Forest Barns Wedding Weekends

Forest Barns is a private luxury hamlet wedding venue in Gloucestershire, created for elopements, micro-weddings and two-night exclusive-use wedding weekends.

Set at the head of a peaceful valley near the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean, Forest Barns combines five luxury self-catering cottages, private hot tubs, licensed indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces, gardens and dedicated dining and gathering space.

Our wedding stays are ideal for couples who want something more personal than a hotel wedding: time with close family and friends, accommodation on site, relaxed countryside surroundings and the privacy of a small hamlet reserved by agreement for your celebration.

Forest Barns can sleep up to 26 overnight guests across five cottages. Standard exclusive-use weddings can include up to 18 additional day guests by prior agreement, giving up to 44 people in total on the wedding day.

We also offer elopements and very small micro-weddings for couples who want a quiet, romantic and carefully managed celebration.

Facilities and Capacity

Forest Barns is best suited to intimate weddings, elopements, micro-weddings and exclusive-use wedding weekends.

For a full exclusive-use wedding weekend, the hamlet can sleep up to 26 overnight guests across five cottages, with up to 18 additional day guests by prior agreement. This gives up to 44 people in total on the wedding day.

The venue includes licensed indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces. The Cider Barn is a rustic black barn with a wooden balcony and views across the wooded valley. The Apple Store offers a more intimate indoor ceremony or dining space and can also be used alongside the Cider Barn, depending on the wedding arrangements agreed.

For outdoor ceremonies, couples can choose from beautiful lawn settings, including Manor Lawn and White Poplar Lawn, surrounded by countryside and the Forest Barns hamlet.

Forest Barns is not a hotel-style evening reception venue. Weddings are carefully planned around the cottages, ceremony spaces, dining arrangements and agreed guest numbers, so that your celebration feels private, personal and well managed.

Services Offered

Our main wedding option is a two-night exclusive-use wedding weekend, giving you time to arrive, settle in, prepare, celebrate and enjoy the morning after your wedding without everything feeling rushed.

Exclusive-use wedding weekends usually run from arrival the day before the wedding to departure the day after. Exact timings, cottage access, ceremony arrangements, catering, bar arrangements and use of spaces are agreed with Forest Barns in advance.

This style of wedding works especially well for couples who want their closest family and friends to stay on site, enjoy the cottages, hot tubs and countryside setting, and share a relaxed wedding weekend together.

Elopements and very small micro-weddings may also be available by arrangement for couples who want something more private and intimate.

Venue Amenities

Forest Barns offers five individual cottages, each with its own private hot tub. Together, the cottages sleep up to 26 overnight guests and provide 13 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms across the hamlet.

The cottages give guests the comfort and privacy of their own accommodation, while the dedicated dining and gathering spaces allow everyone to come together for the ceremony, meals, speeches and celebration time.

Facilities may include:

• Five luxury self-catering cottages
• Accommodation for up to 26 overnight guests
• Five private hot tubs
• Licensed indoor ceremony spaces
• Licensed outdoor ceremony spaces
• Dedicated dining and gathering space
• Kitchen/bar area
• Cloakroom facilities
• TV and pull-down screen for photos, slideshows or video
• Games room
• Children’s outdoor play area
• Gardens, woodland walks and countryside setting
• EV charging available on site; please ask for current arrangements
• Dogs may be accepted by prior arrangement in suitable cottages
• Dining, Catering and Drinks

Couples can work with approved caterers or trusted catering partners, depending on the type of wedding and the arrangements agreed.

Catering may include relaxed wedding breakfasts, private dining, buffets, outdoor catering or more informal countryside wedding food, subject to agreement and practical arrangements.

Any catering, supplier access, set-up, clearing away, bar service, alcohol arrangements and use of kitchens or dining spaces must be agreed with Forest Barns in advance.

Forest Barns has a premises licence, and bar or drinks arrangements are discussed individually depending on the type of wedding, guest numbers and plans for the day.

Accommodation

One of the greatest advantages of Forest Barns is that your wedding accommodation is part of the venue.

Your closest guests can stay in the hamlet across five cottages:

The Manor – a 17th-century farmhouse sleeping up to 8

Orchard Barn – a detached stone barn sleeping up to 6

The Stables – a cosy stone barn sleeping up to 6

Meadow Byre – a two-bedroom cottage sleeping up to 4

Brambles – a romantic cottage for two with balcony hot tub

This means guests can stay close together while still having their own cottage space, bathrooms, sitting rooms, kitchens and private hot tubs.

Elopements and Micro-Weddings

Forest Barns is also well suited to elopements and very small micro-weddings.

For couples who do not want a large traditional wedding, Forest Barns can offer a peaceful countryside setting, licensed ceremony spaces, romantic accommodation and a more personal way to celebrate.

Brambles, our romantic cottage for two, can be especially lovely for wedding nights, mini-moons and elopement stays, subject to availability and agreed arrangements.

Family and Dog-Friendly Weddings

Children are very welcome at Forest Barns. The hamlet includes outdoor play space, a games room, gardens and countryside surroundings, making it well suited to family wedding weekends.

Dogs may be accepted by prior arrangement in suitable cottages. Please discuss pets with us before booking, as arrangements depend on the cottages being used, the number of dogs and the type of wedding.

Why Choose Forest Barns?

Forest Barns is different from many wedding venues because it is not simply a ceremony room or a reception space.

It is a private countryside hamlet where you and your guests can stay, gather, celebrate and relax together over a wedding weekend.

It is ideal for couples who want:

• A private wedding setting
• Accommodation on site
• A relaxed countryside atmosphere
• Licensed indoor or outdoor ceremony options
• A wedding weekend rather than a single-day event
• Close family and friends staying together
• Private hot tubs and luxury cottages
• A carefully managed, owner-led venue

Forest Barns is particularly suited to couples who want an intimate, meaningful and personal wedding, rather than a large hotel-style reception.

Next Steps

If you are interested in Forest Barns for your wedding, please contact us with your preferred date or month, approximate guest numbers, how many guests may need accommodation, and whether you are considering an elopement, micro-wedding or exclusive-use wedding weekend.

We would be delighted to arrange a viewing so that you can see the cottages, ceremony spaces, dining areas and countryside setting for yourselves.