Nicky & Ben’s love story.
Nicky & Ben met in 2015 whilst both travelling in Australia. They met on the Gold Coast, Queensland where Ben was working in a hostel. They continued travelling for another 9 months together, living and working on a farm in the outback for 3 months then travelling throughout Australia, before coming home via Bali and Dubai. On their return they moved to Eastbourne and Ben proposed in August 2019.
They knew they wanted a summer wedding so went for July 2020. Always a couple up for an adventure, they embraced the challenges that Covid restrictions later threw at them, and as their preferred date moved so did the guidelines for guest numbers (several times) and eventually they had a wonderful October 2020 wedding.
“The changes were so stressful, but Nicola was amazing and helped all the way, considering none of us knew what would happen with pandemic she was so helpful. We had 15 people and it was the most perfect day considering it wasn’t what we planned!”
Style of venue
Barn, hotel, castle, zoo, church, registry office…. the list is endless. The joy of Hendall as a venue is you start with a stylish and elegant space, yet it has so much versatility. There is the option of holding both ceremony & reception together or holding them separately. Nicky & Ben knew they wanted a barn setting and had decided they preferred a venue where they could have both the ceremony and reception in one place. So, they set up a viewing with us and began the exciting process of choosing a venue.
Things to consider…
Decor
How you decorate the space and create the style you want is entirely up to you. You can go traditional or quirky, lavish or simple. Either way we have a beautiful starting point with all the basics for you to expand upon if you wish to.
Capacity
Deciding on whether you wish to hold a large or small wedding, as we know of late, is not always as we planned. Nicky & Ben would have loved around 80 guests but even with the Government restrictions still decided to go ahead with limited guests. Hendall has two areas within the main barn which allows couples to decide where they hold the wedding ceremony – depending on numbers and personal taste. We also have a stunning outdoor terrace & lawn for guests to use throughout the day, making it perfect for larger numbers too.
Accommodation
One of Nicky’s considerations was to not have to drive to the venue on the day. Ironic considering their love of travel 🙂 She wanted a space to stay the night before the wedding and the night of the wedding. At Hendall we have separate accommodation for up to 6 guests and a converted piggery, which is used as a bridal suite. Both are converted to an exceptionally high standard and have various bed configurations to accommodate the couple’s bridal parties or family’s needs.
“The accommodation was a big selling point and it was so nice to stay with my bridesmaids the night before and some friends on the evening. It has everything and I loved being there so didn’t need to think about anything on the morning.”
Food & Drink
At Hendall we pride ourselves on allowing guests the experience of choosing exactly what they want for their day to make it totally unique to each couple. Whether you want a traditional 3 course meal or a less formal feel of Pizza and ice-cream, our large selection of approved caterers ensures you find the perfect wedding breakfast.
Nicky & Ben wanted a more informal feel so chose BBQ sharing platters. When the date moved to October they still wanted this experience, (especially since they had been to a tasting session) so BBQ it was!
Although your caterer will also be responsible for serving your drinks at the bar during your evening reception, Hendall offers the flexibility of the couple providing their own choice of drinks and we do not charge corkage.
Suppliers & Support
From the off we like to hear all about your plans to ensure we offer you the best start to help you plan your day. Hendall has an extensive list of local suppliers that offer exceptional service who will be able to tailor your day to exactly what you desire. We are here to support you whatever happens and know that having held so many unique weddings here we nearly always know someone that can help you realise the dream.
“We also loved that it wasn’t a package we could choose all our own suppliers to make the day exactly how we wanted.”
If you would like to know more about us and see how Hendall could be the Sussex Barn Venue you’ve been looking for, please get in touch.
Our thanks firstly go to Nicky & Ben for a wonderful day!
Caterers @greenfigcateringcompany
Photography by Madeleine @madelinenormanphotography.co.uk
Florist, Laura@ferncottagefloristry.com
Cake by Grace https://www.gbbakes.co.uk/
