Wedding FAQs
Ceremony
Which room would we have our Civil Wedding Ceremony in?
All state rooms are licensed, the Venetian Drawing room being the most popular and can seat up to 150 for Civil Wedding Ceremonies.
How many guests can we invite for a Civil Wedding Ceremony?
We are licensed to hold Civil Wedding Ceremonies for up to 200 guests.
What is the best time of the day to get married?
From our experience we recommend around 2.30pm as the best time to hold your ceremony.
Do we have to pay any extra for the Civil Wedding Ceremony?
There is an administration and facility fee of £295 for this service.
Do we have to book the registrar separately?
Yes, you will need to liaise with Selby Registrars +44 (0) 1757 706590 separately and ensure they are available to conduct a Civil Wedding Ceremony on the date you have chosen and it is best to do this before you confirm your date with Carlton Towers.
How long does a Civil Ceremony take?
A Civil Ceremony can take anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour, depending upon the content, this is normally discussed with the registrar.
What does a Humanist Ceremony involve?
A Humanist Ceremony is a celebration rather than a legal ceremony and can be carried out anywhere within the House or the grounds. If you have a humanist ceremony you would then have to arrange to be legally married with the local registrar.
Logistics
What is the maximum number of guests we can have for the Wedding Breakfast?
We can fit 150 in The Picture Gallery (and extend into The Card Room if necessary) for a sit down meal on round tables.
What time can we arrive at Carlton Towers on our Wedding Day?
The brides may arrive at any time from 8 am by prior arrangement with her bridal party. The rest of the overnight guest may arrive at anytime afterwards at the brides discretion.
Can we drop anything off / carry out finishing touches the day before our wedding?
Yes, you can drop table plans, name cards, favours etc. the day before your wedding. You can also bring your dress and suits if you’d like to.
Do you allow children at Carlton Towers?
Yes, we welcome children but ask that they are supervised at all times.
Do you have any high chairs we can use?
Yes, we have six high chairs which you can use.
Can we have lunch at Carlton Towers whilst we are getting ready?
Yes, we can provide a sandwich lunch for you while you are getting ready. This would need to be ordered in advance.
What time do we need to leave Carlton Towers the next day?
A full English Breakfast is normally served between 9 & 10am all rooms will need to be vacated by 11am.
Will I need a microphone for the speeches? If so, do I have to provide my own?
We have a hand held radio microphone.
What time do we have to finish the party?
We recommend that parties finish by midnight but they may go on longer as requested (currently at no extra charge).
Can we use a marquee for the wedding breakfast and evening reception?
We recommend a marquee company called PapaKata and other local marquee suppliers for parties of 150 +. PapaKata provides unique tepee-style tents to seat up to 600 guests.
Can we decorate the marquee?
Yes. You can deal directly with the marquee supplier of your choice to organise this.
Can we have a long top table?
You can have a long top table in the Picture Gallery for up to 14 guests, but a long top table takes up the space of 3 round tables, reducing the capacity to 120 in the Picture Gallery.
When do I have to confirm final numbers?
Final Catering numbers are required 1 week prior
Do you have a cloakroom we can use?
We have two reasonably sized meeting rooms which guests can use to change in, photographers to leave their equipment etc. and there are coat rails in the Outer Hall.
Do you provide children’s entertainment?
No we don’t but we can recommend.
Can you recommend any local suppliers? (florist, photographer etc.)
When you come for a show-round we can give you a contact list which shows local suppliers such as photographers, florists, cake makers etc.
Can my photographer come to Carlton Towers before the wedding to look round?
Yes, as long as an appointment is made before hand.
Do you recommend having a break between the day and the evening?
We recommend that your day rolls into your evening without a big break.
Is Carlton Towers lit from the outside at night time?
Yes, the Entrance Steps are lit with fairy lights and floodlit from above
Do I have to lay the name cards etc. out on the morning of our wedding or can you do that for us?
We will help with as much or as little as you wish us to, during your set up period. We will happily lay the table with your name places, favours, menus etc. as long as they are given to us in table order.
Catering & Wine
Can we bring our own caterers in?
We do not normally allow this because it is essential that we consistently offer the highest standard or catering. We have our own in-house chef team who will liaise with you to create your chosen menu. However if your wedding requires a more specialist caterer, we will happily, discuss this with you.
Can we have a menu tasting session with the Chef?
We do not normally provide tasting sessions as we are confident that our food will not disappoint and as we’re sure you will agree, cooking for two or three can never reproduce exactly what will be served on the day to larger numbers.
Do you cater for special dietary requirements?
Yes, as long as we know in advance then we can happily cater for most dietary needs.
What age do you classify a child?
Anyone requiring a smaller meal or half portion, we do not specify an age.
Can we bring our own wine in?
Yes, corkage fees of £10 for still and £15 for sparkling wines and champagnes per bottle.
Can we taste the wine before we select it?
Yes, you can purchase any of the wines from the wine list to taste before choosing.
Bedrooms
Do you have a Bridal Suite?
We do have a bridal suite. It is located in the Baroness’ Tower, away from the rest of the bedrooms. However, each of our 16 bedrooms are beautifully and individually decorated so the bride and groom will normally choose their favourite room and then allocate the other rooms to their guests accordingly.
Where does the bride normally get ready?
Most brides choose to get ready in either of the Clock Tower rooms, which have lots of natural light and space.
How many people can stay overnight in Carlton Towers?
We have 16 rooms, 13 double bedded 1 single bedded room and 2 twin so we can accommodate up to 31 guests overnight.
Can we bring our own cots and / or bedding?
Children can bring their own cots and / or bedding but there will be a small charge to pay for breakfast the following morning.
Can we stay over the night before our wedding?
You can choose to take up our offer of a free of charge ‘Champagne Supper’ the evening before your wedding for a pre-wedding party. All we ask is that your party takes up a minimum of five bedrooms. Please enquire for further details.
Can my guests call independently to book a bedroom?
The bride and groom are asked to co-ordinate the allocation of bedrooms and provide us with their list as soon as possible. Guests can pay for their individual rooms through us.
Can we have breakfast in bed?
Yes, but most Bride and Grooms prefer to take breakfast with the rest of their guests.
Do you have other hotels / B&B’s locally?
Yes, there are plenty of other hotels and B&B’s locally. We will give you the contact details of all local accommodation when you book
Decorations & accessories
We welcome your ideas and input into decorations at Carlton Towers but please bear the historic nature of the building and contents in mind:
Can we have candles around the Building?
Candles can be used on the tables and in the ceremony if desired.
Can we have confetti?
Yes, you may use confetti both inside and outside the venue
Can we have rose petals?
Yes, you may use rose petals both inside and outside the venue
Can we have table crystals?
Yes, we allow table crystals.
Can we have helium balloons?
Yes, we allow helium balloons.
Booking Process
Can we come and have a look at Carlton Towers at a weekend?
We’re often not able to offer weekend show-rounds because we hire Carlton Towers out for events on an exclusive basis at weekends. We can conduct show-rounds between Monday to Friday, 9.00am until 5.30pm or later by special request. We can sometimes offer show rounds on Saturdays at 9am (before the bride arrives). Show-rounds must be booked in advance by calling the Events Team on 01405 861662.
How long can you provisionally hold a date for us?
Once you’ve been for a show-round, we can provisionally hold a date for you for up to 7 days. If we haven’t had any other interest in that date by the end of this period we can extend the hold for you but if we do have another couple interested in the date then we will ask you whether you would like to book or release the date.
What deposit do I have to pay when I confirm a date?
Once you have booked a date, we will send out a contract and a deposit invoice for £2000. The balance of payment (to include the remainder of the facility fee, all catering and bedrooms) will be invoiced the week prior, with settlement required on departure or before.
Will I have one contact at Carlton Towers when planning my wedding or will I deal with a number of different people?
You may have your initial show round with any one of the Marketing & Events Team. The Events Manager and Assistant Events Manager are available throughout the week and will work with you right up to your wedding to discuss the logistics of your day. They work very closely together and one or both will be here on your wedding day to ensure that everything runs to plan.
