Founded in 1934, Sunningdale Golf & Country Club brings together the prestige, style and level of service you expect at a private golf course together with the flexibility and accommodation you get from a public banquet facility. The staff and management at Sunningdale know how to show a bride and groom just how important they and their wedding day are here. Sunningdale offers extensive, detailed, award-winning personal service from staff and management that both lead and teach in their fields. When staff at The Ring contacted Sunningdale, we were welcomed with a full tour with the experts who have a hand in the execution of your event here.

A Sunningdale wedding day has endless possibilities, from outdoor ceremonies amidst a certified Audobon Wildlife Sanctuary to indoor receptions that look onto the greens from their banquet space in The Thompson Hall with your wedding in mind. Let us explain...

Sunningdale in style

It's easy to understand why brides love Sunningdale - they're all about options and style. At Sunningdale you could host an outdoor ceremony in a lush green surrounding, mingle on the patio with friends or share a fireside cocktail with the groom. Probably one of their most popular features are the French windows that stretch across the walls in the banquet space. And thanks to décor that is subtle but elegant, Sunningdale ties right in with just about any theme or colour scheme.

One of the biggest reasons that Caitlin Caldwell and Chris Alexander chose to host their August 2009 ceremony and reception at Sunningdale was because of their overall high quality of offerings, their beautiful setting and very professional staff. The couple loved that they were able to host an outdoor ceremony (with an indoor back-up), cocktail reception, on-site photo shoot and dinner reception all in one place. "Sunningdale offers the whole package with minimal stress to us," the couple told us. "By choosing Sunningdale, there is no doubt that we will have a great meal and excellent service in a beautiful location."

The overall atmosphere and stunning physical appearance - both inside and out - were Lindsay Smallwood's main reasons for choosing Sunningdale for her June 2009 wedding ceremony and reception. She adds that the options they offered were endless, "whatever we wanted, they would make it happen."

Beautiful indoor and outdoor possibilities

The first thing that strikes you when you view the Sunningdale location is the beautiful, park-like surroundings. The grounds are an Audubon-certified wildlife sanctuary, thanks to the club’s efforts to create a nature-friendly environment. An outdoor patio overlooking the manicured greens makes an inviting spot for enjoying cocktails and your guests' company, and there are no shortage of options and settings for wedding photos.

When Sunningdale unveiled its brand new clubhouse, they proved they have no trouble living up to their reputation for being an amazing wedding locale.

Lindsay says that the room at Sunningdale is "very bright with a lot of natural light. The photos turned out great with the way they situated the head table and dance floor. The style was simple and elegant. You really could do minimal decorating and have a gorgeous style." She adds that "the clubhouse is as beautiful as the golf course and having the ceremony and reception in the same location really makes the day relaxing, not only for the wedding party, but for the guests, too."

Christin Fraser hosted her May 2009 ceremony and reception at Sunningdale and told us that the clubhouse is beautiful. "The room was a nice size and could be partitioned. The tables and chairs and set-up looked great."

Inside, The reception foyer and gathering area with its wonderful stone fireplace can easily hold 150 guests for pre-dinner drinks, standing reception, or an indoor ceremony.

The clubhouse encompasses The Thompson Hall Banquet Facilities, which offers one large 80' x 40' space for a capacity of up to 200 guests, or the option to divide the space into three smaller areas. The clubhouse was carefully designed to reflect the historic and private elements of an upscale club while also catering to events for non-members who want a taste of an extravagant setting. The subtle but elegant décor in the formal dining room - dark taupe walls, white trim, and tray-style white ceiling with contemporary chandeliers - will suit just about any colour scheme or wedding style you have in mind. Natural light pours in through the ample windows and provides guests with a view of the sunset over the hills that surround the golf course.

Caitlin describes the rooms she and Chris hosted their wedding in at Sunningdale as bright, cozy and casually elegant. They hosted their cocktail reception in the front rooms of the clubhouse with slate floors, a fireplace and multiple seating areas that they thought made their guests feel welcome and comfortable. Then, dinner and dancing were in the Thompson room. "I think that room is lovely and classy," says Caitlin. "The windows make it bright and airy and provide a great view of the beautiful grounds. The décor in the room is simple and tasteful and it was easy to decorate for the reception without having to add a lot of extras." She adds that the size and layout of the room made it easy for their 115 guests and the servers to get around.

Service that is second to none

At Sunningdale, you're working with an excellent Chef and Catering Manager who will know your wedding details inside and out. You will also be working with a hands-on Clubhouse Manager who offers true hospitality. Because Sunningdale has set their limit at twenty-five weddings each year, they are confident in their ability to give you incredible personal attention.

The Clubhouse Manager, Josh Redquest, has had several years of experience in the hospitality industry at Resorts in Muskoka and Country Club Management. He likes “the idea that people are impressed by the ambiance at Sunningdale. We want people to feel like they are our personal guests so they feel at home here.”

Caitlin and Chris worked with the Clubhouse Manager for their wedding and told us that they couldn't say enough about how great it was to work with her and her professional, knowledgeable and experienced team. "I honestly felt like I was the only bride planning a wedding because of all the attention I received," Caitlin says. "She was so well organized, patient and paid great attention to all the details. She responded to all my questions in a very timely manner and was so helpful in offering suggestions for the day and for other vendors. From the ceremony to the late night buffet, we couldn't have been more impressed with the service and food... There was not one thing that was missed."

Christin also worked with the Clubhouse Manager and would agree that she is amazing. "She was almost like an on staff wedding planner," she told us. "From the meal to the wine to running the entire event and coordinating on the day of, to providing me with contacts for all of my necessities such as flowers, DJ, and officiant (which was particularly helpful as I was planning the wedding from out of town)..." she was wonderful!

The support of the staff, specifically the Clubhouse Manager, was something that Lindsay didn't find in other venues she checked out when planning her wedding. "It was her job to make us happy and take care of us on our wedding day, and she did an amazing job," she told us. "She really catered to our every need. Every person we came into contact with at Sunningdale was amazing. Whenever I talked to her, I felt like I was talking to a close friend."

Truly memorable menus

For Executive Chef, Volker Jendhoff, the best part of planning a wedding dinner is having the opportunity to create a menu your guests will remember for months to come. He likes “being a part of your special day, helping to create memories that last a lifetime.”

"We really liked Sunningdale's menu and their willingness to customize and work with us to host a spectacular reception," Caitlin and Chris say. Caitlin adds that she would argue Sunningdale has the highest quality food and service in London while also providing the best atmosphere.

Volker and his team use lots of fresh ingredients along with a sense of passion and fun to create dishes that go way beyond the ordinary. Their offerings include a bouquet of baby seedlings wrapped in a cucumber ring, sushi and sashimi, and baked brie wrapped in phyllo with white chocolate and almonds drizzled with raspberry coulis. There’s even an imaginative selection of meat-free dishes for your vegetarian guests.

"The food was great and many of our guests commented on that," Christin says of one of her favourite memories from her reception at Sunningdale. "The late night pizza bar was also a huge hit."

Josh says that two favourites are beef tenderloin topped with forest mushrooms and brandy cream, and breast of chicken stuffed with chevre and spinach, topped with roasted tomato pan jus.

A bartender is provided for your reception, with your choice of a host bar, cash bar, ticket bar or a combination of those options. For a corkage fee of $18 per bottle, you can bring in your own commercially made wine.

Planning & pricing

If you are interested in scouting out this location for yourself, contact the Catering Manager to take a look and book your wedding. She’ll meet with you in person to guide you through all the planning steps. When the big day arrives, she’ll be on hand to make sure everything is perfect.

Lindsay says that she and her husband fell in love with Sunningdale right away and knew it was the right place for them. "There really is no question that the prices matched the value we received," she adds. "Just knowing that on your wedding day there really is nothing to worry about, is priceless."

Room rental for The Thompson Hall is $1500, including white damask table linens, round tables for ten, dark red chairs, serving staff and the use of a lectern and an LCD projector with screen. When it comes to the food, Volker and his team will work within your budget to create the perfect menu. For plated dinners, the price ranges from $50 to $150 per person.

"Sunningdale was very good at being up front about the costs and there were no surprises or extra costs that we did not anticipate," say Caitlin and Chris. "We feel we got what we paid for and more by hosting our wedding at Sunningdale."

Summing up our thoughts nicely, Christin says to other brides looking for a venue in London that "If you want a beautiful setting where all of your details can be taken care of and the day will run without a hitch - Sunningdale is your place."

Details, details, details

• It's best to contact Sunningdale Golf & Country Club approximately 10 to 18 months ahead of your wedding date. You can always call to check if they have openings with less notice.
• Sunningdale books a limited number of weddings each year in order to ensure they can maintain excellent service for each of them.
• There is a deposit of $1500 (for the room rental fee) when you book your wedding date at Sunningdale.
• Your balance is due 2 weeks before the wedding - at the same time you must provide your final guest count.