FAQ’s Weddings at Hawthbush Farm
Booking & Payments
Are there different rates for weekend vs. mid-week weddings? Yes. Please contact us for the latest pricing for your specific year.
Do you provide a wedding planner? We provide a venue manager who will assist you with all venue related matters. We also provide you with our online Client Portal which allows you to plan table arrangements, seating layouts, checklists and generate a timetable for the day as well as share inspiration for the day and source suppliers. You will be given a login once you have booked. We do not however provide a full wedding planning or organisation service as standard, so you will need to liase directly with your other suppliers. Do talk to us if you would like to upgrade to a full planning service and we can both quote and recommend wedding planners and organisers.
Can we visit the venue? Yes, we encourage viewings. These can be arranged online on our viewing request calendar here.
How do I confirm my booking? A booking is confirmed once we receive a signed copy of the booking agreement and the non-refundable deposit of £1,000.
What are the payment terms? We require a £1,000 deposit upon booking. An intermediate invoice for 50% of the balance is due by January 15th of the wedding year. The final balance is due 30 days prior to the event.
Accommodation
What on-site accommodation is available? We have The Hamlet (sleeps 14 + 1 child) in the centre of the farm, Amly Barn (sleeps 6) by the Grain Store, and seasonal private hire camping (up to 20 guests) by the Grain Store.
Is accommodation mandatory? Weekend weddings require the booking of Amly Barn only. Other accommodation is optional. Off peak and midweek weddings do not require any accommodation to be booked.
What are the check-in/check-out times? Accommodation is available from 3pm the day before your event until 11am the day after.
Can we bring pets to the cottages? Yes, a maximum of 3 pets are allowed across the party, provided prior consent is given. They must be house-trained, controlled, and not left unattended or allowed on furniture.
Are there restrictions on guests? Only guests booked to stay overnight are allowed to stay in the accomodation.
Ceremony & Venue
Where can we hold our ceremony? We are fully licensed for marriages in the Grain Store, the stretch tent, and the woodland blessing area.
What is the capacity of the venue? The Grain Store can comfortably host 150 guests for the wedding breakfast and up to 200 for the evening reception.
Can we decorate the venue ourselves? Yes, you are welcome to decorate. We provide 6 hanging points in the barn with flagpole pulleys for ease. Please note that naked flames are not permitted and that all decorations must comply with fire regulations.
Are there restrictions on music? Our licence allows us to play music to midnight and we welcome DJ and live bands. We have our own house PA system that bands will use and they can request an information sheet which details all the connections and equipment.
Can we have fireworks? Sorry, no, fireworks are not permitted on the farm as they pose a risk to neighbouring livestock.
Can we throw confetti? Yes, but we do ask only dried flower petals are used.
Food & Drink
Do you provide catering? We have a preferred partnership with Circa Events, known for farm-style sharing feasts. If you choose to bring in external caterers (e.g., food trucks), a fee of £150 (+ VAT) per vendor applies.
Is there a kitchen available for hire? Yes, bare kitchen hire is available for £550 (+ VAT).
What are our drink options? You may use our corkage service (bring your own) or choose from our full drinks packages. Our in-house pay bar features beers from our own Gun Brewery and serves until 11.45pm.
Can we have an evening food truck? Yes, provided the vendor is approved. An external vendor fee of £150 (+ VAT) applies to cover site visits and electricity hook-up.
Logistics & General
When can we arrive for setup? You have access to the Grain Store for setup from the afternoon of the day before your wedding.
Is parking available? Yes, parking for up to 50 cars for the event itself and glamping and another 6 cars for Hamlet guests.
Are tables and chairs provided? Yes, we provide folding beech wood chairs and wooden trestle tables in the Grain Store and wooden benches in the clearing and hay bales in the BBQ barn.
What about cleanup? We do the cleanup and disposal of all non food waste. You can come in the day after to remove anything you have left in the barn (e.g. decorations). We do the cleanup and disposal of all non food waste. If you have hired the kitchen this should be left as found.
Getting Here
Where are we located? Hawthbush Farm, Gun Hill, East Sussex, TN21 0JY.
Driving instructions: We are located 1 mile from the A22 on Gun Hill (south side). Look for the red Hawthbush Farm sign.
SatNav advice: Google Maps works well for TN21 0JY. If you are using an older satnav, please use TN21 0JX instead, we are on Gun Hill road itself, not down Swansbrook Lane.
Taxis: Taxis are limited and must be pre-booked. We recommend Jamie from Ultim8 Transport at 01435 510688 and Hail a Cab on 01323 849 888.
Trains: The nearest station is Berwick; Lewes is the closest main station and offers a reliable service.
Miscellaneous
What is the cancellation policy? Your have a 14-day cooling-off period, during which your deposit will be returned. After that, we charge a cancellation fee based on how close to your wedding date you cancel, as a percentage of your total booking fee. We will try to relet and if we manage to re-let your date, we'll refund what we receive for it less our reasonable re-letting costs.
Should I get wedding insurance? Yes, we do recommend wedding insurance, to cover any unforeseen circumstances.