Grittenham Barn

Grittenham Barn

The South Downs National Park in West Sussex has some of the most wonderful wedding venues. Grittenham Barn is one of the most authentic rustic barns that combines both the vintage feel of a 17th Century barn with the modern-day comforts that you will love. With 3 acres of land, stunning orchard, leafy gardens, lake and woodland Grittenham Barn boasts some of the best wedding photography spots in Sussex.

The main barn has a centerpiece that few other barns can compete with, a fully restored, all original working fireplace. This makes for one of the loveliest ceremony backdrops and because it is a working fireplace can be used in the winter for those cozy winter and autumn weddings. The barn is fully licensed so you and your wedding party can enjoy the warmth of the fire in winter and head out into the gardens in summer making this a venue you can use all year round. The barn holds 120 for your ceremony and dinner and can accommodate 250 people standing for the evening reception.

Grittenham Barn has a one wedding per weekend policy. When you book the barn for your wedding day it is yours for not only the day itself but the day before giving you plenty of time to decorate and set up how you wish and also the morning after to clear the barn. We wish that more venues worked like this as it takes the stress out of your wedding day, leaving you to simply enjoy your big day, guests, and venue.

Background Music In The Barn & Gardens

There is nothing like a barn for a wedding venue and like all weddings, music plays a huge role in creating the overall feel and atmosphere for your day. Whether it is a deeply personal song for you as a couple or a silly song that reminds you of a special time or when you met, music is evocative in a way that nothing else really is. This is why live music for a wedding is so important and is something that AKA loves. At Grittenham Barn, live music and musicians can be placed in most locations from inside for the wedding ceremony, outside in the courtyard ready for your guests and drinks reception and even out in the gardens depending on where you are planning to have a glass of something celebratory.

Our Acoustic Options are the ideal choice for this background music and thanks to our discrete PA system that requires no power can be used in exactly the way that you want. The duo or trio can play music whilst your guests arrive and take their seats for the marriage or civil ceremony, perform as you walk down the aisle, sign the register and play you out as a newly married couple. We can then continue our live performance through the drinks reception whilst you are having photos and making the most of the outdoor space (if the weather is lovely) or we can play indoors next to the fireplace if the weather is less favourable.

Depending on the AKA wedding package that you book we will then have a small PA system set up that can be used for a custom playlist while you are dining in the barn. You can also use this sound system for your wedding speeches and toasts throughout.

The party band for the evening celebrations

For an evening wedding party venue like this, we recommend AKA's 4 piece electric band. The area the band sets up is plenty big enough to accommodate the 4 piece band without cramming the space. This leaves so much space for dancing and boogying the night away. As you enter the barn, the band will set up on the left. There is a black curtain that will come behind the band creating a great backdrop, and we work from there right out to the doorway so that full access to the garden is maintained. This means you get a great band, ina. perfect location and still have all the gardens and courtyard at your disposal.

During the summer these doors will stay open, so you will still get to enjoy the band even when you are outside and lapping up the late summer sun. We love this as our singer and guitarist can come out and join in with you, and we angle one of the speakers to face into the courtyard. We'll make sure that you have the party of a lifetime and something that all of you will remember for the rest of your life.

One of the key reasons Grittenham Barn works so well for an evening party becuase the bar is set at the other end of the barn to the live band. This contains everything together, keeping the dancing and drinks all in one place. From our decades of experience, having the bar and band in the same room/space is by far the best way to ensure that everyone has the best possible party.

Grittenham Barn is the classic, yet modern barn wedding venue with rustic features, exposed stonework and wooden beams but also a place that has the modern features of a fully stocked bar, outdoor heaters and ceiling lighting that highlights the natural beauty of the space. We love playing at this gorgeous barn and we look forward to playing so many more weddings there.