Self-catering wedding houses
Your wedding, your way. These are wedding venues with professional kitchens, prep areas and space for caterers to feed your 50 to 100 or more guests. About 30% of our wedding bookings opt for self-catering wedding houses for the freedom, privacy, and flexibility it offers.
Norfolk
Gresham Hall Estate
- 120 Capacity
- 30 Indoors
Idyllic location in the countryside surrounded by beautiful farmland and woodland; we have lovely grounds to host your marquee.
Wiltshire
Henge Estate
- 200 Capacity
- 25 Indoors
The elegance, privacy and history of Henge Estate makes it the ideal location for a wedding. Wedding ceremonies may be at St Mary's ancient Norman Church in Shrewton or the registry office in Salisbury, and the party congregates at Henge Estate for a romantic wedding reception set in the historic grounds or house.
North Yorkshire
The Hall at Denton Reserve
- 155 Capacity
- 100 Indoors
Spend your most special day at Denton Reserve and you'll have the run of your own stately home, with complete freedom and privacy for your wedding.
Cumbria
Augill Castle
- 50 Capacity
- 50 Indoors
At Augill Castle, we offer a magical setting for your special day, with our castle venue nestled in the heart of the beautiful Eden Valley.
Kent
Solton Manor Estate
- 250 Capacity
- 200 Indoors
Solton Manor includes a large Dutch Barn, licensed for outdoor and indoor weddings up to 200 day and 250 eve guests in timeless, elegant surroundings.
Somerset
Earnshill House
- 300 Capacity
- 50 Indoors
Please contact us for a fully detailed quote with a multitude of options for you to pick from for your ultimate celebration.
Dorset
Lorton House
- 16 Capacity
- 16 Indoors
Micro weddings for up to 16 guests with 3 nights accommodation included.
Somerset
Sparkford Hall
- 250 Capacity
- 120 Indoors
Not a typical wedding venue. Your house, your ideas!
Lincolnshire
The White Hart, Brigg
- 50 Capacity
- 50 Indoors
We offer a unique DIY Wedding 2-3 night stay, 40 staying... a blank canvass, you provide the drinks, catering and entertainment. Imagine the savings!!
East Lothian
Leuchie Walled Garden
- 24 Capacity
- 24 Indoors
We specialise in small weddings for up to 24 people, with the wonderful garden the perfect setting for a memorable day.
Dorset
Smedmore House
- 200 Capacity
- 60 Indoors
Smedmore House is a unique exclusive-use venue for your ceremony and reception, tailored to your most exacting expectations and able to exceed your wildest dreams.
Devon
Hallsannery House
- 180 Capacity
- 72 Indoors
There is no such thing as a set 'Hallsannery wedding', because an exclusive use wedding weekend at Hallsannery means your wedding, your way. Give us a call to discuss your ideas and we will work with you to help create the wedding of your dreams.
North Lincolnshire
Walcot Hall Estate
- 200 Capacity
- 60 Indoors
An elegant stately home wedding venue in North Lincolnshire, offering exclusive ceremonies and celebrations for up to 400 guests.
West Sussex
The Long House
- 30 Capacity
- 26 Indoors
The beautiful grounds of the Long House lend themselves perfectly to small, intimate weddings. No two weddings are the same and we will do our best to help you plan for this special day.
Cornwall
Pentillie Castle
- 200 Capacity
- 60 Indoors
An exclusive-use Cornish Castle for your Wedding. Enjoy award-winning luxury accommodation, excellent service and breathtaking settings to say 'I do'!
Hampshire
Northcourt House
- 120 Capacity
- 60 Indoors
A romantic country house in stunning gardens—Northcourt is the Isle of Wight’s most enchanting setting for a truly memorable wedding.
Norfolk
Middleton Castle
- 300 Capacity
- 80 Indoors
Plan an amazing blank-canvas wedding at Middleton Castle - exclusive-use for a perfect day.
Argyll
Balinakill Country House
- 150 Capacity
- 50 Indoors
Balinakill can be hired on an exclusive use basis for your big day for as long as you choose, from 24 hours up to a week or more. The house is grand but welcoming with a choice of public rooms or mature gardens for your ceremony.
Devon
Colehayes Park
- 150 Capacity
- 80 Indoors
Colehayes Park is the perfect venue for those looking for somewhere relaxed to extend their wedding celebrations over a long weekend or whole week. Not only is the house a fully-licensed wedding venue but we can also sleep up to 70 guests in the manor.
Dorset
Warmwell House
- 120 Capacity
- 120 Indoors
The ideal place for an intimate country wedding either in the 13th century church or at the house itself where a number of licenced rooms with plenty of choice. Exclusive use of the main part of the house and gardens give couples a blank canvas from which to create their perfect wedding.
Devon
Old Rectory and Coach House
- 150 Capacity
- 95 Indoors
Either marry at St Swithuns, then cross the field to the Rectory, or marry at the Rectory...whatever you decide, it'll be a wedding exactly how you want it.
Norfolk
Gunthorpe Hall
- 80 Capacity
- 68 Indoors
We specialise in weekend house party weddings – from casual to elegant, from romantic to quirky – always unique. With a running order of your stay.
Your wedding, your menu, your way
Some couples know exactly what they want to serve on the big day. Maybe it’s Grandma’s recipe that’s been part of every family celebration as far back as anyone can remember. Maybe it’s a menu that reflects a couple’s heritage: haggis for starters and jollof rice for main course. Maybe it’s just that you want Sunday roast with all the trimmings, not canapés, foams, and something you can’t pronounce. Self-catered weddings let you choose everything without compromise.
Our self-catering wedding houses come with professional-grade kitchens designed for serious cooking. Multiple ovens so the roast and desserts don’t compete for space. Commercial fridges that hold food for 100 people. Prep areas where a team can work without crashing into each other. Proper equipment that makes ambitious menus possible.
Most DIY wedding venues sleep 20 to 50 guests and host 60 to 120 for day celebrations. You’ll find separate areas for ceremony and reception, dining spaces that seat everyone, and kitchens where your chosen cooks or catering team can work comfortably. The houses give you all the space and facilities, you bring the food and creativity.
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See kitchen access, reception spaces, accommodation, and catering flexibility.
Contact owners directly
Discuss your catering plans and wedding vision with responsive, helpful hosts.
Self-catered wedding houses for DIY celebrations
Self-catered wedding properties appeal to creative couples wanting full control of their day. These are essentially wedding venues with a kitchen, houses that provide beautiful settings and accommodation and leave catering, coordination, and execution to couples and their families. The approach suits DIY-minded couples, groups with family catering experience, budget-conscious betrothed, and celebrations prioritising authenticity over polish.
Properties welcoming self-catered weddings typically have commercial-grade kitchens (multiple ovens, large fridges, extensive workspace), substantial dining capacity, outdoor spaces for marquees or garden parties, and relaxed approaches to DIY decoration and setup. They understand couples will bring external caterers or family cooks rather than venue-provided food services. As one wedding group noted about their budget wedding venue house: “We had a beautiful meal cooked and served for us. The team were really friendly but also very unobtrusive.”
The self-catered approach requires realistic planning. Couples need to source everything: catering (hire professional caterers or family cooking), equipment rental (tables, chairs, glassware if the property doesn’t provide), coordination (someone managing timing and logistics), and setup/cleanup. The savings are substantial — self-catered weddings often cost 40 to 50% less than full-service venues.
The best self-catered weddings share certain characteristics: organised family members who delegate effectively, willingness to accept imperfection, realistic budgets that include hidden costs (equipment rental, emergency supplies, cleanup time), and backup plans for when things go wrong.
Henge Estate
Genuine reviews
Great website; easy to navigate and good filter system. Prices look really competitive
Richard Chalmers
Really pleased with my experience with landed houses, was searching for a large house to celebrate my 50th and landed houses had lots of good options...managed to secure somewhere for a good price and looking forward to our dates, many thanks to Edmund and the house owner for their friendly correspondence and help, Steve
Stephen Alexander
Some great houses on offer here /all new to me! Now we are planning our next big family getogether!
Tina Metcalfe
Barbara Ryan
When I was faced with having to find a large house with a pool for a family celebration at relatively short notice, Edmund at Landed Houses came straight to my aid. He responded promptly to my email enquiries, even on a Sunday, putting me in direct contact with someone who managed a property that fitted my needs; the outcome being that a superb house, with everything I need, was secured within 24 hours of my first enquiry. Many thanks, Edmund, for making the task so straightforward. If you’re looking for that special house for a party or family gathering I can recommend Landed Houses as your first port of call.
Mrs Manors
Self-Catering Questions
What’s the cost difference between self-catered and full-service venues?
If you choose a self-catered wedding venue over a full-service venue, there are substantial savings to be made. Full-service wedding venues charge between £3,000 and £12,000 in venue fees plus £80 to £120 per person catering, coming to £15,000 to £30,000 total for 60 guests.
By comparison, self-catered house rental costs around £2,000 to £5,000 for a weekend’s rental plus £30 to £50 per person on food and drink if cooking yourselves or £40 to £70 per person with a catering team. This comes to around £4,000 to £10,000 total for a 60-person wedding. So you’re looking at savings of around 40 to 60% on average.
It’s so important to watch out for hidden costs when planning your budget. Budget £500 to £1,500 for equipment rental (tables, chairs, glassware, linens), £300 to £800 for the help of a coordinator on the day. The cost of any extra cooking equipment such as burners or serving dishes, and emergency supplies. After the event, factor in around £200 to £500 for cleaning. After accounting for these extras, you’re still looking at a saving of around 30 to 50%.
You can save a lot by going self-catered, but remember to budget for those hidden extras upfront.
Can families realistically cook for 60 to 100 wedding guests?
It’s not easy but it can be done. Successful family-catered weddings typically involve multiple experienced cooks working together, make-ahead menu (dishes prepared days ahead, not day-of cooking), equipment rental (commercial warmers, extra ovens and burners), realistic expectations (buffet rather than plated service), and designated coordinators (not the couple or their parents).
Hiring external caterers (£40 to £70 per person) is a happy middle ground. It’s still cheaper than full-service venues, and it removes the cooking stress and maintains a professional finish to your big day. Plus it means none of your guests are stuck in the kitchen folding thousands of tortellini. Most self-catered wedding houses allow professional caterers with advance notice. This hybrid approach of renting a house but sourcing your own caterers delivers 90% of the savings with 10% of the stress.
Think about what matters most to you on your big day in terms of workload and budget to decide the best approach for you.
What equipment do self-catered properties provide?
This varies dramatically from property to property.
Well-equipped properties provide full kitchen equipment for cooking, dining tables and chairs for guest capacity, basic glassware and crockery, outdoor furniture for garden ceremonies and receptions. But you might find you’re offered just a few kitchen basics and you have to rent everything else.
When making your booking, liaise with the property owner and your catering team to verify exactly what you’ll need, what the property already has and what you’ll need to rent. Be sure to discuss exact seating capacity, glassware counts, serving dishes, and outdoor furniture availability. Nobody wants Aunt Mildred having to eat her steak with a teaspoon because somebody assumed there would be enough cutlery.
Our advice is to think about the kind of food you want to serve and the kind of meal you want to host, write a list of equipment and check with your potential property that they have what you need.
Do we need wedding insurance for self-catered events?
Wedding insurance for self-catered events is absolutely essential. Wedding insurance costs from £50 to £150 and covers cancellation due to illness/emergency, supplier failures, extreme weather, liability for accidents, and lost deposits if the venue becomes unavailable. Self-catered weddings carry higher risks (more moving parts, less professional backup) making insurance even more critical. Properties may require proof of liability insurance before allowing weddings. Our advice? Don’t skip this.
For the cost of a few bottles of wine, insurance protects you against that random food poisoning incident or injury which could create catastrophic costs.