VENUE ADVERTORIAL
THE BA R N CELEBRATES 3 0 Y E A R S WITH 30 HAPPY COUPLES
husband and wife team who have managed
A The Barn for 30 years celebrated the milestone with 30 couples who have married there over the years - and several brides even wore their wedding dresses for the occasion .
Janet and Philippe Sorak joined The Barn in Lonsdale Gardens , Tunbridge Wells , as General Managers in 1992 and launched weddings in 2011 .
Since then the beamed building has gone on to become an award-winning wedding venue and hundreds of couples have marked their big day there .
So it was fitting that when Janet and Philippe reached 30 years at the site that they would celebrate with 30 couples – and they did so in style on the evening of January 15 .
Several brides attended in their original gowns , and the couples along with others who have helped the pair over the years - including photographer Helen England and toastmaster Jim Cattermole - enjoyed a sit-down meal and disco into the evening .
Janet said : “ It was an absolutely amazing night . Some of the couples were really emotional about it , and they are talking about doing an annual reunion now , they enjoyed it so much !
“ We couldn ’ t get over how they all made friends and were on the dancefloor together late into the night - it was just so lovely . You get thank you cards and messages but to hear people say how happy they ’ ve been was so nice for us - it was the best way to celebrate .”
Chloe Hinson , 28 , from Tunbridge Wells , was one of the brides who came in her dress , accompanied by husband Andrew , 30 . The pair married at The Barn just eight weeks ago .
Andrew described the service they had for their wedding as “ faultless ” while Chloe said : “ Janet and Philippe were so amazing . It is a nice , intimate venue and they looked after every detail perfectly .”
Bev and John Smith , who live in Chalk , married there in June last year , after two postponements due to the pandemic .
Bev did not wear her wedding dress , opting for a necklace she wore on her wedding day with her outfit . She said : “ We looked at quite a few venues but we loved this one because it was more intimate and personal . Philippe was amazing from day one .”
John added : “ The amount of effort they put in for you is amazing . The awards they have received are well deserved .”
Ashleigh Boxshall , 36 , attended in her wedding dress , with husband Jon , 39 , after marrying there last August . She said : “ We wanted something really relaxed and informal . We ’ d been together 13 years so we didn ’ t want a really big , formal wedding . We wouldn ’ t have changed a thing about it , it was perfect .”
Weddings at The Barn , an oasis in the centre of Tunbridge Wells , have proved so popular that now Janet and Philippe rarely have a weekend free . They are already fully booked for weddings on Sundays throughout 2023 .
The venue can accommodate 70 guests for the ceremony and wedding breakfast , and 150 guests for the evening reception . They try to always cater for the couple ’ s specific needs , and Philippe works his magic with whatever decorations the couple want .
You can find The Barn at 1 Lonsdale Gardens , Mount Pleasant Road , Tunbridge Wells , TN1 1NU , call 01892 510424 , or visit
www . barn-pub-rest . co . uk .
SPRING 2023 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | 57