Deer's Leap Retreat Reviews
Reviews
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Hester Sent on 30/08/2026
August Wedding
The most amazing wedding venue - Heather and her family have something really special here
We first went to view Deers Leap in January and knew straight away it was the venue for us - we booked our wedding for just 6 months later
It is a really beautiful setting and feels absolutely magical with the wooden gazebo in front of the lake, surrounded by trees and a stunning stone barn covered in fairy lights.
We stayed at the venue the whole weekend and it was truly idyllic with our friends and family all staying in the farmhouse and glamping tents on site.
We were able to make the day so personal, we brought our own cocktail ingredients and they were made to perfection by Heather and her team.
For our starter we had a grazing table, we bought our own ingredients and once again Heather excelled laying it out so wonderfully youd have thought it was from a catering company.
For our evening food we had pizzas cooked in the pizza oven at the venue and they were truly delicious.
In the evening we had a band followed by a silent disco. Everything flowed so smoothly
All our friend and family were very impressed with the whole day
My only wish is that I could go back in time and do the whole weekend all over again as it felt like a dream!
We truly can't thank Heather and her family enough for helping create the most incredible wedding -
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Timothy Sent on 03/08/2026Genuinely Personalised Wedding
We got married here in summer 26 and could not recommend it more. Heather and James went above and beyond to make our day special. We were able to customise all aspects of the day with no restrictions to make the whole weekend really personal to us.
The venue (and Heather's help) made sure the weekend had a really nice relaxed vibe considering the amount of effort we all put into it.
The house was really good staging points for us to get ready and served as a lovely retreat for our closest friends and family who were staying with us. -
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Nicola Sent on 22/06/2026Best Wedding Ever!
Everyone said it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and honestly, we could not have picked a more perfect venue than Deer's Leap Retreat.
Firstly, you get a completely private estate, stunning Devon valley views, and a beautiful lake all to yourselves for the entire weekend. Heather, the lovely owner and your personal wedding coordinator, allowed us to come down from Thursday to Saturday to get everything set up exactly how we wanted it. We were also able to bring in our own caterers and there was absolutely no corkage charge. So many venues we looked at tried to charge extortionate fees for corkage and insisted on using their own caterers, so this was a huge plus for us.
Heather helped us plan the whole wedding, and most importantly, she and her fantastic team made the entire weekend run seamlessly. From the waiting staff and bar team to the event coordinators and babysitters, nothing was ever too much trouble. Everything just flowed perfectly, allowing us to relax and enjoy every moment.
We got married in the lakeside gazebo, which was an absolutely dreamy setting. We surprised our guests with a mariachi band, enjoyed a three-course wedding breakfast, and our caterers served an incredible 24-hour smoked brisket that everyone was talking about. In the evening, our favourite band, The Zu Zu Men from Bristol, played in the beautiful stone bar, creating the perfect atmosphere.
One of the many thoughtful touches from the team was that when we had lots of wine left over from Aldi, they handed it out to guests and put it behind the bar so nobody had to buy additional drinks. Little details like this made the weekend feel so personal and special.
We also had 40 people staying on-site for the whole weekend, which made it feel more like a family holiday than a wedding. We enjoyed a hot tub, pizza and prosecco party one evening, followed by a BBQ on the Sunday. It was so lovely to spend quality time with family and friends in such a beautiful setting, relaxing under the stars and never feeling rushed out of the door at midnight like you do at many other venues.
I honestly cannot recommend Deer's Leap Retreat highly enough. I've been to many wedding venues across North Devon, and this place is truly something special. If you're looking for a stunning, flexible venue with an incredible team that genuinely cares about making your day perfect, look no further.
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![Megan]()
Megan Sent on 02/06/2026Beautiful venue
My now husband and I got married at Deers Leap in May. Heather guided us through the process with multiple chats beforehand, then she and her family made the day go very smoothly whilst being subtle in the background! There were so many compliments about the beautiful venue, the grounds and the yurts which were comfy and have the best view. We couldn't have chosen better! -
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Jo Doherty Sent on 22/12/2024
Beautiful wedding weekend!
The moment we visited Deer's Leap and met with Heather, we knew it had to be the place where we say I do! We love throwing a party, and this was our biggest party to date. Deer's Leap gives you the flexibility to have exactly the wedding that you want, not an off-the-shelf package wedding. This meant that we could utilise our creativity to really have the wedding that reflected us and our love for each other.
Heather and James really care that you have the best experience, they are not a conveyer belt of weddings. The couple gets to stay from the Thursday night, which really allowed us to relax and take everything in. On Friday we had a small army of friends and family arrive to decorate the barn. Saturday we had our wedding day, the bride and bridesmaids got ready in the bridal cottage. The groom and best man got ready in the main house and used the games room! On Sunday we had post wedding celebrations, and Monday was pack down and some very emotional goodbyes after the most amazing weekend.
The setting by the lake where we said I do, was just stunning! We had the stretch canopy up and it just looked so picturesque. I would say that the weather doesn't have to be amazing to have an outdoor ceremony here. We had our drinks reception on the patio, with games on the lawn, and wedding breakfast and reception in the barn. We hired in BBQ and pizza caterers for our food. You don't even need to decorate the venue, because it is stunning enough without it. Heather, James and all the staff (particularly superstar Ray) were on hand on the wedding day and the day before if needed, and gave us space to enjoy ourselves for the rest of the weekend. One of the great things about Deer's Leap is that your guests can stay together in the farmhouse, we enjoyed gathering in there and made use of the hot tubs. There are also 5 glamping tents (with proper beds!), with their own bathrooms and kitchenettes.
All of our guests commented on how lovely the venue was and how we were able to make our wedding our own! Thank you Heather and team :) Oh and you get to go back every year for the couples weekend! -
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Fi Sent on 17/12/2024
Dream wedding venue
My husband and I got married at Deer's Leap in June 2024 and had the most amazing experience at Deer's Leap. Heather and her family and team couldn't have done a better job and everything was tailored to our needs and wishes. We arrived on site on Thursday and had all our family and close friends arriving on Friday and staying until Monday. Having a long weekend at Deer's Leap is just the perfect way to get married and it allowed for our families and friends to relax, have fun and just spend some quality time together.
Heather supported us throughout the wedding prep process, and we can't thank her enough for her support and sharing of experience - so many things we wouldn't have thought off without her.
It was the best weekend ever and we can't recommend Deer's Leap enough! -
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![Becky]()
Becky Sent on 08/12/2024DIY Dream - just the best!
Where to start! From the moment we first looked around we felt so at ease here.. You have the freedom to create the wedding of your dreams and the support of the Heather, James and the team to help make it happen.
We had the most incredible long weekend here in June, with space for family and friends to stay. Our guests had so many compliments about how gorgeous the venue was, and how it felt relaxed and calm but still magical and wedding-y! There are so many beautiful spots - the lake, the barn, patio, but it all feels cohesive and your guests have places to explore whilst feeling at ease.
Honestly we couldn’t recommend Deer’s Leap enough! -
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![Martin]()
Martin Sent on 30/03/2024A fantastic experience
Deers Leap is a lovely venue. It's nestled peacefully in the Devon countryside and is very tranquil. By booking with them, you have exclusive use of the venue and accomodation, which was perfect for us.
The cottage sleeps around 20 guests, so we were able to accommodate our close friends and family. There is also a separate bridal cottage for the couple, which was lovely. It was nice to be next door to our friends and family, but still have our own space when we wanted it. There are 2 hot tubs in the main cottage and one in the bridal cottage, which is a lovely way to spend an evening.
There is an option to either get married outside or inside. Even if the weather isn't great, everyone would be undercover outside thanks to the stretch canopy which covers the guest seating, so it's unlikely you will need to move inside unless you really want to. The barn building is also very nice with a rustic feel, and has absolutely everything you need for around 100 guests.
The biggest complement I can give about Deers Leap is the owner Heather and her family. She made us feel welcome from the very first time we visited the venue and she offers such a personal touch, something that you won't get at bigger, corporate venues. Nothing was too much trouble for her. She was very accommodating with any requests and dealt with changing of dates (due to covid) without any fuss or additional costs. She would offer help and assistance with all aspects of the planning, which was hugely valuable to us. She even invited us down prior to the wedding to stay for a couple of nights to do some planning, which was a lovely gesture.
Finally, it's a really nice touch that Heather and her family welcomes all couples married at the venue down each year for a 'Couple's weekend' where accomodation, food and drink is provided. Again, this is an incredible touch and something that you wouldn't get anywhere else. It shows just how much Heather and her family take care of everyone who chooses their venue.
I would highly recommend Deers Leap Retreat as a venue -
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Abbie Sent on 09/10/2023Deers Leap Retreat
The team & surroundings at Deers Leap Retreat are second to none!!
The most beautiful venue and the most accommodating, thoughtful and friendly team, we honestly could not have wished for anything more.Deer's Leap Retreat's reply:
Hi Abbie and Alan,
Thank you for your lovely review and what gorgeous photos!! It was an honour to host your wedding. Beautiful memories were made. Huge love from the team. -
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