Good to Knows

Weddings

How many people can we have at our wedding?

We have lots of different size wedding spaces at South Lodge which can accommodate anywhere between 4 to 180 guests for a ceremony and wedding breakfast. We love to see guests here for your whole day, so if you’d like to invite some along just for the evening let us know.

How long can we hold a date in your diary for before paying our deposit?

You are welcome to hold a date in our wedding diary for one week before paying your deposit and returning your signed paperwork in order to fully confirm your wedding with us. Plenty of time to give the registry office or your chosen church a call and speak to your friends and family! 

Will we be able to sample the menu before our wedding day?

Of course! For weddings of 40 guests or more we offer a complimentary food tasting, this is usually held around three months before your wedding!

Lots of couples like to also book a room with us that night so they can take full advantage of enjoying our wine list as well as a pamper in our award winning spa! 

If you are hosting an intimate wedding of 40 guests or less, a food tasting is something you can add onto your package at £98 per person.

Do you have vegetarian and vegan menu options?

Absolutely! We have a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes to choose from, and our chefs are always keen to hear about menu tweaks you may want to make too!

For guests with dietary requirements we can of course make sure they are fully catered for too, we will just ask you to confirm these requirements in advance of your wedding day so we can be fully prepared.

Will our wedding be the only one at South Lodge on the day?

Yes, we only ever offer one wedding ceremony and reception per day at South Lodge.

We may have other private parties in other function rooms and residential and non residential guests in the public areas (reception, the bars and restaurants etc.)

Other couples arriving for a honeymoon may also be at the hotel, we do try to do everything possible to make sure your paths around the hotels are kept separate.

Can we get married outside at South Lodge? And what happens if it rains?

South Lodge is licensed to host outside ceremonies in our pavilion.

You will always have a wet weather ceremony room on hand should the weather not be on our side on the day. We can leave the final decision until the day itself when we will liaise with you both depending on what the weather is like.

How do we book our civil ceremony?

To arrange the registrar for your civil ceremony you will need to contact - The West Sussex Registry Office on 01293 642122

How many bedrooms do you have at South Lodge?

We have 88 bedrooms; this includes a 4 bedroom cottage which is the perfect space for your bridal party to get ready in!

We also have accessible and dog friendly bedrooms available too.

All of our bedrooms includes breakfast and use of our award winning spa!

What time can our guests check into their bedrooms on our wedding day?

Check in is guaranteed from 3pm, but we do always try our best to get rooms associated with your wedding ready as soon as possible.

Can I stay the night before and get ready at South Lodge on the morning?

Of course you can! We would love to have you stay with us the night before, just let our wedding team know and they can check availability and room rates for you.

Can we use our own wedding suppliers?

We have a list of recommended wedding suppliers who have all worked with us over a number of weddings and know our wedding spaces really well and can happily help advise what has worked really well before! 

You can also choose your own wedding suppliers, if they have never worked with us before you might just want to ensure they are familiar with the hotel and wedding space before your big day by bringing them for a site visit.

Do we need to provide our suppliers with any refreshments?

Quite often suppliers such as photographers and bands require food and drink to be supplied to them as part of their contract with you. We suggest allocating £25 per person which will get a meal and drinks from the bar for them.

What time can our suppliers set up from on our wedding day?

Depending on availability we like to try and offer access to our wedding spaces from 8am so suppliers can be in and set up nice and early! This will depend on whether we have had any events the night before, we will confirm exact details with you at your final planning meeting.

If your weddings space is available the day before we will always welcome your suppliers to set up then if they wish too!

What time can we party until on our wedding day?

You are welcome to celebrate with all of your guests until midnight. 

For guests that are staying with us overnight, the hotel bars remain open for any guests wishing to enjoy a late night tipple! 

Are you able to cut up our wedding cake and serve it to our guests for them to enjoy later in the evening?

Yes, of course!

Do you allow confetti?

We allow dried and fresh rose petals/flowers outside and they look lovely scattered down the red carpet too leading to our outdoor ceremony pavilion.

Do you allow fireworks, sky lanterns or sparklers?

Due to being largely surrounded by fields which is home to lots of livestock, as well as having a number of close neighbours we have to be a little careful with firework displays, quiet firework displays and a sparkler send off can be arranged. Please speak to our wedding team for more information on our recommended firework display suppliers.

We do not allow sky lanterns.

What if it rains on our wedding day?

We have plenty of insides spaces for your and your guests to mingle in, and most importantly for your photos! Our grand staircase is the prefect place for both your couple and group shots.

We also have plenty of umbrellas on hand should you and your photographer have some creative rain photo ideas in mind.

Should we take out wedding insurance?

We would highly recommend taking our a wedding insurance policy; it is inexpensive and can definitely put your mind at rest should the unexpected happen! 

Do you allow corkage?

Unfortunately not, however we have a great bar team who stock most drinks and if we don't already have it in stock we will do our upmost to source specific drinks for you.

Our bar team are also super creative in putting together special cocktail options for you too! 

Do you have any restrictions around lighting candles?

In order to keep all of our guests and our precious buildings safe we operate a strict no naked flame/ candle policy throughout our hotel. We would however love for you to bring in as many battery operated candles as you so wish and we can also advise you of some of the lovely places wedding suppliers can hang strings of fairy lights which can look magical as the evening draws in.

Is there parking available and can our guests leave their car overnight?

We have plenty of parking, and guests are welcome to leave their car overnight and collect by 12pm the following day. 

We also have a number of electric car charging points too.

Can we drop our wedding items (name cards, favours, table plans etc.) off to you the day before?

Yes, we suggest you drop everything off to us the day before your wedding so its one less thing to worry about on your big day. 

Please just ensure everything is clearly labelled with your names and wedding date.

Can our dog join us for the wedding?

Yes, we love four pawed wedding guests! They are also welcome to stay overnight in one of our dog friendly bedrooms.

Who will run our wedding day?

On your wedding day, one of our banqueting managers will be with you every step of the day. We do always suggest hiring a Toastmaster as they are a great addition in keeping your day running smoothly.