We had the most incredible wedding at Rivervale Barn and would absolutely recommend the venue. It is genuinely one of the most beautiful wedding venues we have ever seen, and the setting, atmosphere and thoughtful layout made our day feel incredibly special.
One of the things we loved most was the flow of the venue. Having the courtyard, tables and dancefloor all connected meant that everyone could be together in the evening, whether they wanted to dance or simply sit and chat. The bar is also in a fantastic location, and it felt like a lot of thought had gone into how the different spaces work together. The ceremony room is beautiful and light, with the windows at the back creating such a lovely setting, and the gardens looked stunning on the day.
The Cornstore Barn was a gorgeous place to have our morning preparations and take photos, and it was incredibly special to stay there on our first night as husband and wife. We also really appreciated the little touches at the end of the evening, particularly the catering team leaving some of our wedding cake for us and packing away our belongings. Those things made such a difference after a very long day!
A huge shout-out has to go to the catering team, particularly Maribelle and Andy, who went above and beyond for us. The canapés, three-course meal and evening pizza were all out of this world, and so many of our guests commented on the food. The crème brûlée in particular was a huge hit and was complimented by lots of our guests!
Our events manager, Natasha, also worked incredibly hard to make our day special. As we aren't local, we couldn't always attend things in person, and Natasha joined us on countless Zoom calls and was always willing to help with our questions and requests. She did a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly and to time throughout the day, which allowed us to relax and enjoy our wedding rather than worrying about what was happening behind the scenes.
We also really appreciated Rivervale's recommended supplier list. Knowing that the suppliers had worked together before gave us a lot of confidence, and it really did help everything run smoothly on the day. A particular shout-out goes to Senior Mac Photography, who were absolutely fantastic. Not only did they take incredible photos, but they also stepped in on countless occasions outside of their role as photographers — including helping the bride into her dress when there was an issue with the alterations and generally helping to make sure everything stayed on track. We would hugely recommend them!
There were, however, a few things that we found frustrating and that we think future couples should be aware of. The accommodation arrangements were disappointing for some of our guests. Guests who had paid a significant amount to stay in the lodge weren't able to access their rooms until 3pm, despite our ceremony starting at 2pm and them needing time to get ready. This meant some guests had to use part of the reception to go and put their belongings into their rooms. Breakfast being served between 8–9am also felt very early after a wedding. Interestingly, guests who stayed at a nearby hotel for considerably less money had earlier check-in and later check-out, which was disappointing given the cost of the on-site accommodation.
We also found some of the venue's rules around where guests could and couldn't go at different points during the day quite restrictive. We completely understand that a venue needs rules to keep everything running safely and smoothly, but at times it felt a little limiting, particularly given that we had paid a significant amount to have exclusive use of the venue.
Similarly, the groom loved the new shepherd's hut as a space to get ready in, but felt he was ushered out of it quite quickly in the morning. It would have been really helpful to be able to leave some belongings there overnight and collect them the following morning, rather than having to arrange for everything to be left in someone's car. This added a little unnecessary stress on what was already a busy morning.
That said, these frustrations didn't take away from what was ultimately a truly wonderful wedding day. Rivervale Barn is a stunning venue, the food was exceptional, the gardens and spaces looked beautiful, and the team worked incredibly hard to keep everything running smoothly. Our guests loved the atmosphere and the way the venue allowed everyone to feel together throughout the evening.
We are so grateful to everyone at Rivervale Barn, especially Natasha, Maribelle and Andy, for everything they did to help make our wedding so special. It was a beautiful place to celebrate our marriage, and we will always have incredibly fond memories of our day there. ❤️
We had the most incredible wedding at Rivervale Barn and would absolutely recommend the venue. It is genuinely one of the most beautiful wedding venues we have ever seen, and the setting, atmosphere and thoughtful layout made our day feel incredibly special.
One of the things we loved most was the flow of the venue. Having the courtyard, tables and dancefloor all connected meant that everyone could be together in the evening, whether they wanted to dance or simply sit and chat. The bar is also in a fantastic location, and it felt like a lot of thought had gone into how the different spaces work together. The ceremony room is beautiful and light, with the windows at the back creating such a lovely setting, and the gardens looked stunning on the day.
The Cornstore Barn was a gorgeous place to have our morning preparations and take photos, and it was incredibly special to stay there on our first night as husband and wife. We also really appreciated the little touches at the end of the evening, particularly the catering team leaving some of our wedding cake for us and packing away our belongings. Those things made such a difference after a very long day!
A huge shout-out has to go to the catering team, particularly Maribelle and Andy, who went above and beyond for us. The canapés, three-course meal and evening pizza were all out of this world, and so many of our guests commented on the food. The crème brûlée in particular was a huge hit and was complimented by lots of our guests!
Our events manager, Natasha, also worked incredibly hard to make our day special. As we aren't local, we couldn't always attend things in person, and Natasha joined us on countless Zoom calls and was always willing to help with our questions and requests. She did a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly and to time throughout the day, which allowed us to relax and enjoy our wedding rather than worrying about what was happening behind the scenes.
We also really appreciated Rivervale's recommended supplier list. Knowing that the suppliers had worked together before gave us a lot of confidence, and it really did help everything run smoothly on the day. A particular shout-out goes to Senior Mac Photography, who were absolutely fantastic. Not only did they take incredible photos, but they also stepped in on countless occasions outside of their role as photographers — including helping the bride into her dress when there was an issue with the alterations and generally helping to make sure everything stayed on track. We would hugely recommend them!
There were, however, a few things that we found frustrating and that we think future couples should be aware of. The accommodation arrangements were disappointing for some of our guests. Guests who had paid a significant amount to stay in the lodge weren't able to access their rooms until 3pm, despite our ceremony starting at 2pm and them needing time to get ready. This meant some guests had to use part of the reception to go and put their belongings into their rooms. Breakfast being served between 8–9am also felt very early after a wedding. Interestingly, guests who stayed at a nearby hotel for considerably less money had earlier check-in and later check-out, which was disappointing given the cost of the on-site accommodation.
We also found some of the venue's rules around where guests could and couldn't go at different points during the day quite restrictive. We completely understand that a venue needs rules to keep everything running safely and smoothly, but at times it felt a little limiting, particularly given that we had paid a significant amount to have exclusive use of the venue.
Similarly, the groom loved the new shepherd's hut as a space to get ready in, but felt he was ushered out of it quite quickly in the morning. It would have been really helpful to be able to leave some belongings there overnight and collect them the following morning, rather than having to arrange for everything to be left in someone's car. This added a little unnecessary stress on what was already a busy morning.
That said, these frustrations didn't take away from what was ultimately a truly wonderful wedding day. Rivervale Barn is a stunning venue, the food was exceptional, the gardens and spaces looked beautiful, and the team worked incredibly hard to keep everything running smoothly. Our guests loved the atmosphere and the way the venue allowed everyone to feel together throughout the evening.
We are so grateful to everyone at Rivervale Barn, especially Natasha, Maribelle and Andy, for everything they did to help make our wedding so special. It was a beautiful place to celebrate our marriage, and we will always have incredibly fond memories of our day there. ❤️