Notley Abbey is one of six romantic and exclusive use venues owned by Bijou Weddings. Built in the 12th century, this country house wedding venue was once the home of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Fully restored in the early 2000s, it is steeped in history, romance and glamour. If you’re looking for an elegant Buckinghamshire wedding venue, there really is nowhere like it.
You and your guests will arrive down a beautiful, long, tree-lined driveway to the doors of this magnificent country home. You can host your civil ceremony in one of their indoor or outdoor entertaining spaces, making Notley Abbey a stylish year-round wedding venue.
Outdoor wedding ceremonies are held in the ‘nook’ in the Walled Garden, with a rustic aisle leading down their perfectly-manicured lawn.
Inside, the Abbott’s Hall is an elegant, intimate, oak-beamed ceremony space, with vast windows flooding the hall with natural light and a stunning feature fireplace dating back to Henry V.
If you’re looking for a bigger ceremony room for up to 172 guests or a romantic reception space, the Monks’ Refectory is a spectacular stone barn, bursting with character and charm. Enjoying views of the cloister gardens and front laws, you can start with reception drinks outside, before making a spectacular entrance as newlyweds into the luxurious, chandelier-lit barn. Historically the Refectory hosted the daily meals of the Augustine Monks who lived on the site from 1192, and now you can become part of its history as the in-house chefs whip up a delicious banquet wedding breakfast for your guests.
Bijou Wedding Venues operate only on an exclusive use basis so couples choosing to host their wedding at Notley Abbey can treat it as their own home for the duration of their celebration. You can invite the wedding party to prepare for the big day in a calm, relaxed environment and host family and friends for the night in one of their nine luxury bedrooms, including a stunning bridal suite.
Combining the romance of a country house wedding with the charm of a rustic-chic barn wedding, Notley Abbey is truly a unique wedding venue.
Virtual tours (and visits!) for all venues
We are so pleased to announce that we are now taking venue visit requests. These will be appointment only and are subject to availability. We know that many of you are eager to come and see our venues (thank you!) and we will do our very best to ensure you are given an appointment on your preferred day and time.
We will still maintain our strict COVID-safe practice which includes wearing a mask, social distancing, and only permitting one household per appointment (until the next step in the government’s ‘roadmap’ has been reached).
If you would rather view our venues from the comfort of your own home then we have very snazzy systems in place to allow you to keep the show on the road and would be delighted to take you on a virtual tour – we will walk you through our virtual guided tour, discuss your plans and ideas, and give you a bespoke quote -all via Skype. Virtual tours will continue to be available 7 days a week.
Please email us at yourday@bijouweddings.co.uk or call us on 0345 130 9966 to book your virtual tour, or in-person appointment. We look forward to welcoming you at our venues.
107 Reviews for Notley Abbey
Recommended by 99% of couples
Gemma P. · Married on 12/09/2019
The perfect wedding venue
Bijou weddings surpassed our every expectation and we will be forever grateful for their help in making our wedding day so perfect. Notley is a stunning venue and although we booked over a year in advance, the team at Notley ensure the venue and gardens are well maintained so it looked just as good on our wedding day as when we first visited.
Sent on 11/10/2020
Special thanks to the managers on the day and waiting staff. As soon as I arrived I was greeted with a team of staff helping unload the car meaning I could totally relax knowing everything was being organised while I got ready in the luxurious bridal suite. My husband and I even got served our own tray of canapés while we were on the tree lined driveway having photos - the attention to detail is second to none.
Pam G. · Married on 27/06/2020
Shocking company
Bijou venues have treated their couples appallingly during the Covid crisis, demanding (quite unlawfully) that couples pay 80% cancellation fee. Avoid these immoral and unscrupulous people. Look at Trustpilot.
Sent on 21/08/2020
Katherine · Married on 01/08/2019
Perfect wedding day at Notley Abbey
We got married at Notley Abbey on 1st August 2019 and had the most perfect day. From the moment we first visited we knew this was our venue it really has that 'wow' factor. The beautiful building with all it's history, the gorgeous grounds and gardens and of course the long tree-lined driveway. The Notley & Bijou staff have been fantastic throughout and made our wedding day the best day of our lives. All our guests loved the venue and commented on how well the day ran and how great the food was, we really couldn't have asked for more. Particular thanks go to: Ann our planner who supported us through all the planning and menu tasting etc (by the way the online planning portal is great, made all the planning stress free as everything is in one place!); lovely day managers Jess and Phoebe who guided the set up of our decorations exactly as we wanted and made sure everything ran to time; night manger Antonio who was so professional and quickly resolved a minor hiccup when a card machine stopped working by opening up a second bar in the house; Gary the Bijou DJ who kept the dance floor busy all night; and all the other waiters and bar staff sorry we don't know their names. We feel so lucky to have got married at Notley Abbey it really was absolutely amazing, thank you so much! The new Mr & Mrs Hughes.
Sent on 14/08/2019
There’s a lot to look forward to this year – not least (re)building your wedding planning momentum and getting ready to celebrate in style.
Wedding planning is a joy. It’s exciting. It’s fun. But it doesn’t need to take forever. And we’ve got 2021 wedding dates.
If you’re wondering whether summer 2021 is too soon… don’t. Pick up the phone and speak to our wonderful team – we can talk you through how we get you from here to there in time to be among the first post-COVID festivities. The venue teams have been getting excited about just how much fun those first weddings are going to be – why not make yours one of them? We’ve got some really great 2021 wedding dates available this summer, and some offers that are designed to help you and your friends and family really let your hair down and celebrate.
Call the team on 0345 130 9966
