Wedding FAQs

Weddings are held on Fridays or Saturdays

Please note that The Parsonage Gardens are not included in venue hire bookings as they are a public accessible park/separate to The Didsbury Parsonage. We do have our own outdoor space at the back of the building which you will have access to on the day.

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

Maximum capacity for the venue is 60 people, this is including the couple getting married, bridesmaids & groomsmen and any children/under 5s.

PRICE LIST

CEREMONY ONLY

Admin fee: £140.00 | £250 per hour (min. 2 hrs)

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CEREMONY & DRINKS RECEPTION

Admin fee: £220 | £250 per hour 12pm-5pm| £300 per hour after 5pm

Departure is 10pm (or earlier)

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CEREMONY, DRINKS RECEPTION & MEAL

Admin fee: £360 | £250 per hour 12pm-5pm | £300 per hour after 5pm

Departure is 10pm (or earlier)

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

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. Deposits are required following a wedding tour.

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).

What is included in my booking?

When you book a wedding here at The Parsonage, you are booking out the entire venue just for yourselves and your guests. Our Wedding planner Catherine will assist you in organising and planning for your event, as well as giving you access to local caterers, equipment hire, local florists, photographers and more. Your booking includes use of all three of our galleries, our courtyard space, and our conference room upstairs reserved for the bridal party. We will provide you with glassware, tables, chairs, table linen, a speaker and adequate staffing to match the number of guests attending. We can take booking’s from 12pm-10pm most Fridays and Saturdays.

What about catering?

We have a list of local professional caterers that have worked with us in the past which we will provide you with once you have been in for a wedding meeting. These caterers are all well equipped to work in our venue and are fantastic at what they do. If you choose someone who isn’t on our list, please let us know and we can get in touch with them to make sure that they feel comfortable working in our venue. We provide you with our staff who are for setting up your wedding and serving your drinks reception. Unfortunately, we cannot allow guests to cater for their own weddings due to The Didsbury Parsonage being a listed building, we have limited facilities. Please note that we do not hold third-party food liability insurance, or food handling training as a venue, therefore our staff cannot handle food under any circumstances.

Can I hold a buffet for my reception?

We ask that all food other than drinks reception canapes or small snacks are eaten sitting down. This is to mitigate damage to the floors within the venue – as we are a heritage building, we need to protect the venue as much as possible. You can hold a buffet, and it is possible for us to set up for this in designated rooms, we just ask if guests can remain seated whilst eating.

What about crockery and cutlery?

We have around 40 ceramic teacups/mugs that can be used for hot drinks, as well as plenty of glassware at the venue. In terms of an evening meal, your caterer will need to provide all crockery and cutlery (unfortunately, we do not have adequate supplies). Catering supplies and any left over food/drink must be removed at the end of the evening by yourselves or the caterers and cannot be stored at our venue.

Do you provide glasses?

We can provide glasses free of charge. We have champagne flutes, wine glasses, tumblers and pint glasses.

Do we need to hire chairs?

We have simple black and red, foldable chairs available at the venue which are included within the venue hire however, for alternative chairs we use Eventhire Ltd 0161 494 5213/ 0788 9205628. They regularly provide chairs for most of the weddings at The Didsbury Parsonage. 

Is there a car park?

We currently do not have any parking here at The Parsonage, however, there is limited 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 with floral accents, and can be provided at no extra charge. Your caterer may supply tablecloths if you prefer, or we can order them in for you at an extra cost.

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 purchase or sell alcohol. Instead, you will need to provide your own drinks/refreshments. You have freedom to bring in whatever you like or ask your guests to bring something with them on the day. We will store these drinks and then have them laid out and ready for you after your ceremony. We have a standard size fridge for storing a small number of bottles which is usually adequate for drinks reception. If you require a large capacity fridge, we can add that to your order, approx. cost £205, accommodating 100 bottles.

Can we have music?

We have a CD/Bluetooth/USB music system/speaker, which is free of charge, or you can bring your own. Please note we only have one so if you require music in more than one room we recommend you also bring your own. If using our equipment, we will have a practice run prior to your event. Live music is permitted, although space may be too limited for a band, depending on guest numbers. We allow live musicians in the ceremony room, as well as in the courtyard.

Out of courtesy to our residential neighbours, music is turned off at 9.45pm.

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 will feature an art exhibition, so decorations must not disrupt the artwork. Feel free to use our ladders, and it's recommended to have two or more people for setup. Simpler set ups can be done by our team, or a member of your party on the day of the wedding.

We ask that you bring any decorations in the afternoon prior to your wedding, and you’ll be able to come and collect these on the following Sunday.

*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. 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.

Only battery-operated candles are allowed, we cannot permit live-flame due to artwork and sensitive fire alarms.

Confetti

We kindly request that petals/dried flowers be used instead of paper confetti. However, if your preference is for paper confetti, it must be biodegradable, and we ask that you check with the DPT staff to confirm if it's permitted. Under no circumstances is plastic/glitter confetti allowed.

Anything else we need to know?

If you are having a meal here after your ceremony, the meal will take place in the same room as your ceremony (Room 1). The layout of Room 1 will be setup, while the Events Assistants will be serving the drinks reception elsewhere

Please note that The Parsonage is an exhibition space and artwork cannot be moved or removed.

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 stilettos, we prefer alternative block heels or flats.

The Parsonage Gardens is situated in front of the property, feel free to go out and take photos in the park, as well as enjoying its beauty. As it is a public park, regulations apply to this space, as we cannot permit alcohol or glassware to be taken outside of our door.