Honey Meadow Retreat

I want to stay positive with the review but there are somethings that need to be addressed. I am going to break it down into pieces because I wish I had known the pro and cons before booking our wedding here. Now I am not saying that the wedding was bad! So far from it actually! The weekend we had was amazing! What made the wedding was the weather and the atmosphere and all the love and energy poured into it. I would like to say that 90% of this was done ourselves. This venue is very much a DIY one and for the most part that is what we signed up for. However, we made the decision a month before to say that we would do everything in our power to make sure we were organised and left very little down to the venue. I think in the end we only left a small amount down to honey meadow, due to how we were treated and the extra stress put on us. Honey meadow will do your catering with you but I would defiantly make sure that you know what your menu is early on and go in knowing what you want. I want to say that the food was really good! We had turkey dinosaurs and mash and a pasta bar in the evening! It was amazing food and was served so nicely! However, the fun up to this was not without stress. We were given a provisional menu at the beginning with what we wanted with an idea that it would be firmed up closer to the time. We consistently asked from the three month mark what the menu was and could we see it. We were often met with there was one but it wasn't to hand. It got to three weeks out and every time we emailed about it no one could produce the email or the actual menu. So we took measures into our own hands and offered a new menu. The response I got was not a positive one and I ended up handing over contact to one of my bridesmaids. She was met with hostility and raised voices, accusing us of lying and saying she sent the menu, we didn't see one until after this call had taken place. I would also like to say that maybe reiterate if there are any dietary requirements. We specified from the get go that we were going to have a vegan wedding. This was fine, not a problem she said. We then let her know of allergies and intolerances, including that we had someone that was gluten free staying with us for the whole weekend and she said that it was fine and she was able to cater. The morning of the wedding we find out that she hadn’t taken it into account. Then said again that we were lying and hadn’t informed her of this and that she didn’t know they would be there the whole weekend. We ended up sending some of our party into town to go get some gluten free alternatives. It was stress that could have been avoided on the morning of the wedding. I would also like to say that our celebrant ended up helping serve the food to get it out quicker. It appeared that there was only one person serving and by the time last person had been served the first table had already finished eating! The place was gorgeous and such a lovely venue. It really is beautiful in the sunlight and looks out over the hills. However, a little run down and untidy. Not massively but there are things that could have been tidied up a little bit in order to make the place look a small bit nicer! With the grounds they have it’s really noticeable when it’s messy in places! We had use of the Pizza oven the night before, which was amazing! We opted to do it ourselves and that was so much fun! Would highly recommend. However, I was a little surprised to see that some of the people who lived on site were using our stuff to make pizzas for themselves. I am not saying this was a huge problem as we had lots left over but it was just awkward to have complete strangers in our party using our things and our mates having to help? The accommodations on site are so nice and cute and charming! They were such a fun idea and the tents were so cute, once they were up. I am only saying this because by the time the guest started arriving the tents weren’t complete yet. They were also freezing. My now husband asked for a heater many times and we never saw one. It was just unorganised. This leads me on to parking. We sorted the parking situ out pretty easily but there was no clear direction from the beginning and it ended up quite chaotic. Then there was a matter of bottle openers. We supplied our own wine which Harriet was going to place the bottles on the table. This was done and was organised really nicely. However no bottle openers were on the tables. When one of bridesmaids asked about this she was met with the tone that it wasn’t her job and they were back in the cottages. Overall the wedding we had was amazing and what we wanted but I would say mainly down to us. If you are a bride that wants certainty and calm then I would honestly look elsewhere. We considered changing venue about three weeks before due to the lack of organisation and support we had received.

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.