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Pictures of the outside of the Beechwood Park School mansion house, the grounds and ornate ceiling as well as the lobby fireplace and a white draped large wooden doorway

Wedding Venue View: Beechwood Park School, Markyate, Herts.

Some wedding venues host a very limited number of weddings or events each year, because they can choose to be picky and because the venue isn't available the majority of the time. Beechwood Park School is one such venue. Nestled in the Hertfordshire countryside a short distance from Markyate, this private gorgeous school is a secret gem of a wedding venue.

The thing with private venues like this one is that they can pick and chose who they hire their space to. Often, it's someone who has links to the venue who takes priority over those with no connections, ie alumni, staff, etc. Beechwood Park School is exactly that, a venue that isn't really a venue unless you are in the know.

I had the pleasure of helping out at this venue in the summer of 2019, and although it's not purpose built for weddings and parties it made a fantastic venue for this one. With its magnificent mansion house appearance, you could be forgiven for thinking they must be used for weddings all the time. The grounds of the school has a history dating back to Saxon times when it was known to be used as a nunnery. The school is a relatively recent use of the fantastic buildings, when it opened in 1964 for boys only.

Though it has lost a lot of the opulence inside that must have been prevelent in its use as a private residence, the current owners have kept many of the architectural features you'd expect to see and the main hall is ideal for good sized banquets and wedding breakfasts. The adjoining spaces are intimate and functional, though the entrance and staircase making a stunning feature, especially when dressed to cover the school related signage. Through the hall and side space you walk out to a patio and its views across fields and grounds with mature trees. An ideal spot for photographs and mingling with your guests.

As a private venue, not used or set up to host regular events, you have free reign here to provide your own suppliers, though they will need careful vetting and be fully insured etc. I can help with finding suitable wedding vendors from decor to catering, bars to florists. There is ample parking for you and your guests, either directly outside the mansion house or in the nearby tarmacked car parks, where resident students and teachers are living; so no super late nights are allowed here, and there is a strict noise-off time.

The drive up to the mansion and the building itself are a real wow factor for guests, who are sure to be impressed. The staff here are super friendly and helpful and do their very best to accommodate wedding set up requirements, though you can't interrupt the functioning of the school.

If you are alumni of this school, or another similar private or public school elsewhere with a nostalgic glow about the idea of hosting your wedding there, don't write it off until you've spoken to them. They will want to check their records to ensure you have that link and may be very limited in what they can initially offer in terms of a date or service, but this shouldn't put you off. With the right help (ie me!) and the right suppliers, any venue can be made stunning for your big day. So get in touch if you want to hold your weddinging an unusual venue. X