FAQ's
- THE WEDDING SERVICE
How do weddings work at the fort?
We hire the Fort to yourselves to have on your own for either a mid-week booking Monday - Friday or a weekend booking, Friday - Monday. It is rather like hiring a country cottage but on a much larger scale.
You arrive from 3.00 p.m on the Monday or Friday and the Fort is yours exclusively throughout your stay.
Most couples have the wedding ceremony, reception and evening party all in the main hall. However with large weddings some couples have opted to have a marquee, or have used the first large bedroom as a marriage ceremony room, a bar, or a lounge area. We are very flexible with the way the Fort is used.
We have a great team at the Fort to help and advise you with suppliers, additional accommodation and help during the day of your wedding. You can have as much or as little help from us as you choose.
The Fort sleeps 20 people comfortably in top of the range Vi-Spring beds with double sprung mattresses, and there are 10 additional foam mattresses, which we leave for your use during your stay. There is plenty of additional accommodation in the area and we can provide you with all the details, or please visit our accommodation contacts page HERE.
A guide to your wedding at the Fort is as follows:
Day 1 Monday or Friday
Arrive at from 3.00 p.m.
James will show you in and how to work the lights, heating etc at the fort and read the meters. He will then leave you and your family and friends to settle in. Most parties then start to decorate the Fort and get ready for their wedding day, depending on if the wedding is the next day or not.
Day 2 or Wedding Day
A lot of couples now ask for James to come and help arrange furniture etc throughout the day, but some couples have a lot of willing hands already.
Caterers arrive in preparation for your wedding reception.
Wedding Guests arrive - possibly drinks on the top of the fort or on the lawns
Registrar arrives to conduct formal interviews about half an hour before the wedding ceremony. James or Ruth arrives as the responsible representative on behalf of the Fort.
Wedding Ceremony takes place
Wedding Photos are taken and drinks out on the lawn (whilst this is happening the ceremony seating is re-arranged to the wedding reception seating or buffet)
Wedding reception takes place - this can be anything from a sit down formal meal with a full silver service, a buffet - or even an evening fish and chip supper and an ice cream van arriving!
7.00 – 9.00 pm
Evening entertainment arrives and the party starts!!
Disco's etc can play to 12.30 am, but live bands must finish by 11.00 p.m.
1.00 am: most guests have left, but those staying at the Fort and any other guests are quite welcome to chill out and listen to low level music on our cd player.
Day 3
Why not think about hiring our Yacht "Polhawn Whisper" and have a day of relaxing sailing in the beautiful waters around the Fort and Plymouth Sound. You can learn more about "polhawn Whisper" HERE
Have a barbeque and relax with friends and family in our beautiful gardens.
Day 4 or day of leaving
Unfortunately this is the time you have to pack up and leave the Fort by 10.00 a.m. and our cleaners arrive to clean the Fort.
This is just a guide. The whole idea of the Fort is to arrange your wedding just the way you both want it.
When is the best time of year to get married?
Any time of year really!!
A winter wedding – imagine the crashing waves and howling winds, then imagine getting married in front of our large real log fire, decorated with holly and ivy and some fairy lights in between.
As everything can happen inside the Fort, then bad weather is not a problem at the Fort. We also experience some really lovely clear crisp sunny days during January and February. So winter is an ideal time to get married at the fort. Also worth considering is how much lower the rates are out of high season.
A spring wedding – This is a beautiful time of year at the fort, our gardens are full of beautiful wild flowers fitting in with the area of natural outstanding beauty. Still cool enough to make use of the real log fire, but if your lucky warm enough to enjoy a barbeque on the lawns.
A Summer wedding – Just imagine sitting out on our lawns during the long hot summer day sipping Pimms or champagne and looking out over the 3 miles of golden bay. Or maybe strolling down to the private beach and dipping your toes in the clear blue water. Why not consider a summer mid-week and experience the fort and its surroundings for longer. Then maybe take advantage of our beautiful yacht Polhawn Whisper and take a sail around the surrounding rivers and Plymouth Sound.
An autumn wedding – With the leaves all changing colour the area around the fort takes on a real autumn feel. But well into October 2006 we were still walking round in t-shirts so still quite warm. Still plenty of light to be able to get those stunning photographs outside on the lawns and beach.
What do we do about catering?
Please see FAQ's Catering
Can we get married outside on the lawns or beach?
At present it is not possible to actually have the legal ceremony outside on the lawns or the beach. But it is possible to have an alternative ceremony such as a Humanist Ceremony or a blessing on the beach or contact Kristin Arundle on 01752 823051
Can we have a religious ceremony at the Fort?
Yes this is possible; however it cannot take place whilst the registrar is present at the fort.
Can we get married at any time?
Generally the registrar service prefers weddings to take place during daylight hours. However if you have a special reason to get married at a different time, then it is worth speaking to the Registrar Service to see if they can accommodate your request.
Who performs the marriage service?
The local registrar from our Saltash registry office performs the legal ceremony. The come to the fort the evening before the wedding for a short interview with the bride and groom. They then arrive around ½ hour before the wedding service is due to start on the day of the wedding. The ceremony is an enhanced ceremony which enables the couple to develop and design their ceremony to suit their own personal needs.
The cost of the ceremony is as follows:
Fees from 1st May 2007 to 31st March 2008
Legal Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership
Entry of Notice |
|
£30.00 per person |
This needs to be place at your local registry office
Distinctive Cornish Marriage/Civil Partnership
Monday to Thursday |
|
£313.50 |
Friday and Saturday |
|
£328.50 |
Sunday or Bank Holiday |
|
£363.50 |
What sort of music and readings can we have at the service?
The only music or readings which are not allowed during the legal ceremony is religious music or readings. A lot of people have special words or readings put into the ceremony. It is necessary to discuss this with the registrars themselves who are very helpful and full of ideas.
When do people usually get married on the weekend/mid-week?
Either is possible. The benefit of a mid-week wedding is that you have an extra day to prepare for the wedding when you arrive at the fort and it is also cheaper than a weekend wedding, so if you are working on a budget an out of season mid-week wedding would be something to consider. It is always advisable to have a least one day to stay at the fort after the wedding ceremony, so get married on a Saturday, chill on the Sunday leave on the Monday or get married on the Wednesday, chill on the Thursday and leave on the Friday.
|
