Venue Dressing Guidelines
Dos & Don'ts
We love working with amazing wedding suppliers to help bring your vision to life. Here are a few guidelines on what we do and don’t allow at The Ashes Barns. Get in touch if you’d like to chat through any creative ideas you have for the venue before the big day. If you’ve got an idea for something and you’re unsure of whether we’ll allow it or not, just ask us. We’ll always try to be as accommodating as possible.
Why Not Visit Before the Wedding
We’re a Grade II Listed barn wedding venue; if you’d like to come and visit the venue so that you can get a better idea of what will look great where, then get in touch. We’ll arrange an appointment for you and gladly show you around.
We don’t want to limit your imagination and creativity but there are a few things we don’t allow at The Ashes Barns.
Read on to find out what we do and don’t allow.
Candles – Yes!
Tealights in small glass holders or votives are fine.
Top Tip – Please supply the tealights that last for 8 hours so that they only have to be refreshed once, if at all.
Church style candles are also fine, as long as they’re inside a hurricane lamp, and wedged in with sand or something to stop them toppling.
Candles – No!
Candelabra type candles tend to be unsuitable but can be used with LED candles if necessary.
NO real candles can be used throughout the venue if there is any pampas grass, under any circumstances.
Please be aware that the registrars do not allow lit candles on the signing table, just in case it sets fire to the marriage certificate!!
LED Candles or Battery Powered Fairy Lights are a great alternative to a naked flame, as pictured.
Sparklers at The Ashes Barns
If you fancy a gorgeous ‘sparkler shot’ please discuss this with the Events Team at The Ashes Barns at the earliest opportunity.
We allow sparklers to be lit in the South Courtyard. Please do not light sparklers anywhere else at the venue.
You’ll need to supply the sparklers, plenty of lighters and a bucket of sand for extinguishing the sparklers.
Please don’t ever supply sparklers as a ‘favour’ on the table and it’s a great idea to designate a sensible (and sober!) guest to manage the sparkler shot.
Florists – What You Need to Know
We love seeing the exquisite floral artistry created for weddings. If you’re supplying flowers for a wedding at The Ashes Barns you are welcome at the venue from 10am on the wedding day. We’ll be onsite to greet you and to show you where to place any floral decorations and centrepieces.
We’ve got a cool place to store any buttonholes and bridal bouquets.
Please be aware that we do not have a suitable area for you to arrange flowers onsite, we expect you to deliver finished pieces.
Floral Archways and Other Big Items
If you’re supplying a floral archway or any other large decorative items such as vintage cycles, pallets, decorative step ladders, wheelbarrows…please be aware that we will move these items into storage at the end of the night.
If you’ve hired these items out to the couple and would prefer to pop back and dismantle any large items yourself, please contact us to arrange collection of the items at midnight on the night of the wedding.
Drop Offs and Collections
Wedding suppliers are welcome from 10am on the wedding day with the couple’s exclusive use starting at 11am.
Please arrange to collect any items at 9.30am the morning after the wedding. I’m afraid it it not possible for us to store items for any longer periods of time.
Sorry but We Don’t Allow…
Chinese Lanterns or Balloon Releases are not allowed due to our rural location. (We like happy cows!)
Fireworks are not allowed.
Hay Bales are not allowed.
We provide all the furniture at The Ashes Barns and we don’t allow other furniture to be used.
If you’ve got an idea for something and you’re unsure of whether we’ll allow it or not, just ask us. We’ll always try to be as accommodating as possible.
Chair Sashes & Bunting Hooks
We cannot fix chair sashes in place due to the amount of time it takes on the morning of the wedding. However, we have a fantastic selection of Venue Dressers on our Handpicked Suppliers List who can supply and fit your chair sashes from 10am on the big day.
Please remember to make/order any bunting to the correct sizes, supply detailed setup instructions and deliver any bunting or fairy lights untangled and ready to hang.
Click the button below to find our Bunting Hook Measurements and don't forget to add in a little extra for the swag!