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Welcome Receptions

Your welcome reception sets the tone for your entire wedding day, and at High House, we ensure it's an experience filled with warmth, charm, and beauty. Nestled in the heart of the Essex countryside, our venue offers a picture-perfect backdrop for your arrival, with sweeping views of our stunning secret gardens and elegant spaces.

 
Member of wedding party laughing with guests at High House Essex Wedding guest talking to child at High House Essex
Couple walking out of wedding ceremony surrounded by guests at High House Essex
Bride hugging a guest outside the wedding barn at High House Essex
Bride laughing with guests outside at High House Essex Wedding guest smiling outside at High House Essex
 

The Perfect Start to Your Love Story

Welcome

The welcome reception at High House is designed with effortless elegance in mind for a truly special moment. Following the exchange of your vows, you’ll be embraced by the serene atmosphere of the Essex countryside. Our contemporary Stable Bar & Courtyard offers a relaxed elegance where every moment feels like it’s been crafted just for you. Your guests can explore the 6 acres of beautiful grounds, admiring the romantic English country gardens, orchard, and vineyard. It’s not just a space — it’s an experience, where laughter, joy, and excitement fill the air, ensuring the celebration starts with the perfect tone.

  • Bride and wedding party guest posing with bouquet at High House Essex
  • Bride and groom posing for the camera in the garden with flowers at High House Essex
  • Wedding guests talking and smiling outside at High House Essex
  • Bride hugging smiling guest at High House Essex
  • Guest hugging bride whilst smiling at High House Essex
  • Guests talking after the wedding at High House Essex
  • Wedding guests standing outside with the bride at High House Essex
  • Wedding guest holding blazer talking outside at High House Essex
  • Wedding guest stood in group talking outside at High House Essex
  • Bride and guest posing for a photo in the Orangery at High House Essex
  • Wedding guests stood having a conversation outside at High House Essex
  • Guests laughing and talking to bride at High House Essex
  • Bride throwing the bouquet outside of the Orangery at High House Essex
  • Children playing with bubbles outside at High House Essex
  • Couple kissing outside with ice cream van at High House Essex
Newly wed couple together on bridge at High House Essex
Couple posing playfully at the camera at High House Essex Couple kissing underneath thatched gazebo at High House Essex
high-house-flourish-cocktails
The orangery bar at High House Essex
Couple holding two cocktails at High House Essex

Food and Drink Curated with Care

Delight

From signature cocktails to mouthwatering canapés, the food and drink at your welcome reception are an extension of your personal style. Whether you choose to indulge in a glass of bubbly while mingling on the terrace or opt for a more relaxed grazing table, our talented chefs work with you to create a bespoke offering that reflects your taste and sets the stage for the rest of your day.

We take food seriously and have put together a delicious menu with ingredients sourced within 30 miles of the venue with the best the region has to offer. Beautifully presented and thoughtfully selected, each dish is crafted to delight both the eyes and the palate.

 

A Countryside Escape

Secret Garden

Nestled in the heart of Essex, High House offers an unparalleled setting for your welcome reception. With panoramic views of our landscaped gardens, charming terraces, and the elegance of our barn, every corner of the venue is designed to enhance the feeling of timeless beauty. Whether your reception takes place under the natural light of the open terrace or in the warmth of the barn’s intimate setting, you’ll be surrounded by stunning views that perfectly complement the joy of the occasion. It’s a place where nature and elegance meet to create unforgettable moments.

  • Couple walking through the vineyard during golden hour at High House Essex
  • Couple cuddling on the bridge whilst looking at the pond at High House Essex
  • Brides holding eachother in the secret garden at High House Essex
  • Groom dipping bride and kissing for a photo outside at High House Essex
  • Bride and groom laughing by the lake at High House Essex
  • Outside wedding gazebo area with plants at High House Essex
  • Swans gliding on the lake at High House Essex
  • Bride and groom walking through the secret garden at High House Essex
  • Bride and groom smiling and holding hands during the night outside at High High Essex
  • Bride and groom sharing a moment outside at High House Essex
  • Couple posing with LOVE bush outside at High House Essex
  • Child running outside at High House Essex
Couple posing amongst flowers at High House Essex
Shot of the bridge in sunshine at High House Essex Bride looking away from camera outside at High House Essex
Table dressed for a wedding in the Orangery at High House Essex
Wedding breakfast with meats and vegetables at High House Essex

Your Wedding Breakfast: Your Way

Dinner is Served

As your welcome reception flows effortlessly into the rest of your day, the wedding breakfast at High House continues the theme of elegance and personalisation within the light-filled Orangery. Here, your meal becomes more than a moment - it becomes a memory.

Our 30-mile menus are at the heart of this experience. Carefully curated by our highly skilled chefs, they showcase the best ingredients sourced exclusively from trusted local producers within a 30-mile radius of the estate. This is a rare commitment among UK wedding venues, and one we’re incredibly proud of. By championing seasonality and provenance, our team crafts homemade dishes that not only celebrate the countryside around us but consistently wow our couples and their guests.

Whether you imagine a refined, plated dinner or a relaxed family-style feast, your menu will be shaped around your tastes and elevated by the freshness, quality, and creativity that define every plate. With each detail seamlessly taken care of, you’re free to savour the atmosphere - and each delicious bite - knowing your dining experience is truly one of a kind.

Orangery Capacity

Wedding Breakfast - 140
Evening Reception - 200

 
  • Zoe & Matt

    “The team at High House are true professionals, they are super organised and their experience speaks volumes. We were led through the entire process and had complete confidence for our wedding day.”

 

Ready to Start Your Journey?

At High House, we’re dedicated to making your wedding day as unique and unforgettable as your love story. To begin planning your perfect welcome reception, get in touch with our team today. We can’t wait to help you create the wedding of your dreams.

Where do guests go after the ceremony?

Guests are welcomed to our contemporary Stable Bar and Courtyard for drinks and canapés, creating a relaxed transition from ceremony to celebration.

Is there space for outdoor drinks receptions?

Yes. The gardens provide a beautiful backdrop for outdoor receptions when the weather allows, with plenty of room for guests to mingle.

What happens if the weather changes?

If the weather turns, the reception can move seamlessly indoors to the Orangery without interrupting the flow of the day.

Can couples choose the style of their reception?

Receptions can feel formal and elegant or relaxed and social, depending on how couples choose to style the space and structure the timing.

Do you offer dry hire?

We don't typically offer dry hire, but please do get in touch to discuss your requirements. 

Imagine

Ready to Discover Your Day?

Book a private viewing to discover how High House can become the perfect setting for your magical day.