FAQ

• Your venue fee covers all planning meetings at Manor Farm Barn and phone and email correspondence on the lead up to your wedding day
• You are welcome to bring your parents, florist, photographer etc to see Manor Farm Barn, but please phone to make an appointment.  Weekends are possible as long as we don’t have a wedding.
• We will need a couple of meetings at Manor Farm Barn to go through the details of your day – these are generally held about 6 months and 1 month before your wedding.

• To confirm the booking for the venue we will require a total deposit of £1,000.
• An invoice for the total estimated cost of the event will be raised 26 weeks prior to the event date, 50% of this invoice is due on this date, minus your £1,000 deposit.
• We will ask you to confirm your final numbers one month before the wedding, and will invoice you for our venue hire fee, the drinks package which we will have agreed, any additional agreed extras and the returnable damage deposit (£500) less all monies paid prior to this invoice. This account will be due for settlement, with any cheques cleared, twenty one days before the wedding. Refunds will not be given if numbers should drop. Any changes made after this date may result in extra charges
• We will balance your account, and return your damage deposit (all being well!) within three weeks of the wedding
• The hirer shall be required to pay for any loss or damage to any part of the venue, or any fixtures, fittings and equipment which is caused by the hirer, their guests or suppliers.

• 26 plus weeks notice – £100 administration fee
• 13 to 26 weeks notice 50% charge
• 7 to 13 weeks notice 75% charge
• 0 to 7 weeks notice full charges to be made

In the event that the deadline for your final balance has passed, a 5% charge of the remaining balance will be added to your final invoice.

For notice of cancellation to be valid, we must receive it in writing, sent via recorded delivery. If you cannot prove we have received your cancellation letter, it will be deemed that notice has not been given and further charges will apply. A verbal cancellation is not accepted under any circumstances.

Deposits are non returnable. We would strongly advise you to take out wedding cancellation insurance when you pay your deposit

• No paper confetti can be used at Manor Farm Barn as it is difficult to remove from outside the barn and garden.  We ask that you either purchase freeze dried petals which are available from most wedding suppliers or have some fun picking and drying your own!
• Drinks before the wedding breakfast are served in the gardens when fine, but in an adjoining barn in cold/wet weather
• No smoking inside the barn; we have a designated smoking area outside.
• Please check with our caterers if your guest numbers are below 75 for the wedding breakfast.
• The maximum seating for a wedding breakfast in the barn is 120.
• The maximum total number of guests including evening guests is 150
• We may need to move a couple of tables to make room for dancing.
• The last dance is at 11.45pm. The bar closes at 11.30pm.

It is useful for your guests to have the following information; all of which is available on our website. We can email copies to you for those who have no internet access.

1. Direction sheet and map to Manor Farm Barn – find us
2. Taxi list (cars can be left here overnight)
3. Local accommodation list

• Please could you provide a list of all the important people in the bridal party so they can be liaised with on the day ie parents, best man, chief bridesmaid etc.
• We can call people to attention (ie for guests to find their seats and to announce cake cutting/first dance) but it may be useful to have a member of your family to act as master of ceremonies for this.
• Please can you arrange for someone to ring us on 07775 765128 when you leave the church to give us a more accurate idea of your expected arrival time.

Here is a rough idea of timings if you are planning on having your Civil Ceremony followed by your reception at Manor Farm Barn:

• 2.30pm – Civil Ceremony
• 3.00pm – Drinks reception & photos
• 4.15pm – Guests to find their seats in the barn
• 4.30pm – Meal is served
• 6.30pm – Speeches & Toasts
• 7.00pm – Evening guests arrive
• 7.45pm – Cake Cutting & First Dance
• 7.45pm – Band/Disco starts
• 9.00pm – Evening food is served
• 11:30pm – Last orders at the bar
• 11:45pm – Finish

If you are arriving from a Church it would be most useful for someone in the wedding party to call ahead so we have an idea of an accurate arrival time.

• There will be extra staffing costs for weddings starting before 1.00pm
• The licensed bar will be open from the time of arrival of your guests if your ceremony is being held elsewhere.  If you are holding your civil ceremony at Manor Farm Barn, the bar will not open until after the ‘I do’s’.  The bar closes at 11.30pm

The bar will be stocked with lager, bitter and the usual bar stock.

• We will discuss and agree any drinks package before your wedding.  It is possible to bring your own wine and champagne/prosecco however there will be a corkage charge of £14 per bottle of wine, £19 for Prosecco & Cava and £26 per bottle of champagne
• Unless corkage is paid all drinks must be bought from Manor Farm Barn

• During your meetings prior to your wedding day we will ask for the names and contact details of your disco/band, photographer, florist etc who will be coming to Manor Farm Barn.  We will want to contact them to make sure they are bringing everything they need with them and so that we know what time they are arriving on the day.  Please make sure they have a map and directions as some sat navs may take them past the venue.
• Please speak to the caterer that you have chosen if you are providing a meal for the band or photographer.  Speak to us if you would like to run a bar tab for the band/DJ.
• Fireworks are not possible as we have a number of thatched buildings behind the barn.
• All catering at Manor Farm Barn must be supplied by one of our catering partners.  In the event of all of our catering partners not being available on your date, please speak to us.

• We can set up a table in the entrance marquee for your guests to leave your presents and cards.
• It is possible to have either a round or long top table (depending on your guest numbers). The majority of our seating is 5ft 6in round tables which seat 10 comfortably.
• We have a table for the cake which is normally displayed in the entrance marquee.
• As we only have one wedding per weekend (or every other day during the week) you can therefore spend the day before (10.30am to 4.00pm) decorating the barn.  It is a good idea to bring everything with you on this day.  We will be there to discuss your requirements and help with any last minute details. Your seating plan is usually displayed in the entrance marquee.
• It would be most helpful if you send Manor Farm Barn a copy of your seating plan a day or two before, listing the names in order so its clear when we turn the barn around.  If any of your guests have special dietary requirements its a good idea to indicate them on the plan.
• We are happy to light candles / tea lights on the ledges in the barn as long as they are displayed in lanterns or jars.
• We have table name stands & log slices for tables that you can borrow.
• Please be advised that alcoholic favours are not permitted as their consumption on the premises cannot be monitored. The only exceptions to this rule would require the payment of a corkage fee for each individual favour.
• Tablecloths, napkins, table glassware, crockery & cutlery are all provided by our caterers
• Please check out our preferred supplier page if you want to hire chair covers or sashes.  Our regular supplier knows the dimensions of our chairs and will liaise with us directly with reference to your requirements.

• There is a pond in the field nearby and farm machinery is dangerous. Please make sure that children are supervised at all times.
• We can hire in highchairs when required however there will be a charge of £10.00 + VAT per highchair.  Parents are more than welcome to bring their own.

• We have a list of taxi and mini bus companies at the bottom of our recommended suppliers list
• It is sensible to book taxis in advance – please enclose the list with invitations, so that guests can organise their transport. If a group are going to one place it may be cost-effective for them to organise a mini bus or coach.

• We have a list of recommended suppliers – their prices are not included in our charges.