Kent Wedding Venue Guide

With weddings hopefully heading back to their full glory, here’s a guide to a selection of venues in Kent to help you plan yours.

Planning a wedding is a fair old task in itself, never mind attempting it in the midst of a global pandemic and national lockdown, but hopefully this Kent Wedding Venue Guide will give you some ideas to help you plan the wedding you’ve been waiting for.

You can look at this as a bit of an “insider” guide. Having shot at all of these venues, I can provide you with a few tips and ideas to help you choose the venue for your wedding day. Below is a list of 10 Kent wedding venues for you to look over, all capable of giving you the wedding day you hoped for and all equally as special in their own right.

Elmley Nature Reserve
The Ferry House Inn
East Quay Venue
The Shepherd Neame Brewery
The Oak Grove
Cooling Castle
The Commissioner’s House & Gardens
The Old Kent Barn
Cobham Hall
A DIY Wedding

The Isle of Sheppey may not necessarily be the first place that springs to mind when thinking about a venue in Kent for your wedding, but this island off the Northern coast of Kent has a couple of wedding venue gems hidden away there.

Elmley Nature Reserve being one of those.

Elmley Nature Reserve - Kent Wedding Venue

Kingshill Farm sits in the 3,300 acres of Elmley Nature Reserve. This truly unique venue is registered for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies and the Kingshill Barn is a stunning setting for your day with huge windows overlooking the marshland beyond.

The farmhouse itself has been lovingly restored and along with Elmley Cottage, the Shepherd’s Huts and the Bell Tent Village you’re spoilt for choice for accommodation for you and your guests. Plus there’s some great walks to help clear your head and your hangover the next day…

The Ferry House Inn is another unique gem of a venue on the Isle of Sheppey.

The Ferry House Inn - Kent Wedding Venue

Sitting right on the estuary, the 16th Century Ferry House Inn has got you covered! Whether you want a rustic barn wedding or an outdoor ceremony in the sunshine, the Ferry House Inn can provide it. The team at The Ferry House Inn go above and beyond to make sure your day goes as smoothly as possible. If you’d planned to have your ceremony outside under their Oak Gazebo and the English weather doesn’t play ball, they can switch that round for you and have you tucked inside the Oak Barn ready to go. Plus all of their food is locally sourced and uses produce from their very own kitchen garden. There’s also plenty of accommodation in their guest rooms at the Inn and at Mockett’s Cottages which is a short 2 minute tractor ride up the lane!

Also, just minutes from the Ferry House Inn is the beautiful Grade II listed Harty Church – a perfect setting for a traditional church ceremony. With no electricity and dating from as far back as the 11th century, it definitely has that period feel about it.

St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Harty - Kent Wedding Venue

Further along the Kent coast, set in Whitstable Harbour, is The East Quay Venue.

The East Quay Venue - Kent Wedding Venue.

Full of coastal heritage charm, the East Quay Venue is actually the original oyster grading room of the Seasalter and Ham Fishery Company and still retains the structural features and character from it’s past.
The unique charm of this venue sets it apart from others and if your guests need somewhere to stay, the converted Fisherman’s Huts along the front add to the experience of your wedding day.

The Shepherd Neame Brewery has been resident in the market town of Faversham for over 300 years and is another unique venue to consider for your wedding.

The Shepherd Neame Brewery, Faversham - Kent Wedding Venue

The Old Brewery Store is a great setting for your reception and the industrial feel of the venue is something you’d be hard pushed to find elsewhere.

The Oak Grove is about as “outdoors” a venue as you can get.

Set on the banks of the River Medway, the Oak Grove is a unique woodland wedding venue with a living willow licensed ceremony area. The vaulted stretch tents will accommodate your guests for the reception and really add to the relaxed charm of the venue. Bookings are limited though, so you need to get in quick for this one.

Cooling Castle Barn remains as popular a Kent wedding venue as ever.

Cooling Castle Barn - Kent Wedding Venue Guide

Full of natural light, the dressing room in The Moat House is the perfect way to start your day before having your ceremony in either the Fathom Barn or outside in the gardens under the wedding pavilion.

You know your day will be well covered by the experienced team at Cooling and the Tithe Barn is the perfect setting for your reception in the evening.

The Commissioner’s House & Gardens

As Britain’s oldest naval building and set in The Historic Dockyard Chatham, it’s a special place. Not only do you get the use of the house itself with all it’s period charm, the gardens also display the character of the venue. Plus you can wander round the dockyard itself – you won’t find many other venues like this.

Get ready for your day in one of the old staff bedrooms, before having your ceremony in a choice of four different venues, inside or out – one of which is on board HMS Gannet!

If a barn wedding venue is what you’re after, The Old Kent Barn is up there as one of the best.

The Old Kent Barn - Kent Wedding Venue Guide

Having won numerous awards you know the standards are going to be very high. The team here are meticulous in their planning and detail to make sure your day runs like clockwork.

Again you can have either an indoor ceremony in the oak framed barn or an outdoor ceremony within their manicured gardens, with the barn itself being the perfect setting for your evening reception.

Cobham Hall – What a setting this place is!

Cobham Hall dates back to 1208 and is a stunning venue for your wedding day. The Gilt Hall displays all the elegance and grandeur you’d expect from a house of this stature – That’s before you step outside into the 150 acres of parkland. This place is a stunner of a venue and a photographer’s dream! Check out some more shots here.

Now for the wildcard – A DIY Wedding!

An Iden Green DIY Wedding - Kent Wedding Venue Guide

To really have your day as unique and special to you as possible, you could always prepare your day from scratch! It might take a bit more work, but at least that way you can have things just how you want it. Having shot Clare and Chris’ wedding it really opened my eyes up to just what you can do for your wedding day.

After a traditional church ceremony, they had their reception on their local village green. They sourced their suppliers themselves and really did create the day they’d always wanted.