Frequently Asked Questions
The Answer to All Your Questions!
We have compiled a list of some of the most frequently asked questions about weddings and events at Homme. We would love to hear from you directly with any questions if you would prefer to get in touch for a chat.
The Venue
Our family has been hosting weddings at Homme House since 2004.
We offer our home on an exclusive use basis for a limited number of bespoke weddings between April and October. This means we normally host between 25 and 30 weddings each year.
Homme House has 4 interior spaces licensed for civil ceremonies.
The Dining Room is licensed for a maximum of 110 including the wedding couple.
The Panelled Room is licensed for a maximum of 80 including the wedding couple.
The Hall is licensed for a maximum of 25 guests including the wedding couple.
The Summerhouse Upper Chamber is licensed for a maximum of 12 guests including the wedding couple.
Garden ceremonies can also take place in the Walled Garden, Rose Garden and on the Main Lawn. The maximum capacity for outdoor ceremonies at Homme House is 110 including the wedding couple (our capacity is limited by the size of our largest indoor wet weather contingency space – the Dining Room).
The maximum capacity for dining in the house is 80. The maximum capacity for dining in a lawn marquee structure is 110 in the case of a civil wedding, or 120 for a church wedding.
The maximum capacity is 120 for the evening reception.
You will have exclusive use of the Homme House reception rooms and gardens for the entire period of your wedding.
For a weekend wedding the hire period is from 9.30am on Friday until 12.30pm on Sunday. For a midweek (Tuesday/Wednesday) wedding the hire period is from 3pm the day before until 12.30pm the day after the wedding. The day before the wedding is intended as a set up day.
Homme House has a Premises Licence for the sale of alcohol, and for music and dancing. The bar closes at 11:30pm and all music must finish by 11:45pm. A condition imposed on us by Herefordshire Council requires that all non-resident guests depart Homme House at 12.00am. We are not able to offer a late licence extension.
You are welcome to host a gathering at Homme House the evening before your wedding; these gatherings are limited to resident guests only. Any music should be at a background level, inside the house and finish no later than 10:30pm. We can supply the necessary furniture, and any tableware required can be added to the wedding catering hire.
Logistics & Timings
Our family is on hand to guide, advise and support in the planning for your wedding day, drawing on over 20 years of experience.
We offer access to a dedicated planning portal filled with helpful resources for planning every element of the wedding, access to a digital recommended supplier directory, and unlimited support from the family team on any aspect of the wedding throughout your planning journey, whether by phone, email or face-to-face on visits to Homme. We schedule a final planning meeting 2-3 months prior to your wedding to discuss all the plans in detail and ensure that everything will run smoothly on the day. This service is included in the venue hire.
Our family is on hand throughout the wedding to ensure everything runs smoothly, and are always available behind the scenes to help with requests that may arise. Our role includes greeting and supporting all suppliers, helping resident guests with check-in, supporting your personal team of helpers, coordinating the (civil) ceremony, and moving furniture, equipment and decor as required through the day. This service is included in the venue hire.
We feel strongly that your wedding should be a private gathering in a space that is yours, so recommend electing someone from your wedding party to act as a Master or Mistress of Ceremonies. He or she would make the key announcements during the day such as the wedding breakfast, cake cutting and first dance.
Every wedding we host is different, but some example timings for a civil wedding at Homme House:
Guest arrival – 1pm (30 mins prior to the ceremony)
Ceremony – 1:30 – 2pm (approx. 30 mins for a civil ceremony with readings & confetti)
Reception – 2 – 3:45pm (1.5-2hrs for a drinks reception)
Meal – 4pm – 6:30pm – (15 mins for seating guests, approx. 2.5hrs for 3 courses & speeches)
Evening guests – 7pm (invited to arrive 30 mins after the expected end of the meal)
Cake Cutting & First Dance – 7:45pm
Bar closes – 11:30pm
Music finishes – 11:45pm
Non-resident guests depart – 12am
You are welcome to arrive at Homme House the day before your wedding to get everything ready – from 9.30am Friday for a weekend wedding, from 3pm the day before for a midweek wedding. We ask that no drop offs or deliveries are organised before this time.
It is a good idea to map out the necessary tasks prior to your arrival and to assign responsibility for each of them to make the most of the available help. Consider whether van hire is a sensible idea to be able to bring everything over to Homme in one go. Consider bringing decorations and equipment in labelled boxes along with any tools you might need.
Departure time on the day following your wedding is 12:30pm (check out from accommodation is by 12pm) so there is plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and packing up. We are happy to deal with recyclable waste, but ask that any disposable decorations and their packaging are removed. Ensure that you have planned sufficient vehicle space on the morning after the wedding to load up decorations, and leftover food and drink.
Pricing & Booking
The venue fee includes exclusive hire of the reception spaces, use of the Main Suite for morning preparations, and the use of the surrounding gardens across the period of your wedding. The venue fee also includes wedding planning resources, coordination support and advice from the Homme House family team.
The venue fee does not include fees for any accommodation or furniture/equipment hire required, any fees for the church or registrar, or any other third party supplier costs, including catering or marquee hire (if required).
All pricing includes VAT at the current rate.
25% of the venue fee is payable as a Booking Fee to secure a date. We are happy to reserve a date for two weeks without a deposit while you contact your church or the Herefordshire Register Office to confirm their availability for the date and time of your choosing.
We share a Booking Form and Booking Terms for you to review and sign as part of the booking process. Our Booking Terms include details of our cancellation policy, and are available on request.
We ask for a payment of 25% of the venue hire as a Booking Fee to secure your wedding date. Further 25% payments are due 12 months and 6 months prior to the wedding, with the 25% balance due 2 months prior to the date.
Fees for any accommodation, furniture and other equipment supplied by Homme House is payable 3 weeks prior to your wedding.
Homme House accepts payment by bank transfer or cheque. Homme House does not accept payment by credit card.
The bar at Homme House accepts cash and card payments.
We do offer a lower venue hire rate on midweek (Tuesday or Wednesday) dates, with a ‘midweekend’ hire period from 3pm the day before until 12:30pm the day after the wedding. Our midweek wedding offering is designed with sustainability in mind and is therefore limited to a maximum of 60 guests, with a preferred partner, The Ledbury Flower Farmer, for any floral arrangements, and the choice of three caterers specifically selected for their sustainability credentials.
I’m afraid we do not offer ‘off season’ discounts – our venue fee remains the same in each month of a calendar year, with our hosting period for weddings limited to the period from the beginning of April until the end of October.
There are no minimum guest numbers or minimum spend requirements for Homme House itself. However it is common for other, external suppliers such as caterers to have a minimum number of guests or spend, so it is important to check with each individual supplier you consider for your wedding.
Ceremonies
St. Bartholomew’s Church on the edge of the Homme House Estate and the Parish of Yatton & All Saints Church are both nearby. To book either church for your marriage service you will need to contact the Rev. Val Tait: valtait@live.co.uk
The Ledbury Group Ministry are very happy to marry couples not resident in the area at any of the local Cider Benefice churches – St. Bartholomew’s, All Saints, Little Marcle, Aylton, Putley, Pixley and Wellington Heath. Monthly service attendance for a continuous period of six months is necessary during the planning of the wedding to establish a qualifying connection.
A civil ceremony at Homme House can be booked via the Herefordshire Register Office team. There is a ceremony booking page and online booking system available on the council website, along with lots of useful information relating to a civil ceremony.
Limewashed chivari chairs are offered for hire from Homme House on a per person price basis at the price stated in the summary of charges. Other furniture styles can be hired from an external supplier if they better suit your requirements. We supply antique wooden furniture for the ceremonial signing.
Wooden slatted folding chairs and/or bench seating is available to hire from Homme House at the price stated in the summary of charges. Other furniture styles can be hired from an external supplier if they better suit your requirements. We supply antique wooden furniture for the ceremonial signing.
If the weather forecast is too poor or unpredictable to hold the ceremony outside there are indoor ceremony options available at Homme House which can be used instead. Our Panelled Room is licensed for up to 80 including the wedding couple, and our Dining Room is licensed for up to 110 including the wedding couple.
If the weather forecast is unclear on the morning of the wedding we will set up both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces so that the location decision can be made closer to the ceremony time.
It’s important to note that ceremonies cannot go ahead outside if there is a significant chance of rain, and that the Registrars will have the final decision on the ceremony location in the event of an unclear weather forecast.
We recommend that ceremonies take place on the Main Lawn or on the Summerhouse Lawn in the Walled Garden. Both these areas have flat ground with short mown grass ideal for ceremony furniture set ups, are accessible to guests with limited mobility and are close to loo facilities and a power supply. Other beautiful areas of the grounds such as the woodland are possible but due consideration must be given to logistics, guests and Registrars, often making them most suitable for intimate ceremonies with small guest numbers.
It is possible to have a non-legal wedding ceremony at Homme House, which can either be led by a professional celebrant or by a friend/family member. In this case the legal ceremony will need to have taken place beforehand, either at Homme or in a different location such as a Register Office on a day building up to the Homme ceremony. Note that the Registrars must have left Homme House before the non-legal, celebrant-led element of a ceremony can begin.
If you are having a civil ceremony at Homme House we would be very happy to lead a short rehearsal the day before your wedding.
If you are getting married in church, a rehearsal for your service will be organised with your vicar. You should allow about an hour for a church rehearsal.
Consider scheduling any rehearsal for late afternoon and using it as a deadline for the completion of preparations, so that you can enjoy a relaxed evening with family and friends afterwards. It’s ideal if the key people are in attendance so that they know what will happen on the day.
The length of your ceremony will depend on the number of readings and/or music you choose. A church marriage service is usually 45 minutes to 1 hour. A civil ceremony is usually 20-30 minutes.
Drinks
We do not charge any form of corkage or drinks fee at Homme House.
You are welcome to supply your own drinks for a free bar all day. Delivery direct to Homme can be arranged for the day before the wedding and we can chill them for you in our drinks fridges. Drinks service staff and appropriate glassware will need to be arranged, either via your chosen caterer or an external event staffing company.
We offer the option of a pay bar at Homme House via a designated supplier, whose contact details are included in our wedding planning resources. A Booking Fee is charged to cover staffing and glassware, and Herefordshire pub prices are charged for drinks. The bar operates on a cash and card basis, with a minimum spend calculated on a per guest basis. Our licence allows the bar to open from 1pm, with last orders at 11:20pm for a 11:30pm closure. The pay bar is available for the whole day and evening, or for just the evening only. We have a no shots policy for the bar.
Dining
For a weekend wedding at Homme, you have complete freedom to choose any caterer for your wedding day – either one from our recommended supplier directory, or another of your own choosing. If the chosen caterer has not worked at Homme House before we ask that they arrange a site visit before your wedding. When comparing and choosing caterers remember to confirm whether their prices include provision of the required service and clearance of food and drink, crockery, glassware and linen that will be required in addition to the food itself.
For a midweek wedding at Homme we offer a choice of 3 preferred sustainability-focused caterers.
Homme House does not provide table linen, tableware or glassware for the wedding reception or wedding meal. These items can either be hired via your chosen catering team, or via a third party catering hire company.
Several different table layouts are possible for the wedding breakfast in the Homme House Dining Room depending on your guest numbers, including:
– banqueting style, seating up to 60
– a traditional curved top table and 6 oval tables, seating up to 70, and
– 8 oval tables, seating up to 80
We would love to work with you on a bespoke layout perfect for your numbers and requirements, with options including a sweetheart table, horseshoe or petal structure.
Limewashed chivari chairs and high chairs are offered for hire from Homme House at the per person price stated in the summary of charges. This price also includes table hire with a choice of trestle tables or oval tables. Other furniture styles can be hired from an external supplier if they better suit your requirements.
Buffet-style service can work for small weddings (under 40 guests), and for evening food selections. Buffet service does not work well for larger wedding breakfasts at Homme due to the size of the reception spaces, slow speed of service, large delay between the service of the first and last tables, and disruptive nature of this approach for a large number of guests. We strongly recommend that the main meal on the wedding day should be served by professional staff, either as a more formal individually plated meal or relaxed sharing-platter style.
If your wedding will be between 80 and 110 (civil wedding)/120 (church wedding) you would be welcome to hire a marquee structure for dining under cover on the Main Lawn. This hire would be via an external supplier at an additional cost.
Recommended marquee suppliers are included in our wedding planning resources, although there is no obligation to use any of the companies on this list. If your chosen supplier has not worked at Homme House before they will need to arrange a site visit. They will also need to liaise with your chosen caterer on set up timings and power supply. Marquees are possible from mid April to mid October.
Music & Entertainment
Dancing is possible in either the Panelled Room or the Dining Room.
For a wedding with dining in the house the Panelled Room is the most popular choice for evening dancing because the musicians can set up during the meal. The Dining Room is used for music & dancing for a marquee wedding, and can be set up while guests are dining in the marquee.
A dance floor is not required for dancing in the Panelled Room. The hire of a dance floor is required for dancing in the Dining Room. This is usually hired through the marquee supplier and can be 15ft x 15ft, 15ft x 18ft or 15ft x 21ft.
Reception music in the garden is acceptable under Planning Regulations as long as it is fully unamplified (no electrical/battery power involved – not just ‘acoustic’ as defined by some musicians, which is often still amplified). Music and dancing in the evening must take place inside the house and end by 11:45pm.
Homme House does not have a sound limiter. We ask that music is kept to a reasonable noise level so that guests in other spaces can enjoy chatting and be heard when ordering at the bar.
For the consideration of our neighbours and livestock on the Estate and nearby we do not allow fireworks or Chinese lanterns at Homme House. You are welcome to use sparklers outside, which should be disposed of in the sand buckets provided after use.
Decor & Styling
You are very welcome to decorate the spaces at Homme; we just ask for consideration to look after the fabric of the building and are always on hand to help if a ladder is required. Bunting and fairy lights can be erected in both the Panelled Room and the Dining Room from existing attachment points around the edge of each room. Please note that any non-recyclable decorations must be removed after your wedding.
You are welcome to use candles in the Dining Room and in the garden providing they are safely contained within heatproof containers or candelabra clear of any surrounding floristry arrangements. Artificial candles can be used in other areas of the house.
Candles on tables are lit in preparation for the wedding breakfast, and extinguished at the end of the meal when the guests leave the dining space.
We have the following available to borrow free of charge: PA system & microphones, a silver 16” round cake stand and silver cake knife, easels for signage display, wicker baskets for confetti/cards, mismatched glass vases for floral arrangements and bouquets, galvanised drinks containers, and a selection of traditional garden games.
We are very happy with confetti inside and outside provided it is natural, undyed petal confetti. I’m afraid we can’t permit the use of non-biodegradable confetti, paper confetti or confetti cannons.
Suppliers
We have a designated, preferred supplier for the provision of a pay bar, and offer a choice of 3 preferred sustainability-focused caterers for our midweek weddings. For all other services we offer complete freedom of choice, providing you with a recommended supplier directory to help with the selection process. These suppliers do not pay us commission – they are included based on our personal experience and feedback from past Homme couples – and there is no obligation to use them if you have other suppliers in mind.
You must ensure that every supplier has sufficient public liability insurance cover. All supplier generated waste must be removed from Homme House. Suppliers must ensure that their set up timings and collection timings fall within the wedding hire period (see below).
Suppliers are welcome to arrive at Homme House for setting up the day before the wedding (from 9.30am Friday for a weekend wedding, from 3pm the day before for a midweek wedding).
Suppliers making collections on the day after the wedding must do so before the hire period ends at 12.30pm, apart from catering hire equipment, which can be collected from the catering marquee on the Monday after a weekend wedding.
Absolutely. It’s a good idea to suggest a pre-wedding visit to Homme for any suppliers who have not been to Homme House before so that they can make optimum use of the space and time on your wedding day. Just contact us in advance to arrange a suitable time.
Getting Here
Google Maps: use ‘Homme House’
Other mapping/satnav: use ‘St. Bartholomew’s Church, Much Marcle’
What3Words: use ‘candle.precluded.unravel’
The public entrance gates for the Homme House Estate are directly adjacent to the churchyard of St. Bartholomew’s church in the centre of Much Marcle. A private drive leads through our parkland and past lakes before a left turn leads up to the car park and house.
Homme House has a car park with space for around 60 cars adjacent to the house, with a drop off area immediately outside the house itself. Guests are welcome to leave their cars overnight for collection the following day.
There is a mainline train connection from Birmingham and London to Ledbury, only 6 miles from Homme House. The 232 bus runs directly from Ledbury to the village of Much Marcle every 2 hours. It is a 20 minute walk from the bus stop to Homme House.
We supply a list of local taxi providers on our website. Pre-booking taxis is important as high local demand can otherwise leave guests stranded.
Minibus or coach hire can be an excellent, cost effective option for coordinating guest transport in the local area, either to/from church or at the end of the wedding day to a local accommodation hub (Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Malvern or Hereford). A 32 seater coach is the largest vehicle which will navigate the narrowest gateway on our driveway.
Guests
High speed fibre broadband is available in both the Main House and Coach House.
Homme House has a ramp for wheelchair access to the main reception rooms, and a separate wheelchair friendly toilet with rails and tap extensions available as required.
Unfortunately due to the historic nature of the house we do not have a lift for access to the first and second floor accommodation in either the Main House or the Coach House.
Further details about Homme House’s accessibility can be found in our Access Statement.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted inside any of the buildings at Homme House. Urns are provided in the main garden and under the portico outside the front door for smokers and vapers.
Absolutely. If you want to invite children for some of your wedding day only you would be welcome to arrange a professional creche/child minding environment in the Coach House or Main House for them (freeing both children and parents to relax and enjoy themselves for the rest of the day!). A recommended professional supplier is included in our directory.
Please note that ‘babes in arms’ are not included in guest numbers, but babies in high chairs and older children are included in the guest numbers towards our capacity for the elements of the wedding they attend.
There are hazards at Homme including open water in the garden and open fires including fire bowls, so it is important that children are supervised at all times.
Due to the presence of other animals and livestock on the Estate we are not able to accommodate pets belonging to guests (other than assistance dogs). A pet belonging to the couple may attend the ceremony and/or reception, if looked after by a dedicated handler who is not a wedding guest and access is limited to the main gardens and ground floor reception rooms of the Main House only. Pets are not permitted to stay beyond the end of the daytime reception, or overnight.
Accommodation
Homme House has accommodation for up to 34 people, as follows:
The Main House (sleeps 18-20) offers a stunning Main Suite and 8 other double, twin or family bedrooms accommodating up to 20 in total.
Our Coach House (sleeps 8-12) offers 4 ensuite double/twin bedrooms and 2 double sofa beds in a separate house with its own kitchen, living room and courtyard garden.
Our Summerhouse (sleeps 2) is available May-September, offers 1 double bedroom with a separate dedicated bathroom building.
The accommodation at Homme House is not included in the venue fee and is charged on a per person per night basis. The accommodation is reserved for your exclusive use but there is no obligation to use it, and is available both the night before and the night of the wedding.
The Main Suite is not included in the venue fee and is charged at the same rate as the other guest bedrooms on the per person per night basis. It is available for morning preparations whether or not you choose to use it as accommodation on the night before or the wedding night.
The Main Suite has a bedroom with four poster bed and en suite bathroom as well as its own private Drawing Room, with tea & coffee making facilities and fridge to chill food and drink to enjoy while getting ready.
A continental breakfast is provided on the morning of the wedding for all overnight guests. This is a self-help breakfast from the guest kitchens in the Main House and Coach House. The option of a cooked or continental breakfast is available on the morning following the wedding (a cooked breakfast incurs an additional per person charge – see below). This is served in the Main House Dining Room for all overnight guests to enjoy together.
A continental breakfast is included in our accommodation pricing and is available on the wedding morning, and on the morning after the wedding. A full English breakfast is offered at an additional cost on the morning after the wedding only. You just need to let us know how many guests would like a continental or full english breakfast three weeks before the wedding, along with any specific dietary requirements.
Guest rooms in the Main House are available from 9.30am on the check in day. Guest rooms in the Coach House are available no later than 3pm on the check in day. Check out from bedrooms is by 12pm on the day of departure.
There are guest kitchens in both the Main House and the Coach House, which we keep stocked with tea and coffee making supplies. Each also has an iron, ironing board and hairdryer for guests’ use. Bedding, towels and toiletries are provided.
The Library is a beautiful space in which resident guests are welcome to relax and enjoy themselves after the wedding.
There is plenty of local accommodation, including B&Bs and a campsite in Much Marcle village itself. Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye are the closest towns for a wider range of accommodation, with a Premier Inn only 7 miles from Homme House. We provide a list of local accommodation providers on our website. Accommodation does get booked up quickly so we advise guests to make reservations early.
