Journal · · By Archie Godman-Dorington
Dry hire wedding venue: what is included at Haylands, line by line
At Haylands Barn in Graffham, West Sussex, the £6,400 fee covers an on-site manager, patio bar, 5m x 5m marquee, caterers' prep tent and 30 kVA generator. You also get the barn, the south-facing patio and two acres of lawn below the South Downs. Tables, chairs, loos, food and drink are yours to arrange.
Ask any dry hire wedding venue what is included and you will get a different answer. This post sets out ours, line by line, so you can compare like with like.
What does dry hire include, and what does it leave to you?
Dry hire means you hire the space and bring your own caterer, drinks and suppliers. If you are new to the idea, our post on what a dry hire wedding venue is covers the basics.
What venue hire includes varies a lot from barn to barn. Some give you four walls and a field. Others include power, a bar, someone on site and the clean-up. The difference adds up once you hire it all in.
So before you compare prices, ask four questions. Is there power for the caterer? Is there somewhere for them to prep? Who is on site on the day? Who cleans up afterwards? At Haylands the answer to all four is in the fee.
Dry hire wedding venue: what is included in our fee?
Here are our dry hire inclusions, set against what you bring. The fee is £6,400 for any available Saturday from April to September in 2027 and 2028, and £6,720 in 2029.
Included in the £6,400
- Exclusive use of the barn
- South-facing patio and two acres of lawn
- On-site manager
- Patio bar (you stock it, with no corkage)
- Soft furniture
- 5m x 5m marquee
- Caterers' prep tent and 30 kVA generator
- Bridal changing room
- Lighting and mirror ball
- Field parking and ramp access
- Cleaning
You bring or book
- Tables and chairs, from Tents n' Events at Haylands rates
- Toilet trailer, from Tents n' Events at £960
- Your caterer
- Your drinks, and a bar operator if you want one
- Registrar fees
- Our £300 ceremony fee, only if the legal ceremony is at the barn (nil if you marry at St Giles Church, Graffham)
What do the extras cost on top?
At Tents n' Events, a Chiavari chair is £4.80, a round table for 10 is £15 and the toilet trailer is £960. A dance floor is £540 if you want one. Delivery is free when you hire tables and chairs together.
Put together, a classic set-up in 2027 comes to £8,026 for 100 guests and £8,215 for 130 guests, before food and drink. Add £300 for a ceremony at the barn, or £320 for a 2029 date. Our pricing page has the full breakdown from 80 to 200 guests.
How does the weekend run at Haylands?
Time is part of what you pay for, so it is worth knowing the timetable.
- Suppliers can set up on Friday from 8am to 5pm.
- On the Saturday you have the site from 8am.
- Music and the bar stop at 11:30pm, and guests leave by midnight.
- Suppliers collect their kit by 11am on Sunday.
You can use any supplier, and there is no charge for using one who is not on our list. We do ask that every supplier carries £5m public liability insurance and brings PAT-tested kit, and that caterers hold a food hygiene rating of 4 or above.
Amplified music goes inside the barn, with background music on the patio. There is no sound limiter. A few things are not allowed: fireworks, sky lanterns, fire pits, braziers, sparklers, flares and confetti, including biodegradable confetti. Dogs are not allowed either, though assistance dogs are welcome. For the evening photos, the barn lighting and mirror ball do the work instead.
You can see how real couples have used the space on our weddings page, and read more about the whole offer on our dry hire wedding venue in Sussex page.
Three quick answers
How do we pay the venue fee? A 50% deposit secures your date. The balance, any ceremony fee and a £500 damage deposit are due 3 months before the wedding. Moving your date costs £250 with 6 months' notice.
Do we need to hire tables and chairs? Yes. The fee covers soft furniture, but you book tables and chairs through Tents n' Events at our Haylands rates. We tell you how many you need and add nothing on top.
Can our caterer use the power on site? Yes. Your caterer gets a covered prep tent and a 30 kVA generator. They need £5m public liability insurance, PAT-tested kit and a food hygiene rating of 4 or above.
See what's included in full, then call Archie on 07766 770830 to book a viewing.