£1,750 - £12,000 for Venue Hire
Up to 100
1 Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
Wedding Licence

Description

Upthorpe Wood is a Dry Hire woodland venue, set on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, 9 miles outside Bury St Edmunds. We have several packages: ceremony hire, day hire and full weekend hire. Bring in your own suppliers and caterers although we can recommend some of the best in the area if need be and all packages include our in-house staffed bar. Upthorpe Wood is the perfect wedding venue for the creative Couples looking for something totally different, we’re proud to announce that untraditional and quirky rock our boat and therefore, Upthorpe Wood will lead you on a journey...an adventure. A wedding never to be forgotten! Set in 2 acres the venue is wheelchair accessible and includes all amenities. With loads of undercover space in 2 barns, Firepit Hyde, Chillout lounge, we’re an outside venue that’s already thought of everything…. Making your hire as easy as possible, which just leaves you to decor to your hearts content! Our hire period is for 3 days over the weekend so allows plenty of time to decorate and clear down. Did I mention we also have the cutest little Cabin for couples to use as a honeymoon suite.

Personal Message from the Manager

Name of Wedding Contact: Allan
We host 15 weddings maximum, per year to ensure that each and every one is spectacular. We love to hear all your amazing wedding plans and ideas, so please get in touch to come and have a chat.

Experience

Year Business Was Established
2016
No. of Weddings Hosted
More than 50
Public Liability Insurance
Yes
No. of People In Team
4

Overview of Upthorpe Wood

Venue Type
Barn
Dining Capacity
100
Reception Capacity
150
No. of Bedrooms
1
Sleeps No. of People
2
Bridal Suite
Honeymoon Suite
Usual Access Time
09:00 AM
Usual Finish Time
12:00 PM
Late Night Extension
Yes

Ceremony & Reception

Wedding Licence
Outdoor Ceremony Available
Confetti Permitted
Sound System Available
Dancefloor Available

Venue

Open Flame Permitted
Landscaped Gardens
Exclusive Use
Bridal Changing Facilities
Disabled Access
On-Site Parking
Outdoor Reception Space
In-House Wedding Coordinator

Food and Drink

External Catering Permitted
Alcohol Licence
In-House Wine List

Pricing for Upthorpe Wood

Venue Hire Only

Prices Start At
£1,750
Maximum Price
£12,000
We offer 2hr ceremony hire, 11hr day hire and 3 or 4 day weekend hire. Packages include dining furniture, dry hire venue use, lighting, toilets, power and staff. Along with 2 unique barns, a sound system and full bar. Please get in touch to come and have a look round and talk through your quote. day exclusive hire, including overnight stay for our couple. We are a blank canvas venue, you may choose your own caterers.
What is included in this pricing:
Furniture included
Couple accommodation included
Exclusive use
Day before set up available
Wedding coordinator available on the day
Choice of preferred caterers

Packages
(total price)

Prices Start At
£1,800
Maximum Price
£15,000
Number of Guests Included
150
We offer 2hr ceremony hire, 11hr day hire and 3 or 4 day weekend hire. Packages include dining furniture, dry hire venue use, lighting, toilets, power and staff. Along with 2 unique barns, a sound system and full bar. Please get in touch to come and have a look round and talk through your quote.
What is included in this pricing:
Exclusive use
Day before set up available
Private room(s) included (non-exclusive use)
Couple accommodation included
Wedding coordinator available on the day
Furniture included
Non consumables (e.g. linen, lights etc.)

Reviews for Upthorpe Wood
(4)

Jane Doe
Wedding: September
April 2024
Disastrous Experience at Upthorpe Wood

I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Upthorpe Wood and it was an absolute nightmare from start to finish. My partner and I were set to tie the knot in September 2020, but due to the unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic, we had to postpone not once, but twice. What's particularly egregious is the lack of flexibility they showed compared to other venues in similar situations. Unlike other venues that allowed couples to delay their weddings until 2023 to ensure safety from COVID-19, Upthorpe Wood only permitted us to postpone twice, with them dictating the available dates. This lack of consideration for our safety and well-being was appalling, to say the least. Additionally, they forced us to pay the full cost upfront, despite the uncertainty surrounding when our wedding could actually take place. It felt like they were more concerned about money than accommodating their clients during a global crisis. Once we were locked into the contract, hidden costs started popping up left and right. For instance, while they advertised bar services, we were shocked to find out that if we wanted actual bartenders to serve drinks, not just empty bins and collect glasses it would come at an extra cost. The lack of empathy and compassion from the staff was appalling. When we explained our situation, including important guests traveling from abroad and the need to postpone until 2023 for safety reasons, they callously responded with, "that's not our problem." Their refusal to accommodate our legitimate concerns and threats of legal action to keep our money only added insult to injury. In summary, Upthorpe Wood Wedding Venue exemplifies everything wrong with profit-driven businesses. They prioritize their bottom line over the well-being of their clients, nickel and diming every step of the way while showing no regard for the challenges faced during a global pandemic. Steer clear of this heartless establishment if you value your sanity and want your special day to be memorable for the right reasons.

Peach Portman photography
Wedding: July
July 2023
Friendliest staff

If anyone is looking for a cool woodland venue in Suffolk, without doubt, look no further. Not only is the ceremony area stunning, there are so many quirky corners. And the staff are some of the friendliest I’ve ever encountered… Love it!

Jenny and Tom
Happy couple married in September
September 2018
We fell in love with Upthorpe from our first visit, it's a dreamy place where dreamy weddings take place.

We had our woodland wedding at the truly special place which is Upthorpe Wood in August this year. We fell in love with Upthorpe from our very first visit, it's a dreamy place where dreamy weddings take place � Our day was PERFECT and we created the fun, wonderful and ‘boho' day we had always dreamt of. We loved designing our day, especially as we wanted it to reflect us and be something we had fun planning and getting excited about rather than having the restrictions which a normal wedding venue has! It was absolutely magical seeing all of the hard work come together on the day! SO many special and beautiful memories created in the build up the day and the weekend of the wedding. The Bluebell cabin is totally gorgeous! Waking up, looking over the fields with our delivered picnic breakfast hamper the day after was so cute, whilst looking through our Polaroid snaps from Fox & Braces! Sarah and Alan are such lovely, friendly and supportive people too who allow all of the magic of your day to happen- our visits to the wood and many phone calls will be missed- thank you SO much Upthorpe for creating a magical place we could use for our wedding venue! We used many awesome suppliers too, who would HIGHLY recommend... My Kitchen your place for catering, Fox & Braces, Foxgloves & Alice, One curious Dream, Camilla Andrea, Anthology Vintage hire �� � Jen & Tom

Emma & Mark
Happy couple married in September
October 2017
So many lovely things to say, the setting is beautiful and full of natural backdrops.

We had our day here on 12th August. It was AMAZING! So many lovely things to say... The setting is beautiful and full of natural back drops, making for fantastic photos. Alan delivered the ceremony wonderfully and added his funny bits in with impeccable timing! There wasn't a dry eye during the ceremony, with tears of both laughter and joy. Sarah and Clair had decorated beautifully and we had a rainbow / village fete feel, with lots of colourful bunting and snail races. The donkeys were a real talking point, they were very photogenic and the kids loved riding them. We fear that the day will be remembered as 'the wedding with the donkeys' rather than Emma and Mark's wedding day! Clair and her team did an excellent job of delivering delicious, locally sourced, handmade 'street food' with all the condiments you can think of (in drooling just thinking about it!) The bar really comes alive with twinkly lights at night. We finished the day with a disco in the barn which was the perfect end to the perfect day. Sarah et al were totally supportive of our ideas and also gave us plenty of ideas to match our budget. They were always on hand for advice and recommendations and never pushy. The wanted us to have our day the that we wanted it and were absolutely AWESOME about all of it! If you want a wedding that's cool, outdoorsy and relaxed in a beautiful setting, I would recommend you talk to the guys at Upthorpe Wood!

Location & Contact Details for Upthorpe Wood

Wedding Venue Address
Readings lane, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 2AP, England, United Kingdom
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FAQs
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Describe the best wedding that happened at Upthorpe Wood?

We love each one for its own uniqueness

What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Do it your way, after all it's your day.

What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?

Woodland dining as well as a first dance held under the stars to an acoustic guitar!

Describe Upthorpe Wood in 5 adjectives

Unique, cool, untraditional, magical, gorgeous.

Where’s the best photo spot at Upthorpe Wood?

Oh here’s sooooo many, I wouldn’t know which to choose!

What’s your favourite midnight treat?

Toasted starbursts

What is Upthorpe Wood most unique feature?

All of it!! The whole venue is totally unlike any other... Woodland Feasting possibly

What part of your business are you most proud of?

Our friendships with the all our couples.
Press & Awards
All our awards & press mentions