COTE HOW
Guest Information Pack

Dear Wedding Guest

Your wedding couple has chosen to celebrate their wedding here at Cote How, and we look forward to meeting you very soon! As many of you may not be familiar with the Lakes in general or us, we have prepared this information to help you get the most out of your day and remain comfortable while at Cote How.

Car Parking and Transport

We have NO ONSITE PARKING. This is a condition of our license and also impacts the quality of your host’s wedding photographs. Your wedding couple may have already arranged guest transport. Please enquire with them in the first instance. If not, we recommend that you prearrange a private transfer to and from Cote How. Please note that some taxis do not take pre-bookings.

We highly recommend that you pre-book transport for both to and from the venue in advance of the wedding day. If there are various groups of guests staying locally, minibuses are best pre-booked and will make multiple trips picking up and dropping off at B&Bs in the area, with guests sharing the costs between them.

Contract Hire Options:
Requires pre-booking by the Bride and Groom to be on standby for all guests.
RECOMMENDED OPTION: Mountain Goat Minibuses 015394 45161
Travellers Choice coaches and mini-coaches 015394 48500

The Rustic Charm

Cote How is a typical Lakeland historic house and barn with uneven grounds and predominantly made up of loose slate chippings and lawned areas. You may wish to bear this in mind when choosing footwear and /or bring a spare pair of sturdy shoes / walking boots or wellies. We cannot be held responsible for accidents or damage to the footwear.

Outside Weddings

It may be that your hosts have chosen to have an outdoor wedding ceremony. This is weather-dependent, but the Lakes can be a lot cooler than other areas of the country – so please bring outdoor coats to keep warm. (approx. 4-7 degrees or cooler than London!)

The barn was built in the 16th Century and lacks modern insulation. Although we have limited heat sources for use when the barn doors are closed, we recommend bringing extra clothing layers for your comfort.
The barn is located down at the bottom of the grounds some 25m from the house down a slate gravel slope. In the evenings, the house is closed for security reasons. Please always keep all valuables with you in the barn. There are two toilets to the rear of the barn for your convenience; the house and house toilets will be closed at 7 pm. If any of your party is ill or infirm, we do have a small wheelchair for use if required.

Babies and Baby Changing

We have one highchair, so please coordinate with your hosts should you need one. The barn toilets are not suitable for baby changing or baby feeding, so please introduce yourselves to our staff who will facilitate this in the house should it be required. We are happy to provide any food warming that you may require.
PLEASE ENSURE that NO baby wipes and nappies are flushed down the toilets as we have Saniflow toilets and a septic tank, both of which will be seriously damaged if misused.

Stilettoed heels

The historic house has historic wooden floors which any stiletto heels will damage. You must purchase “Heel Protectors” that fit your shoes snugly BEFORE the wedding. These are push-on clear plastic covers that protect the floors from damage and protect your shoes from gravel and soft ground. (We do stock a limited selection behind the bar and will charge for them on the day.) available from most online stores.

Unfortunately, the floors have been damaged in the past, so we will insist they you remove your shoes to enter the house if you do not have heel protectors.

Children

We are happy to welcome a limited number of children at Cote How. Still, as the grounds are extensive and rustic with lots of walls and planting, children must always be fully supervised by a responsible adult. Damage to the grounds will be charged.

Privacy

Cote How is our family home and as such there are some areas of the house and grounds which are private.
If your evening reception is booked for the barn, we close the house bar and toilets once the wedding has moved to the barn. The bedrooms are strictly for residents only. Non-residential wedding guests are not permitted upstairs at any time. Non-residential bridesmaids and helpers are asked to meet the bride in the dining area ahead of the ceremony (We will ensure that all other guests are confined to the ceremony area).

Confetti

Please ensure that only natural petals – Fresh or dried are used. Please DO NOT use paper even though it is marked as bio-degradable as it takes a long time to degrade and gets trapped in the gravel, making it impossible to clear up before the next wedding.

Health and Safety / Insurance

Drones, Sparklers, Fire Pits and Fireworks are not permitted.

Refreshments:

As we are not a hotel with large staffing teams, we cannot manage early arrivals or additional requests. Please adhere to the arrival times as we are busy prepping for the wedding. There is plenty of time before the ceremony, so you do not need to arrive any earlier than below. If you are travelling on the wedding day, maybe plan to stop in nearby Ambleside or Grasmere to get refreshments, leave the car at your accommodation, book a taxi, or join the minibus to the venue.

Your Wedding Day Schedule:

Your wedding couple will advise you of the Wedding Schedule. This will include specific arrival and departure times, the ceremony start time and any food and drinks times. 
Hopefully, this will help to plan your day around eating requirements etc.
Again we ask that you only arrive from the arrival time stated and no earlier.

Private Hire Taxis:

As a rural area, we do not have the benefit of Uber etc.… Please book transport in good time before the wedding day as you may find it difficult to get taxis at short notice. Some companies will not take bookings either, and so the contract hire options above are recommended. Check your departure times on your invitation and pre-order your taxi for collection at that time or before – Not later. (Please note that you must be waiting on the house terrace as drivers will not come and find you in the barn)

Pre-order for collection at the stated time in your wedding timeline (Please note that you must be waiting on the house terrace as drivers will not come and find you in the barn)
Ambleside Taxis:     015394 88285 (4, 6 and 8 seaters)
Amber Taxis:           015394 42000
John’s Taxis:             07759 143423 (8 seat minibus)
Kevin’s Taxis:           015394 32371 – Single Operator Taxi
Adam’s Taxis:          07553 835820 – Single Operator Taxi
Grasmere Taxis:      015394 35506 – Single Operator Taxi

Local Accommodation

The accommodation at Cote How is reserved for the bridal couple only. Many local accommodation providers are within walking distance or a short taxi ride from nearby Ambleside or Grasmere.

THE GRAND at Grasmere
RYDAL LODGE – 015349 33208 – Speak to Helena or Mark (7 bedrooms) will offer full exclusivity for Cote How weddings
HAVEN COTTAGE – 015394 33270 – Speak to Chris or Allie (5 Bedrooms) – Min 2 nights only
CROW HOW B&B – 015394 32193 – Andrew and Jill
THE GABLES AMBLESIDE – 015394 33272
THE ROTHAY GARTH AMBLESIDE – 015394 32217 – (15 rooms)
THE SALUTATION HOTEL – 015394 32244
Or Search http://www.golakes.co.uk for the dates you require and look for properties near LA22 9LW.

Holiday Cottages

If you are attending a mid-week wedding, it may be worth considering a holiday cottage and using the time to enjoy a short break whilst basing yourself locally.
HEART OF THE LAKES
LAKE LOVERS
CUMBRIAN COTTAGES

We hope that these guidelines are useful and help you come well prepared to have a lovely day.

For more information please do check out our frequently asked questions page on our website 

We hope you have found this information useful and we really look forward to meeting you on the wedding day. 

Caroline, Steve, Rebecca and Dan