Luxury Sussex venue offers wedding packages for £1,000 to help struggling couples

Southdowns Manor said the new initiative on a selected number of dates will help couples who may have had to put their wedding plans on hold because of rising living and wedding costs.

The exclusive-use wedding venue, located between Midhurst and Petersfield in the South Downs National Park, has called it ‘Time to Give Something Back – The Southdowns Manor Wedding Initiative’. It offers a limited number of selected wedding dates for £1,000 for up to 40 daytime guests.

The initiative is available on selected dates in December 2026, January 2027 and February 2027.

With the cost of living continuing to put pressure on household budgets, and the cost of weddings also increasing, Southdowns Manor said it wanted to create an opportunity for couples who may have previously felt that their dream wedding was out of reach.

Cresta Jerrard, marketing manager at Southdowns Manor, said: “We wanted to do something positive for couples who may have had to put their wedding plans on hold because of rising costs.

“We’re very fortunate to celebrate hundreds of couples here every year, but we know that the financial pressures people are facing can make having the wedding they’ve always imagined feel out of reach.

“This initiative is our way of giving something back and creating an opportunity for a small number of couples who may not otherwise have been able to celebrate their wedding at Southdowns Manor.”

The initiative is not intended to be a traditional wedding sale or discount, but instead a way for the venue to use its quieter winter months to give something back to couples and the local community.

The £1,000 offer provides a wedding for up to 40 daytime guests, with couples able to add additional guests, accommodation and other elements if they wish.

As part of the initiative, each successful couple will also have the opportunity to nominate a local charity or community organisation that means something to them.

Southdowns Manor will make a donation to each chosen charity in celebration of the couple's wedding.

Cresta added: “We also wanted the initiative to have a wider meaning. A wedding is about bringing people together, and we loved the idea that these celebrations could also help support something within the local community.

“It means that every wedding can leave a little something behind.”

Southdowns Manor hopes the initiative will reach couples who may have previously decided that getting married at the venue was beyond their budget.

“We want couples to look at this and think, ‘Maybe we could finally have our wedding,’” said Cresta. “Because rising costs shouldn’t necessarily mean putting your love story on hold.”