Sissons Barn in Peakirk, Peterborough was one of the first wedding venues I went to see after lockdown. There were a couple of reasons I was there – the first reason is as I had heard such wonderful things about this rural wedding venue. Not only how stunning it is, but also how fabulous the owners are, Laura and Ben Harris. I just had to go and see for myself. The second reason is top secret and you’ll find out in time… Don’t you just love a teaser!
So off I went to East Anglia. Going down the country lanes I started to feel that fuzzy feeling of wedding venue anticipation. Does anyone else get that? As you draw up to a wedding venue you are full of all the feels and excitement of what is behind the gate… and I wasn’t let down.
The oak-framed barn is on a 350 acre farm with a livery attached. So anyone horse-y will be in heaven! The barn feels like an intimate venue, as it is surrounded by a newly landscaped garden (they have been busy during lockdown). With an array of beautiful British flowers and plants coming to life in their new home. With this intimacy comes the stunning undisturbed views which are just exceptional. The barn itself has been built to the highest standard, where even the Sissons Barn logo has been etched into the door handles! This attention to detail is so refreshing to see, and something I quickly learnt was integral to Laura and Ben’s ethos around their gorgeous venue. Every detail of the barn has a story, and much like the love stories which are played out at their weddings the stories are romantic, family focused and full of love. The history of the ironmongery set up at the barn is one of a kind and fascinating. The tools from Ben’s grandfather’s workshop are set in resin in the bar – what a conversation piece and totally unique.
The venue is large enough to hold up to 180 guests, the design of the barn allows you to play with the space to accommodate large or small wedding parties. The venue also offers the most picturesque outdoor ceremony option, The Willow Room. I couldn’t believe this was a registered ceremony location – surrounded by the gorgeous canopy in the gardens of the Barn, such a special and romantic location to say ‘I do’.
While being shown around the venue, I really hit it off with Laura and Ben. We soon were chatting everything wedding (of course!), especially the impact Covid-19 has had on our respective businesses in the wedding industry. For both of us this meant a lot of rescheduling! You can imagine my delight as they told me how with all of their couples, who wished to postpone their wedding from this year, have been moved with no fees or charges to the couple. Such a welcome relief to hear. They have even been sending their couples bouquets of flowers with little notes to let them know they are there for them and ready to host their wedding when the time is right. This is what I call customer service.
During the pandemic they have postponed 30 weddings so far, which is no small task. They have been there for their couples and reassured them throughout this stressful process. They were recognised by Olivia Riddiford from Host Venue Consultancy as an ‘extra mile’ wedding venue. Olivia says “The wedding industry has been hard hit during Covid-19. Wedding venues especially have been faced with challenging times from furloughing staff, continuing to finance high overheads and most importantly dealing with their 2020 couples in a sensitive and thoughtful manner.
So many venues have really showed such kindness at a time where couples have been forced to postpone their dream wedding. It was important to create a campaign to celebrate these venues, to get their story heard. Sissons Barn has gone above and beyond for their clients by postponing weddings from before the lockdown right through to mid October with some in November and December without question. We’re delighted to have given the #extramilevenue title to such a worthy business”.
Olivia really knows her stuff and I am so pleased she has seen the lengths some venues have gone to to accommodate their couples during this crazy time, including Sissons Barn.
So if you fancy getting married at the gorgeous Sissons Barn give me a shout, as I would LOVE to help you plan your wedding day there.
I’m now going to hand over to Laura and Ben to have the final words:
“Our couples mean the world to us and we are so glad to have been able to support them during this unusual time. We are really looking forward to hosting weddings again soon, continuing to offer the best customer service to our couples and their guests and we can’t wait to celebrate soon”.