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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2022

Last update: November 2023

Balcombe Place is a historic wedding venue nestled in the charming hamlet of Hickstead, in England's West Sussex region. Invite your guests to bask in the serene countryside views of the South Downs and enjoy a transformative experience. With its spacious interiors, landscaped gardens, and stylish décor, this country home is the perfect choice for those seeking timeless, old-world charm.

Facilities and Capacity

Balcombe Place boasts versatile reception rooms and can host traditional fairytale weddings, eccentric parties, or a little of both. You'll have six stunning areas to choose from, each as impeccably designed as the last. Civil ceremonies with up to 120 guests can be held in one of three licensed rooms, followed by a wedding breakfast in the Music Room. When combined with other areas, receptions with up to 350 guests can be comfortably accommodated. The Victorian architecture and vintage furnishings throughout create a dreamy backdrop for not only celebrations of love but some truly indulgent photoshoots. Upon booking, you'll also have access to the formal gardens, which are ideal for a wedding breakfast beneath a marquee or some playful lawn games.

Services Offered

The Balcombe Place team is happy to share their list of talented local suppliers and infuse their creativity to bring your vision to life. They'll connect you with the best possible caterer, florist, and entertainers, equipping you with everything you need to design your perfect day. You will also benefit from the services of a coordinator who will be on hand to offer advice, help with planning, and much-needed support. While you will have total flexibility in planning an utterly unique experience, you won't be left to organise it alone. They offer various packages that include:

  • Exclusive use of the venue, including the stunning grounds for post-ceremony photoshoots
  • A dedicated wedding planner for sourcing and managing suppliers, assisting with writing speeches, arranging wedding party gifts, and more
  • On-site coordination on your big day
  • 14 luxurious en-suite bedrooms with the perfect blend of traditional and contemporary styling
  • Woman-owned
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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Sporting
Unusual weddings
Stately home
Historic
Marquees and tents
Woodland and festival
Outdoor license
Tipis and yurts
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Fire ceremony
Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Private catering allowed
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities

Evening entertainment:

Marquee available
Dance floor
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities
Outdoor fireworks permitted

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Hairdresser
Beautician

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Helipad
Confetti permitted
Pet-friendly
Elephant baraat permitted
Horse baraat permitted
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5.0 out of 5 rating
18 reviews
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
100% Recommended by couples
Keri
Keri N. Sent on 09/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Balcombe Place is perfection - look no further

There just aren’t the words to express how incredible Grace, Fo and the team at Balcombe Place are.

Our wedding day on 25th November 2023 surpassed all of our hopes and expectations, and we truly had the time of our lives. We could not recommend Balcombe Place more highly.

Balcombe Place itself is absolutely spectacular. We instantly fell in love with it, and once we had visited for the first time, we couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else.

Having our ceremony in front of the marble fireplace in the Drawing Room was really memorable and special, and in the evening, there was somewhere for everyone to feel comfortable - from the dance floor, to the bar, to the sofas & open fire in the library.

What really made our day extra special though, was our brilliant co-ordinator, Grace. I cannot imagine that there is a more organised, proactive, thorough and knowledgeable wedding co-ordinator out there - Grace has to be one of the best in the industry at what she does.

On the day itself, Grace was amazing. She was genuinely invested in making sure that we were having the best day, and there were a few exceptional moments where she went completely above and beyond. My family and bridesmaids all commented on how fantastic she was. Thank you for everything Grace!

Throughout the day, the staff serving drinks were also just lovely.

To finish this review, here are some messages we received from our friends and family in the days after our wedding:

‘That was a belter of a wedding’
‘When’s your next wedding?’
‘Same venue next weekend?’
‘What an incredible party’
‘What a wedding!!!’
‘I just have to say that’s been one of our best family weekends ever’

We could not have asked for a more amazing day and we will be reminiscing for many years to come.

Photo copyright: Imogen Eve Photography
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Kezia B. Sent on 21/04/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Spectacularly grand wedding venue

We chose Balcombe Place for our wedding venue - it took our breath away from the minute we saw it and our guests had exactly the same reaction when they arrived on the day.

A key point for us when we were searching for the perfect wedding venue was that we wanted a house that was grand and characterful rather than stuffy and old. It’s a hard line to tread but Balcombe Place does it perfectly. If you’re looking to have a civil ceremony but still want the grandeur of a church, then this is the venue for you - the Drawing Room with the beautiful marble fireplace is stunning and created a real wow factor for our guests, especially with flowers adorning the top. We loved having the house for an entire weekend too, it meant that close family and friends could arrive on the Friday, settle in and truly enjoy the day on Saturday (and a good hangover-curing cooked breakfast on the Sunday!).

The Music Room was perfect for our wedding breakfast and evening reception. With beautiful wood panelling, a tall ceiling and huge bay window, light streamed in during our speeches and it felt truly magical. It’s a sizeable room but also not overwhelmingly so, this meant that the breakfast still felt intimate and got the party going with everyone dancing together in the evening.

We knew that by choosing a date in March we may have been subject to some miserable British weather, however we had a mini heatwave (19 degrees!) which absolutely made our day. We had drinks and canapes on the lawn and patio in brilliant sunshine. The team were fabulous at pivoting plans and shifting service from inside to out without batting an eye. We had our photographs in the grounds of Balcombe Place and made the most of the magnolia tree that came into blossom on the exact weekend of our wedding!

Grace was such an incredible person to work with whilst planning our wedding at Balcombe Place. Her attention to detail and dedication to ensuring that our day was as perfect as it could be, both in the lead up and on the day itself, was wonderful. Her calming and joyful presence was perfect for wedding morning nerves and evening celebrations. It was a pleasure to work with such an enthusiastic and considered lady; she is a true testament to the team and to the bright future of Balcombe Place. We couldn’t imagine our wedding without her!

Overall, Balcombe Place was the most magical venue for our wedding. The team was incredible, everything ran smoothly and it meant that we could enjoy the day and soak up every minute.
HappyIvoryDiamonds19632
Louise H. Sent on 08/01/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Just incredible

We cannot thank the team at Balcombe enough for helping us have the most incredible wedding! From the very start, we felt completely at ease and part of the Balcombe family! Despite a global pandemic, they could not have been more supportive and went over and above to make sure we finally had the wedding we dreamed of… and it was so worth the wait. The house is of course so beautiful and it really felt like our home for the weekend. They are an exceptional team - professional, organised, thoughtful and they worked so hard to make sure the day was a complete breeze for us. We loved every single second!

It was such a special day and we will cherish the memories forever. Thank you especially to Emma, Grace, Fo and Shrimpy and to the the rest of the wonderful Balcombe team, you’re the best!!
Victoria
Victoria C. Sent on 15/10/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Stunning! Best weekend of our lives…

I don’t really know where to start… but from the moment we walked into Balcombe Place we knew it was the venue for us. Emma greeted us and her wealth of knowledge and expertise was incredible. Communication from start to finish was excellent and everyone was so helpful throughout!

The venue itself is stunning, We knew we wanted somewhere with exclusive use and this ticked all the boxes. Every room (including the bedrooms) are glorious. Having the whole weekend definitely made it all the more special. The in house meals are excellent!

We had to postpone due to COVID and Emma was so accommodating and supportive of our decisions it was totally refreshing during what was a tough time for all…

The day ran so smoothly thanks to Grace for coordinating! Every detail was covered off and it was a total pleasure dealing with everyone!

Thanks again to the team! X
Sarah
Sarah H. Sent on 10/08/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Exquisite defined.

We met Emma, our planner, on our first viewing and having had extensive experience in the wedding industry she guided us through the venue and accommodated every idea we already had as well as offering up advice and inspiration to help us visualise our day. Now, once you see it, you can’t unsee it, so don’t bother booking anywhere else to see afterwards.

The venue, the grounds, the team, everything is perfect, and for us, we simply had the most incredible wedding day. Our wedding was delayed from July 2020 to July 2021 due to Covid. That itself could have been tricky, but Emma was absolutely amazing with the rearrangements. The day was well worth waiting for.

Most couples will only have one wedding day, and generally no experience in organising such an event themselves. I cannot speak highly enough of our planner, Emma’s, organisational skills and expertise in every area wedding related. I am in awe of how she pulls everything off so seamlessly – especially given that we are in a pandemic!

Emma, Fo, Grace & Team, you were all amazing. Thank you so much for helping make our dreams come true. We feel so privileged to have had our special day at Balcombe Place. It was everything we could have wished for and more. If we could re-live it over and over again we would, in a heartbeat.

Finally, to add - the photos you see online, are just a glimpse at the grandeur of Balcombe Place. To have a real vision, you need to see it with your own eyes. Go there, walk around, feel it, learn the history of it. Then imagine your most wonderful wedding day. It isn’t hard to do. It is quite simply exquisite.

Thank' you once more, love The Howards Xx
Christiana
Christiana S. Sent on 19/07/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The BEST wedding venue - don't look elsewhere

We had fallen in love with Balcombe Place when we had seen it online, but when we went to view the house in person it was even more impressive. The house is beautifully decorated and has stunning features. The bedrooms are fantastic and the grounds are immaculate. Balcombe Place is such a fairy tale setting to get married in!

We loved that we had the whole house to ourselves for our wedding weekend, and it made our wedding feel more intimate. It was strange having to wait an extra year to show off this perfect venue, but when visiting to finalise our plans, we were so excited and certain every guest would love it. The gorgeous fire place that we were officially married in front of, the stunning music room where we sat and listened to emotional speeches, it was just perfect.

The staff at Balcombe Place complemented the venue and were extremely helpful from start to finish. Emma was incredible and so enthusiastic as a planner in the run up, as well as on the day. Words can't describe just how helpful she was in bringing our ideas to fruition, and overall making wedding planning fun - even during a pandemic! The staff appeared genuinely happy to be working at the venue, and genuinely excited for us as the married couple. Getting married at Balcombe Place really was special and unique – it is clear that it is a bespoke event, and not just another wedding. We would highly recommend the venue, the staff and the surroundings to anybody. We truly had the most wonderful day, and could not imagine it being half as amazing elsewhere. Your wedding is the happiest day of your life and you can only choose one venue – we are so delighted it was Balcombe Place.
E
Emilia K. Sent on 27/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

A true 'At home' wedding dream

What a venue!!! If you're looking for a true at home feel where you can have a whole beautiful house for you and your family, then look no further. Rooms included in the packaging upstairs are AMAZING, 5 star luxury. Balcombe Place were extremely flexible with helping us achieve what we wanted, we were never told no. Massive plus is the wedding coordinator you get included with the package who ensures everything happens on the day as planned and on time. (we had Grace, she was ACE). Really made me feel at ease on the day that someone else was keeping track of everything.
B
Beth H. Sent on 31/07/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The most perfect wedding venue you could imagine - 5*

Huge thanks to Grace and the team for the most perfect wedding day at Balcombe Place. We fell in love with the venue immediately, and it provided the most beautiful backdrop for our photos, as well as an equally glamorous and comfortable venue to share with our guests for the whole wedding weekend. The food was delicious and the house team were incredible hosts, thank you so much for making our wedding day so fantastic!

I cannot recommend Balcombe Place enough, so many of our friends and family said it was the best wedding they had been to! From the friendly welcome from Fo and the rest of the team, to the amazing catering throughout the weekend for our 20 house guests, everything went without a hitch, in huge part to Grace's hard work and professional event management. Thank you Balcombe for giving us the most perfect and memorable weekend.
J
Jamie S. Sent on 14/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect wedding venue

It’s difficult to find the superlatives to underline just how great Balcombe Place was for our wedding weekend at the end of April this year. It really delivered on absolutely every level possible and we couldn’t have asked for a better venue, for not only our big day but for the entire weekend. It genuinely made the whole experience extra special.

First of all, a special thanks to our superb coordinator, Grace. From our first visit to the day itself, Grace was extremely friendly and professional. She was a constant source of calm and levelheadedness in guiding our decision making throughout the planning and on the day itself. She kept everything ticking in the background whilst keeping a low profile. The day went ahead without a hitch and that was in a large part thanks to her efforts and expert coordination!

The house staff were super efficient, friendly and always happy to help. As for the time spent there outside of the actual wedding, the meals were absolutely superb, both plentiful and high quality. We particularly appreciated how flexible they were with our quite chaotic eating/living arrangements. As we were a group of 30 including 11 children between the ages of 2 and 12, things were quite manic at times with toys strewn all over the place. But the staff, Grace and owner Fo were all so patient and understanding. They went above and beyond to accommodate all of our needs and it contributed to all of the guests having such a great weekend. So much so, in fact, that one family member has gone so far as to say that it was one of the best weekends of their lives!

The accommodation rooms were extremely comfortable and spacious with beautiful interior, each room having its own sense of individuality. As mentioned, our guests ranged from the age of 2 to 72, and all were equally comfortable and catered for!

Finally, and probably most importantly, the grounds and house itself are truly quite breathtaking and make for an incredible backdrop and home for the day. The need for extra decoration is minimal thanks to the stunning architecture; from the grand wooden arches in the main hall to the show-stealing marble fireplace in the ceremony room. Quite frankly, it’s the perfect wedding venue.

Thank you so much Grace, Fo and the whole Balcombe place team. You contributed so much to our big day and made it everything we’d ever hoped it would be and more. Anyone considering it as their wedding venue shouldn’t think twice, get your booking in whilst you can!
I
Ian N. Sent on 22/12/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Magical Wedding

Balcombe Place is the most magical, elegant and beautiful wedding venue - filled with character and history – it truly was the perfect dream setting for our wedding and we and our guests were so overwhelmed by everything it offered.

Grace, our event coordinator was incredible and we felt utterly looked after, supported and guided throughout the whole experience of planning a wedding. The Balcombe staff were exceptional and we cannot fault anything with the team’s execution of the weekend – it all went smoothly and that is all to the testament of Grace and her team‘s attention to detail and help to navigate all the suppliers.

We chose Balcombe not only because of its beauty and grandeur, but the experience of arrival on the Friday afternoon with a marvellous welcome lunch, followed by a delicious intimate dinner with our close family ahead of the big day, through to a Sunday farewell breakfast. The rooms each have their own individual character and décor - it is truly an exquisite place and having the house for the whole weekend made it all that bit more special.

We hope to be back one day, whether for another family wedding or a christening celebration! Balcombe place will hold a very special place in our hearts and we feel very lucky to have been able to have our wedding here.

Photography: Matthew Scott www.matthew-scott.co
F
Francesca F. Sent on 14/07/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The most perfect day

Would 100% recommend Balcombe Place to anyone. We had the best day and it really felt so personal and special. Becuase you have the house all weekend it was such a relaxed morning for the wedding, plenty of time and space for getting ready. Grace, our co-ordinator was a superstar and so helpful on the day, she really made us feel special and you could tell how invested she was in the day. It’s such a beautiful venue, every room is different and so beautiful. So glad we found this as our venue.
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Rebecca D. Sent on 08/06/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Balcombe Place simply had it all!

Balcombe was the first venue we visited back in 2020 and both instantly fell in love. It had absolutely everything that we were looking for to host the most important day of our lives. From the perfect bedrooms to get ready in the morning, the stunning rooms for both the ceremony and wedding breakfast, to the gorgeous grounds which we just knew would be the perfect backdrop for our reception drinks and couple photos - Balcombe simply had it all! We have had so many compliments from all our guests at how wonderful the day was, and we want to thank you Emma and Grace so much for all the effort and energy you put into making the day a success.

Emma, from the first day we met her was so friendly and welcoming, her knowledge, advice and positivity was inspiring and we knew that we were in the perfect hands for planning our big day. The support with postponing due the covid pandemic was much appreciated.
Grace's energy and friendliness was just amazing and it really did feel like we had another friend by our sides willing us to have the best possible day. At every moment it felt like you had everything under control and neither of us had any doubts that everything was going to run as smoothy as we had dreamed. We cannot recommend Balcombe Place highly enough to every potential bride and groom as their wedding venue!
D
Daniel R. Sent on 09/11/2021
4.8 out of 5 rating

Absolutely amazing from start to finish

We got married at Balcombe Place in September 2021 and every part of it was amazing. The venue is absolutely stunning, and Emma and Grace were incredibly helpful with every element of the planning, not to mention on our actual wedding day itself. We had several planning meetings at the venue which were very useful (and exciting as it meant we got to look around again!) and these just added to our feeling that everything was well and truly in hand. Once we’d booked, we were given a little black book of suggested suppliers which was very helpful. We weren’t obliged to use any or all of them, they were simply suggestions; Emma was very flexible with every element - allowing us to provide our own drinks and pay corkage for example. Communication was excellent throughout, always very quick email replies which we were very grateful for, especially during the uncertainty of the pandemic. We were made to feel so special, and all of our guests were in awe of the beautiful grounds and bedrooms. It was without a doubt the best day of our lives and we are so glad we chose to have it at Balcombe Place; we wouldn’t change a thing!
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Alice F. Sent on 09/09/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible

As soon as we walked in to Balcombe Place we knew it was our wedding venue, it speaks for itself, it is an incredible, beautiful house.

When we went to first view the house and meet Emma at the end of 2018 I instantly felt that she was the right person to help me on my wedding journey. It was like we was always on the same wave length with each aspect and she was always there to answer my constant emails. She gave us so much confidence in our planning especially when we decided to move it on another year to August 2021. Emma thank you isn’t enough, you have made everything so special for us.

My bridal party stayed with me on the Friday night and it was so amazing to have the house to ourselves, every room is uniquely decorated and so beautiful, everyone who stayed has said how lovely every room is uniquely designed.

Our day couldn’t have gone any better, everything went to plan, our only issue was all our guests drank all our fizz before our wedding breakfast 😅 luckily Emma came to the rescue and saved the day! Even with the weather being a bit wild it didn’t matter, everything was perfect.

All of our guests are still talking about our wedding and wish we could do it all over again, it was the most perfect day and if I could rewind and do it all over again I would do it in a heartbeat.

Thank you Emma and all the staff at Balcombe Place, you made our wedding even more special than we ever could have dreamed 💫
R
Holly K. Sent on 28/08/2021
4.8 out of 5 rating

Stunning Countryside Venue and Superb Staff

We have recently got married at Balcombe Place and it was the most beautiful day, we really couldn't of asked for anything more. We had access to the venue from the day before the wedding which allowed us to set up and enjoy the venue at our leisure with close friends and family staying with us. It really made us feel like it was our home for a few days. The house & grounds are stunning and we had so many guests comment on how beautiful the setting was. The Venue offers great space inside and outside which was perfect for our larger wedding party. Emma and her team at Balcombe Place really made my life as Bride in COVID so much easier, they really are a fantastic team and cant thank them enough for all their support in the build up to our big day!
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Hitched Wedding Awards 2023 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2022 Winner

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Map

Haywards Heath Road, Balcombe, West Sussex RH17 6QJ Hickstead (West Sussex)
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