FAQ’s

We’re always delighted to answer any questions you may have, but you may find the answers below.

1. Booking, Pricing & Planning

The questions couples ask before and immediately after booking.

What happens at the first viewing?

At the first viewing you will be given a tour of the Coach House Barn, the Orangery, Stables accommodation, the Courtyard and St Peters Church (if you are thinking of having a church ceremony) to give you a feel for this unique, family run wedding venue. There’s absolutely no obligation at all at this point, it is simply an opportunity for you to explore and ask any questions you might have!

Once you’ve found your date and decided to go ahead we will take a deposit to secure your booking.

How much does it cost to hire The Barns at Delbury Hall?
Venue hire varies depending on your date, day of the week and season, so the best way to get an accurate cost is via our live pricing tool on the Prices & Availability page of our website. Simply select your preferred date to see pricing instantly.

Our venue hire includes a great deal as standard: exclusive use of the barn and grounds, a dedicated Events Manager to guide you from booking through to the big day, all indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, sound systems, and more. We’ve invested significantly in the venue over the past couple of years, and we work hard to make sure every element of your hire reflects genuine quality and value - not just a low price tag. If you'd like to talk through your budget and options in person, we'd love to show you around — book a private viewing with our team.

What are the payment terms and what is the deposit amount?

We request a £1,000 deposit to secure your booking. The balance of the venue hire is split into four equal quarters and these payments are due:

• 1st 25% instalment 3 months after the deposit payment

• 2nd 25% instalment 6 months after the deposit payment

• 3rd 25% instalment 6 months prior to your wedding date

• 4th 25% instalment 3 months prior to your wedding date

How many guests can the venue hold?

The Barns at Delbury Hall offers flexible capacity across our spaces:

• Ceremony — up to 180 guests, whether you choose our indoor/outdoor civil ceremony areas or St Peter's Church

• Wedding breakfast — up to 180 guests, dining in our air-conditioned Orangery

• Evening party — up to 200 guests in the air-conditioned Coach House

If you're staying on-site, we can accommodate up to 40 guests across the Stables, Garden Cottage and our new Walled Garden pods — see our Accommodation page for details. Every wedding is different, so if you're planning something more intimate or a larger celebration, we'd love to talk through what works best for your day - get in touch or book a viewing see the spaces for yourself.

What does the venue hire price include?

The cost for hiring The Barns at Delbury Hall includes:

• Extensive support from our wonderful events management team! An Events Manager will be assigned to you prior to your Planning Meeting to help you plan, answer your questions and be by your side on your wedding day, ensuring that everything runs smoothly for you.

• Indoor and outdoor and chairs

• Circular tables (a handling fee of £100 applies if you opt for trestle tables to cover our labour costs to change all of the tables over)

• Vintage glass holders and lanterns

• Fairy lights

• Evergreen trees in planters

• Drapery inside the barn

• A giant disco ball (this is typically concealed during the daytime and revealed at night for the evening party)

• Air conditioning in the Orangery and Coach House Barn

• State of the art professional lighting system for the evening party

• Professional PA system for use throughout the day and evening

• A high-quality, venue-wide audio sound system. The system has been professionally designed to deliver excellent sound quality on the dancefloor whilst minimizing noise spill outside the venue and is easy for your band or DJ to plug into. Please see above for further detail.

Extras like music and flowers are not included but we are always delighted to recommend the best local suppliers to ensure your day is extra special. See our Recommended Suppliers page.

The only optional extras are:

• The Garden Games Package: Giant Connect Four, Giant Jenga, Limbo and Quiots (£120)

• The Firepit Package (£200).

• We charge £100 for couples who wish to have trestle tables rather than round tables in the Orangery. This charge is to cover our labour costs to change all of the tables over.

• The use of the Dovecote Dressing room on the morning of the wedding (£100)

• The use of Fernhalls Mill on the morning of the wedding only as a dressing space (£100)

• The use of the Honeymoon Suite as a Dressing Room (£100)

What happens after we book - what's the planning process?

Once you've booked, you'll have access to your own online Wedding Portal, where your wedding plan, timeline, suppliers and key documents will all be kept in one place. This is where the planning really begins! Our team is on hand for any questions you might have during those exciting planning phases and our Recommended Suppliers List is a great place to start.

Around four months before your wedding, you'll be invited to a Planning Meeting with our events management team. This is where we go through the finer details together: confirming your daytime and evening guest numbers, your key timings (built around your ceremony time - everything from live music and confetti shots to speeches and your first dance), your key people on the day, and any personal styling touches you'd like to bring to the space.

From that meeting, we'll put together a detailed running order which you can share with your suppliers, such as your photographer. And if anything needs tweaking closer to the day don’t worry, we can do so very easily.

Our team is with you every step of the way, from the day you book to the final moments of your wedding.

Who do I contact to discuss a service at St Peter’s Church or a civil ceremony at the Barns at Delbury Hall?

If you are planning to have a church ceremony at St Peter’s Church in Diddlebury you will need to email Rev’d John Beesley: revjbeesley@gmail.com

If you are planning to have a civil ceremony at the Barns at Delbury Hall you’ll need to book the registrar directly with Shropshire Registration & Celebratory Services. You can contact them on 0345 678 9016 or registrars@shropshire.gov.uk. We recommend doing this as soon as possible to ensure the registrar is available for your date and preferred ceremony time (we can accommodate civil ceremonies anytime from 13:30pm).

Separate to booking the registrar, each of you needs to give legal notice of your intention to marry. If you live in Shropshire, you can contact the same registry office to do so. If either of you lives in another county, you will generally need to give your notice through the registration service in the district where you live. Please contact your local registry office to confirm exactly what you need to do based on where you live and your individual circumstances.

2. Finding Us & Arriving on the Day

How do we find you / is there parking?

We’re located at Delbury Hall, Mill Lane, Diddlebury, Shropshire, SY7 9DH - about 5 miles east of Craven Arms and 14 miles west of Bridgnorth. Approach via Mill Lane, through Diddlebury village, and you'll find our turning about half a mile south of the village. For full directions, see How to Find Us.

There's plenty of on-site parking at our designated parking area (what3words: ///mimics.monkeys.crossings). If you're getting married at the church, please note that there is no parking outside the church. You are welcome to drop guests off there, but we kindly ask that you then continue onwards to the venue and park in the main car park.

From the main car park, the church is approximately a 5–7 minute walk. Simply head towards the venue, go under the archway, and continue past Delbury Hall on your right. Following signs to the church, continue down the gravel pathway towards the wooded area beyond, which leads you directly to the church.

What time can we arrive at the venue to setup?

If there is no event happening the day before your wedding we are happy for you and your suppliers to arrive at 12.00pm the day before to set up the venue and for you and your guests to stay the night. Please just be aware that unless you have paid to book out the venue the day before (the cost of which is 50% of the venue hire fee on that date) there may be viewings, planning meetings and maintenance work taking place at the venue up until 6pm.

If there is an event happening the day before your wedding, the Coach House venue will be accessible from 10:00am on the day of your wedding for suppliers and/or close family members to come and get things ready.

Please note, access to set up the venue during the hours of 10.00-11.00am on the day of your wedding will only be possible via the Suppliers and Deliveries entrance which is signposted to the right as you come up the driveway. Access to the main car park is available from 11am. Photographers and videographers are welcome to arrive at the venue from 11am.

What time can we access the bridal dressing room?

This depends on whether there’s a wedding at the venue the day before yours:

If there's no wedding the day before, the Honeymoon Suite is available for bridal preparations from 8:30am on the morning of your wedding.

If there is a wedding the day before, the Honeymoon Suite won't be available until 11:30am. To ensure a relaxed morning, brides have the option to book Fernhalls Mill, our separate night-before cottage, instead. Fernhalls Mill is always reserved for couples' exclusive use, regardless of whether there's a wedding at the venue the day before - so it's a lovely way to guarantee a calm start to the day, and spend some special time with your loved ones the night before too. If you would just like to use Fernhalls Mill as a changing room area but not to stay in there is a charge of £100.

When can we start the celebrations?

Your exclusive hire of the venue starts from 11.30am on the day of your wedding and your guests are welcome to arrive from that time. We cannot accommodate wedding ceremonies before 1.30pm; this is to allow the venue to be properly cleaned and prepared before your guests’ arrival.

4. Accommodation & The Night Before

Can we set up the venue and stay in the accommodation the night before?

Yes! We are delighted to offer our couples the option to extend their wedding experience at Delbury and exclusively reserve the venue for the day prior to their wedding at 50% of the standard venue hire fee, plus of course, any rooms they would like to reserve for their guests. This is designed to give extra time for set-up, styling, supplier access and a relaxed lead-in to the wedding day. Please note, exclusive use of the venue on day 1 starts at 12pm and we cannot accommodate a full additional celebration or large-scale event the day before. If you are considering extended use of the venue or a multi-day celebration, please contact our team who would be delighted to advise you on the best options.

Alternatively, couples may request - no earlier than four months prior to the wedding date - permission to access the venue for set-up and to stay overnight the day before. This is subject to availability and will only be granted where there is no existing booking. Please just be aware that unless you have paid the 50% venue hire price to exclusively book out the venue the day before your wedding, there may be viewings, planning meetings and maintenance work taking place at the venue up until 6pm the day before your wedding.

If we’ve booked in to stay the night before the wedding with our guests, can we have drinks and dinner at the venue?

Our team would be delighted to discuss your plans for the evening before your wedding and help bring them to life.

For smaller, informal gatherings (under 25 guests), you are welcome to bring your own drinks for self-service. In this case, our bar will remain closed and glassware and ice will not be provided, so we kindly ask that you make alternative arrangements.

For groups of over 25 guests, a staffed bar will be required, with a minimum spend of £500.

For dining, you are welcome to work with one of our trusted catering partners or arrange for a food van to attend. We simply ask that all caterers clear and remove their waste at the end of the evening, ensuring the venue is clean and ready for your wedding day.

When do we have to pay for the accommodation?

We request that the accommodation is paid in full four weeks before the date of the wedding. We will send out an accommodation form for you to fill out roughly four months prior to your wedding. On the form you are able to choose which bedrooms you want to put your guests into. We are happy for you to take as many or as few of the bedrooms as you would like on the night of your wedding (and the day before if you are opting for a two-day wedding).

What time can guests check into their accommodation at the Barns at Delbury Hall for a one day wedding?

Wedding guests can check into bedrooms 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 from 12:30. Check in is from 2.00pm for all of the remaining bedrooms (including the Walled Garden Pods and Garden Cottage). For bedroom check-in times, access instructions and all other accommodation information, please refer to our Accommodation Information Pack.

What time can guests check into their accommodation at the Barns at Delbury Hall for a two-day wedding?

If you are hosting a two-day wedding and your guests are staying at the Barns at Delbury Hall the night before, all rooms will be available for check-in from 3pm. The only exception is our ‘night before’ cottage, Fernhalls Mill, where check-in is from 5pm. For bedroom check-in times, access instructions and all other accommodation information, please refer to our Accommodation Information Pack.

Is there additional accommodation nearby which is separate to the Barns at Delbury Hall?

Yes, there are plenty of options nearby, including many places to stay in Ludlow, a beautiful market town with good train links approximately 12 minutes’ drive away.

What do you serve for breakfast on the morning of and morning after the wedding?

Breakfast is served in the Breakfast Room between 8:00am and 9:30am. Our Accommodation Information Pack contains further information about your accommodation, including check-in, access and other frequently asked questions.

Around four months before your wedding, you’ll receive your accommodation form, which includes a section where you can provide any dietary requirements for you and your guests.

Morning of the wedding: A continental breakfast is included in your room price and includes fruit, yoghurt, cereals, pastries, juices, tea and coffee.

Morning after the wedding: A continental breakfast including bacon rolls will be served and is included in your room price. A vegetarian option of vegetarian sausage rolls is also available.

Cooked breakfast upgrade: If you would like a full cooked English breakfast in addition to the continental breakfast on either the morning of your wedding and/or the morning after, this is available at an additional cost of £20 per room, per night. Our cooked breakfast includes locally sourced sausages and bacon, free-range eggs, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns and baked beans.

Please note that the cooked breakfast upgrade must be selected for all rooms and cannot be added to individual rooms only.

Minimum booking requirement: You are welcome to book fewer than 6 bedrooms; however, breakfast is only available when a minimum of 6 bedrooms are booked. This minimum is necessary to ensure we can staff and operate the breakfast service effectively.

3. Day & Evening Timings

When does the Delbury Bar open and close?

The Delbury Bar can open an hour before your ceremony at your request but otherwise it will open at the start of the Reception Drinks. It closes at 11.45pm.

When do I need to finish the celebrations by?

Due to our licensing, we ask that your DJ or band finishes by 12:00am and that those not staying onsite in our accommodation leave the wedding venue soon after.

When do we need to pack up by?

The caterers and bar staff will clear the venue. Any small décor and other items left over from the wedding will be stored away in the Collection Point ready for you to collect the morning after your wedding. We ask that you collect all of these items before 10am.

Please let us know in advance if you are bringing any large decorations with you, such as a flower arch, as you will need to make other arrangements for those since our team are unable to carry larger items to the Collection Point late at night (the location of the Collection Point will be sent to you in advance of your wedding). Further information about our décor policy is available here.

5. Venue Facilities & Access

Is the venue air conditioned?
Yes. The Coach House Barn and The Orangery are air conditioned, so you and your guests can stay comfortable whatever the weather, whether you're saying "I do" in the height of summer or dancing the night away. Please note, our bedrooms are not air conditioned but fans will be provided in hot weather wherever possible.

Does the Barns at Delbury Hall have a sound system installed?

Yes. The main PA system at Delbury Hall is a high-quality audio setup designed to provide clear, balanced sound throughout the entire venue. Whether it's for background music during the Reception Drinks and Wedding Breakfast, for live speeches or for the evening band / DJ, the system ensures excellent, professional-grade audio coverage in all key areas: the Coach House Barn, the Orangery, the Courtyard, and the Foxglove Garden. For further information, please see our Musicians, Bands & DJs information page. Please note, there are no audio facilities on the Delbury Hall front lawn.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

There are a number of wheelchair friendly routes at Delbury Hall. We also have ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms in the Stables which are wheelchair accessible.

What facilities do you have for children?

In the Stables accommodation, there is a family room (Room 8) which has a double bed, two bunk beds, fridge and kettle, ideal for families to stay in. There is also an optional extra Z bed in room 10 and a small kitchen adjoining that room, making it suitable for families. Most of the bedrooms have space for a travel cot or a Z bed if needed. We can provide Z beds (these can also be used by adults), as well as cots and high chairs.

Can we bring our dog to the wedding?

Yes, you can! We do have some ‘house rules’ when it comes to dogs, however. For further information, please see Dogs at Delbury.

Are there any floor-plans showing the Stables accommodation, Garden Cottage and Coach House?

Yes! Click here for The Stables accommodation. Click here for The Garden Cottage. Click here for the Orangery. And, click here for the Coach House.

7. Décor & Styling

Are there any restrictions on what type of decorations I can bring?

We want to give you the freedom to dress the venue as much or as little as you wish! To ensure the safety of our team, we simply ask that you let us know in advance if you are bringing any large décor items (such as plinths, flower wheels, backdrops and hired furniture) and that these are removed from the venue is accordance with our décor policy, which is available here. Any large items left after 12.30am may impact access for the following day’s set-up and will therefore result in additional charges to cover staffing and operational disruption.

As mentioned above, smaller décor items will be gathered by The Barns at Delbury Hall team and safely stored for collection by 10am the following day.

On the day of the wedding will the Events Manager set up the table decorations and the ceremony decorations?

Generally, the Events Manager will ensure that the chairs and Wedding Breakfast tables are configured according to your instructions and the catering team will lay up for you. Our Events Manager will help the caterer and any suppliers as much as they can, but sadly they cannot be in charge of all of the decorations as they will be busy setting the venue and preparing the team to ensure the day runs smoothly. We always recommend a family member and/or florist or stylist to oversee the decorations and finishing touches to the tables. For further information please see our Venue Styling Guidelines.

What types of confetti can we use?

Everybody loves a bit of confetti; no wedding would be complete without it! We only ask that you use confetti made from natural flower petals, as supplied by Shropshire Petals, and that you try to ensure that petals are thrown on grass areas where it can be easily swept up by our mowers. We do not allow any confetti to be thrown indoors. Nor do we allow confetti bombs, cannons, metal, foil, glitter or plastic confetti. We also do not allow glitter, balloon releases, and ball games anywhere on the premises.

What about candles?

Who doesn’t love a bit of candlelight? We simply ask that all candles and tea lights are non-drip and kept within appropriate protective holders (see further details below). For the safety of our guests and the venue, we do not permit naked flames on the premises, with exceptions made at our discretion (for example, certain religious ceremonies such as Hindu weddings).

Open-top glass holders are permitted throughout the venue, with the exception of the aisle, as these can be easily knocked over. For the aisle, we require either fully enclosed glass lanterns (rather than open-top holders) or, alternatively, LED candles.

8. Food & Drink

How do drinks work for my Reception and Wedding Breakfast?

We offer a curated drinks experience through our own private cellar, giving you the freedom to handpick your Reception and Wedding Breakfast drinks at preferential rates. Here's how it works:

• Choose your selection with your Event Manager — our team is always on hand to help guide you on quantities, so you can order with confidence.

• We also offer a carefully curated cocktail list at reasonable prices, a lovely way to add something extra special to your Reception.

• Your drinks are perfectly chilled and seamlessly served by our expert bar team throughout your Reception and Wedding Breakfast.

• The Delbury Bar is also available throughout the day if your guests fancy something different (like draft Guinness!). You can set up a tab behind the Bar, or guests can simply pay for their own drinks.

• Your guests can enjoy the well-stocked Delbury Bar for the rest of the evening.

For further information, please see Food & Drinks.

If we use your recommend caterers, what do they provide within their price?

All of our recommended caterers’ prices include crockery, cutlery, glassware, napkins and tablecloths for the Wedding Breakfast. Some of our caterers have their own crockery, cutlery, glassware and linen, whilst others hire in from Tipples or other local suppliers. We would recommend exploring the terms offered by each of our caterers in turn to decide which is the best option for you and our team will be on hand to support you in this decision making process.

Do you charge extra for crockery, cutlery and glassware?

As stated above, our recommended suppliers include the crockery, cutlery and glassware in their food prices but if you prefer, you can hire your own crockery, cutlery and glassware for the Wedding Breakfast tables. We recommend you use Tipples who have always provided excellent service.

Can we use our own external caterers?

We work with a fantastic group of trusted catering companies, and we'd always recommend choosing one of our recommended partners to ensure the smoothest possible day.

In exceptional circumstances, where your preferred cuisine or catering requirements can't reasonably be met by one of our recommended partners, we may be able to consider an alternative caterer at our discretion. Where an external caterer is approved, an external caterer fee applies (£500 + VAT), along with a refundable kitchen damages deposit (£250). Please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements, and we'll be happy to talk you through what's possible.

Please see below the list of the caterers we work with. If your chosen cuisine is not represented below, please do get in touch with us to discuss your requirements.

• The Shed

• Twisted Lemon

• Luca’s Events

• Jennys Catering

We partner with three brilliant Asian catering companies:

• Guardian Occasions

• Mayur Catering

• Five Rivers

Can we provide our own external caterers for the evening food?

Absolutely! We often welcome food trucks serving for example pizzas or hog roasts into the courtyard at The Barns at Delbury Hall for the evening food. It is completely up to you to decide who you would like to hire to do this.

Can we have a snack table at our wedding?

We’re happy for couples to provide one complimentary self-serve snack station, such as a sweet table, crisp table, doughnut display or similar. The snack station should be limited to one designated 5ft or 6ft table and must be agreed with the venue before your wedding day. Please note that all food, display items, serving equipment, bags, scoops, tongs, plates and decorations must be provided by the couple or their suppliers. The venue does not supply serving equipment or display items for external food tables. Our team is unable to set up, style, replenish, serve or clear externally supplied snack tables. All items must be supplied in date, stored and presented in a hygienic manner, and comply with basic food safety standards. The venue reserves the right to remove any items that do not meet these requirements and to refuse food displays that have not been agreed in advance and/or exceed the allocated space.

9. Other things to know

What events can I hire the Barns at Delbury Hall for?

The choice is yours! We are very popular for weddings but we also host corporate events and other celebrations. Whatever the occasion, we would love to work with you to help curate the special event you have in mind. Please contact our team to discuss your requirements.

Are fireworks and sparklers permitted at the venue?

As we are surrounded by livestock, we’re unfortunately unable to allow fireworks of any kind, including so-called “silent” fireworks, as these can still cause distress to our local animals. You’re very welcome to use sparklers outside the venue, and we’re happy to help suggest other lovely alternatives to mark your celebration. We thank you for your understanding.

Do you have any other restrictions I should be aware of?
To help you plan smoothly, here's a quick summary of a few important restrictions — further detail is included in the relevant sections above:

• Confetti must be natural petals only - no glitter, metal, foil or confetti cannons

• No fireworks, including "silent" fireworks (we're surrounded by livestock)

• No naked flames - candles must be non-drip and in protective holders

• Evening bands/DJs must plug into our in-house sound system - no external speakers

• Music must finish by 12:00am

Still have a question?

If the FAQs above did not answer your question or you would like to know more we would love to hear from you!