Honey Meadow Retreat

Review For the past few months I have debated about whether or not to leave a review as I did not want to dwell on the negative aspects of our wedding weekend. However, I also want other future brides and grooms to be aware of what to expect when booking a wedding with Honey Meadow Retreat. We got married here in September and had 70 day guests. We chose this venue as it promised an effortless and stress-free experience with the owner coordinating the catering, marquee hire and accommodation. We wanted a wedding that was unique and DIY which, on paper, honey meadow retreat promised to offer. I’m not going to go into all the details, but I do need to mention a few things that couples need to be aware of. Firstly, if you book here please make sure to check your invoices and payments as there were many discrepancies we came across. We were initially invoiced for over £1k more than the quote we had received, and when we questioned it, it was found we had been charged twice for chair and tables. Additionally, some guests were overcharged for the accommodation and many other things had been calculated wrong which, if we hadn’t made our own spreadsheets to keep track of everything would never have been picked up. I understand errors happen, but invoices and payments should be checked rigorously by the venue to avoid this happening. As well as this, the communication throughout the wedding process was lacking. For the wedding breakfast we chose to keep it simple and have a hot pasta bar with sharing boards to start. This was all okay-ed by Harriet and she told us she would send us some ideas and options for dishes. Months went by and we had not heard regarding the food options despite chasing up every couple of weeks. Each time we were given unprofessional reasons such as ‘being too busy’ ‘taking her dad to the dentist’ ‘her nephew visiting’ and each time stating she would send the menu the following day. Which never happened. It got to the point where we even had to consider looking at external caterers as we weren’t sure what food we would be having on the day. We finally got the menu a few weeks prior to the wedding. The other main thing I do want to mention is the professionalism of some of the staff during the wedding. Firstly, all the staff were dressed in tracksuits which may be a minor issue, but to me this doesn’t look professional. One member of staff was telling guests that they needed to keep hold of their Prosecco glasses if they wanted another drink, as ‘the bride didn’t want to spend money on extra glasses’. Overhearing this on your wedding day is not only hurtful but extremely embarrassing. We had no involvement in the ordering of tableware, glasses etc, as the owner insisted this was all done by her. Had I known that there was an insufficient amount ordered I would have been more than happy to hire and pay for extra but we were told it was all in hand! Our best man was taking glasses back to the cottages to wash up (despite our protests!!) so guests could have Prosecco. We also saw some of the staff members helping themselves to our wedding cake before it had been served out to guests. When it came to food, none of the staff seemed to have any idea what was being served or any awareness of allergens when asked by guests. A simple briefing from the owner prior to the wedding may have been useful in this case. The food itself was well presented and tasty, we opted for a hot pasta bar. Unfortunately the food was cold when it was served to guests as had not been properly reheated and served on cold plates. Also be aware the venue have a very excitable German shepherd type dog. We are both dog lovers and have our own dogs who attended the wedding and kept under control. However the dog was constantly let loose throughout our wedding, peeing on our wedding furniture, trampling the train on my wedding dress, and scaring our two year old niece. We asked on four occasions if the dog could be put back inside but it kept reappearing. Lastly having the accommodation all on site is fantastic and one of the reasons we picked the venue. However the general upkeep of the glampsite is pretty poor, with many of the bell tents (which weren’t yet put up when we viewed) damp and missing basic items such as lanterns and blankets despite being advertised as fully furnished. Whereas some of the units such as the shepherds hut are in much better condition and more equipped. Luckily we had thought ahead and brought extra blankets and fairy lights as our wedding was in September. It costs a couple £130 (£65pp) a night to stay in a tent which is more than a 4* hotel in the local area. For this price I think all tents should be equipped with the basics! Sadly the other negative reviews on here have been deleted by the owner as I saw another recent review from a couple who had experiences very similar issues to us. The business would benefit from bringing in an experienced and qualified wedding planner/coordinator to manage the admin and wedding planning side of things as personally, I think it’s just too much for someone to do on their own and is going to lead to other couples having similar issues in the future. Luckily for us our amazing friends and family were able to help keep things running smoothly on the day and we were able to have an incredible wedding despite all the hiccups and the stressful planning process.

Honey meadow retreat was the perfect location for my wedding. It's beautiful. The outside areas were perfect for what we wanted. Harriett, JC and the whole team are lovely and couldn't do more for us, nothing was a bother or a hassle. I loved that we had exclusive use for the whole weekend and that the dogs were welcome, they loved it too. Thank you harriett, JC and all of the team.at Honey Meadow Retreat. Xxx

We had our wedding at Honey Meadow Retreat in June 2024 and it was honestly the most perfect weekend we could have asked for! Harriet and John were incredibly helpful from start to finish and her communication was super clear and quick throughout. The setting was so beautiful and the whole weekend went really smoothly with great feedback from all our guests. Thank you again for giving us the perfect wedding, I would highly recommend this venue and Harriet for anyone planning a wedding,

When we got engaged, Rich and I thought we didn't want a wedding with all the traditional trappings and pomp and ceremony. Instead, we wanted a relaxed, informal, fun and festival-y affair, which wasn't too serious. We found Honey Meadow Retreat and met Harriet and knew this was the place for us. The location is fantastically rural, away from our real lives, and the setting is just stunning without being too grand. The cottages allowed us to accommodate those for whom camping was an ask too far, and the camping allowed us to have the festival feeling and relaxed atmosphere. On the day (or whole weekend), Harriet was calm, helpful and made sure everything went smoothly. All guests were extremely complimentary about the wedding, and about how accommodating Harriet was. It turned out to be the most magical weekend of our lives and I would recommend the venue to any others who are looking for an outdoorsy, relaxed wedding or event. Thank you Harriet and the team for making our dreams a reality!

I found honey meadow retreat back in February 2023. I feel in love with it the moment I set my eyes on it. After going back and forth for a while we set the date for the wedding may 2024! Harriet has been amazing from start to finish. Helped plan the PERFECT weekend! Not just a day. One thing I feel in love with, you had the whole place from friday to Sunday. I got married 6 days ago and I honestly want to do the whole weekend again. Harriet and Jc are nothing but amazing! Always checking to make sure everything is ok. Always going the extra mile. To whoever is reading this and planning there wedding. Go and see honey meadow retreat. You'll fall in love with it, just like we did. We made some amazing memories and some amazing friends ❤️

We had a micro wedding , 7 people. It was wonderful. Harriet did us the most amazing breakfast before leaving for the church. When we arrived back we had canapés and Pimms in the courtyard, followed by a three course wedding breakfast in the library. (Her panacotta is the best I've ever had!) followed by a game of croquet. ​We had the wood-fired extravaganza the following day. It was the most special memorable few days it was every thing we asked for and more. Nothing was too much trouble.

We had the best day in the most beautiful country retreat. Everything was perfect! Harriet was lovely, always there to help. The food she cooked was unreal - canapés, a feast of the tastiest tagines & salads. We opted for glamping accommodation - the outdoor bath under the stars was the deciding factor! It was heavenly. Luckily we had a clear night so the stars were unreal. Thank you so much for having us!! We shall be back to stay!!

This place is not only, stunning but such a beautiful place to stay. I highly recommend anyone thinking of having a Wedding, a party, or just a holiday...to find out what suits you . The Owners, Harriet and JC, cannot be more helpful and are such Accomodating people. They go over and above, to make your stay perfect...

Thank you so much to Harriet and family for making my dreams come true. Such a beautiful property with so many unique touches. Harriet when the extra mile at all times to make my weekend run perfect. We had pimp your prossecco, barrel of beers, pineapple bowling, canapes, arachini balls (yummy), cocktails, wedding breakfast in the barn, alfresco breakfast, treasure hunts, croquet, bbq extravaganza, smores by the fire, chilling in the gazebo watching the cows, chilling by the fire

An idyllic countryside wedding venue As a wedding celebrant who loves conducting rustic weddings, I was excited to find Honey Meadow Retreat. When I first went to look around, I honestly fell in love immediately. I loved all the different aspects to it, the courtyard looked stunning with the brightest array of flowers and the tallest sunflowers I think I’ve ever seen. The cottages have everything you could possibly need and all the mod cons but still have that beautiful rustic charm.