Wedding Day Timings
A 1.30pm Ceremony at The Mill Barns
Wedding Day Timings
9am The Day Before
You’ll drop off all your wedding day items which might include your drinks if you’ve chosen to provide your own, your music for the ceremony, your table plan, bunting and all those lovely personal touches you’ve picked out.
You’ll be bringing a box per table with the place name cards, favours and anything else The Mill Barns Estates Team is putting out on the tables for you. Remember that you will have discussed all your individual requirements and how you’d like things set up well before the wedding with your Events Manager who will be on hand to supervise the set up on your wedding day.
10am on Your Wedding Day
This is the earliest time that your wedding suppliers can arrive; your florist, wedding cake supplier, DJ etc.
Why not keep things stress free by hiring some of our highly recommended suppliers. The Mill Barns Dream Team represents our top pick of the amazing wedding suppliers listed on our Suppliers Directory.
Our exclusive wedding caterers will also arrive around this time to lay the tables and begin preparing your food and drinks.
10.30am – Settle into The Dressing Room
11am – Exclusive Use begins.
From 12 Noon – The Check-In Desk Opens
From 12 Noon – The Check-In Desk Opens
1.00pm – 30 minutes prior to The Ceremony
The registrar arrives and speaks to The Groom in The Mill Wheel Barn, the registrar also needs 10 minutes with the Bride in The Waterfall Suite prior to the ceremony.
Meanwhile, your guests will also be arriving and our Events Manager will be on hand to help greet them and show them where the ceremony is to be held.
1.30pm – The Wedding Ceremony
The registrars will introduce themselves to your guests and invite them to be upstanding for the Bride’s entrance. Your choice of music accompanies the Bride’s entrance, whether this is a String Quartet or the chosen track on your iPod piped through our PA system.
The ceremony lasts around 30 minutes and often includes a couple of non-religious readings.
You are responsible for booking the ceremony time directly with the registrars – check out the ‘What is a Civil Marriage?’ page for more information.
2.00pm – The Drinks Reception
Following the ceremony your guests are invited to make their way into The Mill Stone Barn or out onto The Mill Pond Terrace where our catering staff will be circulating with trays of drinks.
The drinks reception usually lasts around an hour and a half, during which time the photographer works hard to get all the shots you want, while your guests mingle and enjoy a drink with canapés perhaps.
Take the opportunity to sneak off and get some great photographs of just the two of you within the glorious grounds of The Mill Barns.
For ideas about what to serve at your drinks reception and the options available please review the ‘Your Wedding Drinks’ information pack available to download from the Priority Information section of our website following your viewing.
3.30pm – Guests are Invited Into The Mill Pond Barn
3.45pm – The Wedding Breakfast
Your bespoke menu and accompanying wine is served with panache by the catering staff who are all smartly dressed in black uniforms.
For more detailed information about the catering options available please review ‘Your Daytime Menus Ideas Pack’ available to download from the Priority Information section of our website following your viewing.
After the Meal circa 5.15pm – Speeches
6pm until 8pm – Mingling Time
It’s a nice idea to provide some form of entertainment for your guests for the period after the meal but before the evening’s dancing begins; a Casino in The Mill Stone Barn perhaps, a magician or some acoustic live music. It’s the perfect time for any additional evening guests to arrive and join in the fun. For a list of our recommended entertainers please visit our Suppliers Directory.
Alternatively this is a lovely time for you and your guests to mingle, circulate and wander over to The Bar which opens straight after the meal.
8pm – Your First Dance
Will you choose to do a romantic slow dance, an expression of your love for each other with a couple of spectacular spins thrown in or a more energetic ‘this is my party and I’m going to enjoy it’ dance to get everyone in the mood?
Whether you fancy a DJ, a live band or even a ceilidh, check out our online Suppliers Directory for a comprehensive list of live performers and details of our Dream Team DJs.
8.30pm – Informal Evening Refreshments are served
Kick start your evening festivities by serving adventurous, delicious and inventive dishes to excite and energise your guests.
Our catering partners offer a wide variety of delicious options including BBQ options from The Smokehouse, Festival Food and classics such as Hot Roast Pork Baps with Crackling & Apple Sauce.
More detailed information on the options available can be found within the ‘Evening Food’ pack available for you to download from the Priority Information section of our website following your viewing.
11.45pm – Last Orders at The Bar Midnight – The Music ceases.
As with all good fairy tales, this one ends at Midnight. Any guests not staying overnight at The Mill Barns make their way home. It is advisable to include a link to our guest information webpage on your invitations, the page lists a number of local taxi companies for your guests.
12.15am – The Mill Barns Wedding Venue Closes
Resident guests staying overnight in The Mill Barns Guest Accommodation are welcome to make their way to the Guest Lounge where they can avail themselves of the tea and coffee facilities and wind down a little before retiring to bed.
Please note that these facilities are not available to non-resident wedding guests.