Journal · · By Archie Godman-Dorington
What is a dry hire wedding venue? A plain answer from a barn that is one
A dry hire wedding venue gives you the building and grounds, and leaves the food, drink and suppliers to you. At Haylands Barn in Graffham, West Sussex, at the foot of the South Downs, that means any caterer you like, your own bar with no corkage, and one venue fee of £6,400.
What does dry hire actually mean?
"Dry" refers to drink. A dry hire venue doesn't sell alcohol or run a bar. Over time the phrase has come to mean a venue that doesn't bundle catering, a bar or set packages into its price. You hire the space, then build the day around it.
The opposite is a wet hire or all-inclusive venue, where the venue provides the bar, usually the catering, and often a fixed list of suppliers. You pay one larger price and give up some choice.
Dry hire isn't the same as an empty field. Most dry hire barns in Sussex include the basics: power, lighting, parking, somewhere for caterers to work. The detail varies a lot, which is why the first question to ask any dry hire venue is "what exactly is in the fee?"
Dry hire, wet hire or all-inclusive: how they compare
| Dry hire (Haylands) | Wet hire | All-inclusive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who caters | Any caterer you choose | Usually the venue's list | The venue |
| Bar | Yours, no corkage | The venue's bar | The venue's bar |
| Corkage | None | Often charged | Not allowed or charged |
| Tables, chairs, loos | Hired at list price via Tents n' Events | Usually included | Included |
| Styling | Yours | Often restricted | Fixed |
The right answer depends on how much you want to choose. Couples who pick dry hire usually have a caterer in mind, want their own drinks at cost, or want a look the packaged venues won't give them.
How dry hire works at Haylands
Your fee covers exclusive use of the barn, the south-facing patio and two acres of lawn from Friday morning to Sunday 11am. It also covers things many dry hire barns don't: an on-site manager through the weekend, the patio bar, soft furniture, a 5m x 5m marquee, a covered prep tent and 30 kVA generator for your caterers, a changing room for the bridal party, lighting and a mirror ball, field parking and cleaning afterwards.
You book tables, chairs and a luxury toilet trailer directly with Tents n' Events in Arundel at our Haylands rates. We tell you what you need and add nothing. For 130 guests, chairs, tables and loos come to about £1,800, so the whole day before food and drink is around £8,215.
You're free to use any supplier, and there's no charge for using one who isn't on our list. We recommend ours because they know the barn. You can read more about dry hire at Haylands.
If you marry at the barn, our ceremony fee is £300. If you marry at St Giles Church in the village and join us afterwards, there's no ceremony fee.
Three quick answers
Is dry hire cheaper? It can be, if you're happy to organise suppliers. At Haylands the venue fee is £6,400 for 2027 and 2028, you buy drinks at cost with no corkage, and we add nothing to the furniture hire.
Do we have to do everything ourselves? No. Our on-site manager directs suppliers on the Friday build and helps on the day, and our supplier list has caterers, florists and photographers who know the barn.
Can we bring our own alcohol? Yes, with no corkage. If you sell drinks rather than give them away, your bar operator needs a Temporary Event Notice.
Want to see how it works in person? Book a viewing or see 2027 to 2029 prices.