Smeetham Hall Barn

To Bridget, Sophie and your incredible team at Smeetham Hall Barn.

What can I say, Smeetham Hall Barn the most beautiful wedding venue ever! It simple is stunning and you all made it so perfect for us. So professional and friendly all the time you instantly made me and Stuart feel so welcome from the very first time we met.. back on 2018!

During a very tough year for you all in the wedding industry not at any point did you make me and Stu feel concerned about our wedding day, you were so accommodating with the date changes and did everything everything could to make our day special, and it truly was.

You made the day flow without us even knowing you were there yet also right there if we needed you. I Will never forget Sophie's welcoming voice and smiley face when I arrived at the barn with my dad she helped calm my nerves for sure!

The day was perfect, fun and full of love and we cannot wait to come back for the reunion!

Cassie & Stuart Poulter 😁

What an amazing venue! Our Daughter and Son in Law married here on the 09/08/21.
From viewing to organising the day, Bridget, Sophie, Splinters and all of the team were amazing.
The day was cancelled twice due to covid and there was never any problems with reorganising a date. Everyone was absolutely wonderful!
Cannot fault this venue, we would highly recommend it! So many positive comments from all of the guests too!
Thank you so much for everything!
Sending lots of love,
Tracey and Roger Green

Thankyou to Bridget and Sophie who have been so helpful throughout a very stressful time trying to plan a wedding in a pandemic... who would have thought that would be a thing! They have been always there at the end of the phone to discuss our options and helped us plan for all sorts of different situations and tier changes! Although we have now had to postpone to feb 2022, the process was so easy and they helped us pick the new date that was pretty close to our original!

We can’t wait to FINALLY get married in Feb 2022 at your beautiful wedding venue!

Stunning venue - Had the most amazing day at daughters wedding from start to finish.,
Highly recommend Smeethams, the whole team were superb as were Splinters caterers, the photographer, flowers , cake and DJ - thank you all.

I honestly cannot thank Smeetham Hall enough. Bridget and Sophia made our special day just perfect. Everything ran so smoothly and everyone has complimented us on the venue.

We always wanted a barn venue and this did not disappoint. As soon as we walked in we knew it was the place we wanted to get married. The barn is beautiful and the grounds allow for some incredible photos and some garden games.

We first met Bridget at an open event and she continued to support us throughout our whole wedding experience. We later met Sophie who was amazing! Both ladies helped make our day perfect and they were always there when we needed them.

One thing that really made our day run so much better is having the venue for setting up the sat before. We set up the barn on the Friday, married on the Saturday and picked up everything on the Sunday. It was amazing and meant it was really personalised to us. This felt far from the ‘conveyer belt’ weddings that you hear of.

Not only is this venue absolutely stunning but it’s good value for money. They really did give us the dream wedding that we always wanted!

Thank you so much-

Beth and Harry

Well. I even don't know where to start. Bridget and Sophie were amazing from day 1 and supported us 100% despite the difficult circumstances with Covid. They constantly reasured us and did everything to be a proper celebration. The barn looked absolutely stunning on the day and was even better thanks to the beautiful decorations from Wilton&Flower. We and the guests had such an amazing day. The staff were on hand all day to help. Thank you for everything and making 10th of jul 2021 a memorable day for us Anca and David. 💜💙

Where do we begin? It was an absolute honour being able to to host our wedding at the most stunning venue in July 2021. Bridget and Sophie's hospitality was out of this world and they made us feel so welcome and relaxed from the beginning. 

We have had so many guests compliment the venue and say how wonderful those in charge were. Everyone enjoyed themselves to the max!

We cannot say thank you enough, we had the bestest day of our lives. If you are looking for a picturesque wedding then this is the only place you should consider!!

Where to start on our wedding story, like many others during the pandemic we should have been married last year. However, at the time we were with another venue which fell through, they were far from accommodating and wouldn’t allow us to rebook for a later time. Feeling in complete turmoil that we had lost our venue only weeks before we were due to get married, the amazing Sally at Splinters catering came to the rescue. Through tears she listened, got practical and started her own search on who and where was available. Smeetham Hall Barn was always a favourite but at the time we had overlooked this as my sister had been married there the year before. However, Bridget made contact, understood our situation and between her and Sally they really saved the day. We were able to have the date exactly a year on and my goodness, the flexibility, the support and the package they offered was just incredible. I’m a firm believer in fate and we both know that this change was meant to be. However, a huge thank you to Sally - you honestly don’t realise how much you helped. I was in complete despair at the time and your calming and practical support was greatly received.

The months that followed continued to be up and down, would we get the wedding we had planned, what would the numbers be, would we be able to dance? Bridget and Sophie at Smeetham were always so flexible, payment deadlines delayed and were always so relaxed and accommodating - exactly what every panicking bride needs.

10 days before, restrictions around weddings lifted to a certain degree. But we were required to cut some numbers, but even then, Sophie and Bridget were on the end of the phone and email, even allowed us to push in a few extra guests and navigate what the ever changes ‘rules’ meant for us and they really took the stress away.

We then come to the day before, dressing and decorating the stunning, stunning barn. Everything was going to plan, Sophie and Bridget were there on hand to help, as well as Sally from Splinters to ensure we had all we needed to get the barn dressed and ready. Then disaster struck and our wedding cake collapsed. Just when you think you’ve had all the bad luck, and this kind of thing only ever happens on ‘you’ve been framed’ the cake was in pieces. I was in sheer panic that I had to remove myself for a moment. However, yet again….. Bridget, so very calm, said she’d accommodate whatever we needed, any hour of the night or following morning, offering the kitchen to enable the cake maker to come and re do the cake, offering an array of options to ensure things worked out - and they really did.

Our wedding was utterly perfect, the day itself was a dream, the venue even with nothing is stunning, but we utilised the space and my dreams all came together. The sun shone and our photographer (Pengelly) a regular at the venue, knew every spot and the photos are breath taking.

The day and night went past in a blur, but the whole team working at the barn that day went over and above in their service, so many members of our friends and family commented on how amazing you all were. The food was delicious and this is all I have heard since - service and food was perfect. My friend even said she briefly said in discussion about a drink and before she knew it, one of the team had delivered her one. Even when we were off having photos, Sally, Sophie and the team were there ensuring Olly and I were ok and with a drink.

Now our engagement has been quite the journey, and I’m sorry if I have gone on a little but you have all been AMAZING! Our day was perfect and something we will continue to talk about for a long time to come. I can’t recommend SHB and Splinters enough - 5* on everything. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! Xxxx

From the moment I stepped into the grounds of SHB I knew I wanted our wedding to be there. Having done my research on the packages beforehand, arriving at the barn just made the decision instantly for me. The drive up is beautiful and the grounds are wonderfully landscaped.
The barn itself is such a great size for a medium to large wedding which is what I had planned for.
I managed to speak with Bridget the owner and she was so relaxed and comforting that I felt understood straightaway. We also chatted to the on-site caterers and told them how we imagined the meals and even though it was off menu they were so on board with our ideas.
Honestly working with all the suppliers at SHB was so easy. I also don't think you'll find a better value for money wedding package at any other Essex venue. Trust me I did my research!

One of the ways you really find out how good a company/person is is when things don't go to plan. Unfortunately COVID made us postpone our wedding once and then finally resulted in it being cancelled (no fault of Smeetham Hall). Throughout this whole process Bridget was amazing, giving us all the support we could ask for and even up to and after the cancellation she was there to support us. At no point did we feel like anything was more of a priority other than us being happy with our day and getting what we deserved. It's such a shame that the wedding didn't go ahead, apart from the amazing venue that Smeetham Hall is, from the start of our journey last year to having to rearrange this year to finally having to cancel due to COVID the support has been excellent , i can only believe the rest of the reviews about peoples day when they say how amazing it was. If you want venue that is not only beautiful and offers all you need you need, but will also do right by you as a customer in times of crises, look no further. it really does tick all the boxes.

It was a beautiful day at Smeetham Hall Barn in Sudbury we enjoyed ourselves on 12.10.2019. I managed to achieve what I had been planning for a while this is from start to finish. However we had challenges with the venue owner Bridget as she found it difficult to work with people of colour. Several times we had to remind her that we were the bride and the groom. 6 weeks to the wedding we were told to hire a generator because we had plenty of things to plug. I understand the purpose of the generator and it would have been nice to be told way in advance. We bought petals from her florist and on the day she almost prevented us using them saying ‘we don’t do petals yet we had previously agreed and we bought the petals from her florist. We felt discriminated because of colour. It came across as if they were working with animals. The suppliers around her were very understanding and amazing e.g Splinters, Wilton & Flower, and Cloud Hill Flowers kept us going as at some point we felt like changing the venue. These suppliers I highly recommend you will not be disappointed. As for the venue owner if you are creative and a person of colour I would strongly advice you to think twice. It is a shame the venue is beautiful. If it was a different owner then believe me all the beauty will be found inside and outside. The decoration, flowers and the food was over and beyond . It was over satisfying and we are very happy to share pictures. However, The venue does not carter or represent ethnic minority. There is no diversity. It is a shame the treatment we got from the venue owner, Bridget. So many restrictions were imposed on us. On the website it says you can do fire works provided you buy them from their approved suppliers. However, it was never an option for us. On top of my job I am a Co Chair for our BAME (Black, Asian Minority & Ethnic) Network, so it pains me when people of colour are still facing discrimination. I believe we are all the same it is the heart and the soul that matters. The stereo typing still exists for people of colour and all we want is a chance to show that we can be civilised and continue to hope for equal treatment and opportunity.

It is safe to say that ours has not been an easy wedding journey. We have attempted three weddings now and will be planning a fourth when the time is right for us.

Our first wedding date was booked for June 2019, until we lost my Dad very suddenly to advanced cancer only 6 days after diagnosis, in late April and had to make the decision to postpone to July 2020. Then a global pandemic hit and we found ourselves unable to go ahead again, so we re-booked for April 2021. Now, what with the stress of the uncertainty that so many couples, venues and suppliers must be going through, we have made the incredibly painful decision to postpone once again. Our mental well-being has definitely suffered from the disappointment, and after 4.5 years of planning and hoping, we need a break!

Bridget and the team at Smeetham Hall Barn have been, genuinely, the most spectacularly kind and supportive people we could have chosen to work with.

We first viewed the barn back in 2016 when we first got engaged and we fell in love immediately. Bridget was so friendly and put us at ease straight away. We loved her personal approach and her attitude towards the business - we loved that she was more concerned with couples having a lovely day than charging ridiculous prices. Having viewed some venues which felt very corporate and impersonal, we found this very comforting!

The barn is beautiful: the wooden frame makes it feel rustic but classy and with the delicate fairy lights dotted around there really isn't a need for much decoration. For us, less-is-more has been our approach from day one. The barn is set around the most picturesque farm which makes for incredible photos on the day; in front of the gorgeous manor house or the tranquil lake which comes into view as you arrive. Having the permanent marquee attached means that you can enjoy your reception drinks without needing to worry about the transfer of the chairs and tables for your evening set-up, and having a bride's room and private loo makes keeping your belongings and anything you need to put aside super easy, as well as having a sanctuary for you and your spouse to share some time after the ceremony! The team don't charge corkage, and (with our Saturday, venue-only hire deal) you have full access to the kitchen from the Friday to store your bubbly and decorate the barn, ready to go home and get your beauty sleep for the next day! They really have thought of everything.

We have friends who have had a terrible experience with their venue and it has been an absolute horror story. We could not be more grateful to Bridget and the team for their unfailing flexibility. We even received flowers when we lost my Dad, from Bridget and Sally from Splinters Outside Caterers (also a truly incredible business and owner who we would recommend to anyone): such a thoughtful and touching gesture. They made one of the worst experiences anyone can go through, so much easier - we didn't need to worry about a thing. Bridget has been so quick to help us in any possible way right from the start of our journey and it has been a pleasure to have a chat and a catch up each time we have been in touch; we do feel slightly like veterans having first met Bridget 5 years ago! We could not have been luckier in finding such a perfect package of venue and suppliers.

As soon as we are ready to start thinking about organising our fourth attempt (and please God, our last), we will be straight back in touch with Bridget and Sally to re-book and get excited again for spending the most fabulous day of our lives at Smeetham Hall Barn.

My experience with this venue has been so positive, even though as a result of the current COVID crisis, we’ve had to postpone our wedding twice. (May 2020 > August 2020 > to February 2021) ??COVID has totally stuffed up our day, but from day one right through to now, Bridget and the team have been BLINDING.
From day one of this whole fiasco - Bridget has been right there, remaining in contact, providing support, offering the best alternative, being empathetic and being very passionate about giving us the day we deserve.
We booked a package with Smeetham Hall, which is also another reason to go with this venue as Splinters (the in house type catering company) create such delicious meals and Cyla helps you with any question you may have.The package is great because in circumstances such as this a lot of the admin work is done by Bridget who will email all the suppliers (DJ, videographer) so you don’t have to do the leg work. ALSO THE VENUE HAS NO CORKAGE FEE??????????.
I am looking forward to our day in February 2021. Here’s to February and to the best day ever! Cheers! Lucy and Dean xxxxxxx

Hello all at Smeetham,

Damien and I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for the most amazing day yesterday. It was everything we dreamed of and we are over the moon with how it all went - largely due to all your help! So many people commented on how beautiful the place was, how helpful and gracious the staff were, and you did everything possible to make our day so amazing. THANK YOU! We will send you some snaps soon!

Best wishes,
Catherine and Damien Thomas
15.2.20

An amazing venue, an incredibly supportive team and honest to god the best day of my life. If you are looking for a beautiful, versatile space to celebrate your wedding day then look no further. I love looking at all the couples styling choices that have got married here as it really can look so different and personal and that’s why I fell in love with it so much. Thank you so, so much for everything. Truly was the perfect day.