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High House is an award-winning wedding venue located in Althorne, Essex. Set within six acres of beautifully landscaped countryside, it features a heart-shaped lake, a Monet-inspired bridge, picturesque gardens, and a neighbouring vineyard. This romantic and charming setting will leave your guests in awe and will be exclusively yours for your special day.
Brimming with quintessential English charm and character, High House offers complete privacy and a dedicated team committed to bringing your wedding vision to life.
You can choose from two beautiful spaces for your ceremony. The Grade II-listed Essex Barn, with its rustic charm, oak beams, and vaulted ceilings, is perfect for an indoor ceremony. A hidden gem from 1750, the barn has been lovingly restored and is flooded with natural light through its tall windows.
For an outdoor ceremony, the pretty thatched gazebo offers a picturesque setting surrounded by lush gardens. This peaceful space is perfect for exchanging vows in the sunshine.
After your ceremony, it’s time for your drinks reception, and the stable courtyard offers the ideal setting. With views of the pond and a picturesque bridge, it’s the perfect spot for your guests to mingle and capture stunning photos with your wedding party and together as newlyweds.
Then, it’s on to the celebrations. The elegant new Orangery is the setting for your wedding breakfast and reception. With breathtaking views of the lake and vineyard, it creates a dreamy backdrop for an unforgettable celebration. The versatile space can be styled to reflect your vision for the big day. As night falls, the Orangery transforms into a vibrant space for your evening festivities.
When the party draws to a close, High House offers a secret escape for the newlyweds: The Couples Retreat. Tucked away in its own private garden and accessed through a charming oak door, this secluded cottage is surrounded by gravel paths and pretty flowers.
Inside, you’ll find a luxurious bedroom with a freestanding bath, an ensuite, and a cosy lounge. It’s the perfect romantic hideaway for your wedding night.
High House is proud to offer exceptional in-house catering, with menus prepared by talented chefs and tailored to your tastes. From relaxed barbecues to a traditional three-course meal or an indulgent five-course feast, you can choose a wedding breakfast that perfectly suits you and your guests.
The catering team also offers delicious children’s menus and a tempting selection of evening food options, ensuring your guests can keep celebrating well into the night.
We couldn’t be happier with our choice of having High house as our wedding venue! From the first visit to the final moments of our celebration, the team went above and beyond to make every detail perfect. The venue itself is breathtaking—elegant, beautiful, and picturesque. Our guests loved it, and we still get compliments on the venue now!
One of the things that truly made our day special was the support from the venue staff and our planner, Dalain. They were all incredibly attentive, responsive, and genuinely invested in making sure everything ran smoothly. Their expertise and guidance helped us through every part of the planning process, and they thought of details we hadn’t even considered. Thanks to their coordination, we were able to fully enjoy our wedding day without worry.
If you’re looking for a beautiful setting with a professional and dedicated team who truly cares, we wholeheartedly recommend this venue. Our wedding was nothing short of magical, thank you to everyone at High house.
Married September 2024
A huge thank you from myself and Michael. Our wedding day was the most magical day I could ever have dreamed of. The entire day flowed so wonderfully that we were able to really let our hair down and celebrate. We had so many compliments on how beautiful High House is and we hope that we get to return as guests for someone else’s wedding! A massive thank you to Hayley and Jessica; knowing they were there to keep the day running smoothly meant I was able to really relax and have a stress-free day. I couldn’t ever put into words just how grateful I am. Everything with High House has been genuinely perfect from start to finish, and I’m so sad it’s all over now!
Married April 2024
An absolutely amazing venue and matched equally by its members of staff. If you’re thinking of booking a venue, you really could not do better than High House. With its stunning scenery, extremely lovely event managers, and luxury rooms available for the groom/bride and guests, it really is the perfect place to celebrate your day. Particular thanks to Dalain and Hayley for making us feel so at ease and relaxed, as well as making sure everything went smoothly. Combined, it really made it the best day of our lives.
Married August 2024
If we could give more than 5 stars, we absolutely would. The grounds of High House are stunning. This is what made us fall in love with the venue just at a glance. They tell you about every little detail about getting married that newlyweds wouldn’t know. All of the staff were incredibly accommodating. Nothing was an issue for them. On the day, they knew how important it was for us to have our ceremony outside, and they did everything within their power to make this a reality. Jessica, our wedding planner, went above and beyond. She helped the bride with her dress throughout the day and night. She helped with our toddler without us having to ask. She helped the bride’s mother look for a medication bag which she forgot to bring. The day wouldn’t have gone as smoothly if it wasn’t for Jessica. The bar staff were amazing. No request was too large. At the end of the evening, we asked them to take some pizza and wine to our room, which they did with no hesitation. We would highly recommend any couple get married at this venue.
Married June 2024
Accessible venue with mindful, attentive and caring staff. You won’t find anywhere else like this! Wedding of dreams. I can’t thank everyone enough who works at High House. Everyone was so helpful, kind and mindful. Jess and Hayley, in particular, were just absolutely wonderful. Honestly feel emotional at how wonderful they were. I have multiple chronic conditions and needed things to be adapted to help me, and wow, they just truly went above and beyond to help me. I needed a venue that was accessible for my varying needs and for my friend, who is a wheelchair user also. Literally, from the first week of me visiting the venue, they immediately wanted to help make things even more accessible. The only steps at this venue are the brick steps into the bridal dressing room, but they ordered ramps for here, and they were brilliant. Really helped. They adapted other areas for me and went through things that would help me more. I was really worried about how I would manage my conditions on the wedding day, but speaking with Jess and Hayley prior to the wedding, they really lifted a huge weight of worry from me. They made me feel really held and that I could feel excited about the wedding day without worry. I honestly wouldn’t have been able to manage if I’d got married at any other venue. It just wouldn’t have worked for me. They really gave me the wedding of dreams. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. The wedding day was absolutely perfect. I can’t believe it. It feels surreal just how perfect it was, and that really was down to how helpful and caring they are at High House. It’s not just a business. They truly want everyone to feel happy and have the wedding of their dreams. I really can’t thank them all enough. What wonderful people and a wonderful venue. It’s got this beauty to it that’s so special and really can’t be replicated or found at any other venue. It was magical and more than we could have ever hoped for. Thank you so much!! You’ve made my heart feel so full and grateful.
Married May 2024
Yes, High House is an exclusive-use wedding venue. Its aim is to provide you and your guests with the utmost privacy, ensuring your day is all about you and your loved ones.
Yes, the dressing room allows you to enjoy your wedding morning from 9am on the wedding day. The bright and airy space boasts its own gardens with a swimming pool, making for great pre-wedding photos with your closest friends and family.
Certainly, High House is licensed for civil ceremonies, providing exquisite indoor ceremonies in the Essex Barn or enchanting outdoor ceremonies beneath the thatched gazebo, surrounded by picturesque gardens.
Yes, High House provides luxurious accommodations for up to 27 guests, including a secluded "Couples Retreat" cottage for the newlyweds and the new Farmhouse accommodation.
The Essex Barn can accommodate up to 120 people for a wedding ceremony, and the Orangery has plenty of space for a 140 sit-down wedding breakfast. Plus, if you want to invite extra evening guests, there is space for up to 200 to celebrate into the night within the Orangery.
As long as it's arranged in advance, the couple's dog is welcome at High House for the big day. Service dogs are also welcome.