Situated in the heart of the charming town of Lewes, just over an hour from central London and 25 minutes from Brighton, Pelham House is a beautiful 16th-century townhouse that has undergone an incredible transformation into a luxurious wedding venue combining the opulence and grandeur of a country manor with the sophistication and finesse of a private club. Every little detail has been carefully considered and the whole property is exclusively yours for your special day, from the celebration rooms with ornate original features and striking lighting to the tranquil gardens, framed by rolling countryside and the East Sussex clifftops. And with the convenience of a train station just a few minutes away and stylish accommodation for you and up to 56 guests, all your friends and family can join in the celebration.
Getting ready at Pelham House will be an event in itself. Hidden away in The Courthope Mews is The Dressing Room, a luxurious space where you can put the finishing touches to your look, spend some quality time with your nearest and dearest and catch a glimpse of your guests arriving in the courtyard below. As they make their way into the house, they will be met by a sweeping staircase and striking hand-painted trompe-l'œil mural on the ceiling, and perhaps a glass of Champagne or two.
For intimate civil ceremonies, the chic Goring ceremony room is the perfect location. Original bay windows let the light stream in and offer views of the colourful garden beyond, creating a setting of pure romance. In the warmer months, wander along the flower-lined aisle to The Gazebo while your guests take a seat on the lawn and exchange your vows al fresco as you drink in your picturesque and peaceful surroundings.
When you enter The Blencowe Room for your wedding breakfast, you’ll be captivated by the grand marble pillars and intricate original wood panelling, all brought to life with dazzling feature lighting. The expert chefs will help you create the perfect wedding breakfast, from spectacular sharing boards to fine dining feasts, and there’s plenty of room for a band and dancing too. Enjoying drinks in The Garden Room or out on the terrace as the sun goes down is a memory that will last a lifetime.
Once the night has come to a close, spanning an entire wing of the house, your romantic Pelham Suite awaits. It has its own spacious lounge area, a pristine en-suite complete with an inviting free-standing bath, and an opulent bedroom that exudes elegance and luxury. With space for up to 56 guests in the house, your loved ones can spend the night in style too, before meeting for breakfast and reliving your special day.
22 Reviews for Pelham House
Recommended by 95% of couples
Penelope Best · Married on 13/11/2020
Disgraceful lack of customer service
Sadly a wedding we were due to attend from overseas was cancelled due to the pandemic and then transferred to 2022 we requested a refund as we will not travel to the UK as we ate both high risk all other hotels refunded straight away not Pelham House no empathy or understanding alongside disgraceful emails telling us when we could travel ! Very disappointed not at all the standard we expected all about the money what a shame - customer service will ensure establishments survive this pandemic
Sent on 13/11/2020
Paul McCarthy · Married on 01/12/2019
From a professional DJ's point of view
I'm Paul McCarthy and I run a wedding DJ business, Those Party People. I've worked at Pelham House for many years and know the venue very well. These are my thoughts from a professional wedding DJ point of view. Since Artemis Venue Services have taken over, I've seen P-H transformed into the perfect wedding venue. The outdoor ceremony area is stunning, the indoor area is beautifully decorated and the perfect romantic setting for your big day. The Blencowe suite is an amazing place for your guests to dance the night away. The room is big enough for a large dance floor and plenty of tables and chairs.
Sent on 10/12/2019
The Food
I've eaten many times at Pelham House and I can honestly say this is where they excel, the attention to detail on every aspect of your wedding breakfast will be amazing, from serving the food to the meal itself. It will have your friends and family talking about how amazing it was for years to come.
A lot of concerns I hear about venues when meeting clients is the sound limiter.
Council regulations mean that most venues in Sussex have a limiter fitted. Most limiters are set to 85 to 90dbs. Pelham House is set to 95dbs, do some research to see how much that extra 5dbs means. You will find it's a lot. I've never tripped the limiter and the guests have never asked me to turn up the volume
My past clients who have had their wedding at Pelham House have been very happy with every aspect of their wedding day. If you are looking for a wedding venue in the Lewes area, you can do no better than book with Pelham House. I am more than happy for you to contact me to discuss this review.
Boma Hart · Married on 17/08/2019
Food good venue management needs work!
I want to start if by saying the refurbishment was fab and galloping gourmets head chef Adam lived up to our expectations!
Sent on 09/09/2019
As for Pelham house I’m afraid there were a few issues you need to be aware of if you are considering having your wedding here.
1- They have sound limiters which cut off your band or dj if it goes over their specified level. The venue neglected to inform us of this, till we had the sound cutting out during a very crucial part of our wedding which we cannot go back in time to re-run!
2- If you take exclusive hire, your guests don’t have access to their rooms till 3pm.
The House keeping team tried to clean the bridal prep room whilst I was getting dressed, once I went down for my ceremony they went back in and moved my belongings, which they threw on the the floor of the bridal suite and they lost a priceless family heirloom, an expensive watch was in the corner near a bin!
3- The management team have an inability to accept responsibility, or apologies, let alone show any level of empathy when they had clearly omitted so much in the push to get us to sign up
They talk of flexibility but the reality is that they are not flexible, the timings for the venue are created only to work in their favour!
My suggestion is more diversity in the management team!
Find a way to work with the owner of the property next to Pelham because he’s the reason behind the noise restrictions!
Last but not least - all you prices should be inclusive of VAT! It is very naughty of you to not highlight this till the very last pages in your brochures!
