Smeetham Hall Barn

Wedding Inspiration

Wedding arrangements

Smeetham Hall Barn is the perfect venue for your wedding reception, following either a church, civil or humanist ceremony. With a stunning countryside location and landscaped grounds it makes the perfect backdrop for your wedding photographs. Our romantic wedding Barn also has a silk-lined 800 sq ft marquee which can accommodate up to 150 guests.

Take the stress out of your Wedding Day preparations.

With the Wedding Barn available to you from 9am Friday until 12 noon on Sunday for a Saturday wedding, there is plenty of time to make sure all of your plans are set in place before your big day arrives.

Having the whole day before your wedding to access the barn means you can bring in your reception drinks, seating plan and place names and take the time to enjoy the calm setting and peace and quiet at Smeetham Hall while you make those all-important final adjustments. Your florist and your chosen caterer will have the time they need on the Friday to make their final preparations in the Barn. You can then leave Smeetham Hall Barn feeling relaxed and knowing that all your wedding day preparations have been made, the Barn is ready for you and your wedding guests and that your big day is going to be the wonderful day you planned it to be.

Our wedding barn can seat between 30 and 150 wedding guests and has a large dance area with plenty of room to dance the night away to the band or DJ of your choice.

Our marquee stands within a sheltered courtyard and is perfect as an area to chat to your guests with drinks and canapés or is ideal for barbecues and hog roasts for the more informal wedding receptions.

Our list of local wedding caterers can provide anything from a simple wedding buffet to a full 6-course meal.

As this is your wedding day, we let you decide how your day should be. We will offer as much help and advice as you would like but we encourage our brides and grooms to take the lead by expressing themselves in their wedding reception plans thus making it truly their special day.

From the arrangement of flowers to the time the wedding photographer takes the pictures our couples are in complete control. We simply make sure their wedding day goes to plan.

Smeetham Hall benefits from an idyllic location in the heart of the Essex countryside, yet thanks to excellent transport links, we are within easy reach of London, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Kent. It truly is one of the most stunning wedding venues in Essex.

If you are looking for a wedding venue and would like to visit us at Smeetham Hall Barn, please fill in our contact form and we will arrange a time that suits you.

Faqs

We are sure you will have many questions when you are choosing your wedding venue, so here are a few that are most frequently asked.

Key Facts

Here a are few key facts about Smeetham Hall Barn, our weddings, wedding receptions and the service we offer to our wedding couples.

We are licensed for civil ceremonies. For information on marriage and civil ceremonies, please visit www.gov.uk.

Our local church, St. Andrew's Bulmer, is very happy to welcome couples who would like a religious ceremony.

The Barn, for a Saturday wedding, is yours exclusively from 9am on the Friday until 12 noon on the Sunday.

There is no corkage charge so do feel free to supply your own drink for the day (including water/soft drinks) at no extra cost

We require you to choose from a supplied list of caterers. Very flexible catering options are available and a tasting can be arranged.

We have a full bar for the evening. There is no charge for the staff and local pub prices apply.

We are very lucky to have such a variety of fantastic accommodation close by - from hotels and pubs to cottages for rent.

Help and guidance from Victoria or Sophie on the run up to your day. They never mind how many questions you ask or how often you visit!

Civil & Humanist Ceremonies

As well as being able to hold your civil or humanist wedding and reception here at Smeetham Hall Barn, we are also very happy for you to hold your ceremony only, between 11am and 2pm from Monday to Thursday during the months of May, June and July.

The Barn would be available to you for a two hour period - ample time to enjoy our wonderful grounds for photographs along with a glass of champagne or two!

Prices

£1,950 (inclusive of VAT) for 2023-2025

Please contact Essex Registration on

0345 603 7632 directly for their fees.

We recommend the following Celebrants:

Ewan MacGregor - for a Celebrant to conduct your wedding ceremony or renewal of vows, or a Toastmaster to ensure your day runs smoothly

Telephone - 07762901248

email: ewan.macgregor@uksoc.com

Instagram; ewanmacgregor_celebrant

Facebook: Ewan MacGregor - Family Celebrant

Dawn Rees - on 07846 747 728

Wedding Ideas

When you are planning your wedding day it is a good idea to keep a wedding ideas book to jot down any thoughts you might have. Contact Wilton & Flower Wedding Accessories (our in-house supplier) on:

Lizzie: 07866 627246 | Sophie: 07949 125383

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. The success of it will come out of the effort you put into it and, at Smeetham Hall, we want you to have a magical, memorable wedding day.

Here at Smeetham, we believe that your wedding day should be all about you and we are here to provide you with all the inspiration, help and organisation you need.

Take a look at our seasonal wedding ideas below for inspiration.

Spring

Wedding ideas

Spring weddings can be the perfect excuse to splash out on colour. Crocuses and daffodils are just poking through the Essex countryside. Baby lambs are bleating and butterflies are just about to emerge.

Create a pure and simple atmosphere with candles and fairy lights in the barn with high ceilings, original beams and picture windows overlooking the rolling countryside.

Wedding Venue

In the barn, we have fairy lights wrapped around the original beams and you could add clusters of helium filled balloon bouquets in white or yellow to add some spring freshness. Use potted daffodils or tulip plants as table centrepieces. Complement spring colours of white, yellow, pink and cream with light shades of blue and green.

Wedding Flowers

Choose from the wide array of flowers that are available in spring: peonies, roses, tulips, hyacinth, lilies, daffodils, bluebells, gerbera daisies, lily of the valley and white roses.

Summer
Wedding Ideas

Summer is the most popular season for weddings. Sunny days, clear blue skies and warm temperatures make the perfect wedding day. The summer wedding should be full of colour, vibrancy and, hopefully, sunshine!

What could be more perfect than having your photographs taken against a backdrop of a field of stunning sunflowers or watching the sunset at the end of your magical day over the rolling countryside of The Belchamps.

Greet your guests with a refreshing Pimms & lemonade after the ceremony.

Wedding Venue

Create a fresh summer look with vases filled with bright yellow lemons and sunflowers. Add golden yellows, pretty pastels, vibrant oranges, traffic-stopping reds, fresh whites and glorious pinks. In the barn we have fairy lights wrapped around the original beams to create a romantic atmosphere.

Wedding Flowers

Choose from baby's breath, chrysanthemum, dahlias, daisies, foxglove, geraniums, hollyhocks, hyacinth, lilies, orchids, poppies, pansies, roses and of course, the vibrant sunflower.

Autumn

Wedding Ideas

It is a great time of year to capture some stunning outdoor wedding photos. The light is beautiful and the changing colours of the outdoor backdrops of the Essex countryside can be stunning at Smeetham Hall Barn.

Greet your guests with hot mulled wine or cider after the ceremony.

Wedding Venue

Colour is all important as the days get greyer. Choose traditional autumn hues such as deep red, yellow, orange, crimson and copper in flower arrangements. Decorate the venue with autumn foliage, large pumpkins and greenery. In the barn we have fairy lights wrapped around the original beams to create a magical atmosphere.

Wedding Flowers

There is no shortage of choice for your bouquet, buttonholes and decorations. You can choose from burgundy roses, sunflowers, orchids and dahlias. All to complement your autumn wedding.

Winter
Wedding Ideas

Winter weddings can be very beautiful and intimate and certainly will stand out from the many summer weddings that are held each year. The colder days and darker evenings create an intimate atmosphere making it the perfect season to have a real fairytale style wedding.

Create a romantic and magical atmosphere with candles and fairy lights, high ceilings with original beams and picture windows overlooking the snowy countryside.

Greet your guests with mulled wine or warm winter Pimms after the ceremony.

Wedding Venue

We have fairy lights wrapped around each beam and to these you can add Christmas wreaths and pine cones for a wintry theme. Complement with colours such as opulent golds, silver, ruby reds or simple black or white.

Wedding Flowers

Choose from freesias, lilies, poinsettias, hydrangeas or even roses. Combine your winter flowers with winter accents such as pine cones, holly leaves, baby's breath, berries and others.

Wedding Inspiration

Wedding arrangements

Faqs

Key Facts

Civil & Humanist Ceremonies