Frequently Asked Questions
Idyllic Surrey Wedding venue in Guildford, Barnett Hill, has every detail covered...
Q. Will our wedding be the only one at your venue on our wedding date?
A. Yes. We guarantee only one wedding per day. Although if Exclusive Use is not taken there may be leisure/conference guests on site.
Q. Is Barnett Hill licensed to carry out civil weddings?
A. Yes. Barnett Hill is a country house wedding venue which is licensed to carry out civil weddings and partnerships. Our maximum capacity for a ceremony is 70 adult guests and needs to be booked with Guildford Register Office. On average the ceremony takes between 20-30 minutes.
Q. What kind of timeline will my day run by?
A. The following timings are a rough guide as to how long the various elements of your day will take:
Civil Ceremony Between 20 minutes and 30 minutes
Reception drinks and photographs One and a half hours
Receiving line: Between 15 minutes and 30 minutes
Three course wedding breakfast: One and a half hours
Speeches: Approximately 30 minutes
Evening buffet suggested time for serving: Approximately 9pm to 10pm
Q. Can we have a marquee?
A. Unfortunately our license does not allow marquees.
Q. When can we have access to begin setting up the room in terms of decorating the tables?
A. This does depend on the current business taking place. Should the reception room not be in use the night prior to your wedding, we will endeavour to set up on the night prior. If the room is in use the night prior then the room will be set up first thing on the morning of your wedding. Our dedicated team is more than willing to decorate the room and set place cards and direct suppliers to the correct place. We ask that all additional table items; place cards, favours etc, be delivered the day before your wedding and handed over to our expert Guildford wedding planner.
Q. Do you allow confetti?
A. Yes. We invite you to use bio-degradable confetti outside.
Q. Do you allow candles to be lit in the reception room?
A. Yes. For safety, all candles must be on an appropriate surface or in a holder/stand.
Q. Do you provide stationery for the tables - menus, place cards and table plan?
A. Yes. We are pleased to provide table plans and menus, with our compliments. Place cards may be requested at 55p each.
Q. Do you cater for all dietary requirements?
A. Yes. Our team of chefs is always happy to provide for all dietary requirements and request that any dietary requirements are pointed out at the final meeting with the wedding planner. As all food is freshly prepared on site at Barnett Hill, we know just what goes into each dish and will adapt the dish accordingly. If that is not possible, an equally excellent alternative will be offered.
Q. Is there a children's menu?
A. Yes. Children between 4 and 12 years can either opt for a half portion of the adult meal at half the price or can take advantage of our children's menu at £12.50 which covers all the child favourites. Our wedding planner is happy to provide this menu on request.
Q. Will I receive a menu tasting prior to the wedding?
A. Yes, a complimentary tasting for the Bride and Groom is offered to take place 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. The tasting will consist of two choices of each course and also includes a complimentary glass of house wine with your meal. Additional guests are also welcome at £28.00 + VAT per person.
Q. Do you cover all the catering?
A. Yes. All catering is done in house at Barnett Hill.
Q. Are we able to supply our own wines?
A. We have an extensive wine list so do not allow corkage. Should there be particular wines that you would like that we do not stock we will try our upmost to source the wines through our suppliers.
Q. Do you include a cake stand and knife?
A. Yes. We do provide a round or square silver cake stand and keepsake knife.
Q. Will there be someone in charge and looking after us on our big day?
A. Yes, there will a member of the Food and Beverage Management Team present at your event who will oversee it and ensure it all runs smoothly. The day before your celebration, the wedding planner will meet with that member of management to discuss all details of your big day and you can be assured that you are in very capable hands with the full Operations Team as they are highly skilled professionals.
Q. Who will make announcements on the day?
A. We have a number of contacts for masters of Ceremonies who have worked with us at Barnett Hill on previous occasions. We recommend a Master of Ceremonies to assist in the smooth running of your day and help with the various announcements throughout the day. Should you prefer not to have a Master of Ceremonies at your wedding, our Banqueting Manager can assist with announcements where necessary or guide a Best Man or Usher to make the correct announcements.
Q. Can you recommend local suppliers?
A. Yes. We are a highly regarded Guildford wedding venue with greatrelationships with many local and reliable suppliers who would be happy to talk through your requirements - our wedding planner will happily provide you with a list.
Q. Do I need to provide refreshments for our suppliers?
A. You will need to consider refreshments for anyone that assists with your wedding on the day. These include Toastmasters, Photographers, Videographers, Musicians, Bands and DJ's. We can either offer sandwiches or a hot meal.
Q. What time does your bar close?
A. Our bar is open until midnight on a cash or an account basis. If you wish to extend this, there is a charge of £75.00 per extra hour and the bar can remain open until 2am at the latest.
Q. Do you have a noise limiter fitted for the music?
A. We do not have a noise limiter at Barnett Hill, although we do ask for all music to be kept at a reasonable level.
Q. Do you allow fireworks/sky lanterns?
A. Unfortunately due to our rural location and nearby residents we are unable to allow fireworks or sky lanterns.
Q. Do you have accommodation?
A. We have 56 bedrooms at Barnett Hill, ideal accommodation for weddings in Guildford, these are charged at a favorable rate for guests of Barnett Hill weddings; £97 B&B per double room and £77 B&B per single room. We also have family rooms available at an additional £15.50 per camp bed/child.
Q. What are the check in and out times?
A. Our check in time is 1.30pm and check out is 10.30am.
Q. What are the booking/payment terms?
A. We are able to hold a date provisionally for 2 weeks before we would need confirmation at which point a deposit of £1575 is required to secure your date. After this point a further 50% payment is due 12 weeks prior to the wedding and then the final balance is due 4 weeks prior to the wedding date.
Q. How many pre-event meetings will there be and who are they with?
A. Our wedding planner is happy to meet with you as many times as you need but suggest that one meeting takes place 12 weeks prior to the wedding and again at 4 weeks prior to discuss all the final details.
Q. Is VAT included in the brochure prices?
A. Yes. Our all-inclusive wedding packages are based on prices including VAT at the current rate.
