Talton Lodge

We did not view any wedding venues prior to viewing Talton, and once we’d been there, that was it, we had no need to look at any others. It was simply the most perfect venue for us, stunning house and lawns, giant hat tipis, yurts, tree house boat, orchard wagon, and a big bonfire come nighttime! What more could a hippie-at-heart bride wish for?! Olivia and Barnaby who run it are amazing, as are all the staff, and the food is simply stunning. Nothing was too much trouble and as per the title, our guests all said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to, which says it all really. I can highly recommend Talton Lodge and wish we could do it all again!

Beautiful surroundings proffessional, yet relaxed Staff, nothing was too much in making a very special day extra special. The food was scrumptious they catered for various different requests. The accomodation was relaxed and the breakfast the best we have ever had.

There is so much to say!! I will start with the wedding day itself. As soon as we saw Talton we knew this would be the place that we would gather all our family and friends together to celebrate our wedding. It is incredible and needs to be experienced to appreciate just how fantastic it all is. The lavish house is all out glamour and grandeur, a real statement place providing a stunning backdrop with stately rooms and lavish lawns and gardens . Perfect for photos! On the wedding day We held the drinks reception here with canopies on the lawn , perfect for our guests to mingle and get to know each other while myself and hubby had photos taken. The house is all open and so interesting, many guests enjoyed exploring the house at this time , the staff we excellent at looking after us , making sure that we ( the bride and groom) had plenty to drink and food , such a small touch made such a difference! We had not eaten all morning! . We then all had a piped procession along a winding track to the walled garden and second part of our wedding reception. We had kept this part a secret from our guests , which made it quite magical as we passed through wooden gates into the “ secret garden “ . The effect was magnificent, two giant teepees where we all gathered to eat .... more on that later!!! , an Indian ‘ chill out tent” with sofas and low lighting, great for tired children ( and adults later in the day!!) a rustic bar with the most charismatic fun bar men, ( essential at an Irish wedding) and dotted around darling little huts , orchard pathways , all decorated with fairy lights and candles. The garden is a safe place, we had lots of children of all ages at our wedding , and they all loved it! They had so much space and areas to play in, games on the lawn and interesting places to explore. Liv was wonderful at accommodating our quite specific needs for our wedding . Being eco friendly was our first “ must” for the wedding , at Talton this is standard practice, so that was great . Our second “ must” was that our eating experience felt like a big old family get together Italian style , with the tables heaving with great food that everyone dives in to , passing along plates , serving each other . We didn’t want our wedding to feel stuffy and formal as can often be case at wedding meals ! Oh and another “must” it all had to be vegan . It was incredible, every body loved it, I had received a bit of stick from some relatives about this decision in the run up to the wedding , all doubts disappeared with the first bite . Liv blew everyone away with her amazing vegetable wellington. Every table had there own individual one to”carve” accompanied with the freshest salads and side dishes , just as I wished . Oh . Marvellous! Now on to the puds , I really wanted an element of fun to be bought into the meal. Oh . My .days . Liv went beyond brilliant here! It is impossible to describe the atmosphere among the guests as pudding was served, it was a carnival of deserts ! Funky music playing as the staff paraded around the tables , desserts all being scattered along the middle of the table for every one to dive in and indulge themselves on , meringues( yes vegan) chocolate brownies , mousse , chocolate sauce strawberry coulis , strawberrys , raspberry’s blueberrys popping candy!!! It was like the polar express hot chocolate scene , Charlie and the chocolate factory , and the meal scene in beauty and the beast had all come together to serve up our puds!!!! Everyone loved it!! The laughter excitement , and surprise was incredible! It will be a talking point for years to come!! sitting at our table watching everyone enjoying the food was one of our very favourite wedding memories. as the day moved into evening the garden became even more magical . Fairly lights and candles lit the night, we had a fire with marshmallows, people danced , chatted in the bar , relaxed in one of the cosy areas, we enjoyed a beautiful curry later on in the evening , everybody was happy comfortable and content . I am grinning from ear to ear as I recall the very special day . We had a lot of people travel long distance to the wedding. We were so fortunate that the whole of Talton was available for our exclusive use the day before the wedding. Our guests were able to arive in good time the day before , get settled in, meet each other and catch up , enjoy the grounds and the house , there is a hot tub, tennis courts , beautiful walks etc . Kitchens were available for me ( the bride ) to complete my wedding cake the day before the wedding, saving any stress of it traveling . All the accommodation is stunning, with so many options for family’s , couples , friends to have their own space . The day after the wedding we all shared an amazing breakfast cooked by liv , a great time to reflect on the day before. We had no stress in the planning of our wedding, ( this is coming from a girl who worries about her worries!!!) liv and Barney know what they are doing, even if I wanted to stress out , a phone call with liv soon made me realise it’s totaly unnecessary! They have it all in the bag! Their staff are exceptional, friendly, helpful, and just got everything right! The house and gardens are naturally stunning, so we needed no lavish decor to worry about. My “ bride helpers “ the day before the wedding could not believe how relaxed we both were about the whole thing, they thought we should be doing .... something!!!! But we knew that the crew had everything in hand. We are so so thankful that we were able to enjoy such a special place with our family and friends . We are hoping to return and celebrate anniversaries here in years to come . .

What a magical place Talton Lodge is. We got married in April this year and had our wedding party here. The giant tipis are located in a large walled garden with a rustic outdoor (but undercover) bar overlooking the lawns. Mown paths in the meadow lead to quirky and extremely comfortable accommodation including a 'tree boat' and 'orchard wagon'. The food played an important part in our day and we were not disappointed. Liv and her chefs obviously take pride in producing a well thought out and extensive menu with numerous choices of dishes made with produce sourced locally or home grown where possible. This made our job of choosing doubly difficult! Delicious canapés served on the lawn in the sunshine with G&T's whetted our appetite for the pig roast, expertly cooked over a wood fire by Barney and his team. We chose a range of tasty, unusual salads to accompany the pig which was followed by delicious puds. The bar had a wide selection of beer cider and spirits, something for everyone, but you can make arrangements with the hosts to provide your own. Even though it was April the tipis were warm and a heater kept the temperature comfortable later on in the evening. A bonfire was a lovely touch to end an enchanting day. Liv and Barney are relaxed, experienced hosts with great ideas to make your day unique. We couldn't fault a thing.

We couldn't have found a better venue than Talton Lodge for our wedding in May this year. As well as being the most beautiful location and the fact that it is a complete blank canvas for you create the wedding of your dreams, that owners Barney and Olivia and all of the staff go out of their way to make your day run perfectly. The food is phenomenal and mostly home grown, our guest walked past freshly sprouting asparagus after tasting it during our drinks ceremony. The space for a wedding is amazing, we married on the lawns by the main house with our band playing music before during and after, drinks, canapes and photos followed. We then headed over to the fantastic tepees for garden games and more drinks before sitting down for homemade pies decorated with our own initials ( a lovely surprise from Talton!!) and speeches. We partied into the night with a bonfire lit to create a magical experience! Our family and friends stayed the night in both the quirky accommodation of converted boats and yurts and over at the stunning Talton house and we continued the celebrations in the morning with breakfast or fresh sausage, bacon and eggs back in the main tepees. We didn't want to leave and can't wait to go back, an amazing day at an amazing venue!