Everything Explained

The Arboretum is our permanent, all-season glass pavilion, set at the bottom of a hill in a natural valley surrounded by apple and pear orchards. It has a classic white marquee-style roofline, and every side panel is a bi-folding glass door that opens to flood the space with light and air. Inside you will find three large crystal chandeliers, warm white fairy lights, foliage garlands, a contemporary bar alongside the dance floor, and a fully integrated sound and lighting system. With its glass walls it works just as well in winter rain as in summer sun, morning or evening.

The Arboretum holds up to 200 guests for a seated wedding breakfast, with an additional 100 evening guests, so up to 300 in total. For our Intimate package, we host up to 30 guests in the Apple Barn. Minimum guest numbers also apply to each package and vary by season, so it is worth talking through your numbers with us early.

The Apple Barn is our lovingly converted rustic barn, full of original character, exposed oak and the warm glow of hundreds of fairy lights. It is the home of our Intimate weddings, an alternative indoor ceremony setting, and a beautiful space for later-in-the-day Twilight celebrations.

Our Signature Full Private Hire gives you exclusive use of the entire venue, every building and outdoor space, with the restaurant closed to the public so the whole site is yours for the day. Our other packages give you private use of the Arboretum and its surrounding gardens. The BarnYard is a large estate with several separate spaces, so on busier days more than one celebration can run here, always kept completely apart with its own areas, and full-site exclusivity is the Signature option.

A civil ceremony is a legally binding wedding conducted by a registrar, with no religious content. Your vows, readings and music are entirely your choice. It is the legal heart of your wedding day, and at The BarnYard it takes place in the ceremony setting you choose.

Yes. We are fully licensed to host civil ceremonies and partnerships for up to 200 guests, depending on the setting you choose. Our wedding team books your ceremony with the Kent Registrars on your behalf, all you need to do is choose your date.

There are four. Outdoors, the Lavender Walk Gazebo has a long aisle approach beneath wisteria and rose, bordered by lavender, while the Orchard Garden Gazebo offers panoramic views across the orchards and rolling hills. Indoors, you can marry in the dedicated ceremony area within The Arboretum, or in the charming Apple Barn for an additional charge.

Yes, both gazebos are outdoor settings. If the weather turns, your ceremony moves seamlessly to the dedicated indoor ceremony area within The Arboretum, which has curved bi-folding glass doors and the same orchard views, so it never feels like a compromise. The ceremony always goes ahead, rain or shine.

Yes, all of those are welcome. A civil ceremony can include non-religious readings, your chosen songs through our professional PA system or a small live ensemble, a personalised vow exchange and any rituals that mean something to you. The registrar will guide you on what is and is not permitted.

Most ceremonies run between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on how many readings, songs and personal touches you include. Your registrar will talk you through the timing at your pre-ceremony appointment.

Your ceremony is conducted by a registrar from the Kent Registrars. We book it on your behalf, but the Registrars charge their fee directly to you and it is separate from anything The BarnYard charges. We will let you know what to expect as part of your planning.

Just one thing: you will need to give notice of marriage at your own local register office, wherever you live, at least 28 days before the wedding. We book the ceremony itself with the Kent Registrars on your behalf, and our team will remind you about giving notice.

Yes. Your legal ceremony is included in all four packages, Traditional, Twilight, Intimate and Signature. Full day Arboretum weddings choose from four ceremony settings, while Twilight and Intimate ceremonies take place in the Apple Barn or outdoors in the CourtYard.

We offer four. Traditional is a full daytime wedding in the Arboretum. Twilight shifts the focus to the evening, with a late-afternoon ceremony and a party atmosphere. Intimate is for up to 30 guests in the Apple Barn on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Signature is full private hire, with the entire venue exclusively yours. Each one has its own page with the full detail.

Our Traditional Arboretum package genuinely is. It covers venue hire from 9:15am to midnight, canapés, a choice of welcome drink, a three-course wedding breakfast or daytime BBQ, a drinks package, evening food, all your furniture and styling (tables, Chiavari chairs, linens, china, glassware, chandeliers and fairy lights), uniformed staff, an informal toastmaster, a personalised wedding sign to keep, and our Leave in Luxury transport service at the end of the night. There are no hidden costs.

Your evening food is included for all of your daytime guests plus up to 20 additional evening guests. Any evening guests beyond that are catered for at £20 per head.

Children aged 0 to 4 are completely free of charge, though still catered for and included in your final numbers. Children aged 5 to 11 are charged at 50% of the adult package price.

Yes. We have two beautiful dressing room suites on site, so both partners can get ready at The BarnYard on the morning of the wedding if they choose.

Everything is cooked fresh on site by our own kitchen team, using locally sourced and homegrown ingredients wherever possible, including fruit from our own orchards. Having the kitchen, the team and the spaces all under one roof is one of the things that sets The BarnYard apart.

Yes. You choose your wedding breakfast from our full menu of starters, mains and desserts, or opt for a daytime BBQ instead. The standard package includes one menu for all guests. If you would like to offer your guests a choice of two options per course, that is available at a supplement of £7.50 per head, with guests pre-selecting in advance.

Absolutely. We cater for all dietary requirements including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free. Just confirm everything at your final wedding meeting and we will make sure every guest is well looked after.

If your ideal menu is not on our list, our chefs will work with you to create something tailored to your day. Your menu is personalised at your final wedding meeting, and we are happy to talk through tasting options when you enquire.

Your package includes a drinks package: half a bottle of wine per person, mineral water on every table and a glass of Prosecco for the toast, with Champagne available as an upgrade. The bar closes at 11:30pm and the venue closes at midnight as standard. If you would like to carry on, a late bar extension is available at £550 for an extra hour or £350 for half an hour, arranged in advance.

No. As a licensed venue, all drinks are served from our fully stocked bar and outside alcohol is not permitted, so we do not offer corkage. If there is a particular drink you would love for your guests, talk to us and we will do our best to bring it in for you.

No. There is no cake-cutting charge. It is announced by our DJ as part of the evening and handled by our team at no extra cost.

It depends on your package, guest numbers, date and the day of the week, so there is no single figure. As a guide, the Traditional Arboretum package starts from £6,000 for a Sunday to Thursday in the quieter months, rising to around £15,950 for a Saturday in peak summer. Twilight starts from £3,450 for venue hire with catering priced separately, and the Intimate package is £5,000. All prices include VAT.

Yes, and it varies by package and season. For the Traditional Arboretum package the minimum starts at 50 adult guests in the quieter months, rising to 60 in the warmer months and as many as 80 for a peak summer Saturday. The Intimate package is designed for up to 30 guests. We will confirm the minimum for your chosen date when you enquire.

Your package covers the venue, catering and drinks. You will want to budget separately for your photographer or videographer, entertainment such as a DJ or band, flowers and styling beyond what the venue provides, your cake, and the Kent Registrars fee, which is paid directly to them. Our journal article on what a BarnYard wedding actually costs has the full breakdown.

Yes. Saturdays in June, July and August carry the highest prices, while Sunday-to-Thursday dates and the quieter months are meaningfully lower. November and midweek winter dates offer some of the best value at The BarnYard. December is dressed beautifully for Christmas, and the pricing reflects the season.

Yes. To secure your date you pay an initial reservation fee of £1,250 and sign our terms. A second payment of £2,750 follows for full-day weddings, your final wedding meeting is held twelve weeks before the day for Arboretum weddings, and the final balance is due no later than seven days before the wedding. We also offer handy payment plans, which we are happy to talk through.

The reservation fee is non-refundable. It secures your date and covers the initial planning work. Separately, a £500 damage deposit is taken with your final balance and refunded after the wedding provided there is no damage. We strongly recommend taking out wedding insurance to protect yourselves against any unforeseen circumstances.

No. We do not charge corkage, there is no cake-cutting charge, and we do not charge your photographer, florist or band a fee to be on site. Our brochure says it plainly: no hidden costs. If anything is ever not clear, ask us, we would always rather you know before you book.

Yes. Our experienced wedding team guides you through every detail from your initial showround to your final meeting, and on the day itself we act as your informal toastmaster, gently keeping everything running so you can relax and enjoy it. Your wedding is also managed through SONAS, our online planning portal, where you can confirm numbers, book extras and stay in touch with us throughout.

Yes. We have a list of recommended suppliers who know the venue inside out, but you are welcome to bring your own. Any external supplier simply needs public liability insurance of at least £5 million and PAT-tested equipment.

Your final wedding meeting is held twelve weeks before the day for Arboretum weddings, where you confirm your final guest numbers, menu choices and timings. If your numbers change significantly before then, talk to us early as minimum guest numbers apply to each package.

Music stops and the bar closes at 11:30pm, with carriages by midnight. If you want to keep going, a late bar extension is available at £550 for an hour or £350 for half an hour, arranged in advance rather than on the night.

If you and your guests are staying nearby, you can extend the celebration with a BarnYard Breakfast in our oak-beamed restaurant the morning after your wedding. It is the most relaxed part of the whole weekend, and worth booking ahead for a group.