Call me on 07801 328639 and let me help you find the pieces your wedding's missing
Stories from Your Wedding Friend - The Wedding Planner's Blog
page top anchor Website navigation menuMenu
Multiple images of the Sharnbrook Hotel from the outside and of the ceremony room, bar and reception venue

Wedding Venue View: The Sharnbrook Hotel, Bedfordshire

Nestled in the Bedfordshire countryside is this simply elegant modern purpose-built wedding venue; The Sharnbrook Hotel has more to boast about than just their gorgeous grounds for those all important wedding photographs, it has so much more. How much more? You'll need to read on…

Point of order on the location of this fab wedding venue, although their website states they're 'not far from the M1', I'd dispute that. Google it, it's really not that close to the M1, fortunately though it IS just off the A6, a stones throw away from Bedford and on fully accessible main roads (ie not up tiny country lanes) so in terms of convenient access, yes it's really quite convenient, for an out-of-town location and a countryside setting. So, don't let distance from a motorway put you off!

The Sharnbrook was built in the 1980's and has been a popular venue pretty much ever since. The developers really thought through room layout and flexibility, which is available in style here. The Sharnbrook hosts weddings in the Amalfi Suite, with its own large bar, seating area and patio and is surrounded by gorgeous grounds. You're all on one level here so accessibility shouldn't be an issue and parking is plentiful.

The suite can be divided up so that you can have your wedding reception and civil ceremony rooms all laid out, and closed off from guests until you're ready for the big reveal, but likewise you can also open it all out to reveal one large reception room with capacity for up to 290 guests at a seated wedding breakfast. The right-hand end of the suite is most often used for the fully licensed wedding ceremony and is a modern comfortable room with traditional banqueting chairs. A red carpet can be provided, and a modern sound system is installed for your convenience to plug and play.

There is ample space for your wedding guests to relax pre-ceremony or for a post-ceremony drinks reception. The rest of the suite has a great stage area for your band or DJ and views out to the grounds. It's a blank canvas of a space but so easy to dress up with drapes (ceiling and walls) or LOVE letters, etc. Any colour scheme will work in The Sharnbrook, and any style, rustic through to classic elegant. They work with a range of suppliers to make your wedding dreams a reality but you're only tied-in to the bar and catering provided by the venue.

Smaller weddings can also be accommodated at The Sharnbrook, with their minimum order request for 30 people, which for a venue of this size is a fantastic offer and because the room can be divided means it can feel more intimate than your first look at it might suggest. The Sharnbrook is a hotel venue so there are now 42 bedrooms available for you and your guests on site. You really can do everything in one place. They also have a resident beauty studio so totally convenient!

The Sharnbrook Hotel is family owned and run, so your stay and booking is personal to them, plus you'll have none of the nonsense you can get from large chain hotels, which I love. You get the same styling throughout the venue, classic, modern, with hints of Italy, and lots of comfort. Menus and bar offering are traditional and in-keeping with the Vesuvio restaurant, so if you want to add real Italian flavour to your wedding, this is the perfect wedding venue for you.

As with any wedding venue that also has a restaurant, you can request a tasting menu (in theory a selection of options for your wedding breakfast to choose from) or you can secret shop them and book at table for a date night. It's a great way to see what the welcome and waiting staff are like, as well as the food of course. Plus, it's always a good idea to have the occasional date night while you're wedding planning, just to remind you of why you're getting married in the first place!

If you need any help planning your wedding, from finding a venue to booking your suppliers, I'm here for you X