The Orangery

What a gem! I photographed a wedding here last year and it was just stunning. Such a surprise, tucked away in Clifton, you enter via a very unassuming gate in the street only to be welcomed by the most stunning orangery with beautiful landscaped gardens. So many stunning backdrops for photographs. This venue will be sure to wow your guests!

I held a small legal ceremony at the Rotunda in Goldney Hall, and while the setting itself was lovely, the organisation from start to finish was dreadful. I was initially told I could hire a small space on a weekend, only to be informed later that this was not possible and weekday bookings were the only option. I am very glad that I chose to have my main wedding day at a different Bristol venue. 1. Constant staff turnover – Over the period I had the venue booked, there seemed to be a revolving door of coordinators. Each new contact assured me they’d send the final invoice, yet none ever did. 2. Unprofessional behaviour – On multiple occasions, staff members openly criticised previous colleagues. This happened over the phone, during a Zoom planning meeting, and even on the wedding day itself (in relation to another couple’s event). This kind of internal tension should never be visible to a client. It was highly unprofessional and uncomfortable. 3. Poor communication before the wedding – During the week of the ceremony, communication was poor. I sent three follow-up emails to confirm that my car registration details and ceremony playlist had been received, but received no reply. Only after calling the office two days before the wedding did I get a brief email stating that the coordinator was “back-to-back with weddings.” For a venue that hosts events regularly, this should not come as a surprise or an excuse for ignoring clients. I also received conflicting parking information from two different staff members. 4. Mistakes on the day – On the day of the wedding, I was ushered to walk down the aisle to the wrong song. It then restarted, played again, and finally switched to the correct track all as I was walking down the aisle. I would have expected a professional coordinator to manage something as simple as pressing play correctly. 5. Post-event disorganisation – After the wedding, I was asked if I’d received the invoice (I had not). Given the ongoing disorganisation, I was not surprised. Despite repeatedly requesting it, it was never sent. I was asked for receipts of the initial deposit I had made. It seems nobody knew if I had paid or not and in fact it seems that the team had thought I had fully paid until I myself requested the final invoice. 6. Invoice finally received months later – I eventually gave up chasing the invoice. Months later, I received an email requesting immediate payment. I would have gladly paid months earlier if anyone had actually sent it. For a two-hour hire, it should not have been this difficult. I dread to think what it would be like to plan a larger event here.

Very beautiful venue. Had a conference dinner here. Atmosphere was great. Food was acceptable and the chicken was not dry. Very welcoming reception from the staff. Had a lovely walk before dinner.

We were here for a work meeting and the location was amazing. The gardens are really nice and it is a great place for work meeting too, a change of scenary.

We had our wedding reception at The Orangery last month (our ceremony was across the road in Clifton Hill House). Both venues are absolutely stunning! We were so well supported by Thandi and Chris in the run up to our special day. Thank you so much!