Halswell Weddings - Terms & Conditions

Dunster Living

Halswell House Terms & Conditions

1. Venue Hire at Halswell House includes 12 suites and bedrooms. If additional rooms are added to the booking, the appropriate additional charges will be made to the account.
2. Use of the bedrooms is dependant upon a wedding or other function taking place at the house. Rooms cannot be booked other than as an adjunct to the main purpose of the booking which is to use the house as a function venue. If a function is booked and then cancelled the room element will terminate also and a person (s) are not be permitted to use the rooms alone. For the avoidance of doubt neither Dunster Living nor Dunster Properties operate Halswell House as a hotel.
3. Bookings will not be confirmed until the signed booking form and paperwork are returned and all relevant deposits paid. Dunster Living reserves the right to cancel a booking if payment conditions are not upheld. Receipt of a booking deposit confirms acceptance of the terms and conditions.
4. Venue Hire secures a booking at Halswell House. The relevant accommodation deposits for bedrooms must also be paid to hold additional accommodation. Provisional accommodation can only be held for three days.
5. Deposits are non-refundable and non transferable.
6. Provisional bookings are held for 48 hours only, before an "Event Deposit" of 20% of the "Venue Fee" is required to secure the booking. If additional accommodation is booked Room Deposits are required for all rooms booked for overnight accommodation at £40.00 per room, per night. All deposits are accounted for within the final account provided prior to departure.
7. No later than eight (8) weeks after the date of payment of the deposit a further 30% of the total invoice amount falls due to be paid.
8. No later than twelve (12) weeks prior to a booked event the remainder of the account is to be settled.
9. All payments shall be made payable to "Halswell". Payments should be sent / delivered to:-
   
   Dunster Living
   Halswell House
   Goathurst
   Somerset
   TA5 2DH
   
   A receipt will be sent in respect of each payment made. Payments by bank transfer can be arranged upon request.
10. Eight weeks prior to an event a finalised arrangements list will be sent to the person (s) who book the event. The finalised arrangements list can only be amended by agreement with Dunster Living. Dunster Living reserves the right to charge in respect of any additional costs involved in agreeing to any amendments requested by the person (s) booking the event after the same have been sent out and agreed. Dunster Living will telephone the person (s) booking the event 2 days after posting the list in order to confirm that this person (s) is / are content with the arrangements as discussed and set out in the finalised arrangements list.
11. Rooms are allocated to a person (s) guests in line with the completed room allocation form which must contain the names and home addresses and telephone numbers for all residential guests.
12. All costs will be billed to the person (s) who has / have booked the venue, (e.g. food, guest's accommodation, entertainment etc.) unless alternative arrangements have been agreed prior to the event. If guests wish to pay for their own accommodation the cost involved will be deducted from the final account of the person (s) who has / have booked the event.
13. Any additional costs in respect of items requested during the event, whether requested by the person (s) booking the venue or by a guest with the authority of the person (s) who booked the venue, will be added to the final account presented to the person (s) who booked the venue.
14. Payment of the final balancing account must be settled on the day of departure from Halswell House.
15. Events can only be paid via Credit Card, Charge Card, Debit Card, Cash (up to a limit of £500.00p), Bank Transfer or Cheque, (if using a cheque on the departure date then these can only be accepted to the value of the Cheque guarantee card). *See Clause 34.
16. Special dietary requirements need to be requested and agreed at least eight weeks prior to the Event.
17. If required, the Boudoir in the Mansion House may be available to the Bride / Groom / named person (s), for preparation from 9.00 am, with general access to the Mansion House from 12 noon. Early access to the Boudoir is subject to availability and is available for an additional fee. We endeavour to ensure that Guest rooms are also available from 12 noon, although on some occasions it may be slightly later.
18. Guests staying overnight check in after 12 noon, unless special arrangements have been made.
19. Halswell House check out is 10.30am; bedroom and suite check out is 10.00am.
20. No dogs, other than guide dogs for the visually or audibly impaired are allowed in the house or grounds.
21. In accordance with statute, Halswell House and Dunster Living operate a "No-Smoking" policy and will not allow or tolerate smoking within Halswell House. Persons wishing to smoke should do so outside.
22. Dunster Living reserves the right to alter pricing without prior notification. However, where a person (s) have agreed a price for an event with Dunster Living and have paid both the deposit and first instalment, then from that moment forwards the price as agreed is fixed on the condition that there is no breach of contract on the part of the person (s) who made the same booking. Any additional items requested during an event will of course be charged at the rate(s) prevailing as at the date of the event.
23. The use of confetti inside and outside of Halswell House is prohibited. Table decorations must be agreed 8 weeks in advance of any event with Dunster Living.
24. Due to the numerous period features of Halswell House and its grounds, children must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Whilst we encourage guests to enjoy the garden walks and woodlands, please note that care must be taken as walkways and stairs may be slippery, particularly when wet. Swimming in the lake and unauthorised use of the boats is strictly forbidden. For the avoidance of doubt it shall Not be the responsibility of Dunster Living to supervise any children whatsoever during any event.
25. The Bride and Groom / Person (s) who has / have booked an event, is / are responsible for the behaviour and actions of their guests while at Halswell House. Inappropriate behaviour may result in the event being closed early by the management of Dunster Living and guests being asked to leave the premises. The management of Dunster Living hereby reserve this right under the contract for this purpose.
26. The person (s) making the booking shall pay for any loss or damage to any part of Halswell House, its environs, or to any fixtures, fittings and equipment, if the same damage is caused by the person (s) who made the booking or by one or more of their guests or paid servants. Under no circumstances should guests or those who have booked the house move any of the furniture or fittings. Dunster Living is not responsible for damage to any article brought onto the premises. Dunster Living shall not be liable for any loss or damage save where the same falls into a category of loss covered by the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956. In respect of any loss or damage to the venue, the same must be reported immediately to the Duty Manager, who will make an inspection with the person who has reported the damage, and thereafter make an entry in the damage to property / fabric book, which will then be signed by the Duty Manager and the person reporting the matter, to indicate that it is an accurate and true record of the damage caused and how so caused.
27. Dunster Living shall not be responsible for the failure to provide facilities contracted for the event of it being prevented from doing so as a result of "Force Majeure" or any other cause beyond its control.
28. Dunster Living reserves the right to alter the allocation of function rooms depending on guest numbers.
29. Dunster Living will only accept groups of related children or children in the same party, being 4 or more in number, on condition that they have a registered child minder and / or parent or guardian to supervise them at all times. Details of registered child minders can be obtained from Dunster Living. The arrangement for supervision must be made via the event organiser. The house adopts this policy to ensure that all guests have a pleasurable and relaxing time whilst at the house. Dunster Living reserves discretion to set a maximum number of children under the age of 16 who may attend any event / function. Dunster Living will take reasonable steps to accommodate the requests of its potential and actual clients regarding this matter, however, it does reserve to itself the ultimate decision as to the maximum number of children under the age of 16 who can be permitted to attend an event, whether supervised or not.
30. After the main bar closes all those not staying at the house must depart from the house. Once this has happened The Justice Room bar will re-open at the Duty Manager's discretion and drinks must be paid for in cash at the point of purchase. The Justice Room bar will remain open until 3am at the latest. In the unlikely event that guests disrespect members of staff, management and / or house policies, the remaining open bar will close immediately and public areas will be closed for the evening.
31. No alcohol may be brought to Halswell House for consumption at the house. Halswell House is a licensed premises. Should you wish to bring wine(s) of your choice to the house to be consumed at your event, this will be permitted, subject to prior agreement with Dunster Living, (noted within the final arrangements list referred to at Clause ) and to payment of an agreed "Corkage" charge per head.
32. Dunster Living reserves the right to make a charge, (separately and in addition to the final account), if for any reason there is damage, howsoever caused, to any part of the house or grounds which prevents Dunster Living from being able to immediately market the house to persons wishing to hold an event, and / or prevents them being able to continue with a scheduled booking.
33. Any additional charges presented in accordance with and under the contract, of which these Terms and Conditions form part, shall become due immediately upon presentation of an invoice in respect of the same.
34. A surcharge of 2.5% will be levied for the handling of credit cards. No handling charges are applied in respect of payments made using Maestro, Electron, or Delta cards.
35. Dunster Living does not accept any responsibility for the acts, omissions to act, quality of service and / or product(s) provided, on the part of any outside contractors and / or service providers, with whom a person (s) booking the house has contracted. For the avoidance of doubt it is noted that all invoices for any such outside contractor / service provider are the responsibility of the person (s) booking the same and NOT the responsibility of Dunster Living. Dunster Living will NOT enter into any agreements in relation to any third party contractors / service providers. Any contract of this nature must be between the person (s) booking the event and the contractor / service provider, (save where a different arrangement has been expressly agreed to by Dunster Living in writing).
36. All Dunster Living approved food suppliers are subject to strict guidelines for delivery, food storage and subsequent food quality and hygiene. Dunster Living will not therefore accept legal liability for any item of food or finished dish that is not purchased from one of its approved suppliers.
37. In the event of cancellation pre payments and deposits will not be refunded under any circumstances. Cancellations must be notified to Dunster Living in writing. Should Dunster Living not be informed of a cancellation in writing, we may at our discretion seek to recover any loss of profit. Where an event is cancelled less than one week prior to the scheduled event date, Dunster Living reserves the right to recover any loss of profit incurred.
38. Cancellation at any time prior to 3 months before the event date, will entitle Dunster Living to charge and or retain 50% of the total booking invoice cost. After this date cancellation will mean that the person (s) booking will forfeit 100% of the total booking charge. It is in the interest of Dunster Living to try to re-let the booking on behalf of person (s) who have booked, and if we are successful, this may reduce the cancellation charges, however we cannot guarantee whether or to what extent this will apply in any given case.
39. The law applicable to the contract between Dunster Living and any person (s) booking an event shall be English law. For the purpose of contractual and other dealings in relation to this contract, Dunster Living means Mark Cranfield Associates Limited trading as Dunster Living who are the agent of Dunster Properties Limited. Both Dunster Properties Limited and Mark Cranfield Associates Limited are registered in England and Wales at Companies House, and upon request the company number (s) and registered and trading office addresses will be provided to any person with a lawful reason to receive the same.
40. Due to demand for certain diary dates we regret that in respect of Saturdays and Bank Holidays we can only accept bookings for the principal dining area, on condition that a minimum of 70 guests are expected to attend, in default of which another function room will have to be agreed if possible.
41. When booking the house it is implied and accepted by the person (s) booking the event that they agree also to take the accommodation which forms part of the house. It is further accepted by the person (s) booking the house that if numbers were to change, (specifically to drop), the full charge in respect of the accommodation would still apply.
42. Dunster Living operates a 7 day policy in respect of lost property. It is the guest's responsibility to check for all personal belongings at Halswell House before departure. Any items found will be listed at reception and can be collected within 7 days from the offices of Dunster Living. After 7 days, Dunster will store lost property safely away from the main house for 12 months. During this time, and upon enquiry / request, items can be returned to the person (s) who had the event at the house, or the guest concerned, at that person (s) expense, the same to be paid to Dunster Living in advance.
43. Ceremony only bookings have strict time allowances for the duration of hire. Further charges may be incurred at the discretion of Dunster Living if these time frames are not adhered to.
44. To protect the exclusivity of an event, details of all-day, and, (if applicable), evening guests, must be supplied to Dunster Living no later than 14 days prior to the event. Guests with invitations but not on a list provided to Dunster Living by the person (s) organising the event will be asked to remain in reception until we can check with the bride, groom, best man / person who's event it is, that they are to be admitted. Guests without invitations / not on an official guest list will be politely asked to leave.
45. In relation to Taxi hire at the end of an event, Dunster Living reserves the right in this contract to arrange the orderly booking of the same. This right is reserved only so as to preserve order and decorum at the house on what are usually special occasions. Dunster Living will book the Taxi(s) in the name of the person(s) who requests the same, and it is agreed that the person who requested the taxi is then responsible for taking and paying for the same Taxi, or to pay the cancellation charge if their plans change. Any non payment by a guest which falls to be paid by Dunster Living may be re-charged with an administration charge of £10.00p to the person (s) who booked the event.
46. Dunster Living (for itself, its employees, agents and its principal) shall not be liable to the Client or third parties for any accident, damage, loss, injury expense or inconvenience, which may be suffered, incurred, arise out of or which is in any way connected with the hiring of the house. In addition, no term of the contract is enforceable under the Contracts (Rights of The Third Parties) Act 1999 by a person who is not a party to the Contract.
47. If Halswell House becomes unavailable or unusable for some reason prior to the date of a booking, then Halswell House's obligation will be to (a) use reasonable endeavours to find a suitable alternative property, or failing which (b) to reimburse the Client for any monies paid.
48. Dunster Living does not warrant and is not responsible for the accuracy of any verbal information given or statements made by its servants or agents.
49. Dunster Living will take all reasonable steps to ensure it can perform any obligations which it has properly entered into in accordance with this contract. However, it is recommend that a person (s) booking a wedding or event take out insurance against the forced cancellation of their event for reasons beyond the control of Dunster Living and for such other risks as they see fit.
50. Where in these terms and conditions reference is made to the singular it shall be interchangeable for the plural and have the same effect if so changed and the same shall apply to references to the masculine or feminine gender.
51. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall affect the parties rights and where applicable, their obligations, at common law, and / or under statute.

We may take the opportunity to update our terms from time to time, it is the customers responsibility to check any updates or at any time an updated terms and conditions can be obtained through our reception team.