful and really took the time to understand what we wanted for the day and liaised with suppliers beforehand to help the day run smoothly. It's amazing that you can hire the grounds Friday -Sunday, it made decorating a really relaxing and enjoyable task as we had the whole day Friday to set up the site. I really loved Caroline's blog on her website as it was a great way to draw inspiration and again, I could see all the love and care she put into people's weddings days. Shillingstone House definitely doesn't feel like a wedding venue where you are on a conveyor belt and just a number- the whole day felt so personal. We are so so grateful that we got to have our wedding at Shillingstone House, our guests loved the beautiful fields and sensational flowers, there really was beauty everywhere you turned! We hope to come back for an anniversary at some point as we miss it already! Thank you again Caroline and Michael, Warmest regards, Hannah and Rufus

Ellie Brooks - Wildflower Ceremonies
Wedding: May
January 2024
Handfasting

What a pleasure it was to perform a Handfasting at the weekend in the utterly stunning setting of the grounds of Shillingstone House... one of the most beautiful venues I've seen yet - flawlessly styled and spotlessly clean, with breath taking countryside views and wonderful hosts. Can't recommend highly enough xx

Graham Whiteman
Wedding: September
January 2024
Beautiful Place

Beautiful place..lovely people. Hard to beat as a wedding venue given the fabulous support of the owners. Review on Google

Angus Davidson
Wedding: October
January 2024
Very Helpful

I came here for a wedding and had a great time. The owners were very helpful on the day of the wedding. Google Review

Jon Ball Photography - Solid Imagery
Wedding: November
January 2024
Perfect Wedding Venue

Wonderful characterful house and the perfect wedding venue, one the best I've visited as a photographer Google Review

Nicky Hill Photography
Wedding: August
January 2024
Rare Gems

From Nicky Hill Photographer on Instagram It’s always so lovely capturing at @shillingstonehouse because not only is it the perfect setting for a wedding, the owners Lady Caroline & Sir Michael Salt are two of the loveliest owners you could meet and are super hands on, helping and making sure everyone’s ok and it’s all running smoothly. Rare gems 💎

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.

Location & Contact Details for Shillingstone House

Wedding Venue Address
Shillingstone House, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 0QR, England, United Kingdom
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Gallery
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FAQs
Find out a bit more from our FAQs

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."
Press & Awards
All our awards & press mentions

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.