Homme House has been in the same family since the 1570s, and after 450 years the place has the unforced warmth that only comes from being lived in. It stands at Much Marcle on the Herefordshire side of the Gloucestershire border, roughly 10 minutes from both Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye, reached along a private drive lined with limes. The house is Grade II* listed and reads as elegantly Georgian from the front, though a castellated wing gives away 16th-century origins; an 18th-century Coach House sits alongside, and a wonderfully odd 17th-century Gothic summerhouse stands in the walled garden, listed in its own right.
The estate runs to 200 acres — five of manicured garden inside 180-odd of woodland and parkland — and the gardens are worth the visit on their own: a rose garden, a bog garden, a two-acre walled garden with orchards in it and a wildflower meadow, all of it looking out towards the Malverns with the Cotswolds beyond. St Bartholomew’s Church sits at the edge of the grounds for couples who want a church service. It has been welcoming weddings since 2004, and the family’s stated aim is simply to be as relaxed and flexible as they can, which is borne out by the practicalities: bring the caterer you like, bring your own wine without corkage, no compulsory drinks list.
Two rooms are licensed for ceremonies, both full of period detail and full-length bay windows — the Dining Room for up to 110 and the smaller Panelled Room for 80 — with the summerhouse and the gardens as the outdoor option. Dinner seats 80 in the house or up to 120 in a marquee on the lawn, and the evening tops out at 120. The three buildings between them sleep well over 30 guests, from the bridal suite and bedrooms in the main house to four en suite doubles in the Coach House and, in the warmer months, the summerhouse itself. Exclusive use runs from Friday morning through to Sunday lunchtime, which turns the wedding into a proper weekend.
Where the band plays
One detail matters more than most for anyone booking live music: there is no noise limiter fitted at Homme House. The house asks only that volumes stay reasonable, and being able to play at a natural level without a light box cutting the power mid-chorus makes an enormous difference to how a band sounds and how the dancing feels. With up to 120 guests in the evening, a four or five-piece band suits the rooms nicely; couples going bigger tend to put the marquee on the lawn and let the music live there, which also keeps the house available as somewhere to sit and talk.
How the evening runs
The licence carries the night to midnight, with guests who are not staying over heading off around then, so in practice the music finishes a shade before — about 11.45pm — and the last set lands while the room is still full. Those staying on site simply drift back into the house afterwards, which is the great advantage of a whole-weekend booking. Fireworks are not permitted, and confetti should be natural petals in pale colours, so plan the send-off accordingly.
Bands available in Herefordshire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Herefordshire.
- Wedding Bands in Herefordshire
- Events Bands in Herefordshire
- Herefordshire Tribute Acts
- Herefordshire Wedding DJs
- Herefordshire Corporate Entertainment
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.