We loved our day at Woodlane. All of our guests commented how beautiful the venue was. It totally suited out style, we wanted a laid back day where people could enjoy and be themselves.

It is a DIY venue when it comes to arranging decorations, catering etc. We paid for the room switchover which was well worth it. We had a BBQ for our wedding breakfast followed by a pizza oven in the evening. I managed most of the suppliers, but Woodlane did get in touch with them prior to the day to make final arrangements.

David was our main contact throughout the booking process and he was very at ease from booking through to us collecting our things the day after our wedding.

We did book January 2020 for May 2022 so we ended up with a good deal and COVID restrictions had lifted so we fell lucky with our date.

I'd recommend this venue to anyone who wants a laid back vibe, and has the time and ability to plan their own day.

Posting this review two months after our wedding, having had time to think about our experience. We think it's an honest and balanced reflection of the venue and hope it helps others decide on where to have their wedding.

Positives

The price is very reasonable. Having a 'DIY' venue might not be everyone's thing, but we enjoyed being able to do what we liked and know there were no hidden costs. The drinks prices were very good and it meant we could give our guests more 'free' drinks in our budget. And our guests could enjoy drinks without paying a stupid amount! We could also choose one beer to have on draught.

The outdoor space is gorgeous. We got married in summer 2023 and got lucky with a lovely day. There are so many beautiful spots for photos. Plus plenty of room to set up marquees/gazebos etc. We hired in a crazy golf course and hay bale seating and the garden area looked amazing.

The location is great. Close enough to Sheffield centre for it to be convenient for guests. But just on the outskirts as you head out towards Stannington which is lovely. A few guests commented to us that we could have been in the middle of the countryside in the garden area because of how quiet/pretty it was.

Areas for Improvement

Pre-Wedding Administration
Once we'd paid our deposit/signed the contract the service left a lot to be desired. We had to chase for a shared word document to be sent to us (it finally was, but to an incorrect email). We don't live locally, so asked for a call 5 months before to run through a few queries, to initially be told 'we don't have meetings until 6-12 weeks before your date'. On the call (which we had to push for) we were given contradictory information and did not appreciate comments about how our early wedding time (12pm) was going to impact staff. Most of our queries on the call couldn't be answered without referral to the lead wedding coordinator and we had to chase a week later for responses. We also found email replies borderline rude on occasion with use of capital letters to stress points we were querying, as well as being littered with excuses as to why responses were taking 1 week+.

On the Day Support
We were well aware that this was a DIY venue. However the service we received on the day is the one thing we don't look back on positively for the following reasons:
1. The pop up bar downstairs for our reception closed 30 minutes before our sit down meal. This was not planned (we had a tab behind the bar at this point and no-one could use it). If the main upstairs bar was open then fine, but it wasn't. The main coordinator became aware, because the groom told him. It was obvious this shouldn't have happened, but nothing was done to fix it.
2. Because of the above there was a long queue at the main bar when our meal started and not enough staff.
3. Because of our wedding time the coordinator had to change halfway through the day (not an issue). However this time coincided with when both bars were closed while we were walking round trying to find someone to open one and guests saw staff messing around in the car park.
4. As the day went on there was a complete lack of leadership. Small things needed sorting (lack of toilet roll/needing to move a couple of tables) and any time we looked for a member of staff the only one to be seen was the one behind the bar. She was doing a great job, but needed much more support.

Overall we had a great wedding day at Wood Lane. But in all honesty that is because it is a DIY venue and we could make it truly ours.
Having taken a step back to think about our experience of them as a venue, I think their council ownership means they don't have much of an interest in customer service. The staff member we dealt with was a very nice person, but she was not professional and the service before and on the day was poor.

When on a Yorkshire wedding forum in the build up we also saw two other people posting about how difficult it was to get in touch with the venue. It makes us realise ours was not a one off experience.

I wasn't aware of Wood Lane Countryside Centre as a wedding venue until I got engaged - it is such a hidden gem! We wanted a venue that we could personalise and didn't really want a standard wedding package, so when we came across Wood Lane we were over the moon - it was the third wedding venue we went to view and I even shed a tear when we visited as it was just perfect for what we wanted!
David, Laura and the team were so helpful throughout the whole process and were very accommodating with arranging visits in the run up to the wedding, just so we could get a better idea of what we wanted to do with our decor.
Wood Lane allows you to be really creative in your wedding planning and it offers such fantastic value for money - I would highly recommend it.

Wood lane was a beautiful venue with very accomdating staff. They were completely supportive throughout, we loved the option of a guest ale. It was very much a DIY Wedding which was a lit of work but we loved being able to organise our own hog roast and decorate as we liked. The space inside and out is amazing and easily accommodated our 80 guests.

My wife and I were married elsewhere and had the reception here in June17.

The place is a great canvas to do whatever you want - bunting, hay bales, tents, anything!
The team were excellent on the run up- very helpful with questions and access etc, David was very helpful.

Would use again, although hope I don't need to :D

WLCC was the perfect venue for our big day! We had quite specific ideas about what we wanted on our wedding day and the hotel package weddings just weren't up to the job. In the end we decided to arrange our own wedding from scratch and WLCC were able to accommodate us, allowing us to bring in whatever staff and vendors we wished, and were also on hand to advise or answer questions along the way. The grounds are what sold it to us, and they provided a stunning backdrop for a garden party with outdoor catering and a swing band, followed by a later high tea in the dressed barn. Our photos are stunning, and part of the reason for that is the beautiful backdrop and surrounding that WLCC provided.

My husband and I got married at Wood Lane Countryside Centre in December 2015 and loved it. The venue gives you the flexibility to create a truly bespoke wedding set in a lovely location just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of Sheffield.
I’d been searching for a venue that offered me the opportunity to put my own crafty style and taste into proceedings and that also offered a relaxed and informal atmosphere, without a doubt WLCC was the perfect place. As soon as we viewed we knew it was the place for us and so snapped up our date as soon as we could.
We also have to say a huge thank you to David and the team who helped ensure the day went smoothly and happily answered any questions. I’d recommend Wood Lane Countryside Centre to anyone without hesitation.

If you are looking for a rustic, atmospheric venue where you can add your own personal touches then Wood Lane is the place for you.

You have various rooms you can use, all set in a beautiful Georgian farm houses. Any questions you have throughout the process are happily answered. You are also able to set up the venue the day before and have the following day to tidy up so you are not rushed.

We would thoroughly recommend Wood Lane, not just because of it's charm but also because of how helpful, attentive and kind David and his team are.

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at Wood Lane Countryside Centre and it was everything we could have asked for in a venue. David, Ben and their colleagues were so helpful and attentive helping with everything before, during and after the day. The venue itself is beautiful and the perfect blank canvas with lots of quirky spaces and stunning grounds. We would thoroughly recommend it for a wedding.

We chose Wood Lane as our wedding venue after seeing it for the first time but the day itself surpassed all expectations. The Grain Loft is stunning and the grounds allowed us to create a garden party theme which worked to perfection.

David and Ben (and their teams) deserve special credit for the hard work and good nature they displayed at all times.

Magical day made all the more special in such a beautiful venue which is reflected in our beautiful photos. Staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. Absolutely recommend this venue to anyone.

Just a message to thank you, especially David for providing such a great venue and service for our wedding day. The venue was the only one we looked at but as soon as we saw it we just knew it was exactly what we wanted. Wood lane seem to offer a service that we couldn't find anywhere else, a blank canvas that we were allowed to create our perfect day in. We had so many comments from guests about what a great venue it was and the registrars and the caterers also said that they loved working with you. Thank you David for putting us at ease the day before and on the day, we had total confidence in you!