One of the most useful things you can do early in your planning is picture the shape of the day. Not the flowers, not the favours, but the actual flow: when things happen, how long each part takes, and how one moment hands off to the next.

What follows is the running order for a Traditional Arboretum wedding at The BarnYard. Timings are based on a 2:00pm ceremony, which is our standard start time for the Arboretum full-day package. Your final schedule will be confirmed and tailored at your wedding meeting, but this is a reliable picture of how the day tends to unfold.

The morningVenue hire begins at 9:15am

The venue is yours from 9:15am. We have two beautifully appointed dressing room suites on site, so both partners can get ready at The BarnYard if they choose. Your photographer will usually plan to arrive during preparations to capture the morning details: the dress, the rings, the small quiet moments before everything begins.

Flowers, stationery and any personal touches can come in from the morning too. Our team will already be setting up the Arboretum while you get ready, including your complimentary personalised BarnYard wedding sign, which is yours to take home afterwards.

Doors openGuests arrive from 1:00pm

Your guests are welcomed into The Arboretum from 1:00pm, where the bar is already open. They can get a drink, find their place on the table plan and enjoy the grounds before the ceremony begins.

One thing worth noting for anyone who asks: the bar closes 20 minutes before the ceremony. This is a registrar requirement for licensed premises and applies everywhere in England, not just here. It reopens immediately after the ceremony is over.

The groom, or first partner, arrives at 1:00pm. The bride, or second partner, arrives with the bridal party at 1:45pm. If you would prefer not to cross paths before the ceremony, our team will make sure the routes stay separate.

The momentCeremony at 2:00pm

The ceremony begins at 2:00pm in one of four settings. The Lavender Walk Gazebo has a long aisle approach beneath wisteria and rose, bordered by lavender flower beds and lit with fairy lights. The Orchard Garden Gazebo sits higher up, with panoramic views across the apple and pear orchards, rolling hills and bluebell woodland beyond. Both are outdoor.

If the weather turns, the ceremony moves seamlessly to the dedicated indoor ceremony area within The Arboretum, which has curved bi-folding glass doors and the same orchard views. The Apple Barn is also available as an alternative indoor setting for an additional charge. The ceremony always goes ahead.

Ceremony music plays through our professional PA system. If you have arranged live music for the ceremony, there is space for a small ensemble. Our team books your ceremony with the Kent Registrars on your behalf. Their fee is separate from The BarnYard's charges and is paid directly to them.

Newly marriedDrinks reception from 2:30pm

As soon as the ceremony finishes, guests move onto the manicured lawn for drinks and canapés, served by the waiting team. This is your breathing space: the photographs, the congratulations, the moment to actually take stock of what just happened.

Hot and cold canapés are included alongside your choice of welcome drink. Champagne is available as an upgrade on the standard Prosecco. While the drinks reception is happening outside, your evening entertainment can quietly set up on the Arboretum stage ready for later, with no disruption to the flow of the day and no need to move guests around.

Allow around an hour and a half here. Your photographer will be making the most of the grounds during this window.

Sit downWedding breakfast at 4:15pm

Guests are invited back into The Arboretum at 4:00pm. If you want a formal receiving line with introductions, this is the moment for it. The wedding breakfast is served from 4:15pm.

The menu is chosen in advance from our full selection: three sit-down courses or a daytime BBQ in the grounds. Starters include baked asparagus in prosciutto, a traditional prawn cocktail and grilled beetroot halloumi among others. Main courses run from braised beef to a trio of BarnYard sausages served in a giant Yorkshire pudding, aged lamb rump, chicken in a champagne and parma ham sauce, slow roasted pork, and a full range of vegetarian options. Desserts include The BarnYard's own apple pie, wild berry Eton mess, sticky toffee pudding and a Sicilian lemon tart. All ingredients are freshly prepared and locally sourced where possible.

If you would like to offer your guests a choice on the day, a second menu option per course is available at a supplement of £7.50 per head.

Drinks included with the meal are half a bottle of wine per person, mineral water on every table and a glass of Prosecco for the toast. Specialty ground coffee and tea, served with artisan marshmallows, follows the dessert.

The speechesFrom 6:00pm

Speeches follow the meal at around 6:00pm. Our informal toastmaster, included in your package, guides guests through the formalities and handles all announcements throughout the day. After the speeches there is a natural stretch of free time before the evening begins, a quieter interval that gives people the chance to step outside, find guests they haven't yet spoken to, and enjoy the venue while the late afternoon light is still there.

The partyEvening guests arrive at 7:00pm

Evening guests are invited from 7:00pm, and the entertainment begins. The Arboretum shifts at this point. Intelligent lighting locks onto your colour scheme, the three grand crystal chandeliers and the fairylit ceiling come fully into their own, and outside the grounds light up with twinkling festoons and fairy lights strung through the trees, gazebos and pergolas. The effect is a different venue to the one your daytime guests walked into, which is exactly the point.

Cake cutting follows at 7:30pm, announced by the DJ. The first dance is at 7:45pm. Both are timed so the energy of the evening is building. Evening food is served at 8:30pm and is included for all your daytime guests plus up to 20 additional evening guests. Additional evening covers beyond that are charged at £20 per head.

Last songBar closes at 11:30pm, carriages by midnight

Music stops and the bar closes at 11:30pm. Carriages are by midnight. Our duty manager is on hand throughout the evening and will make sure everything wraps up smoothly and on time.

If you want to extend the evening, a late bar licence extension is available at £550 for an extra hour (closing at 1:00am) or £350 for half an hour (closing at 12:30am). This is arranged in advance and confirmed well before the day, not on the night itself.

At midnight, The BarnYard's included "Arrive in Style, Leave in Luxury" Transport Concierge Service takes you and your pre-chosen VIP guests to your overnight accommodation in a Mercedes-Benz. It is one of those details couples mention when they look back on the day.

The morning afterBarnYard Breakfast

If you and your guests are staying nearby, you can carry the celebration into the next day with a BarnYard Breakfast in our oak-beamed restaurant. It is the easiest, most relaxed part of the whole weekend. Worth booking ahead if you are expecting a group.

A few things to knowPractical notes

Children: Children aged 0-4 are free of charge but still catered for and included in final numbers. Children aged 5-11 are charged at 50% of the adult package price. No other child-specific charges apply.

Pets: Well-behaved dogs, cats and the occasional hamster are welcome at The BarnYard on your wedding day. Let us know in advance and we will make sure they are looked after.

Lawn games: During the day and early evening, complimentary use of our giant garden chess set is available. Other wooden lawn games can be hired separately.

Your planning portal: Your wedding is managed through SONAS, our online planning system, where you can book extras, confirm guest numbers and stay in contact with our team throughout the planning process. VIP access to The BarnYard's 'I Do' Club is also included.