South Lodge Hotel, Lower Beeding

...near East Grinstead)
* South Lodge Hotel and Camellia Restaurant (in Lower Beeding close to Horsham).

All 3 venues were chosen due to my sister living in Northern Ireland, originally from Surrey where I live but wanting to be married within close proximity of her roots.

I will keep my comments brief regarding Alexander House and Ashdown Park as my review centers on South Lodge.

I didnt visit Alexander ...
...really of this occasion were South Lodge Hotel and Ashdown Park but overall South Lodge is the winner.

They provide the services of their very own wedding co-ordinator with the option of ceremonies and formal receptions being available for up to 130 guests increasing up to 200 people for an informal evening event.

We were most impressed with their level of service, as soon as we arrived, we were ushered to the nearest ... more

My sister is due to be married within 2 years and I am to be the bridesmaid so we found fit to start looking for wedding venues, seeing as many are being booked up years in advance.

We had a short list initially of about 5 and I left it to my sister to whittle it down to about 3. Being the following:

• Alexander House and Utopia Spa (Near Turners Hill area but within close proximity to Gatwick)
• Ashdown Park Hotel and County Club (Near Forest Row near East Grinstead)
• South Lodge Hotel and Camellia Restaurant (in Lower Beeding close to Horsham).

All 3 venues were chosen due to my sister living in Northern Ireland, originally from Surrey where I live but wanting to be married within close proximity of her roots.

I will keep my comments brief regarding Alexander House and Ashdown Park as my review centers on South Lodge.

I didnt visit Alexander House but I was advised that the ceremony room looked like a library without the books but other than that it was a lovely venue with modern bedrooms and set in a lovely setting.Ashdown Park was set on an excellent position on a slope overlooking a recently developed lake. There was a choice of 2 rooms to use seeing as the wedding will be of approximately 60 guests. The smaller of the rooms was less spacious but overall decent. However the preferred option was to be married in their chappel whereby everything you require would be self contained. You would have benefit of the following:

• Ceremony Room
• Reception or the Wedding Breakfast
• Disco dance floor (of course a must)!!
• Bar (again another must)!!

This would be for the sole use of your wedding only and would be inside your very own chappel with stained glass windows.The main two runners really of this occasion were South Lodge Hotel and Ashdown Park but overall South Lodge is the winner.

They provide the services of their very own wedding co-ordinator with the option of ceremonies and formal receptions being available for up to 130 guests increasing up to 200 people for an informal evening event.

We were most impressed with their level of service, as soon as we arrived, we were ushered to the nearest chairs to wait for the wedding co-ordinator by the doorman who took a drink order (tea and biscuits which was delicious). The manager came over to introduce himself.

They have 7 furnished suites all fully licensed for marriage ceremonies as well as commitment ceremonies now being made available. Sizes of these suites vary from holding a maximum of 30 to a maximum of 130 all have daylight coming in and aircondition. Apart from these 7 suites there are a further 5 suites for conventional meetings.

They offer:

• Menu tasting two months before the wedding.
• Use of their red carpet.
• Use of the ring cushion.
• Table stationary.
• Silver cake stand and knife.
• Dance Floor.
• Accommodation invitations.
• Professional Toastmaster.

As well as offering advice and recommendations for

• Flowers
• Photography
• Transport (they can offer the use of their helicopter pad)
• Entertainment
• Cakes
• Health & Beauty
• Sporting Activites

They have an entertainment licence that lasts until midnight.

The South Lodge currently has 42 rooms all with their own unique character from standard rooms, to junior suites up to the master suites. They are currently expanding the hotel due for completion in September by adding more bedrooms and also adding another kitchen.

By September they will have 85 bedrooms with preferentional rates available to those booking a wedding and also the option to chose your own suite. Access to rooms is available from 3pm and check out is at 11am.

Room rates are currently approximately £160 for a standard room.

South Lodge has the seclusion and privacy of a country house (it dosent have any spa facilities but when asked at the weekend, they dont have any plans to introduce this).

Their resaurant is called the Camellia Restaurant which is graded as 3 rosettes (the Ashdown Park Hotel only has 2 rosettes). They serve after the wedding a wedding breakfast of 4 courses with options to add extra in (at a cost of course).

The evening you can have served a buffet with a choice of 6 items usually with options to add more if required.

We viewed a selection of their rooms and found that they are quite modern, in fact we were able to see on of the new rooms in the new extension. They had a shower with steam room enclosed. TV screen infront of the bath. Very modern and lovely I would think to stay in.

They do provide a lists of alternative hotel accomodation nearby for those guests not able to afford to stay at South Lodge.

Please take note when looking to book weddings, to look at the prices from one year to the next, as this wedding wont be taking place till 2010 and we only have prices for up to 2009, you will need to allow for inflation. You might actually be able to get the hotel to honour the 2009 prices for 2010 but not in all aspects (ie the food and drink).

Some hotels offer a package price, ie you pay per head and on each package, certain items or certain criteria are included. Take note if you are thinking of South Lodge, they dont offer a package but we have had a quote through and there isnt really a price difference to the package offer at Ashdown Park.

Also take note of the payments that are to be made once you confirm the venue, some ask for 10% upfront, or 25% and then 50% 6 months prior and the full remaining balance 1 month prior.

I would also suggest for anyone booking a wedding to take out wedding insurace just in case...

For those of you who have got to the end of my review, I hope you have enjoyed it and if you can think of anything to improve it, let me know. 

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