Plan Your Wedding Day

You will want to make an itinerary,  This will help your front of house catering team deliver your day. Email it to us so we can have this ready for your day. 

Why do we need it?

1. To ensure legality and compliance with your suppliers.

2. To ensure service staff have a detailed plan and times to deliver to.

It is very important to us that we know your plans,

Your Jenkinsons food coordinator will help create a food plan with you and this will help you with your days timings, but your staff on the day will need more detailed information.

Make your timings run in order. Walk through your day in your mind, as you want it. Then write it down. 

Write who each supplier is, their name, business and contact number, preferably mobile number.

(The below is purely an example and may not fit your wedding.)

0900hrs -Arrive at venue with bridesmaids. Dad is dropping us off.

0910hrs -Photographer arrives.(Say who this is.)

0920hrs -Make up and Hairstylist arriving.(Say who they are.)

0930hrs -Venue Dresser is arriving.(Say who they are.)

1000hrs -Florist arriving.(Say who florist is)

1020hrs -Champagne order from venue for bridal preparation suite.

1030hrs -Cake arriving.(Say who this is.)

1200hrs -Ceremony musician arrives (Say who this is.)

1245hrs -Groom and groomsmen arrive. (Say who.)

1300hrs -Guests start to arrive.

1330hrs -Ceremony will start in the Old Dairy Barn

1400hrs -Ceremony concluded...

1400hrs -Group photographs followed by drinks and canapé reception on the terrace.

1430hrs -Bride and Groom enter the Oak Barn alone for room reveal.

1435hrs -Bride and Groom slope off for photographs.

1500hrs -Background music set playing in Oak Barn in preparation for dining.

1515hrs -Guests enter the Oak Barn and view table plan to find seat.

1525hrs -Bride and Groom return to Oak Barn, Groomsman announces all stand for the Bride and Groom. 

1530hrs -All seats taken and dining is served.

1730hrs -Speeches commence. Running order of Father of the bride, Groom, best man.

1800hrs -Speeches conclude.

1800hrs -Evening entertainment band or DJ arrive to set-up and play background music. (Say who this is.)

1900hrs -Evening guests begin to arrive.

1910hrs -Evening entertainment band arrive.

1955hrs -Cake cutting.

2000hrs -First dance.

2005hrs -Evening food served.

2100hrs -Band starts first set.

2145hrs -DJ Plays disco

2200hrs -Band play second set.

2300hrs -DJ for disco.

Midnight -Carriages.(Taxis pre booked.) Family member to take postbox and valuables home.

proceeding day - 

1000hrs -Collect private items and decorations left.

1000hrs -All guest cars to be collected from venue.

Coton House Farm Wedding and Events Venue is delighted to hold your event and along with our partner Jenkinsons Caterers we will endeavour to do our very best for your event.

It is crucial that in delivering your event that we adhere to legal requirements and health and safety matters that allow us to deliver an event safely , legally, auditable and responsibly.

It is also very important that you understand these requirements and the consequences of any breach’s of these that may put us, our staff, you or your guests at risk, subject to harm, liability, criticism, inappropriateness or criminal investigation .

We ask that you understand that if we say ‘no’ to a request, it will be for genuine reasons as our intention is always to deliver the event that you want. We do not say ‘no’ but for genuine reasons.

Often what is acceptable in private premises is not acceptable in a commercial setting and therefore legislation may be in place that prevents it from taking place or requires certain requirements or standards before we can allow it. 

This agreement is in part also written into your terms of booking and may be fully or in part on our websites. These are not new requirements, though at times, as legislation or risk assessments change other matters may be added or removed to this non exhaustive list. 

This document is not to cause you any alarm, or infringe upon your event, but to help ensure the safe delivery, avoid misunderstanding, and protect you as an event organiser. Every Wedding and events venue has rules, and we are totally transparent from the outset.

Please do not take offence at this requirement to agree to these abridged requirements.(But if you don’t know, we need to let you know.)

1.You or your guests are not allowed to bring any alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks or vessels onto our premises for any reason. We are a fully licensed venue the same as any Pub , restaurant, nightclub.

2.You may not bring any food sealed or unsealed onto our premises other than a (singular) wedding cake.Wedding cake must be brought onto our premises with the full list of ingredients for display. Including intolerances and allergies. For any commercially made cake, we must also be sent their Public liability insurance. Wedding cake must appear on your wedding food itinerary along with cutting instructions (ie just top tier). We are not allowed under any circumstances to store your wedding cake in our commercial fridges, before your event or after. All questions about food related items must be direct to Jenkinsons caterers and your food wedding coordinator, not a venue wedding coordinator.

3.You must collect your belongings the day after your event by 10am. Your venue dressers must collect their items between 8am-9am the following day, or immediately at the end of your event.

4. The Bridal/Groom preparation suite will be locked at the start of your dining and will only be opened for collection of items at the end of the event and the tidying of your belongings beforehand. It will not be left open and is by nature a preparation suite before your ceremony only.

The preparation suite must be left tidy with your belongings boxed at the end of your event so that we may move these belongings to allow cleaning and your collections the next day.

5.The courtyard is for emergency access and pedestrian use only and no vehicles may enter to load or unload from this area, or to be photographed. Access may only be authorised for a bride/groom who has dressed at another location and travelled for an outdoor ceremony only.

6.Access to the venue is from 9am only on the day of your event. You cannot access the day before or earlier than 9am.

7.All vehicles left overnight, must be off site by 10am the following morning. We may lock access to the grounds and access may not be available after that time. All vehicles are parked at the owners responsibility and liability and the venue is not liable for the vehicle or its contents.

8.No naked flame items are allowed on site. This includes candles and sparklers. Responsible Smoking is permitted outside only.

9. Only real petal confetti is allowed on site and confetti photographs outside may only take place in the courtyard area. Confetti cannons are not allowed inside or outside the venue buildings.

10.If any damage (accidental/malicious/reckless) is caused during your event you will be responsible and must pay for the repairs or replacements.

11.Any bouncy castles or inflatables must be manned by a responsible designated individual. They must be appropriately insured with Public liability insurance and standalone in power such as a generator. We will not fuel or refill generators. They cannot operate from our power supplies.

12.All live and recorded music must be off and silent by midnight unless it is New Year’s Eve. Our Oak barn french doors will be locked and closed by 11pm Friday and Saturdays, 1030pm, weekdays and Sundays. 

13.Guests are not to stand on tables or chairs.

14. Smoke machines are not permitted in any buildings.

15. Decorations should not be cable tied to chairs. No knocking of hooks, pins or nails into walls, oak, tables or chairs. You cannot stick items to the walls by any means.

16.The use or possession of illegal drugs are not allowed. We reserve the right to adopt a reasonable suspicion of possession or use of drugs to determine our response.

17.Abusive conduct, assault, fear of assault, disorderly conduct, including shouting, towards any member of staff or guests will not be tolerated. All reasonable requests made by staff must be adhered to.

18.We will request guests leave gift bags on the gift table only.

19. We will challenge guests visiting the car park during the event. We may also challenge guests at the end of the event that we suspect may drive away intoxicated.

20. We will strongly request you to advise or make arrangements for your guests to have plans for their journey home at midnight.

21. Food delivered into the public forum will only be allowed out for a timed period. After this period we have to remove the food for waste. After the specific period it cannot remain out for your guests.

22. Left over food or food waste cannot be taken off site by you or your guests at the end of the evening. (Other than your wedding cake.)

23. Left over unused wines may be taken from the premises at the end of the evening. We cannot store until the following day. We will dispose of all left over wines or beers from midnight of your event and we take no responsibility for unattended drinks left by guests, they will be disposed of.

By 0005hrs all drinking (except New Year’s Eve) will cease and glasses handed in or to staff.

24. All patio gas heaters will only be controlled or switched on or off by staff. You or your guests must not use or attempt to use the heaters. We will determine if the patio heaters are required.

25.Any electrical items brought to the venue must have a PAT test certificate issued within the last 12 months. You will need all suppliers to forward their PAT test certificates and a valid Public liability Insurance certificate to us.

26. Dogs are only allowed onto the premises for the purposes of being disability dogs. You are allowed dogs to your wedding ceremony if they are part of your day, however they must be removed immediately after the ceremony photographs. Dogs are not allowed to be left in any of our buildings, or in any vehicles parked at our venue.

27.No overnight camping, camper vans tents or sleeping in cars is allowed on the venue grounds or carpark.

28. We may challenge guests for identification when ordering or purchasing drinks from our bar in line with our licensing legal requirement.

29. There is poor phone and internet connection inside the dairy barn(ceremony). Download your music to your device beforehand.

30. We are unable to give you the wifi code inside the Oak Barn at this time due to a change in legislation.

31. We cannot take responsibility or liability for any items you or your service providers bring onto the venue and grounds. 

32. In the event of a Fire, Ambulance, or Police service being required , they will have priority over your event.

32. Any deliberate act / recklessly or intentional actions to activate a fire alarm will not be tolerated and may cause closure as these cannot be readily repaired leaving the venue unprotected.

In the event of rules not adhered to we may take reasonable steps in the circumstances to maintain safety and prevent damage. We are required by law to prevent crime and disorder. We may also cause the need to issue financial invoices to you as organisers for recompense and losses. We may take action such as (A)closing the venue and event early. (B)Closing the bar. (C)Asking guests to leave.(D)issuing invoices for loss/damage/recompense. If the venue or bar is closed due to breach’s contained above you will not have any recompense.