Wedding FAQs

How many guests can we have and how long can we stay?

Maximum capacity is 60 people (includes the couple getting married).

Weddings are normally held on a Saturday - your ceremony will need to be held at 4pm. During school holiday periods you might be able to have an earlier ceremony - we will advise you on this.

Departure is before 10pm unless ‘Ceremony only’ which is 5pm departure.

How much would it cost to have just our wedding ceremony here?

(Prices 2024 onwards)

CEREMONY ONLY

£140 (venue hire) + £125 (admin fee)

No drinks reception, during office hours. Min. hire 2 hours.

CEREMONY + DRINKS RECEPTION

£140 per hour during office hours | £195 per hour after 5pm + £195 (admin fee)

CEREMONY + DRINKS RECEPTION + MEAL

£140 per hour during office hours | £195 per hour after 5pm + £325 (admin fee)

Note: All prices above are basic prices. Events Assistants / Room decoration etc. are extra).

Events Assistants are charged at a rate of £12 per hour (usually one or two are sufficient). They are familiar with the building and its facilities, and will serve drinks, assist guests and clear up.

Can I self-cater / bring caterers in?

You can self-cater, however, you will need to hire professional caterers to serve, and clear up, the meal, and our Events Assistants for serving your drinks reception. We can provide you with details of local caterers who are familiar with the The Didsbury Parsonage, however, should you opt for a catering company of your own choice they would need to visit the office to plan/co-ordinate their service. We would require a copy of your caterers’ third-party liability insurance.

Caterers need to be made aware that food cannot be cooked on the premises as we don't have adequate facilities. They can however bring their own ovens to cook in our Courtyard area.

For safety reasons, we don’t allow hot water urns; if you want your caterer to serve hot drinks, they will need to serve the drinks and provide hot water flasks.

Can I hold a stand up buffet for my reception?

Yes, but food cannot be prepared onsite it must be brought in by outside caterers.

What about crockery and cutlery?

Your caterer should provide all crockery and cutlery, which they can then remove at the end of the night. Only clean crockery / glasses can be left overnight for collection the next day.

Do you provide glasses?

We can provide glasses free of charge. We have champagne flutes, wine glasses, tumblers and pint glasses. Check with your caterer what they can provide, e.g. they may provide glasses for the meal but not the drinks reception.

Do we need to pay a deposit?

We require a deposit of £150 to confirm your booking - this will be deducted from your final invoice.

We also require a returnable deposit of £200 against damage, which can be paid immediately prior to the event. (This will be refunded in full after your event, assuming no damage is caused).

Do we need to hire chairs?

Yes. For chairs we recommend Eventhire Ltd 0161 494 5213/ 0788 9205628. They regularly provide chairs for most of the weddings at The Didsbury Parsonage. If you choose another supplier they will need to liaise with us about when they can deliver, set up and collection

Is there a car park?

No, however, there is some street parking on Stenner Lane or you can use the Pay & Display carpark behind The Didsbury pub (situated across the road.

Do you have tablecloths we can use?

Yes. Our standard tablecloths are dark red and can be provided at no extra charge. Your caterer may supply tablecloths, or we can order them in for you.

Sizes required as follows: 70” x 127” (to fit long trestle table) / 70” x 70” (to fit square table)

What about drinks?

We don't have a licence to sell alcohol so you need to provide your own drinks. We have a standard size fridge for storing a small number of bottles which is usually adequate for drinks reception only. If you require a large capacity drinks fridge we can order that in for you, approx. cost £160, accommodating 100 bottles.

Can we have music?

We have a CD/Bluetooth/USB music system, which is free of charge, or you can bring your own. If using our equipment we advise a practice run prior to your event. Live music is permitted, although space may be too limited for a band.

Out of courtesy to our neighbours, we ask that the music is turned off at 9.45pm.

Anything else we need to know?

If you are having a meal here after your ceremony, meal take place in the same room your ceremony (Room 1). The layout of Room 1 will be setup while Events Assistants are serving the drinks reception in Room 3. Your caterers, or members of your party, will need to prepare tables and any table decorations.

We can accommodate up to 60 people for a sit-down meal - 40 in Room 1, and 20 in Room 2.

We have limited, domestic-scale, waste facilities, so you and your caterers will need to take rubbish and recycling away on the night. Clean plates/glasses can be left overnight to be collected by 10.00 the following day.

Please note that the Parsonage is an exhibition space and artwork cannot be moved or taken down.

Part of the charm of the Parsonage is its beautiful oak floors, which are regularly polished and maintained. Oak floors and high heels sadly aren’t a good mix, so we would ask you to avoid wearing high heels if possible.

Can we use the Parsonage Gardens?

The garden in front of the Parsonage is a public park, and not included in the venue hire.

Can we decorate the room?

Setting up decorations the day before is possible, but may incur a small fee depending on the setup timescales. Please be aware that our walls more often than not feature an art exhibition, so decorations must not disrupt the artwork. Feel free to use our step ladders; although it's recommended to have two people for setup.

*It is your responsibility to use the ladders safely. The Didsbury Parsonage cannot accept responsibility for any accidents/injuries incurred during their use.

To avoid setting off our intruder alarm, kindly let us know your decoration plans beforehand. Certain items like balloons may trigger the alarm overnight. You're welcome to remove decorations the following day.

We also have some small glass vases and jars you are welcome to use for your flowers decorations, which can be borrowed the week before.

Table decorations should be arranged after the furniture is set up on the day of the event. Coordinate this with your caterers, as it will be their task to lay tables Please ensure tables are cleared entirely by the end of the event, allowing us to dismantle and prepare the room for the following morning.

Kindly be aware that table confetti isn't permitted (it tends to stick in our floorboards!) and only battery-operated candles are allowed, not live-flame ones.