Easton Grange
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of visiting Easton Grange, a dog friendly wedding venue in Suffolk that impressed me a great deal. Admittedly it was a beautiful sunny March morning when I visited but it was pretty clear that the team behind this venue pay attention to the little details that couples no doubt appreciate.
Weddings At Easton Grange
Easton Grange was previously a working farm, known as Low Farm. Renovation and restoration took place and in 2012 Easton Grange opened as a wedding venue. The existing farm buildings were restored and some additional buildings were added, keeping with the rustic barn aesthetic, that makes it a warm and inviting space for special celebrations.
On arrival the black gates automatically open and the venue can be seen straight ahead in the distance along the gravel driveway. There is plenty of parking for guests which is again on gravel so no worries about getting muddy shoes when walking from your car to the venue. There is a wonderful flow to the venue and the versatile space includes:
Dressing Suite
Adjacent to the foyer is the private Dressing area. Complete with large mirrors ideal for the hair and make-up team, there is also has an ensuite complete with rainfall shower. The room also contains a coffee machine and an assortment of refreshments are also available. When the time comes for the wedding ceremony to start the bridal party can enter the Ceremony Barn via the connecting door from the foyer.
There are alternative spaces to get ready and relax before the ceremony begins, including the Bakehouse which I will mention when it’s time to discuss the accommodation options at Easton Grange.
Ceremony Barn
The Ceremony Barn is a large space with high ceilings and large windows which help flood the space with natural light. With beautiful wooden floors, white walls and light coloured wooden beams, the space is the perfect blank canvas that can be decorated to suit. The image below gives a good sense of the space but on an actual wedding day, chairs can be decorated, flowers incorporated and soft fabrics can drape from the wooden beams.
In terms of capacity the Ceremony Barn can seat up to 200 guests which is much more than many wedding venues I’ve visited. That’s not to say that Easton Grange isn’t suitable for smaller weddings. Indeed, their packages are priced for a minimum of 50 guests with additional price per person fees for larger weddings. The space can be arranged to work well for these smaller weddings too.
In good weather couples can also decide to have their ceremony in the outside grounds, there is a dedicated amphitheatre, and the space is suitable for up to 150 guests.
Piano Bar
After the wedding ceremony itself but before the wedding breakfast, guests can either enjoy the outdoor spaces if the weather is fine or they can mingle in an area known as The Piano Bar. Often couples will book a pianist to play for guests at this time but Easton Grange also has many other recommended suppliers who can play other instruments during this part of your wedding day.
The bar itself is very well stocked with a good choice of both alcoholic and soft drinks.
Celebration Barn
The wedding breakfast takes place in the Celebration Barn which can comfortably seat 170 guests. Catering is by the in-house Snooty Goose team who can offer a wide choice of options and also cater for various food preferences and allergies. After the wedding breakfast, it’s time for the evening entertainment, whether couples decide to book a DJ, live band or both. Couples can invite additional guests just for the evening celebrations knowing the space is more than large enough for larger group sizes.
Accommodation
There is plenty of overnight accommodation at Easton Grange and unlike some venues, all of it is dog friendly.
- The Bakehouse Cottage I mentioned this earlier as another dressing room location. It is as a self-contained cottage for the bridal couple. Downstairs there is a cosy sitting room with original bakers oven, whilst the bedroom, featuring characterful beams and ensuite shower is upstairs.
- The Farmhouse is a restored 16th century Suffolk longhouse, featuring a lounge, large dining area and 7 double en-suite bedrooms for your guests.
- Luxury Lodges. A more recent addition adjacent to Easton Grange is The Farmstead, these luxury lodges can accommodate a total of up to another 24 guests. Some lodges are one bedroom, some are two bedrooms but all feature a kitchen and log burner and again all are dog friendly!
Easton Grange Grounds
The grounds at Easton Grange are very well looked after and provide a number of interesting backdrops and features that a wedding photographer will no doubt use. One challenge that photographers often face is the group shot, trying to make sure every person is visible in the final image. Often they will look for an elevated viewpoint like an upper window to take such a photo. Here at Easton Grange though there is a stepped feature where you can organise large groups for a perfect photo.
Another feature I could not help but notice was the little bridge that spans the River Deben which you can see in the main image at the top of this article. This is sure to be a feature the wedding photographer will want to use to capture some images of the couple. I’d imagine sunsets at Easton Grange could also be pretty spectacular which again will add to the final set of images from such a special day.
Easton Grange Reviews
In looking at reviews for Easton Grange, the venue seems to score highly across many different platforms including Google and a number of wedding websites. Many of the reviews touched on the same points, whether that was the food served, the helpfulness of the staff on the day or how special a setting the venue was for a wedding, both inside and the grounds.
On my brief visit I was struck by how clean and well maintained the venue was. Being such a rural setting I also couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was (I’d imagine anyone staying overnight would appreciate how peaceful the area is). Could Easton Grange be your perfect wedding venue? Well if you are looking at venues in this part of the country I’d certainly put it on your shortlist for a possible viewing. Every couple has their own wants and needs from their wedding venue but I can imagine Easton Grange would tick the boxes for most people, especially those looking for a dog friendly wedding venue. The fact dogs can stay overnight in the bedrooms will be appreciated by many couples. Where venues have dog friendly bedrooms, couples typically request a custom quote from me that involves my presence at the venue from about 10am until 11pm at which time a family member will take over the dog care for the night. Such a custom quote falls between my Silver and Gold packages.
If you would like to find out more about Easton Grange I’d suggest you visit their website which contains a great deal of information as well as lots of photos. The link to their website is below:
