Bignor Park, I knew it was going to be a special venue

On a sunny March morning, Zoe from Fabulous Wedding Venues visited Bignor Park a beautiful wedding venue near Pulborough in West Sussex.

"From the moment I found the entrance to Bignor Park I knew it was going to be a special venue. The driveway down to the house led me through beautiful parkland with trees on each side, and after about half a mile Bignor Park appeared on the left hand side."

Louise Hartley, the wedding co-ordinator at Bignor Park met me and showed me around. Louise was really welcoming and it was easy to see that wedding couples would be in a safe pair of hands. We began the visit with walking around to the back of the main house, which was hiding some magnificent views of the surrounding South Downs countryside and of course the sheep sculptures!

We walked along a gravel path to the side of the house past the croquet lawn that loops around the more wild part of the grounds, in the centre was the 'Temple' a quaint building that was built in memory of the 1987 hurricane to commorate the loss of so many ancient trees that had stood on this part of the estate. Past the Temple hidden from view behind an avenue of trees was a pretty pond with a wooden platform, both areas would provide fabulous backdrops for wedding photographs.

Louise Hartley, the wedding co-ordinator at Bignor Park met me and showed me around. Louise was really welcoming and it was easy to see that wedding couples would be in a safe pair of hands. We began the visit with walking around to the back of the main house, which was hiding some magnificent views of the surrounding South Downs countryside and of course the sheep sculptures!

We walked along a gravel path to the side of the house past the croquet lawn that loops around the more wild part of the grounds, in the centre was the 'Temple' a quaint building that was built in memory of the 1987 hurricane to commorate the loss of so many ancient trees that had stood on this part of the estate. Past the Temple hidden from view behind an avenue of trees was a pretty pond with a wooden platform, both areas would provide fabulous backdrops for wedding photographs.

Louise pointed out another couple of hidden places ideal for younger wedding guests; a den tucked away under a rhododendron bush with two little ti-pi's and a house on stilts in amongst a circle of trees, perfect for children to have lots of fun in and to be kept entertained. There were still lots more amazing space to see at Bignor Park.

Crossing the south lawn, to the other side of the house we entered the formal gardens. The beautifully manicured garden is used for outdoor wedding ceremonies held under the Greek Loggia - this was immaculately kept and such a pretty part of Bignor Park, it also led us to a miniature maze which is full of colour in the spring and summer months with tulips dotted in between the shaped hedges. In the centre of the maze was a spectacular wind harp that dominates the centre of the maze. A wrought iron gate at the end of the maze led to a flat grass area surrounded by trees, a really tranquil spot ideal for a luxury yurt, if the wedding couple wanted to stay overnight and add a glamping experience to their honeymoon!

The tour didn't finish there, from the maze we walked past the apple orchard and country greenhouse to the Dutch garden with a small pond featuring two stone ducks, this part of the garden offered more fantastic wedding photographic opportunities. From here we entered the stunning quadrangle which is located outside the stable buildings, the external stable walls form part of this walled space which again offers so much flexibility for weddings; it could be kept as an outdoor space on a summer's evening to host a BBQ and the bar or could be covered with a marquee for the wedding breakfast or evening dancing. After seeing Louise's pictures of previous weddings, the most striking use of the quadrangle was the installation of a transparent roofed marquee. On a clear summer evening looking up to a starlight sky would be a magical end to a special day.

From the quadrangle, through french windows the rooms at the stables provide plenty of indoor space too, again the options for the use of the stables were endless, they could accommodate a wedding breakfast or the evening dancing so its entirely up to couples to decide the best use for their wedding day. On the other side of the stables there was an additional larger walled cortyard, with three huge pairs of doors oening out into it. Louise had used this area in many different ways, and with vehicle access it was perfect for positioning wedding suppliers that needed their vehicle to provide their services; a vintage ice cream van would have suited this space. Around the back of the stables there were toilets and the caterers were taken care of with their own dedicated kitchen area with plenty of work space.

At the end of a wonderful morning, I had an opportunity to look through Louise's album of weddings that had taken place since 2011 when they first started hosting weddings at Bignor Park, some of which you can see here."