Wakehurst Place Wedding FAQS
What do the venue hire fees include?What is the booking procedure?
Who will be there from Wakehurst on the day and what will they do?
Can we hire the venue for a half day or a couple of hours?
Can we bring our own caterer, entertainment or production company?
Are we able to use a friend/s as the DJ'/ Band?
Can we use our own florist or photographer?
What about access and set up for caterers and suppliers?
Can my event go on later than 11pm?
Is Confetti Allowed?
What are the restrictions on theming?
Are there any restrictions on floral displays?
Can we have candles, if so what are the restrictions?
Can we smoke inside the venue?
How will you ensure that Public do not enter the our venue hire space and that it will be private?
Can we have outdoor furniture or games on the Mansion Lawn?
Can we have an outdoor event/barbecue on the Mansion Lawn?
Can we have a marquee on the lawn?
It's summer and we're having drinks in the garden - can our musicians play outside?
Can guests get access to the Gardens before the ceremony?
Can the photographer use the upstairs of the Mansion for a group photo?
Do we have an extra room for bags/ changing/ band etc?
Can we arrange to leave items in the venue overnight?
What do the venue hire fees include?
- Exclusive use of the venue on your chosen day for the full hire period.
- The full operational support from our Event Team in the run up to your event is included.
- One of our Venue Managers to co-ordinate and deliver your event on the day.
- Security staffing.
- Cleans of the venue, before and after your event, are also included.
- Access to the Gardens during garden opening hours for you and your guests.
What is the booking procedure?
- Provisional bookings can be held for up to 14 days without commitment.
- Confirmation of a Private Event requires a signed copy of our terms and conditions, together with a cheque for our venue hire fees+ VAT in full. Please make cheques payable to RBG Kew Enterprises Ltd. Please write the event reference number, booking name and event date on the reverse.
- Confirmation of a Corporate Event requires a signed copy of our terms and conditions together with a purchase order number for your venue hire fees. The Kew Finance Department will invoice clients after the event and requires payment within 14 days after the event has passed.
Who will be there from Wakehurst on the day and what will they do?
You will have a member of the Events team present on the day of your wedding to help co-ordinate your day. If you are having a ceremony they will oversee the caterers, florist, musicians' access and direct guests for the ceremony. They will also help co-ordinate the running of the ceremony with the Registrars. They will brief the security and ensure you are happy with everything.Can we hire the venue for a half day or a couple of hours?
The Mansion is hired out to one client exclusively each day. Therefore whether you choose to utilise the venue for a couple of hours or up to the full hire period, you will still incur the same venue hire fees.Can we bring our own caterer, entertainment or production company?
Due to our venue being a Grade I Heritage-Listed building, the greatest of care must be taken to prevent damage. Only our approved suppliers for catering, entertainment and production are allowed to provide a service for any event taking place in the Mansion. This also allows us to restrict the range of suppliers to those that only provide a service to the very high standards of delivery that we expect for our clients.Are we able to use a friend/s as the DJ'/ Band?
Only accredited suppliers for entertainment are allowed to provide a service for any event at Wakehurst Place. Occasionally non-approved entertainment can be accommodated but only with prior consent from our Event Operations Team, which will require full adherence to our venue and garden regulations, Wakehurst Place's premises licence and health & safety protocol. Please see our approved suppliers list for accredited entertainment suppliers.Can we use our own florist or photographer?
Only our approved suppliers for catering, entertainment and production are allowed to provide a service for any event at Wakehurst Place. Suppliers that provide a service which are not intrusive by their nature, do not require power from the venue and are not logistically crucial to your event may be sourced outside of our approved list. Florists and photographers fall under the latter category and are therefore not limited to our approved suppliers list; We have a selection of recommended florists and photographers that we regard highly.What about access and set up for caterers and suppliers?
The start of your hire period marks the point at which your chosen venue will be ready to receive you and your guests. Caterer and supplier access to the building for setup is pre-arranged directly between your suppliers and with the Events Team.Can my event go on later than 11pm?
A one hour extension to midnight is available and chargeable upon request. Due to our nearby residences and out of courtesy to our neighbours, all standard evening hire times elapse at 23:00 hours.Is Confetti Allowed?
The use of confetti is not permitted within or outside the venue. This also includes rice, petals and the use of biodegradable confetti. The use of bubbles is permitted.What are the restrictions on theming?
Due to the nature of the Mansion being a Grade 1 Heritage-Listed building, no decorations may be affixed to the walls or any fittings either internally or externally. No decorations may be placed on the existing National Trust furniture in the Hallway area. We do allow the window sills and bay area in the Dining Room to be used for arrangements but a protective base must be used under these, which should be rested on cork or felt bases.Are there any restrictions on floral displays?
Flower displays may not include berries, grapes or soft fruit as they can stain the surfaces in the venue. Lilies and other flowers with staining pollen must have their stamens removed off site. Pedestals with flowers are permitted in the venue in pre agreed positions so as not to touch any wall or surface area.Can we have candles, if so what are the restrictions?
You may have battery powered candles only. As the Mansion is a Grade 1 Heritage-Listed, National Trust building, we do not allow any naked flames.Can we smoke inside the venue?
The Mansion is strictly non smoking in line with the Smokefree England Legislation.How will you ensure that Public do not enter the our venue hire space and that it will be private?
We will place Private Event signage around the venue and there will be a steward also on Duty to help direct Public around the venueCan we have outdoor furniture or games on the Mansion Lawn?
We do not allow any outdoor furniture or equipment to be used on the Mansion Lawn due to the space being available for public daytime use. Parasols are also not permittedCan we have an outdoor event/barbecue on the Mansion Lawn?
The Mansion is sold and hired as an indoor venue with an accompanying garden. In cases where clients are looking for an outdoor hire space with a wet weather option, please be advised that the Mansion will probably not be the correct venue for you.Although guests are free to utilize the garden area and benches already in situ, the focus of your event - such as dining and dancing - will be inside.
Outdoor barbeque cooking is not permitted nor are hog roasts due to the nature of the venue being situated within a public access area and the difficulty in getting the equipment brought onsite for setup and breakdown time.