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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2022

Last update: July 2024

Turning off the Aylesbury Road and heading up the tree-lined driveway, you watch the blur of fields pass you by on either side until you reach the opening. The building is striking, yet tranquil and you will feel an instant sense of calm. Set amongst private riverside grounds, you watch the sun bounce off the honey stone walls, and you realise that you have stumbled across something special.

Once the home of lovebirds Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, this secluded country retreat is the epitome of romance and now hosts luxury weddings for up to 250 guests.

2024 Wedding Offer

Harper Weddings has released a limited amount of dates available for 2024 from June onwards, where you can get 24h exclusive hire of Notley Abbey from just £2,000 on your Harper Wedding.

But you’ll have to be quick, with many couples enquiring and this summer proving a very high demand one, make sure to book your visit soon to make sure you don’t miss out.

* Offer applies to new wedding bookings only and is subject to date availability. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer applies to Harper Weddings only. Offer does not apply to Dry Hire weddings. Expires 31.12.24

Facilities and Capacity

Lavender leads you up to the rustic stone doorway, where you will explore the immeasurable character that Notley Abbey holds. Your journey starts in the Abbott's Hall, once Sir Laurence Olivier’s drawing room and host to a secret staircase that leads to the enchanting turret dating back to the 15th century. A perfectly intimate space for up to 110.

Continuing into the barn-like Monks’ Refectory. Here, floor-to-ceiling glass casts light onto eight hundred years of history, while glittering chandeliers add a dash of modern glamour. This captivating space can seat up to 164 guests for a ceremony or wedding breakfast, and host up to 250 guests for an evening reception.

The abbey’s grounds are a gift for summer weddings, complete with a walled garden for al fresco ceremonies and gardens stretching around the house, creating a number of backdrops for your wedding photos, too many to choose from, in fact. Mystery surrounds the venue, inside and out and you’re itching to see what else it has to offer.

As an exclusive-use venue, Notley Abbey becomes your home for the day (and night). As soon as your date is set, our wedding planning team will be at your service seven days a week, for guidance, support, and advice. Ask us anything!

This has been a place to celebrate since Laurence and Vivien invited the A-list of their day to party here (if walls could talk)... Now it’s your turn.

Thinking about making the most of it with a weekend wedding? Our wedding planning team can make it work for you! Get in touch and we will put all our knowledge and planning skills to make your weekend wedding a truly memorable occasion.

Accommodation

At the end of an eventful day, it’s good to know your beautiful Notley Suite, complete with four poster bed, is just a few short steps away. 8 further bedrooms await your guests, meaning that your nearest and dearest can join you for breakfast the following morning to share their happy memories of your day.

Visiting Notley Abbey

Websites and brochures are all very well, but we all know that nothing beats meeting in real life to know whether you’ve found the one. We host several weekend Open Houses at each venue, each month, so that couples who are yet to decide on their wedding venue can visit for a tour, a chat, and a glass of something celebratory.

Please email us at notleyabbey@harperweddings.co.uk or call us on 0345 130 9966 to book your appointment.

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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Asian wedding
Stately home
Historic
Barn
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Private catering allowed
Alcohol licence
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities
Outdoor fireworks permitted

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Helipad
Confetti permitted
Changing room for wedding guests
Pet-friendly
illustration notebook

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Reviews for Notley Abbey

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.
4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
127 reviews
99% recommend it
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
Niall
Niall Sent on 15/07/2024
4.8 out of 5 rating

we had the most amazing day at Notley Abbey

I recently had my wedding at Notley Abbey, and it was an unforgettable experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and responsive, ensuring that every detail was perfect. The food was amazing, receiving rave reviews from all our guests. Everyone had a fantastic time, and I couldn't have asked for a better venue for our special day. Highly recommended!
Charlotte
Charlotte G. Sent on 08/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Mr& Mrs Calder

The most fabulous venue! We cannot thank the team enough for providing the most amazing service and making our day so special. Everything from the planning process to the day was so perfect and the attention to detail was exceptional.
James
James T. Sent on 02/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Fairytale Wedding

We celebrated the most wonderful wedding at Notley Abbey in June 2024.

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.
Khadija
Khadija W. Sent on 29/05/2024
4.8 out of 5 rating

A really fun day

We visited Notley Abbey early in our venue search, felt it was beautiful but saw some other places to be sure we made an informed decision and then came back to Notley and booked it. The wedding planning website is very helpful, signposting the suppliers we need to book and the messaging system meant Emily, or when she wasn't around, someone in the team would respond to any queries very quickly. We had 2 in person planning days and a call, after that the team executed the day to our requests like a well oiled machine.

The day was amazing, from the moment we arrived we were greeted by Gemma who showed me to the bridal suite and had some bubbles brought to the room. We then discussed whether we get married in Abbot's Hall or the Walled Garden. We wanted to get married outside and decided on the Walled Garden, and she made it happen. She didn't try to convince us to have it inside as it was already setup. She was our go to on the day ensuring whatever we needed at all times (a drink, canapes etc). Julie was behind the scenes making sure everything was executed exactly as per our wishes in the planner, I really noted as we were starting to walk down the aisle, I had 2 flower girls, 2 junior bridesmaids and then 8 bridesmaids, Julie gave the signal to go so it was all times perfectly.

We would very much recommend Notley Abbey and want to thank Emily, Gemma and Julie for everything they did.
Gina
Gina M. Sent on 02/04/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Highly Recommend!!

After searching far and wide across London, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, we decided to have our wedding at Notley Abbey in March 2024. And we are so glad we chose this venue for our wedding. It is a stunning building, which even excited our photographer! Our wedding planner, Emily, was amazing! We only had 4 months to organise the wedding, and she was always prompt in her responses. Whenever she was away, there was always someone there to respond to our [long list] of queries. Emily also always put us at ease and went above and beyond to help us arrange the day. The wedding was incredible! Everything went according to plan, and there were no hiccups. The canapés were delicous and the wedding banquet sensational. All staff, Julie and Rachel to name a few, went above and beyond to make sure my partner and I always had a drink in our hands and well fed throughout. Their professionalism and attentiveness were admirable. Everyone told us how amazing and well organised our wedding was. We all slept very well and the breakfast on the day after was sublime. To summarise, we are incredibly thankful to all staff at Notley for really making our day so special. We cannot recommend Notley Abbey enough! We are still waiting for our photographer to work his magic so I have attached some previews only. I'd just arrange a visit. The pictures don't do it justice.
Caroline
Caroline T. Sent on 04/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Day

We knew Notley Abbey was the perfect choice for us as soon as we came up the drive! Ashley (our planner) and the team were great keeping us organised and answering any questions promptly, so I felt quite relaxed in the run up to the day. On the day itself, all the staff were brilliant (special mention to Gemma!); from unloading the car when we first arrived to making sure my veil didn't catch on anything going down the aisle to the delicious breakfast the next morning! I couldn't fault anything and would highly recommend Notley to other couples.
Charlotte
Charlotte P. Sent on 01/08/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The most perfect wedding venue!

Notley Abbey was the perfect wedding venue for our June 2023 wedding! The entire process was completely stress free. Our allocated wedding planner responded to any (and every!) question and query we had in detail and promptly. The day ran so smoothly, with the entire team putting in an incredible amount of hard work and effort to ensure it all seemed effortless and perfect! The venue is also perfect regardless of the weather - we had both rain and shine and it was absolutely fine on the day. The grounds are stunning, the food was delicious, the bridal breakfast was amazing! Everything was perfect, I would 100% recommend this venue. I only wish I could do it all over again.
Mischa
Mischa C. Sent on 13/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing from start to finish

From the moment we went to view this beautiful venue to after our wedding day we felt so supported by the Notley team, who helped make our perfect day. The planning tool is amazing, it means you have full transparency of price and you can keep tweaking and playing with options and you can instantly see how prices change.

We loved the option of having a seperate ceremony room to the wedding breakfast/party. Having 9 beautiful bedrooms to host close family and friends was great.

The food served at our wedding was incredible, so delicious, served hot and we had so many compliments.

Overall Notley has left us with a day to remember!
J
Jessica W. Sent on 12/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect wedding venue!

Where do we start?! From the moment we first came to visit Notley Abbey, we felt in love with the venue. And yet, we continued to be blown away by the Harper Weddings team at every stage of our wedding journey! During the planning stage, Emily and Julie could not have been more helpful - nothing was ever too much, and their continuous advice and help made everything so easy! We had the most perfect wedding day, and we can not thank Notley Abbey enough for making it all happen. The grounds were faultless, the food was delicious, the bedrooms were gorgeous, and the attention to detail throughout helped ensure every part of our day exceeded our expectations. Finally, all of the staff are just absolutely incredible, they are the kindest, most professional people - the planners, the co-ordinators, the chefs, the waitors, the cleaners - we will always be grateful for each and every member of the team for making the 20th July the best day of our lives!
Z
Zoe H. Sent on 21/06/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible wedding day

We got married at Notley Abbey on 29th May this year, and we had the most breathtaking day.

The venue is incredibly beautiful. Every detail has been meticulously designed and the staff are incredibly dedicated in wanting to give you a perfect day from start to finish.

In the two years of planning, we received detailed, helpful responses to our questions, normally within hours of the messages being sent. As a part of our package, we had multiple in person or zoom meetings to support us with the planning process. The planning team worked seamlessly alongside us to make our vision for our day come to life.

On the day, everything ran like clockwork. The staff were professional and courteous, and showed such a wonderful level of excitement for us.

Thank you so much to the whole team at Notley/Harper for giving us the perfect day.

J
Jackie W. Sent on 17/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic venue 13.10.23

If you want for nothing this is the place to have your wedding from the minute of arrival to the day after when leaving, the staff are so attentive and exceptional. Notley Abbey is a beautiful venue full of atmosphere and charm. The food is outstanding and the rooms first class. Thank you Notley Abbey for making the special day unforgettable.
H
Hattie Sent on 03/02/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The most beautiful day of our lives

Notley Abbey is the most beautiful venue I've been to, but nothing prepared us for how special our day would be!
Everything was perfect from start to finish. The day ran seamlessly and calmly. The staff were professional but friendly and everything we had planned was put into action perfectly.
We had the best day and would do it all over again if we had the chance.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for a wedding venue!
L
Lauren K. Sent on 07/12/2022
4.2 out of 5 rating

Amazing venue, incredible staff on wedding day

We chose Notley Abbey for it’s beautiful drive up and the stunning venue. Leading up to our special day we really enjoyed the wedding wednesday’s, menu tasting and online planner. The day itself went perfectly, the operations manager on the day was so helpful, put me at ease and made everything run smoothly. My only piece of constructive feedback is that we found there to be a lot of hidden costs and believe in something as important as your wedding day, things should be completely transparent from day one.
C
Charlotte N. Sent on 04/12/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Notley made our dream wedding a reality

To the whole team at Notley Abbey,
Ant & I just want to say a huge thank you for such an incredible wedding at the weekend.
Right from the start of our journey, you have all been amazing, in particular Ann our planner. So helpful & kind!
I arrived at Notley on Friday evening and from the moment I arrived with my family & friends, I knew we had the perfect wedding venue. We were greeted on arrival, help was given to unload the cars & dinner was provided! Service was outstanding.
Then we go onto the actual wedding day itself and we are both lost for words. There are no words other than you were all incredible. Every single person from the amazing Barbara, who kept us all in order right through to the staff who served dinner and at the bar.
All of our family & friends have commented about the beautiful venue & we’re so grateful to you. We’d recommend your venue in a heartbeat & Notley Abbey will always hold a very special place in our hearts. We’ll most definitely be back & forever be scrolling through the photos.
We can’t wait to see the rest of Suzys amazing work when we receive our photos.
Many thanks again, from the bottom of our heart
Charlotte & Anthony Natar x
R
Rebecca S. Sent on 11/09/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

A first class wedding experience

Greg and I enjoyed immensely our wedding day on Thursday 25 August 2022 at Notley Abbey, after having to postpone from July 2021 due to the pandemic. The postponement process itself could have been filled with hassle, but Notley Abbey was as flexible as we could have asked for in the circumstances and this really put our minds at rest during a stressful period.

Everything ran so smoothly and the hard work of the wedding planning team before the event, and the day and night managers on the day, really demonstrated how organised and stress-free the whole experience was. The online wedding planning tool, and the useful prompts to complete items from the wedding planning team, were invaluable. We very much benefitted from having a wedding planner without actually booking and using one independently of Notley Abbey.

We also got a lot of lovely feedback from guests about how beautiful the venue was and how good the food was on the day. I was particularly impressed with how smooth the handling of our various dietary requirements was. We had a lot of allergies and preferences to cater for (e.g. gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, nut, garlic, onion, mustard and citrus allergies, etc.) and everyone was served the correct food without a hitch.

Thank you so much to the team at Notley Abbey for giving us a day we'll remember for the rest of our lives. And an absolutely smashing breakfast the following morning! I would highly recommend Notley Abbey to any couples looking to book their wedding in the area.
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Badges

Hitched Wedding Awards 2023 Winner

Notley Abbey Real Weddings

Georgia & Tom
24 photos · 04/05/2024
Louise & Robert
24 photos · 29/07/2023
Keeley & Ollie
84 photos · 12/05/2023
Poppy & Ciaran
15 photos · 27/08/2022
Sam & Jenny
41 photos · 07/11/2021
Kim & Amir
102 photos · 23/09/2021

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Map

Aylesbury Rd, Haddenham, HP17 8TN Aylesbury (Buckinghamshire)
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