Weddings At
Merrymeade House
Merrymeade House is a Grade II listed building in the heart of Brentwood, Essex and the perfect location for intimate weddings. The surrounding country park or walled garden offers a beautiful backdrop for your photographs.
With historic and original features, wedding ceremonies are held in The Drawing Room which hosts up to 30 ceremony guests, and set in front of a wide bay window.
Private on-site catering is available from Merrymeade Tea Room with a range of options starting from £15pp.
For more details please complete our enquiry form here:
Booking a ceremony
- Step 1 - Complete a wedding enquiry form to check availability.
- Step 2 - Once we have confirmed provisional availability, you must call Essex Registration Service on 0345 603 7632 to book a registrar to attend and perform the ceremony.
- A £56 non-refundable deposit will be taken at the time of booking the registrar. The remaining balance must be paid at least 12 weeks before the date of the ceremony. If a booking is made less than 8 weeks before the ceremony, full payment is required at the time of booking. Essex Registration Service will take receipt of all fees for ceremonies held at Merrymeade House.
- Step 3 - You must give notice of your marriage or civil partnership at least 29 days before your ceremony. Contact Essex County Council to book an appointment. The fee for giving notice is £35 each.
- All payments for Community Ceremonies held at Merrymeade House are made to the Essex Registration Service and will not be accepted by Brentwood CVS.
Fees and Deposits
These fees include VAT and a non-refundable £56 deposit.
These fees do not include the certificates, which are £11 each.
Below is some important information to assist you in planning your wedding. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing us here.
Arrival Time and Entrance
There will be a pre-ceremony meeting with the Registrar on the day of your wedding. Traditionally, the first person arriving will meet the Registrars 30 minutes before the ceremony and the second person to arrive will meet with the Registrars 15 minutes before. Couples may decide to do this together instead. This meeting is confirmation that you are legally able to marry, your witnesses' names etc.
Access to the building will be no earlier than 30 minutes. Please advise your guests there may be a short wait, outside of the building, if they arrive any earlier.
Capacity
The Drawing Room, where the ceremony takes place, seats a maximum of 30 guests and yourselves. If more than 30 guests are in attendance, they may be asked to wait outside the building for health and safety reasons. This number includes small children and babies on laps. There is no space inside for buggies.
During and after the ceremony
Your ceremony is booked for 45 minutes which includes the service and any photos you may wish to take. Your ceremony will be around 20-30 minutes. There may be another service before or after your booking so you must ensure you adhere to your timings. At the end of your 45 minutes you must vacate the building, unless you have prearranged catering with the tea room. We ask that you do not congregate around the entrance of the house to avoid meeting others entering and exiting the building. Further photographs can be taken in Merrymeade Country Park which has scenic woodland and open spaces making it an ideal spot for photographs.
Merrymeade House is a Community Building, and you will not have sole use of the venue, however, The Drawing Room will be private to your wedding for the duration of the ceremony.
Music
Please bring your selected music on a CD/Bluetooth connected phone. It is your responsibility to ensure that one of your guests is in charge of any music that you would like to be played. If you would like to test your music please contact us to arrange a suitable date and time.
Alcohol
Only alcohol pre-organised and purchased from Merrymeade Tea Room is permitted inside and on the grounds of Merrymeade House. There are strictly no food or drinks in The Drawing Room where the ceremony will take place.
Confetti
As Merrymeade House is located in a conservation area, the use of confetti is STRICTLY PROHIBITED both inside and outside on the grounds of the house and Country Park.
Parking
There is parking for disabled vehicles and the wedding car only. All of your guests must park in public car parks or make alternative arrangements. Further information can be found here: https://www.brentwood.gov.uk/parking
