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On Hitched.co.uk since 2022
Last update: August 2025
Exclusively yours
Notley Abbey, located in the picturesque Buckinghamshire countryside, is exclusively yours to enjoy for an entire day and night. Whether you envision a vibrant summer celebration amidst the manicured grounds or a cozy winter wedding under the glow of twinkling chandeliers, Notley Abbey offers the perfect setting to bring your love story to life.
The setting
As you turn off the Aylesbury Road and make your way up the tree-lined driveway, the serene countryside unfolds around you, and soon, the enchanting Notley Abbey comes into view. Nestled within secluded riverside grounds adorned with lavender, this historic retreat immediately captures your heart.
Once the romantic home of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Notley Abbey exudes timeless charm. This idyllic venue now hosts luxurious weddings for up to 250 guests, offering an unparalleled atmosphere of elegance and intimacy.
The ceremony
Begin your wedding journey in the Abbott's Hall, a space steeped in history. Once Sir Laurence Olivier’s drawing room, this intimate space features a hidden staircase leading to a 15th-century turret. Perfect for up to 110 seated guests, it provides a unique and romantic setting for your vows.
Continue the celebration in the grand Monks’ Refectory. With its barn-like architecture, floor-to-ceiling glass that floods the space with natural light, and glittering chandeliers that add a touch of glamour, this venue seamlessly blends centuries of history with modern sophistication. The Monks’ Refectory accommodates up to 164 guests for a ceremony or wedding breakfast and up to 250 for an evening reception.
For summer weddings, the Abbey’s grounds are a dream come true. A walled garden licensed for al fresco ceremonies and expansive gardens encircling the house provide countless stunning backdrops for your wedding photographs.
The accommodation
After a day of celebration, retreat to the luxurious Notley Suite, complete with a romantic four-poster bed just steps from the festivities. Your closest friends and family can join you, with eight additional beautifully appointed bedrooms available. The next morning, relive the joy of your wedding over breakfast with your nearest and dearest.
The food
A wedding at Notley Abbey includes the exclusive Harper Tasting Experience, an unforgettable opportunity to choose your ideal menu. More than just selecting dishes, this candlelit evening allows you to envision the ambiance of your special day while savouring exquisite cuisine. From menu planning to every other detail, everything is tailored to your tastes.
Visit Notley Abbey
Discover the magic of Notley Abbey by downloading our brochure and price guide directly from our website. However, nothing compares to experiencing its charm in person. Book a visit on our website for instant confirmation or contact us at notleyabbey@harperweddings.co.uk or 0345 130 9966 to arrange your appointment.
The collection
Notley Abbey is part of the Harper Weddings collection, a family-owned and family-run company that also owns and manages Botleys Mansion (Surrey) and Cain Manor (Surrey/Hampshire). With nearly 30 years of experience helping couples bring their wedding dreams to life, Harper Weddings is known for heartfelt hospitality and a spirit of fun. We’d be delighted to do the same for you.
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Reviews for Notley Abbey
A Dream Come True
The Most Perfect Venue with the Most Incredible Team
A special shoutout to Natalie and Ellie, who were absolutely wonderful—calm, kind, and so on top of every detail, as well as Maisie who helped us in the lead up to it. But it wasn’t just them; from the waiters to the managers, every single person we encountered went above and beyond. So many of our guests have since commented on how lovely and attentive the staff were, which speaks volumes.
The venue itself is simply stunning. We chose to have our ceremony outdoors, and it turned out to be the most beautiful, romantic setting imaginable—something that left everyone happily surprised at just how magical the space is in person.
And then, the food! The canapés, the drinks, the main meal, and the evening food were all absolutely delicious. We lost count of how many people complimented the dishes. One of the highlights for us was being able to create a menu that reflected both British and Venezuelan influences, and we were incredibly lucky that one of the chefs, Lee, is Venezuelan himself. He worked with us to curate a personalised menu that couldn’t have been more perfect—it was everything we had dreamed of.
Notley Abbey gave us not just a wedding venue, but the wedding we had imagined, brought to life in the most seamless and beautiful way. We will be forever grateful, and if you’re considering it for your special day, I can’t recommend it highly enough
The most perfect venue
A Dream Wedding at Notley Abbey
We had always envisioned an outdoor wedding, and the walled garden area brought this dream to life. The setting is magical, surrounded by vibrant flowers and lush greenery – it felt like something out of a fairytale. One of the other biggest advantages for us was having on-site accommodation with a bridal suite and rooms for immediate family. It meant we and the rest of our guests with small children could put our children to bed for the night and still enjoy the rest of the celebration without worrying. The exclusivity of having the entire venue to ourselves for 24 hours made the whole experience feel even more special and intimate.
Then onto the Planning, this was done via an online planner – a really helpful tool that streamlined the process. That said, you do need to stay on top of everything, as you’re in charge of inputting all the details from start to finish, but any questions you can contact the team very easily and they get back to you very quickly. The food tasting evening was also such a great idea a few months prior to your wedding day, we sampled so many tasty options of food and wine and were able to choose our menu instantly after the tasting.
One point to consider is that you are not able to access the venue until 11am on the wedding day, this meant we had to start the process of getting ready at home, we were completely aware of this and made prior arrangements to make it work, but it’s just something to think about with regards to timings to allow for the extra touch-ups after transitioning.
On the wedding day, the team at Notley Abbey made everything run like clockwork. Their attention to detail was second to none. On arrival the staff greet you warmly, help you unload and carry items from your cars, and set up all the extra personal touches.
The food was a standout – absolutely delicious! Our guests are still raving about the main course - the ‘coffee-rubbed beef’. The way that the waiting staff all placed the plates down at exactly the same time for each course was a perfect synchronisation.
The venue transitions were seamless – one moment everything was beautifully set up, and the next it was magically cleared and reset for the next part of the day. No flowers were wasted or ignored , they just kept reappearing into the next part of the day.
The rooms, particularly the bridal suite, are full of character and history – a truly romantic setting to get ready in and spend your first night as a married couple and the breakfast the next morning, both cooked and continental, was a lovely way to round off the experience.
Overall Notley Abbey was the perfect venue for a perfect Wedding day.
Best day of our lives!
we had the most amazing day at Notley Abbey
Mr& Mrs Calder
Fairytale Wedding
Having researched and visited multiple venues, we decided on Notley Abbey after a recommendation. There may be cheaper options out there, but why take the chance on sub-standard quality for your big day? That’s the view we took and we now have our memories of an amazing day to cherish forever.
The service on the day was absolutely exquisite. It was raining heavily on arrival but the team on-site was waiting for us with umbrellas. And they were by our side every step of the way thereafter. You don’t know what to expect from the service on the day until you experience it for yourself, and it honestly exceeded our best expectations. Fortunately, the clouds parted in time for the ceremony in the beautiful monks' refectory and we celebrated with bubbles and canapés in the sunshine in the gorgeous grounds of Notley Abbey. Our guests were blown away.
The online planner takes some getting used to initially, but the team is on hand for a phone call to help while you get used to it. We honestly cannot find a fault with how the team performed. It was flawless. If you’re considering this venue and Harper Weddings for your wedding, don’t hesitate any longer and place your trust in them, you won’t regret it.
With all our thanks and best wishes once again to the whole team for an amazing day,
Julia and James.
May 2024 Wedding
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