Deans Court has belonged to the same family for the best part of 500 years, and it shows in the most appealing way: this is a house that has been gardened, farmed and generally got on with rather than preserved under glass. It stands only a few minutes’ walk from Wimborne Minster itself, yet the moment you are through the gates the town disappears entirely. The River Allen, one of the least spoilt chalk streams in England, runs clear through the grounds with wild brown trout in it, and the gardens around it are genuinely ancient, with a walled kitchen garden still turning out organic vegetables for the estate’s own kitchen. There is a café and a homestore, open-air theatre in the summer, and a general air of a place that is busy being useful.
Weddings take the estate exclusively. Couples marry outdoors in the gardens for up to 160, or inside the historic house if the sky looks doubtful, where the rooms hold 80 seated. The celebration then moves to a marquee pitched beside the lake, which comes with a bar, a stage and a dancefloor already built in — 140 to 160 for dinner, and comfortably 160 to 180 in the evening. As the light goes, festoon lighting, up-lit trees, candles and fire pits turn the gardens into something rather magical, and guests drift between the marquee and the water all night. Catering is flexible, either through the estate’s own kitchen or a chef of your choosing, and three properties on site — Apple and Plum cottages with a shepherd’s hut, and the larger Gate House — sleep 28 between them.
Where the band plays
Having the stage and dancefloor already in the marquee removes the single most common wedding headache, which is working out where a six-piece is meant to go once 150 people and their chairs are in the room. The layout is settled, the power is there, and a band can load in and line-check during the afternoon without tramping through the house. Marquees are forgiving acoustically too — canvas soaks up the reflections that make a hard-walled room shouty — so the sound tends to be full and easy rather than harsh, and the open sides mean guests who want to talk can step out to the lake without missing the party.
How the evening runs
The rhythm is a familiar and very good one: ceremony in the garden, drinks among the borders, dinner as the sun drops behind the trees, then the marquee for the rest of the night, running to around midnight. That gives a band plenty of room for two full sets with a break for the cake and a breather outside, and with the fire pits lit and the lake reflecting the lights, very few people leave early. Parking is on site, and it is worth walking the route from the gate to the marquee with your suppliers beforehand, as the distance across the gardens is further than it looks on a map.
Bands available in Dorset and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Dorset.
- Dorset Wedding Bands
- Dorset Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Dorset
- Wedding DJs in Dorset
- Corporate Entertainment in Dorset
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.