The Gallivant Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.
Badges
-
![Jack]()
Jack Sent on 13/09/2025Our dream day
From the moment we viewed The Gallivant we knew we had to have our wedding there. We were treated to a lovely lunch with great service, showcasing everything that was to come.
Victoria and Agnes were very helpful in setting out the different options for the day and what was possible within the spaces available. There is a good variety of where you can hold the different elements of a wedding depending on your preference.
On the day of the wedding itself, every single member of staff were incredibly kind to our guests and made the hotel a home away from home - this made all the difference and meant we were not stressed at all going into the day.
There were some last minute changes required due to weather, and the team were so helpful in planning for lots of eventualities to make sure we had a great day no matter what.
Our guests commented that the wedding food was the best they have had. It came out promptly, with excellent service, and was hot and unbelievably tasty. The dishes looked exactly the same as they had at the tasting.
We had the most wonderful day and if you are looking for a coastal wedding with incredible food and great service then this is the venue for you.
We will be eternally grateful to everyone at the Gallivant for enabling us to have our perfect wedding day.
-
-
![Lily]()
Lily Sent on 08/08/2025A dream venue
When we first discovered the Gallivant, we knew it was our dream wedding venue. I am a wedding photographer myself and I knew I wanted a venue that was gorgeous inside and out, filled with light, fantastic service and plenty of opportunities for photos. We also really wanted our guests to feel like they were on holiday. But, we never thought we'd actually be able to make it happen. However, from the moment we got in touch with Victoria, she was so warm and welcoming and flexible with all of our requirements and it was just a dream come true to get married at the Gallivant.
To take over the entire gorgeous venue and fill it with your nearest and dearest it's such a special thing. We had 45 guests, with the majority staying over for either one or two nights and it felt like the perfect amount of people to fill the space without it feeling overly crowded. My friends and I did yoga on the beach on the morning of the wedding and so many of us went for a morning beach stroll/swim the day after our wedding. Our guests cannot stop raving about how gorgeous the hotel was, how incredibly friendly and attentive the staff were and how delicious the food was. Several guests told us it was the best wedding food they've ever eaten.
The team at the Gallivant accommodated all of our requests and really looked after our guests. One thing to note was that it poured with rain when we were having our drinks reception which meant we didn't make it out to the coastal garden, but this didn't make the slightest bit of difference. The Gallivant is so cosy that it felt like we were in a friends living room (a friend with impeccable taste in interior design!) But when the rain stopped, we hotfooted it to the beach for some gorgeous pictures in the dunes.
We wanted our day to feel super relaxed and the Gallivant team made that happen in abundance. We can't wait to return every year for our anniversary!
-
-
Alice Sent on 06/07/2025
Simply perfect
The most beautiful, special wedding weekend we could have ever dreamed of! In contrast to many other wedding venues, The Gallivant really does make an effort to make you feel special from the very first visit onwards... there is nothing about it that makes you feel like you're "just another wedding". Their attention to detail, incredible local food and wine, impeccable service and absolutely stunning venue make this a really special place to get married.
It has a relaxed, yet stylish and high quality feel to it, without being pretentious. Being able to hire the whole hotel out for your friends and family to stay with you feels so special and unique, and our guests haven't been able to stop praising it since. From the outstanding food and drink (some of the best we've ever had, despite it being "mass catering"), to the amazingly helpful and friendly staff, to the organisation in the lead up to and on the day itself. Everything felt taken care of and we had a completely stress-free and care-free day! Drinks reception on the dunes, in the beaming sunshine, really was the icing on the cake too!
We can't recommend The Gallivant enough if you're looking for a relaxed, slightly alternative, unique, beautiful, stylish wedding venue with the best food and drink you could imagine! -
-
![Hattie]()
Hattie Sent on 04/06/2023Absolutely incredible
We LOVED getting married at The Gallivant - it is the most stunning venue and it was so special to be able to bring all of our guests there for a unique experience and to have them all stay at the venue with us. We went for a big hungover swim at the sea next day (with blankets, towels, flasks of tea and coffee - all provided by the Gallivant!), which was such a fun experience.
The team were incredible from start to finish and thought of every single detail that made our day even more special. Daisy was a fantastic wedding planner, who was always responsive and came up with some amazing ideas for how we can really make the most of the space at The Gallivant. The food was unreal (many of our guests commented it was the best food they'd ever eaten, let alone at a wedding!). On the day, Hamish and the team thought of everything, dealing with any issue that came up, catering to each of our guests and making sure that my husband and I were able to have many moments together just us - we didn't have to worry about a thing and could fully focus on enjoying every part of the day.
We could not recommend having your wedding at the Gallivant more. If you want a relaxed, chic and elegant wedding, where you can have all your guests in one place and bring them the best of local food, wine and a team that will do anything to make sure you have the best possible day.
-
-
![Christopher]()
Christopher Sent on 11/07/2021Magical, unique, memorable… the best day
We originally planned to get married in Spain in 2020, but the pandemic put paid to that, and it was by something of an accident we came across the Gallivant when searching for a UK venue. But as we write this two weeks on, we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The Gallivant was simply perfect. The venue is gorgeous, the service impeccable, the food and drink absolutely sensational, and the drinks reception on the Dunes in the sunshine, with the brilliant Ben on the piano, genuinely was the stuff of dreams. The run-up to the day wasn’t easy, with doubts over restrictions and numbers, but we can’t thanks Sarah and the rest of the staff for all of their understanding and flexibility. This is what the future has to be about - people working together and helping each other out to create happy memories. We can’t recommend The Gallivant highly enough.The Gallivant's reply:
Thank you Chris and Rachel for such a touching review.
It was a pleasure to host your big day to make it such a great success, despite the restrictions. On behalf of the team at The Gallivant, we wish you a very happy and healthy life together and hope to see you both again soon. -
-
Jaime Sent on 17/06/2021
A perfect day at the Gallivant!
Having originally planned to get married in August 2020, due to government restrictions we tied the knot in October 2020 with 15 of our nearest and dearest. Even at the best of times, the build up to your wedding can become quite stressful(!) however the support we received from everyone at the Gallivant was overwhelming. Sarah was our main point of contact and was amazing from the planning stages through to the day itself, going above and beyond to make sure we and our guests were perfectly looked after.
Head chef Jamie put together the most incredible menu for the day and the quality of the food and drink served across our weekend really stood out and was a big highlight for us.
The venue styling feels so sophisticated yet relaxed and having the exclusive use of such a beautiful space and accommodation felt very special. There were little details at every turn that made the day so personal to us, like the Bloody Mary 'Recovery Station' at breakfast as an example!
Our day couldn't have been more perfect, thank you all so much for the efforts you went to for us, it's one we will always remember.
The Gallivant's reply:
It was truly a pleasure to have hosted your big day here at The Gallivant. Despite all the restrictions, we are overjoyed that we could make this day memorable for you and your guests.
We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness together.
Best wishes,
Harry, Elise, Sarah and The Gallivant Family -
-
![Rebecca]()
Rebecca Sent on 23/05/2021Perfect venue for our laidback wedding
We had originally planned to marry at a different venue in the centre of Rye but unfortunately, three months before our wedding, there was a fire and the venue was forced to close.
We'd spent over a year planning the day and so the thought of having to do it all again, in such a short space of time, was pretty soul destroying. However, the team at The Gallivant were amazing at recreating our vision and went above and beyond to make sure all the little details we'd already planned could still be incorporated into the day.
We wanted a laidback, slightly less conventional wedding, with an intimate breakfast for family and then a big party with plenty of locally-sourced food and drink for everyone afterwards. A special mention to head chef Jamie, who as well as creating a stunning menu, also sourced and shucked local oysters, which is something not usually on the menu but we were keen to include for our guests in the afternoon.
They say things happen for a reason and, while the day wasn't the original we had planned, The Gallivant was the absolutely perfect venue for us and the day surpassed all our (and our guests') expectations.
Becky and SamThe Gallivant's reply:
Thank you Becky and Sam.
It was a pleasure to have hosted your special day here at The Gallivant and we are honoured by your kind words. We wish you many happy years together, and we look forward to welcoming you back to The Gallivant soon.
Very best wishes,
Harry, Elise, and The Gallivant Family. -
Did the reviews win you over?
Did the reviews win you over?