This venerable hotel in Blandford Forum, North Dorset is now a lovely wedding venue where you can host your entire occasion. It is situated in Blackmore Vale in the Stour Valley, designated as an AONB and immortalised by Thomas Hardy as an area of quintessential English beauty. The hotel impressively looks out to the West over the River Stour's luxuriant watermeadows and simultaneously commands excellent views in the other direction of the picturesque Georgian market town of Blandford Forum.
The Crown Hotel is reputed to be the oldest-established inn in Dorset, but has recently been lovingly refurbished to be able to accommodate weddings with up to 150 guests. It has a private function room with its own bar, and there is plenty of room for a marquee erected in the spacious grounds. The Crown Hotel is proud of its gorgeous cuisine; with a Head Chef experienced in Michelin-star cooking, you and your guests can be quite certain that the wedding breakfast will be nothing short of spectacular.
The site has housed an inn from at least the 15th century, and the current building has existed since the 1700s. A very popular coaching inn, it is halfway between Exeter and London, helping to establish Blandford Forum as the thriving Georgian regional market. The Crown Hotel was completely renovated in 2008, although it still boasts classic panelled walls and oak flooring.
Standard packages at The Crown Hotel will include a welcome drink, post-ceremony canapés, a delicious wedding breakfast and for the newlyweds, a night in their renovated bridal suite.
The Sealy Suite is separated from the hotel and boasts a bar, toilets and its own kitchen. It has an enclosed garden which is safe for children and has enough space to put up a marquee.
Civil Ceremony Capacity - 150 Guests
Formal Reception Capacity - 150 Guests
This is ideal for private dining and intimate wedding breakfasts.
The head chef is experienced in Michelin cuisine and five-star hotels. He and his team choose a great deal of locally-sourced produce to create their delicious traditional wedding breakfasts.
The Crown Hotel offers 32 ensuite bedrooms, one of which has disabled access. All rooms provide a TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, a trouser-press and complimentary WiFi. Their Bridal Suite has a luxury double bed, a rolltop bath and a 32-inch TV.
To contact this venue, simply use the details listed below.
AddressThe calm, experienced approach of the wedding coordinator was particularly appreciated before the ceremony, when the nerves began to set in!
Thank you to Francesca and the rest of the lovely staff at the Crown Hotel for making our wedding day so perfect. We had the most amazing day and couldn't fault a thing. Everything ran so smoothly and the hotel and rooms have been a delight to stay in!
From the moment we started planning our wedding at the Crown Francesca and Robert and the team have been amazing. We felt very looked after and special. The day itself was run very well it was smooth with no fuss. The food was excellent all our guests enjoyed the day and evening. Also our guests that stayed over loved their rooms too