FAQs
Cutting your wedding cake is free if you book the evening buffet. However, Invicta Food Design does charge if you don’t include a buffet for your evening guests.
What’s included within your wedding package:
We offer a round wooden cake stand or a round silver colour cake stand
At Solton Manor, we believe a food tasting is essential when planning your wedding. We are therefore delighted to say that Invicta Food Design offers a group food-tasting event in the Dutch Barn. Once you book your wedding, you and the couple will be invited to the food tasting.
The food-tasting invitation is for you, the couple; however, you can bring additional guests, but Invicta Food will charge you.
Couples typically arrive at 6:30
On arrival, you will be met with a glass of bubbles and canapes
You will seated on dressed tables and served your food choices
You will be given a form to complete to provide feedback to the caterers, and the chefs will be on hand to speak to you
You will try the house wines, and the bar will be open
The tasting usually finishes at 9:30 pm.
Last orders are at 11:00 PM from Sunday to Wednesday and 11:30 PM from Thursday to Saturday.
However, we understand that you will want to keep the party going, so don’t worry – the music continues to play until Midnight to keep the good times rolling!
At Solton Manor, we understand exceptional food is a key element in creating a memorable wedding experience. The right menu enhances your celebration and reflects your taste and style, leaving a lasting impression on your guests. Whether you envision a gourmet feast or a more relaxed dining atmosphere, we work with expert caterers Invita Food Design to ensure every dish is perfectly crafted. Depending on your wedding package, we offer mouthwatering canapés to exquisite main courses; we are dedicated to providing a culinary experience that complements the beauty and significance of your special day.
You can choose from Invita Food Design various menus for your day and evening according to your budget and style. For more information, please see our Food & Drink page.
Here at Solton Manor, we offer some great drink packages. Please see our Food and Drinks Page. Our drinks package includes:
In addition, you can upgrade your drink package to include local wines. However, you can also provide your own drinks subject to a Corkage Charge.
What is a Corkage Charge?
We charge a corkage fee when you bring your alcohol, such as wine or champagne, to be served during your wedding rather than purchasing it directly from us. This fee typically covers:
What does Solton Manor Corkage Charges?
For 2025 we charge £12 a head and £4.00 for children.
For 2026 we charge £13 a head and £4.50 for children.
What can we include in the Corkage?
The amount of drink you bring onsite as corkage is limited to:
We’re delighted to inform you that NO minimum spend is required at the bar. This allows you to tailor your Drinks Package to suit your preferences and budget without worrying about meeting a specific financial target. Whether you opt for a full open bar, a partial tab, we’re here to work with you to ensure your drinks service perfectly complements your day.
We aim to make your experience at Solton Manor as seamless and stress-free as possible.
The Horse Box and the Bar at Solton Manor accept cash and card payments for your convenience.
We accept all major credit and debit cards, including AMEX, ensuring that your guests can easily make payments without any hassle.
Whether you or your guests prefer to pay in cash or by card, we’ve ensured the process is smooth and straightforward so everyone can enjoy their drinks without concerns.
You are very welcome to put money behind the bar for guests. Please let our wedding planning team know that this is your preference.
We require a 30% deposit to secure your wedding. This is followed by a 35% interim payment due six months before your special day.
Around six weeks before your wedding, we recommend attending, calling, or scheduling a virtual call to finalise your most important details, like your timeline, wedding suppliers and guest numbers. Following this one-to-one, when you finalise your guest numbers (don’t forget to include yourself in the count), your final payment is due one month before your celebration.
You can also take advantage of our monthly instalment payment system, which makes it easier to spread the cost of your wedding.
Before deciding to cancel your wedding, we encourage you to explore all your options and carefully consider whether the challenges are related to budget or other concerns.
If financial worries are a factor, one option is to reimagine your celebration as a smaller, more intimate wedding at Solton Manor. This can help reduce costs while creating a beautiful and memorable day. Just ask us about our Intimate Wedding Package.
If you want to cancel your wedding, we will be sorry to lose you.
ALL cancellations must be in writing to Solton Manor, Solton Lane, East Langdon, Dover, CT15 5JB or by email to [email protected] and please copy in Kent County Council Wedding Team [email protected] at the same time. The email must include both of your emails.
Please note the following:
You are advised to take out wedding insurance to cover cancellation and other contingencies preventing the wedding from taking place.
Yes, we provide a dedicated wedding coordinator at Solton Manor to assist you throughout your planning journey. Their role is to ensure your plans are carried out correctly and on time so you don’t have to stress about a thing on the big day. Typically, our wedding coordinators are involved on the day itself or sometimes begin preparations the day before to make sure everything is perfectly in place.
Our experienced wedding coordinator team is led by chief wedding planner Karen, who has overseen nearly 1,000 weddings over a decade, with incredible reviews. Karen and her fantastic team understand what makes a great wedding venue coordinator: effective planning, clear communication, and meticulous attention to detail.
Our wedding coordinators can help with the creative and administrative aspects of planning. They assist with tasks such as managing paperwork, responding to emails, making phone calls, booking and perfecting the ceremony details, like table arrangements and décor.
Effective communication is key to ensuring a smooth experience for couples. Our coordinators communicate regularly with clients and vendors throughout the planning process, ensuring everyone is on the same page. This transparency builds confidence and keeps clients engaged and excited.
Our coordinators excel at paying attention to the small but significant details that make a wedding run smoothly. From laying out name cards to managing the music and overseeing the timeline, every element is carefully managed so you can fully enjoy your day.
Our wedding coordination services are included in the cost of the venue hire, but if you want to work with a wedding planner, we would be delighted to work with them.
Solton Manor provides ample on-site parking for all guests, ensuring convenient access to the venue.
Guests are welcome to leave their vehicles overnight in the Main Carpark; however, we kindly request that all cars be collected by Midway the following day.
There is no charge for parking.
Where are wedding cars permitted to drive at Solton Manor?
Wedding cars are allowed to drive directly up to the manor house, providing a grand and convenient arrival for the wedding party.
Yes, Solton Manor offers a luxurious Pamper Suite for you and your besties to prepare for your wedding day.
The Pamper Suite, located in the East Wing, is a beautifully designed space where you can relax and prepare in comfort and style. It’s fully equipped with everything you need, including plenty of natural light for hair and makeup, comfortable seating, and mirrors to make getting ready a special part of your day. This room is available from 7 a.m. on the day of your wedding.
Dates permitting, we are delighted to offer a decor drop-off the day before your wedding.
If the Dutch Barn is unused the day before your wedding, you can set up your Wedding Breakfast from midnight until 7 pm.
Included within your wedding venue hire are the following:
Please note the following are not included in your wedding package is:
Charger plates
At Solton Manor, we are delighted to provide a PA system for your outdoor and indoor wedding ceremony and microphones for those all-important Wedding Breakfast speeches.
At Solton Manor, apart from our recommended caterers, you are allowed to use your own wedding photographers, florists, hair and makeup artists, entertainment, etc. However, we do have a list of recommended suppliers who have never let our couples or us down.
Karen or Jacquie from our wedding planning team will be happy to show you around the venue – simply fill out the enquiry form to arrange a suitable date. You can also check on availability and book instantly via our Calendly.
We have a number of wedding packages to suit all budgets. If you have further questions, please do get in touch with our wedding planning team.
The Dutch Barn wedding venue and Gordric’s Garden outdoor wedding venue both seat 200 guests.
Yes, Solton Manor has disabled access to ensure all guests can comfortably enjoy the celebration. While the historic manor house has some accessibility limitations, with only the reception and dining room accessible, the converted Dutch Barn wedding venue and Godric’s Garden outdoor wedding venue are both fully accessible, featuring easy entry and facilities for guests with mobility needs. The converted Dutch Barn also includes accessible restrooms with baby-changing facilities for added convenience.
There are baby changing facilities in our Dutch barn wedding venue.
We have a number of good local taxi companies….
At Solton Manor, we welcome both last-minute and longer-term wedding bookings.
For couples looking to plan a last-minute wedding celebration, we require a minimum of 32 days’ notice, as this is the time required by Kent County Council to give official notice of your marriage.
For those planning further ahead, most couples typically book 18 to 24 months in advance to secure their preferred date and take full advantage of our stunning venue and comprehensive planning support.
No matter when you book your wedding, we are here to make your dream wedding a reality.
At Solton Manor, we can accommodate guests from 28 to 15o for your sit-down meal, however for your evening party we can hold up to 200 guests.
We are licensed to hold wedding ceremonies in our Dutch Barn wedding venue and Godric’s Garden outdoor wedding venue.
Solton Manor is licensed for Civil Marriages and Partnerships.
As an Approved Wedding Venue between Dover and Deal in Kent, we are delighted to host your wedding outside in Godric’s Garden or inside Solton Manor or within the Dutch Barn for a maximum of 150 people. However, our venue hire does not include your licence-to-marry fees but does include the fee Kent County Council (KCC) charges us to be an Approved Premise.
To understand KCC fees, please follow this link.
At what time can we get married?
Civil marriages and partnerships may occur between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day of the week, including weekends and bank holidays. The latest start time for a ceremony is 5 p.m. For a spring, summer, autumn or winter wedding, we recommend getting married at 1:00 pm. However, we can be flexible.
What is the process once you book Solton Manor?
Once you book Solton Manor for your wedding, thank you. We will reserve the date and time of your ceremony with KCC. Please note that this will require us to share your data.
We will share the booking reference number with you once the date and time have been reserved with KCC. The KCC team will then contact you to pay for their services; this may take up to two weeks. If after 14 days you haven’t heard anything, please email [email protected]
At Solton Manor you have a choice of where to say your vows. If you plan for an outdoor wedding and it rains, our Dutch Barn is also set up as a beautiful space in which to hold your wedding ceremony.
There are a number of historic churches within a few miles of the estate so a church wedding is an option. The beautiful, ancient church of St Augustines in East Langdon is just ½ a mile down the road and can seat 80 people. The nearest Catholic Church is St Paul’s in Dover just 3 miles away and can hold over 200 people.
Confetti can be used on the grounds as long as it is biodegradable.
At Solton Manor, we can accommodate guests from 28 to 15o for your sit-down meal, however for your evening party we can hold up to 200 guests.
We provide all the equipment you need for your traditional wedding breakfast.
Our furniture includes:
We have a good team of people who regularly work on all our wedding events so they know how to make your wedding day run smoothly and seamlessly.
If we don’t have a wedding the day before, you are welcome to dress the barn then. If we have a wedding the day before your wedding date, we will provide help to set up the Dutch Barn from as early as 7am. Dovecote Cottage will also be available from 7am for the bridal party to start getting ready.
Our licence states that we can only have music for the ceremony outside.
We are sorry but due to licencing laws, noise restrictions, our neighbours and fire regulations etc, fireworks, Chinese lanterns, and naked flames are prohibited at Solton Manor.
