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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2020

Last update: October 2024

The Secret Garden is a wedding venue located in Ashford, in the Kent region of England. As a family-owned and operated business, this establishment is committed to ensuring that your big day is unforgettable. Nestled in the Mersham Le Hatch Estate, the venue offers a picturesque, romantic, and tranquil backdrop for celebrations of love.

Facilities and Capacity

The Secret Garden is available for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Licensed for ceremonies of up to 90 guests, the chapel boasts stunning courtyard views. Meanwhile, The Glass House can accommodate ceremonies of up to 50 guests and seated dining for 24 people. This vintage glass greenhouse offers an intimate ambience for weddings and a private herb garden for an alfresco meal. The venue’s other outdoor ceremony spaces include the gazebo and terrace, located in the walled gardens. You and up to 90 guests can enjoy a three-course meal in the Main Coach House for your wedding breakfast. Once home to the estate’s carriages and horses, this structure was restored in 2006 to provide a warm and whimsical ambience. Through its double doors, you and your guests will find a terrace overlooking the walled Victorian gardens. This space is also suitable for evening receptions of 150 people.

Cuisine

The culinary team at this venue works hard to create a wedding meal that leaves a lasting impression. Their wedding packages include your choice of a three-course A la Carte menu, Kentish BBQ, Feasting Menu or Afternoon Tea. With evening food that truly offers something for everyone, including wood fired pizzas, gas pan paella, grazing tables and many more.

Services Offered

The event staff at this venue are dedicated to producing memorable wedding occasions. Their all-inclusive packages provide a wide range of event rental items and services. Before your big day, their team will provide you with planning advice to ensure a stress-free and smooth event. They are happy to manage table decoration and room set up for your convenience on the big day. The Secret Garden provides many event rental items, such as linens, tables, Chivari chairs, cake stands, easels, and vintage garden games. They also include the necessary dining equipment such as crockery, cutlery, glasses, and china. As a special touch, you and your guests can even play an assortment of vintage garden games during your event.

  • Woman-owned
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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Pub or restaurant
Unusual weddings
Historic
Woodland and festival
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Chapel or temple on-site
Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Changing room for wedding guests
Pet-friendly
Orangery on site
illustration notebook

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Reviews for The Secret Garden

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.
5.0 out of 5 rating
Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
5.0 out of 5 rating
75 reviews
100% recommend it
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
Michelle
Michelle Sent on 21/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect wedding venue for us

When searching for our wedding venue, the Secret Garden was the first venue we visited and it immediately felt like us! We absolutely loved the beautiful garden and how natural and relaxed everything felt. It was also important to us to have our two little puppies with us on our special day, which was absolutely no problem for the team at the Secret Garden.

We got married there in August and had the most amazing day. Alisha and the team were outstanding and so organised. We did not have to worry about anything at all on the day and the team always made sure that we had everything we needed.

We were so happy with the food - we went for the feasting menu and it was not only delicious, there was also so much of it! We got a lot of great feedback from our guests, so thanks again to the chefs.

We had the best day and would highly recommend the Secret Garden to anyone! Thank you to Alisha and the team once again for the amazing day!
Clare
Clare F. Sent on 14/11/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible venue

The Secret Gardens were the only venue we looked at for our intimate wedding and it was simply perfection.
We were in control the whole time for the wedding planning process, kept in contact with Amy and Alisha regarding any questions, allergy updates for guests and the organising, they were amazing.
For the wedding day, we had a certain idea for the layout and they exceeded expectations. We got married in the glasshouse and took my breath away when I walked in.
Every guest said how they felt well cared for throughout the day by the girls and bar team.
My husband and myself felt we didn't miss out on any food, drinks or experiences.

It was a truly perfect day and would highly recommend the secret gardens!

Thank you so much !
Amy
Amy S. Sent on 05/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The best venue ever

From the moment we enquired with The Secret Garden, it was clear that their number one priority was that our wedding was exactly as we wanted. They couldn't have been more flexible, helpful and attentive. The day ran SO smoothly, we didn't have to worry about a thing, and the staff went above and beyond to ensure we had the best day ever. Amy is an absolute legend!! The venue is absolutely stunning and our guests all commented on how beautiful the day was, and how chilled the vibe was.
The food was unbelievably good, they cater for allergies and preference with ease, and the portions are huge! We also asked for multiple drinks and food off menu which was no trouble at all.
Choose The Secret Garden for your wedding!!
Sheri
Sheri Sent on 29/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing intimate wedding

We had an intimate wedding of 15 people in total in June 2024. The staff were wonderful and responsive - the decor was set up beautifully, the drinks and meals were so delicious and catered seamlessly. They helped arrange a flower arch for us and for our cake cutting - I cannot recommend them enough.
Claire
Claire S. Sent on 26/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

A day that we will remember

Where do we start.... from the initial viewing to the day after our wedding. It was an amazing experience. Alisha was so helpful, she made sure our day ran smoothly and no hiccups! Everything was beautiful and perfect. A day we will always remember. Thank you xxx
Poppy
Poppy S. Sent on 08/01/2024
5 out of 5 rating

A day to remember 🤍🩷

Wow, our wedding day, where do we start?
Well it seems only right to thank the people who created a day that we could have only dreamt of that The Secret Garden team made our reality.

Genuinely, thankyou! You guys are incredible! Right from the very first point of contact you guys were just amazing, you provided stability with planning, organisation, helped us with decision making when we asked for input and just over all fabulous! The planning team were quick to respond and so informative, alongside helping us get the best out of our day with our budget, keeping the special elements and not making it feel or appear more budget-like. At no point did we ever feel obliged or pushed into anything and generally, we just felt well supported throughout the process.

During the process, we went to the venue on several occasions to meet with staff and discuss our plans, and primarily, their attitude was always "how can we help you? What can we do to help give you the most special day". Alongside this we always felt comfortable, it was never forced and always had a laugh. Every member of staff is just so natural at their job. Having now had our wedding building these relationships was important because essentially, they are a part of your special day; it was so well integrated and natural, we didn't know they were there, in a staff capacity - they felt as though they were a part of our guest part.

On the day, we were expecting hiccups, purely because, like everyone, nothing ever goes straight forward. But to mine and Issac knowledge and feelings, everything was perfect and it really was only a day we thought we could dream of.

Alisha was our point of contact throughout the most part of the day and what a fab job she did. She helped direct us in doing something neither of us knew what we are doing, helped keep us calm and kept it nice, settled and well organised. In moments that we were having couple photos, or otherwise preoccupied, they ensured the comfort of our guest and maintained such a lovely atmosphere. Every single guest approached us during and after to explain it was the best wedding the had been to, from the organisation, to the food, the staff and the destination. We feel really privileged to have had our day shared with our family friends and members ot The Secret Garden.

Food - now this was important to us... Purley because we're foodies, not necessarily for fancy food, but just in general. The chef team absolutely smashed it!! We had walking canapes to start, as we are not a particularly formal family and though we are traditional in some aspects, we equally did not want a three course sit down meal. This allowed us the opportunity to interact with everyone who came to share our day with us; but also feel the hunger hole that people were beginning to feel.

It was a nice touch, because I think staff had noticed that Issac and I had not managed to have any, due to talking and they had put a lovely selection on our table. So then the main, wow! INCREDIBLE!! The team catered well for allergens and intolerance and ensured that everyone was happy. Every body complemented the meal and of course the desert!! Anyway we could go on about food for ages, but just know, the food is delicious! We chose the BBQ for the evening and though Issac and I didn't have any because we were full from lunch, it went down a treat!!

We provided some decorations, as well as The Secret Garden supplying some too, and they really did do it justice! They created the atmosphere and vibe that was exactly what we were after. They moved our beautiful flowers from the chapel to the main room, so that they could be admired throughout the whole day, as they were exceptionally beautiful - big shout out to Loullabells florist! The flowers were particularly special as they were a discrete part of our granddad's being present, though not physically with us, it was a resemblance of their favourite flowers.

Everything was just amazing!!

Moving on through the day to the evening, we used Boombox, who is recommended via the venue. Though this is not The Secret Garden's fault, we and guest were disappointed with them as DJ's. We had a poor experience with their organisation in the build up to the meeting, forgetting about scheduled meeting to attain our music choices etc, alongside this, they did not play songs that we had asked for, including genre. The quality of music felt poor and they did not mix music well. I guess from our personal experience with them, our recommendation would be for Boombox not to be part of the package, or not to suggest them.

As I say the above recommendation, is not Secret Garden's fault, and by no means ruined our day, it was something we had both picked up on, as did our guests.

Anyway, we want to thank the team for absolutely everything!!! Even when we went to collect everything the following day, they ensured that our Bouquets were in water to ensure preservation.

The Secret Garden are amazing, the venue and staff we cannot recommend it enough. Thankyou!!!!
Louise
Louise N. Sent on 27/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Fairytale wedding

We had a twilight wedding at the secret garden on the 10th of November 2023. Alisha, Amy and the team made our wedding feel like a dream fairytale. Originally our ceremony was to be in the glass house but due to weather it was not possible but Alisha and Amy created the most dreamy set up in the chapel for us both and it blew me away!. They went out and bought lanterns and other bits, moved all the plants from the glass house and decorated the chapel so beautiful I couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful ceremony and I was over the moon. After my wedding car didn’t show up and pushed us back for time, they made all my stress go away once I arrived and kept Luke and the guests happy while they waited for me us to arrive. The music and food provided in the package and all the staff were amazing! Everyone had such a great time. I was so happy we chose the secret garden as our venue the and the twilight option meant that we had a nice intimate relaxed experience and with all our friends and family, with all the twinkle lights and candles it felt really magical like a fairytale.
Andrea
Andrea Sent on 30/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Venue & Team

The Secret Garden is such a beautiful venue and the team were so accommodating! Our day was truly incredible and that is all thanks to the team, their flexibility and professionalism. My vision was completely understood and I was so pleased when I got to see it all put together. The food was also incredible!! I genuinely couldn't have asked for a better day - highly recommend!
Peaches
Peaches A. Sent on 06/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect venue

I had the most perfect wedding day at this venue. The staff went above and beyond throughout the whole wedding planning process and the day. The venue itself is beautiful and our guest couldn’t stop talking about how good the food was. Thank you so much for making our wedding day super special ❤️
Louise
Louise P. Sent on 01/04/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The Perfect Wedding Venue

We got married at the wonderful Secret Garden last week. Even though the weather was against us, we had the most perfect day. Josie and the team were outstanding with their attention to detail and ensuring that our vision for the day was delivered.

The venue speaks for itself, as it is stunning and is very special to us anyway, as it is the last place we had afternoon tea before my mum passed away in 2017.

The staff are very attentive and organised. They ensured that we had everything we needed and nothing was too much effort on the day. They went over and above for all of us.

The food was amazing and the feedback from our guests about the menus on offer was great, the best wedding food they've had! So, compliments to the chefs!

All in all we didn't want it to end. The glasshouse was very cosy and intimate once the sun had gone down and the perfect romantic setting for the evening.

We had the best day and would highly recommend the Secret Garden for a wedding!! Thank you to Josie and the team once again! ❤️ 💛
Alex
Alex Sent on 30/12/2022
5 out of 5 rating

A Magical Venue

When searching for our wedding venue we stumbled upon the Secret Garden and knew straight away this was the one! We planned for an early November wedding with the idea to hold our ceremony in the Glass House and only our families attending. This meant that we only had 2 months to plan our special day, which turned out to be a breeze due to the venue taking care of all official procedures as well as catering, music and the setup.

Upon learning that the Glass House was not available for November, our plans and numbers have started evolving. Throughout this period of making and changing decisions almost every day, the team had always been very kind and patient. We ended up holding our ceremony in the Chapel at twilight and the reception in the Coach House during the evening. All the spaces were already so beautiful that we had minimal decoration, mostly candles and fairy lights, and it turned out truly magical!

A big hurrah to our coordinator Alisha, and all the staff who made us feel so special from the moment we walked through the beautiful orchard to the last moments of our night. We must also mention how great the food was, but especially the care given to accommodating our dietary requirements, which made us feel very safe.

Thank you to everyone at the Secret Garden for making this all possible!
Frances
Frances C. Sent on 06/01/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Excellent professional and caring experience

Fantastic venue and staff. Absolutely magical wedding day. Highly recommend
Lauren
Lauren Sent on 11/12/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The Secret Garden Dream Team

We just had the most wonderful winter wedding & it’s thanks to this incredible team of people that made it all possible. They put my worries to rest leading up to it with top notch organising and answering any burning question I had. From the small details of having my favourite drink of mulled wine ready for me as we finished the ceremony (I mean can it get better than that?!) To making sure everything ran smoothly throughout the day. We are both amazed by how everything turned out and saw how hard this team works. Thank you so much!! Xxx
Tracy
Tracy B. Sent on 10/12/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Most amazing day

Really couldn’t fault the secret garden beautiful gardens
Absolutely amazing day
Great food
Would 100% recommend
Lily
Lily T. Sent on 14/10/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The most stunning venue

We got engaged and wanted to book our venue straight away. I knew The Secret Garden was on our list, but we didn’t even bother viewing others. The first viewing, the venue was gorgeous, relaxed, pretty details, stunning gardens, pizza oven - what more could you want. Josie and Harry were both involved in the planning and they were both great, so friendly, quick at responding and plenty of patience when asking silly questions.
The day was incredible and we are so glad we booked here. Our guests commented that it was the best wedding food they had ever had! And having a gorgeous backdrop definitely helps for gorgeous photos. 100% recommended!
Lily and Charlie xx
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Badges

Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2023 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2022 Winner

The Secret Garden Real Weddings

Georgia & Jamie
25 photos · 18/05/2024
Kealiegh & Lauren
15 photos · 07/10/2023
Eylül & Alex
23 photos · 08/11/2022
Martine & Troy
15 photos · 30/08/2022
Chrissie & Nick
30 photos · 11/07/2022

Deals

Events

18 Jan
Open Door

Wedding Open Day: The Secret Garden officially invites you to join us for our next Wedding Open Day.

We'll be open 11am to 4pm on Saturday 18th January 2025.

Our venue will be well and truly dressed to impress, so if you're newly engaged come take a look at us in our evening best! We'll have canapés & cocktails flowing, the Events team will be here for meet & greets and any questions you may have.

Send us an email to book in now!

Date: From 18/01/2025 to 18/01/2025 Schedule 11:00 - 16:00
Place: Secret Garden, The Courtyard, Mersham-Le-Hatch, TN25 6NH, Ashford, Kent

Preferred suppliers

The Wedding Chaps
5.0 out of 5 rating , 197 reviews
· Music and DJs
Scott Kendall Photography
5.0 out of 5 rating , 109 reviews
· Photographers
Molly's Classic Wedding Cars
5.0 out of 5 rating , 18 reviews
· Cars and Travel
Blooming Green
5.0 out of 5 rating , 38 reviews
· Florists
Here Comes the Hound
5.0 out of 5 rating , 4 reviews
· Something Different
Rose & Mae Events
Decor Hire and Styling

Map

The Courtyard, Mersham-le-Hatch, A20 Hythe Road TN25 6NH Ashford (Kent)
illustration visit

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