The Orangery — Attraction in Maidstone

Beautiful venue and nice staff; however there are a few honest improvements I'd like to suggest. Staff were very nice but sometimes it was very difficult to communicate with them in regards to what we wanted and it didn't feel like we were well understood at times. Some staff would say one thing was possible when others would say it wasn't etc. We had to figure a lot of stuff out by ourselves e.g. the drinks menu as we were not serving alcohol, the seating plan (as we were not having a DJ). During the day of our ceremony it was perfect and well organised however as the day progressed we felt a bit let down as we had to keep finding our events coordinator to do things and sometimes our guests were mis-led. Our morning food was great however the buffet food was horrendous. Firstly the lack of choice, you can only select a very limited set of food. Secondly we informed staff that we require halal food 8 months in advance, this was accepted and said it could be done. Then, less than 2 weeks before the wedding we were told that our meat buffet options would not be halal and if we would like to switch those options out for vegetarian options. This was eventually sorted however given the lengthy notice and already limited choice this should not have even been suggested to us and sorted from the beginning. Overall, our guests were really unhappy with the evening food it was more like party food / a starter, leaving many guests thinking the main course is to come. Cutlery was not obvious, nor pointed out by the staff when people were getting food, therefore people were eating with their hands which was a let down. I was also shocked about how badly coordinated the buffet was. We were told tables would be called one by one however this did not happen and our coordinator was no where to be found. Therefore lots of people were scrambling at once. The buffet was not even labelled and it was not obvious what some food was e.g. vegeterian labels etc.

If we were able to have external suppliers I think that would have made the overall day great as then we would not have been confined to the Orangerys menu choice; as I think they need to consider other cultural choices.

I think for the money that we paid it was not worth it. The only thing in the evening that was good was our external suppliers (pianist) and fireworks.

In conclusion the venue is fantastic only because of the venue itself. The catering leaved a lot to be desired. If the venue wasn't so beautiful this would be...

My new husband and I had our wedding at the Orangery in April 2023 and we honestly had a fantastic experience with them - they gave us the most amazing wedding day that we'll cherish forever. The overall service is brilliant. We dealt with a lot of their staff over the years (we had them booked for a long time as our wedding was postponed twice due to Covid!), and every single one of them was friendly, approachable, helpful, clearly knew their wedding stuff, and loved what they do. They always communicated well, whether by email or phone, and were quick to put me at ease or give me help and advice when I needed it (and I needed it often!). We also really enjoyed the regular VIP events that the Orangery hosts for its couples - they're a great way to meet and talk things over with staff, discuss ideas, get new ideas, and even try samples of the food! And talking of food...this was superb. I thought the menu choices were great, and everything, from our canapés to our wedding breakfast to our evening buffet, was beautifully presented and tasted delicious. All of our guests thoroughly enjoyed their food, and one, (who is a notoriously tricky customer!), said it was some of the best wedding food she's ever had! She's been to a lot of weddings, too! The Orangery is an absolutely stunning venue with beautiful grounds which include a gorgeous lake running through them. The main Orangery building where you have indoor ceremonies and the evening receptions is also a very elegant and lovely space, being nice and bright with some recent decorative improvements. The whole place is just ripe with amazing photo opportunities, and so tranquil it's hard to believe it's near a busy town like Maidstone! No wedding goes completely to plan, and there were a few minor hiccups at ours, but all in all we had the best wedding day at the Orangery and made memories there we'll never forget. The staff were really on the ball and obviously worked very hard to ensure our day went as smoothly as possible. I would 100% recommend this venue to anyone; you're really looked after by staff, and it's such a beautiful setting to get married in - it should be a strong contender for any couple's...

We had our wedding at the Orangery in September 2022. It was one of the best days of our lives, and we owe a large part of that to the venue and the staff.

Firstly, the venue is stunning. I remember the first moment we walked in via the gate in the wall, it honestly took our breath away. The gardens are huge, meticulously kept, and have beautiful and interesting water features and pathways throughout.

Secondly, the packages the Orangery present are inclusive, upfront and honest. Catering, evening food, DJ, table wine, welcome drinks, were all costed and included in the price which made planning so much simpler. Everything provided was of consistently high standard - in particular, every course of the wedding breakfast was delicious and the DJ took the time to compile and play all our obscure requests without reverting back to 'stock wedding playlists' (our greatest fear).

Kate, Vicky, Bryony and the team were thoughtful and responsive leading up to the day, leaving no question unanswered. When last minute changes to the guest list had to be made and meal choices redistributed, this was arranged with minimal fuss on the user-friendly Sonas system.

Our coordinator on the day was Bryony, and she was utterly superb. She wasn't afraid to get involved in the setting up; helping us move heavy plants, drowning in a sea of our table name cards, carrying the wedding dress train, all whilst juggling the back and forth weather conditions we had on the day. The whole team used walkie talkies to communicate, which made for a seamless transition from each phase to the next.

Thank you so much for an amazing day. All our guests were extremely complimentary and I would not hesitate to do it all again. Highly...