What’s Actually Included in Your Selden Barns Venue Hire
When you’re comparing wedding venues, “what’s actually included in the price” is usually the question that matters most — and the one that’s hardest to get a straight answer to. Every venue quotes a headline hire fee, but what that fee covers varies enormously, and the gaps are where budgets go wrong. Here’s exactly what’s included when you book Selden Barns, and what you’ll need to arrange separately.
The Short Answer
Venue hire at Selden Barns starts from £4,650 for off-peak dates, with pricing varying by day of the week, time of year and package — all shown live on the online availability checker. That fee buys exclusive use of the entire 65-acre estate for a full 15 hours, every space on site, a dedicated coordinator, and parking for all your guests. It does not include catering, on-site accommodation, or your entertainment — each of those is arranged and paid for separately, alongside your hire fee.
What’s Included in Your Hire
Book Selden Barns and the following are all part of the hire fee, with nothing extra to arrange:
- Exclusive use of the entire estate — the whole 65 acres are yours for the day, with no other events taking place alongside you.
- A full 15 hours — the getting-ready room and wider venue are available from 9:00am, with the bar closing at 11:30pm and guests departing by midnight.
- All three ceremony spaces — the Ceremony Barn (up to 100 guests indoors), the Sussex Oak Pergola, and the Front Lawn (up to 200 guests outdoors) — whichever suits your day and the weather.
- The main wedding barn, dressed with fairy lights and chandeliers, for your reception.
- The walled garden and outdoor terrace, for drinks, canapés and photographs.
- Your dedicated getting-ready room, available from 9:00am — beauticians and hairdressers can access the venue from this time too.
- The mahogany bar and all outdoor areas.
- Tables, chairs and table linen for your reception.
- Free on-site parking for all your guests — genuinely nothing extra to book or pay for here.
- A dedicated wedding coordinator, supporting you through planning and on site throughout the day itself.
- A speaker system in the ceremony barn, suitable for connecting an iPhone or personal music device for your ceremony music.
What You’ll Arrange Separately
A handful of things sit outside the hire fee, by design — this is what lets couples build a day around their own taste and budget rather than a fixed package.
Catering and evening food. Selden Barns works with four approved catering partners rather than an in-house kitchen, so your wedding breakfast and evening food are booked and paid for directly with whichever caterer you choose. Crockery, glassware and catering staff also come through your chosen caterer — worth confirming exactly what’s included with them at the outset, since this can vary between the four partners.
On-site accommodation. Selden Barns has 8 en-suite bedrooms plus The Gatehouse, sleeping up to 24 guests, available to book as an addition to your venue hire. It’s popular, and rooms tend to go alongside the most sought-after wedding dates, so it’s worth booking for your wedding party and immediate family as early as possible.
Your registrar. Selden Barns is approved by West Sussex County Council for civil marriages and civil partnerships, but the registrars themselves are booked directly with the council once your date is confirmed — best done as soon as possible, since popular dates fill up on their side too.
Entertainment. A live band, a DJ, or both, are booked separately — the venue’s speaker system covers your ceremony music, but the reception soundtrack is down to whichever entertainment you choose. Selden Barns shares noise management guidelines with all entertainment suppliers ahead of the day.
Why This Is Worth Knowing Before You Compare Venues
A lower headline hire fee elsewhere can hide costs that Selden Barns already bundles in — tables, chairs and linen, parking, a coordinator’s time across the full planning process and the day itself, and access to the entire estate rather than a single room. Equally, knowing that catering and accommodation sit outside the fee means you can compare like for like, rather than being caught out by a final bill that looks nothing like the number you first saw.
Get a Clear Answer for Your Date
Pricing varies by day and season, so the fastest way to see exactly what your date would cost — and what’s included at that price — is to check live availability or speak to the team directly.