Competition

Competition Terms and Conditions 

All entries must be over the age of 18 and UK residence.

We would also like to understand what it would mean to you both to have the opportunity of having your wedding reception held at Dillington House, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9DT and this section must be completed on the entry form.

The wedding party will consist of 40 guests maximum, (all guest numbers would be inclusive of children). Extra guests are permitted up to 140 for the day reception and 250 for the evening which will incur additional charges.

The prize will consist of complimentary exclusive use of Dillington Main House, including the Croquet Lawn and Sun Terrace, and the professional services of one of our Wedding Coordinators and overnight accommodation including breakfast and VAT for the winning couple. Catering will include a three-course wedding breakfast based on our Crystal Package (details available on our website). Drinks will include one welcome reception drink of prosecco or beer, a 175ml glass wine with the meal and a glass of prosecco for the toast.

Venue & decoration – Dillington House – Free venue hire, use of ceremony area and reception rooms, 3 course meal based on our Crystal package with drinks. Decoration includes all decoration we have on site including a selection of lights, candles and lanterns.

Wedding Dress & flower girls- Wedding gown up to the value of £500 and 2 flower girl dresses from the shop @primamodabrides

Photographer- Studio H photography, 4 hours of professional wedding photography @studiohphotos (please note that prints and albums are not included but may be purchased from the Studio H)

Videographer- HedgehogVideo, 3 Hours of Pre/Post and Ceremony Filming (little hedgehog package) @hedgehogvideo

DJ– DJ at my Wedding – 4 hours of your favourite tunes complete with lighting @djatmywedding 

Flowers– Cottage Flowers, bridal bouquet, 3 bridesmaids, 6 buttons holes, 5 centrepieces and registrars table @cottageflowerssomerset

Wedding Cake & Dessert Table:- Melanie Todd Cake Design – One fully decorated wedding cake and matching dessert table @melanietoddcakedesign

Hair – Bridal Hair by Helen – One free hair trial, wedding day hair & wedding hair for one bridesmaid @bridalhairbyhelen

Make up – Eye do Makeup – Free Bridal make up and trial @EyeDoMakeup.UK

Magician– The Bath Magician 60 – 90 minutes of closeup magic to entertain your guests at your canape reception @thebathmagicain

Wedding Props- Enhanced Entertainment – A selection of LOVE letters @enchancedentertainment

Wedding Celebrant – Moments to Remember Professional Celebrant. Your personally designed wedding ceremony including pre wedding consultation worth £600 @paulinemarstonceremonies

Vintage Camper Booths – 2-hour vintage camper van photo booth experience @vintagecamperbooths

Spa Treatments – Twilight spa package for 2 @elementsboutiquespa 

Wedding Entertainment – Funtasia Entertainment, choose 2 from either a chocolate fountain, photo booth, casino tables, selfies station or magic mirror @Funtasiaentertainment

Fireworks – Firestorm Pyrotechnics, a 4 minuet firework display (after dark only and not available on Friday 5^th November) @FirestormPyrotechnics.net

T’s & C’s apply with individual suppliers.  Upgrades and amendments can be made directly with the supplier and any additional services or upgrades should be paid directly to the supplier. Dillington House is not held liable for the cancelation or adjustment of services.

The wedding would be held on an available date of your choice during November 2021.

All entries must be submitted by no later than 11.59pm on Tuesday 30^th June 2020.

The draw will take place on Wednesday 15th July 2020.

The winning entrant will initially be contacted by telephone to set up a video call, this call will be recorded and used by Dillington House on our social media platforms to announce the winner and the prize will be followed up with confirmation in writing.

The winning couple will be required to arrange and pay for their own civil ceremony should one be required.

By entering into a competition, each entrant (“you” or “your”) is deemed to have read the Rules and to have agreed to be bound by them, together with any special rules, prize descriptions or instructions expressly stated to apply to any particular competition.

Competitions are not open to our employees, the participating suppliers and their employees or anyone else connected with the competition, or the immediate families or agents of the foregoing. We have the right to verify the eligibility and identity of any entrant, including by means of a passport or driving licence and utility bill.

Only one entry per couple who are fully intending to marry is allowed.

Key worker entries must be legible and explain the role and involvement of each person of the couple as a key worker during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Entries must include the entrant’s name, address, email address, employer details and telephone number. By entering the competition, you confirm that all information submitted by you is true, current and complete. We may reject any incomplete, illegible, altered, corrupted or multiple entry or any entry which is otherwise in breach of the Rules.

Entries received after the stated closing time and date will not be entered for the specified competition.

We have no responsibility for incorrect, incomplete, lost or delayed entries, or postal telecommunication or internet faults, failures, or delays or telecommunication network incompatibility. Proof of posting or transmission will not be accepted as proof of receipt by Dillington House.

Entries will not be acknowledged or returned.

We shall appoint the judge(s) of any competition. Where required by law or regulation there shall be at least one independent judge. The guiding principle is fairness: if the judge concludes that there has been unfairness, deceit or misinformation in an entry or the conduct of the competition, entries may be declared invalid or adjusted, the competition may be voided or the Rules changed, in any such case to achieve fairness. We may exclude anyone from entry or further participation in a competition if we determine at our absolute discretion that their participation would bring our business into disrepute for any reason, including but not limited to the character and history of the entrant. If no entries reach a required standard, prizes may not be awarded. In the event of any error affecting the competition, whether printing, technological or otherwise, the judge shall have discretion to continue the competition as if the error had not occurred. In all matters, including tiebreakers, the decision of the judge(s) or Dillington House (as the case may be) shall be final and unchallengeable. No correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.

The entries will be chosen in accordance with the Rules, subject to the exercise of the judge’s residual discretion. The judge(s) will determine all valid entries that will go forward to the draw.

Where we are unable to contact a winner within a reasonable period, or any prize cannot be taken up or is declined or returned undelivered, a substitute winner may be drawn or chosen (as the case may be) at our discretion without further notice to the original winner, and the original winner shall cease to be eligible for the prize or any alternative and shall have no claim against us, the judges, our participating competition suppliers or their respective agents.

Dillington House and any competition participating supplier may publish or broadcast your name, details and/or photographs/video and audio for promotional purposes in any medium and you are required to co-operate with any reasonable request to take part in publicity for the competition, your entry or the prize.

The names of winners may be published by us or will be available on request by writing to weddings@somerset.gov.uk. Prize winners shall not without our prior written consent make public or disclose to other media representatives any information in connection with the competition or the prize.

Any prize winner will be bound by the terms and conditions attached to the prize by our participating suppliers.

We reserve the right to cancel the competition or amend the Rules at any time without prior notice. You must check regularly the relevant information published on our social media platforms in which the competition is run and our website for changes to the Rules. By continuing to take part in the competition subsequent to any revision of the Rules or any part of them, you agree to be bound by such changes.

Dillington House, the participating suppliers and their respective agents will not be liable for any circumstances beyond their reasonable control which prevent or delay the completion of the competition, or the award or delivery of any prize, or for any winner’s inability to take up or fully enjoy the prize in the manner and at the time specified.

Standard venue terms conditions also apply in the case of any increase of numbers or additional charges to the prize given.

Children aged between 3 years and 13 years are half the price of an adult charge if having the adult food menu, alternatively you can choose the children’s menu

Children aged under 3 years incurs no charge but please note no beverages or food will be provided.

Hire times are from 12 noon to 1am

We do not allow food to be bought in from the outside unless specifically agreed with your coordinator in which we are not responsible for the food.

A Civil Ceremony can only be undertaken by an official Registrar.

You will need to contact the Registry office in Yeovil, Somerset. They will explain you will need to give Notice of Marriage (valid for 1 year) at your local Registry Office or Notice of Formation of Civil Partnership at any Registry Office within the County in which you live.

Once the date and time is confirmed, please inform Dillington House, for our records.

The registrars have their own charges to perform a Civil Ceremony which must be paid directly by the couple or their nominated payee.

Should you wish to bring extra guests above the 40 people prize we will provide you with an invoice outlining all additional costs in advance.

Cheques should be made payable to Somerset County Council and sent to Dillington House, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9DT or please contact us if you wish to pay by Bank Transfer.

Number’s for both the day and evening should be notified to your wedding co-ordinator 4 weeks prior to the wedding.

We do not add a service charge.  Gratuities are entirely at your discretion. All our prizes include VAT at the current rate.

Notice of cancellation should be made in writing to both Dillington House and the Registry Office (if a civil ceremony applies). We strongly advise taking out an independent insurance policy to cover any possible charges.

Above the 40 people prize normal cancelation policy applies: –

Dillington House reserves the right to cancel any booking forthwith and without any liability on its part in the event of any cause beyond its control, which shall prevent it from performing its obligations in connection with any booking.  Should this happen then Dillington House would refund all monies paid to them.  Dillington House will have no further obligations or liability for non-availability, changes or cancellation.

The client will be liable for the cost of repairs carried out as a result of damage caused to any part of the premises or equipment therein by the negligence or wilful act of any person invited on their behalf.

Any decorations that you require must be with prior agreement from Dillington as all decorations must conform to health and safety requirements.

Anyone who carries out work at height activities on the Dillington Estate, will need to conform to the Work at Height Regulations 2005 in their entirety and will be asked to provide evidence to support this as part of the contract and that they are appropriately qualified to carry out this work.  This evidence must be provided prior to any work taking place.

Please note we do not allow the use of Chinese Lanterns, or similar, as we have livestock in the surrounding fields and we do not want them to come to any harm.

The final invoice for additional charges should there be any will be issued 4 weeks prior to the wedding which is payable within 14 days and any additional charges incurred will be invoiced after the event. Cheques should be made payable to Somerset County Council and returned with the invoice payment slip to Dillington House or you can pay online at http://www.somerset.gov.uk/business-and-economy/do-business-with-the-council/pay-the-council/

Only alcohol purchased at Dillington House may be consumed on the premises including bedrooms.

Dillington House will endeavour to supply other wines by request.

Please discuss corkage charges with us.

Drinks from the bar may be charged to the main account or served on a cash basis.

Wine must be ordered at least 4 weeks in advance of the wedding and will be included on the final invoice which will be raised 4 weeks prior to the event.  If wine is not ordered within this timescale availability cannot be guaranteed.  Once the order is placed the total cost of the order will be payable even in the event of a cancellation.

No refunds can be given once the order is placed and unopened bottles will be given to the client at the end of the wedding.

Dillington can sleep up to 78 guests, in 43 rooms (40 en-suites and 3 with shared bathrooms).  We do not have family rooms but air beds (for under 16 years only) and cots are permitted in certain rooms in accordance with fire regulations. The bed linen, towels for the air beds along with the additional child breakfast will be charged for.

Accommodation is not included in the prize (except the bridal suit for the night of the wedding), rooms are available on request from £60 single, £110 double and from £130 Superior Doubles & Twins, breakfast and VAT included. All rooms will be charged for and paid for in full prior to the stay.

Guests will usually be able to check into their bedrooms from 2.30 pm on the day.   However, special arrangements for the couple and their immediate family can be made. Guests should book direct with Dillington House on 01460 258648 or with your wedding code through our website so we can ensure they receive confirmation of their booking together with relevant information about their stay. Accommodation is subject to availability and should be initially reserved at the time of booking your wedding.

If we are unable to meet guests’ accommodation requirements, we are happy to supply a list of local venues that may be able to help.

In order to comply with the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 (and subsequent amendments), guests over the age of 16 years are required to provide us with their name and nationality. For any guests who are not British, Irish or Commonwealth citizens other details including passport details will be required at check in. This information will be kept for a period of not less than 12 months and the holding and use of personal information is regulated by the Data Protection Act 1998.

Children are welcome at Dillington but must be supervised at all times and special arrangements for this supervision must be discussed and agreed with us in advance.  Dillington has 4 travel cots, air beds and 4 high chairs.  Should this not be sufficient we can also arrange, at a cost, the hire of cots and high chairs if required.