The Wedding Atlas · United Kingdom · Kent
Getting Married in Kent
Oast houses, medieval castles and vineyards in the Garden of England. Kent is known as the Garden of England. Hop gardens, apple orchards, chalk downs and medieval castles sit alongside a coast that runs from white cliffs to a sheltered estuary. Its vineyards on the North Downs and in the Weald have become a wedding setting of their own.
Part of the Kent destination guide.
- Best months
- May, June, July, August and September
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Kent on the map
Choose an area to see the venues we list there. Every name is a plain link to its listing.
Kent
The 5 venues we list in Kent. Tap a pin to open a venue.
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Our selection
Where we would start
Three of the 5 Kent venues we list, chosen by our editors to show the range.
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is a double-moated castle begun in the thirteenth century, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, offering ceremonies in the Astor Wing, the castle or the Italian Garden and 27 bed and breakfast rooms beside the moat.
Leeds Castle
A moated castle on two islands near Maidstone in Kent, with a tower, a manor house and a barn on the same estate for weddings.
LPM Bohemia, The Tent Company
LPM Bohemia, The Tent Company hires marquees, canvas tents, yurts, tipis and a Grand Pavilion, with party design, lighting, theming and decoration, from Kent.
People who work here
The owners, wedding directors, planners, photographers and chefs behind weddings in Kent.
Pippa MiddlehurstFounder, Sugar and Spiced Cakes
Emily CharlotteFounder and wedding planner, Weddings By Emily Charlotte
David RedfearnMagician, David Redfearn Magician
Tessa WilliamsFounder, creative director and lead planner, A Touch of Nevaeh
Aimee DunneFounder, Aimee Dunne
Fizz and Groove DJDJ and founder, Fizz and Groove
DenisCo-founder, Denee Motion
JustinaFilmmaker, HD Moments
MelanieLead planner, Cranberry Blue
Stuart WoodWedding photographer, Stuart Wood Photography
Dale AlexanderFounder and Creative Director, Dale Alexander Events
Adrian NealPhotographer, The Studio Without Walls
Tai AdedayoFounder and wedding photographer, Lovexposed Photography
Charlotte Ricard-QuesadaFounder and Creative Director, La Fête Bespoke Event Planning
Josephine ParkhillFounder and designer, Josephine Scott London
Gustav FoucheHairstylist and Style Director, Gustav Fouche
Maria JordanLead singer, HARD CANDi Showband
Jacqueline KennedyFounder and event planner, Jacqueline Kennedy Luxury Weddings and Events Limited
Tracey FirmanFounder, Lusso Events
Naureen KhanFounder and wedding planner, Naureen Khan Events
Mark NiemierkoFounder, Niemierko
Roberta BurcheriFounder, Roberta Burcheri Events
Victoria WalkerDirector, Linda Abrahams & Co
Abigail LucyFounder, creative director, planner and designer, Abigail Lucy Luxury Weddings
Charlotte EliseFounder and planner, Charlotte Elise Weddings & Events
Hannah PerryFounder, Conifer Events
Helen EriksenOwner and Creative Director, Helen Eriksen Wedding & Event Design
Melinda GillFounder, wedding planner and designer, Luxus Events
Jane RiddellWedding planner, Planned for Perfection
RulaFounder and event planner, Rula Parties
A Wedding in Kent
Oast houses, medieval castles and vineyards in the Garden of England
The county lies close to London. Southeastern trains from Victoria reach Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Faversham, and the high-speed service from St Pancras reaches Canterbury and Ashford. Guests from London can often travel on the day, and a night away suits venues in the far east of the county.
Kent has building types that other counties lack. The oast house, a round hop-drying kiln with a white cowl, is found almost only in Kent and East Sussex. The white cliffs, Romney Marsh and the Medway estuary are landscapes of the county's own.
Choosing a setting
Choosing a wedding setting in Kent
Converted Oast House
The oast house, a circular hop-drying kiln with a white cowl, was built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is found almost only in Kent and East Sussex. Converted examples keep their round tower rooms and the farm buildings around a central yard. The round room gives a distinctive ceremony space.
Medieval Castle
Kent has many medieval castles, among them Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Dover, Rochester, Tonbridge and Chilham. Several can be hired exclusively for weddings. Leeds Castle stands on two islands in a lake.
Country House Estate
Kentish country houses often have Tudor or early Stuart origins, unlike the Georgian symmetry common further west. The estates of the Weald pair historic houses with walled gardens and converted farm buildings, and several offer exclusive hire with rooms on site.
Vineyard Estate
Kent is the centre of English wine. The North Downs and the Wealden clay grow the grape varieties used in Champagne, and several wineries have built event facilities in their grounds. A ceremony among the vines, with the estate's own wine at dinner, is a modern Kent wedding format.
Coastal and Estuary House
Properties on the Thames estuary at Whitstable, on the north Kent coast and on the Channel cliffs above Folkestone and Dover. They give a sea view and a horizon that inland venues lack. Converted coastal farmhouses and former coastguard properties near Dungeness are hired exclusively for small weddings.
Photo: Hever CastleThe season
Weather for outdoor weddings
Most reliable for outdoor celebrations from May to September, with July the most settled month. Outside those months, expect cooler weather and shorter days, or celebrate indoors.
How typical weather and daylight suit an outdoor wedding celebration in each month. Every month can be wonderful for a wedding, especially indoors; this guide is about the weather you are likely to meet outdoors.
The word describes typical weather and daylight for an outdoor ceremony and photographs in that month. It says nothing about whether to marry then. Seasonal guidance is based on historical weather averages. Conditions vary by location and year, so couples planning outdoor celebrations should always consider an alternative indoor setting.
May, June, August and September are very good for outdoor ceremonies in Kent, and July is the most settled month. April and October can be lovely but cooler, and from November to March indoor settings work best. The Thanet coast is a little cooler than the Weald.
Sunset is around 9.16pm in mid June and 7.13pm in mid September. October can be attractive for autumn celebrations, although earlier sunsets make ceremony and photography timings particularly important: the sun sets at about 6.06pm in mid October and about 4.40pm at the end of the month, after the clocks go back. In mid December it is about 3.51pm.
Getting there
How guests arrive
The M20, M2, A21 and A28 give good road access. Venues in the Weald or the rural centre are usually reached from the nearest station by a pre-arranged car or minibus. The East Kent line from Ashford and Canterbury serves smaller station towns with local taxis.
London Victoria (Southeastern). The main London departure point for most Kent wedding guests, with frequent trains to Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Maidstone East and Faversham.
St Pancras International (HS1). High-speed trains to Ashford International, Canterbury West and Folkestone Central, the quickest connection for venues in east Kent. St Pancras also has the Eurostar, which suits guests from continental Europe.
London Gatwick (LGW). Reached by the M23 and M25. It has strong European and North American routes and is the most convenient airport for venues around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
Wedding accommodation in Kent runs from castle hotels and historic house hotels in the Weald to estate retreats on working vineyards.
Castles and historic houses
Several Kent castles and historic houses have rooms for part or all of a wedding party on site and are hired exclusively for the weekend, including Leeds Castle near Maidstone and Hever Castle near Edenbridge.
Vineyard accommodation
Converted farm buildings and cottages on working vineyards in the Weald, around Biddenden and Tenterden, suit couples who want the character of a working farm for the weekend.
Photo: Leeds CastleFood and drink
Eating and drinking in Kent
Kent's food identity rests on hop gardens, orchards, cherries and the vineyards of the Weald.
Kent hops and craft ales
The hop gardens of the Weald and around Faversham are harvested in September, at the height of the wedding season. A brewery in Faversham, founded in 1698, takes hops from Kent farms. Local ales suit the bar.
Wealden English wine
A vineyard near Tenterden, planted in 1969, makes sparkling and still English wines on Wealden clay. Its wines suit a wedding in the Weald.
Whitstable oysters
Whitstable has been linked with oyster cultivation since Roman times. Native oysters from the Swale and the north Kent shallows are in season from September to April, and serve as a canape or a first course.
Good to know
Before you book
Eurostar at Ashford and Ebbsfleet
Ashford International has Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels, and Eurostar also stops at Ebbsfleet International near Gravesend, close to venues in north-west Kent. This makes Kent accessible for guests from continental Europe.
English wine tasting
Kent has many commercial vineyards. A guided tour and tasting at one of the estates around Tenterden and Ashford suits guests who arrive the day before the wedding.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
What is an oast house, and why do couples choose one?
An oast house is a kiln for drying hops, built across Kent from the seventeenth century. It has a circular tower with a white rotating cowl and thick brick walls, set among connected farm buildings around a central yard. The round tower room gives an intimate ceremony space that is specific to Kent.
Is Leeds Castle available for weddings?
Yes. Leeds Castle takes wedding bookings through the Leeds Castle Foundation. It is a medieval castle on two islands in a lake, with a Culpeper Garden, a maze and parkland. Summer Saturdays are in demand, so planning needs to start early.
How do guests reach a Weald venue from London?
Most guests take a Southeastern train to Tunbridge Wells or Tonbridge, then a pre-arranged car or taxi to the venue. A minibus from the station suits groups. The Weald is not walkable from any station, so guests need clear transfer details in advance.
When is the best time of year for a Kent wedding?
June in the Weald brings long days, climbing hop bines and orchards in early fruit. The vineyard estates are at their busiest in late September and early October, when the harvest begins. Oast house venues also work in winter, with round tower rooms warmed by log fires.
What local food and drink suits a Kent wedding?
Kent's food identity rests on hop gardens, orchards, cherries and the vineyards of the Weald. The hop gardens of the Weald and around Faversham are harvested in September, at the height of the wedding season, and local ales suit the bar. Native oysters from the Swale and the north Kent shallows are in season from September to April, and serve as a canape or a first course.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in Kent
Tell Aura the setting, the season and the size of your day. She shortlists the venues and professionals that fit, and explains why.
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This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.