Hello from Preston Court

If you’re on the hunt for a barn wedding venue with a difference, then I think you can safely say the search is over!

Preston Court, located in the idyllic Kent countryside, is a unique barn with all the fairground vibes! Fun, lively and individual this is a venue that will put a smile on your face.

Owner Anna is here to tell you a little more about Preston Court, including their rather fabulous Gigglebox.

Notes from Preston Court

Anna says…

At Preston Court we actively encourage couples to be different and to take ownership of the venue for their wedding day as we recognise that the location has so many unique features that can be brought to life. Not only are we lucky enough to have our very own full scale working Victorian carousel, a magnificent Showman’s Wagon and two incredible vintage (playing!) mechanical organs, we have our very own Glamp-site featuring beautiful Bell & Emperor tents so you can make a weekend of it and stay on site to enjoy the tranquil surroundings.

There are two large lakes, one of which is the heavenly location for outdoor garden ceremonies – surrounded by ancient Yew trees, beautiful landscaped gardens, with peacocks and chickens roaming serenely in the background. Preston Court has so much to offer and the photo opportunities are endless.

Juliana’s Island is licenced for outdoor ceremonies and sits on the lake in front of the pretty Georgian Manor House of Preston Court.  We can accommodate weddings of between 40 – 130 people for the day and up to 180 people in the evening. If the weather is unkind we also have a licence which means you can tie the knot in the magnificent Kentish barn surrounding by twinkly lights and the magnificent fairground organs… Why not have one of them playing you down the aisle.

If you would like to have a religious ceremony here on site, St Mildred’s church which is a Saxon chapel is available for Church of England weddings and blessings, and is a magical place.

You are welcome to have your ceremony more or less any time you like, and we try and be as flexible as we can with how things are run, so that no two weddings are ever the same. We want everyone to feel at home and completely at ease so you can welcome your guests to the venue.

Preston Court has been owned by our family for 40 years and we are so fortunate to be able to open it up for these joyous events – we are a very rare, family owned and family run wedding venue, so you can rest assured you will get the best possible service, as so much is done in-house. We welcome animals lovers and dogs are welcome to your wedding!

During the afternoon guests are free to roam around and explore the grounds, whilst drinks are served on the lawns in front of the main house. We have an incredible selection of professional outside caterers who we work with so you are given a huge choice in terms of food and being in the heart of the Kent countryside, the ‘garden of England’, it is highly likely that all the ingredients will have been grown or produced within a few miles of Preston Court! With Veganism on the increase we have full vegan menus as well as huge feasting menus for the more carnivorous of us.

The main Kentish barn has 5 very large doors on the south side which we open up completely, so guests can spill out into the barnyard, and on warmer days guests feel like they are eating ‘al fresco’.

We have our own in-house bar which serves all manner of Preston Court inspired cocktails, as well as award-winning wines which have been grown in Kent and further afield in Europe and beyond. Kent being an historic hop growing area, means we are spoilt for choice in terms of craft ales and ciders, so you can really go to town with local produce should you wish.

Another unique feature is the Gigglebox which is our very own invention. In the beautiful Granary barn in the barnyard, guests are entertained by Louis the camera man who acts as a compère-come-director, prompting questions to the guests to provoke sincere, sometimes side-splittingly silly stories about the couple in question. The video footage is then painstakingly and cleverly edited together to create a natty short video which can be shared forever.

Meanwhile in the barnyard as Champagne is served and drinks flow, the carousel whirls round, music plays and guests can try their hand on the coconut shy, or Beat The Buzzer – a veritable feast of entertainment – after dusk, the barnyard is illuminated in fairy and festoon lights and the venue takes on a new dimension, as the sun sets behind the carousel, casting a warm golden glow over the barnyard.

The atmosphere is electric and long may it last.