We’re getting married! We would love to have you join us for our wedding weekend as we become The Alldens. Here’s all the details you’ll need for the wedding and to RSVP.
The Venue
We’ve found the most gorgeous outdoor venue for the day: The Dragon’s Gate. Set in a valley between two mountains close to the Welsh border, The Dragon’s Gate has lots of nearby walks, The Skirrid Mountain, The Cats Back, The Black Mountains and Pen-y-Fan are highly recommended! wild swimming in the venue’s lake or nearby Skenfrith river, and plenty of pubs. We have the venue for the whole weekend, and we’d love for you to spend it with us!
The Weekend
Friday, July 4
If you’re joining us on the Friday, feel free to arrive any time from 4pm onwards! We will be wild swimming in the afternoon/early evening, and in the evening we’re thinking we’ll have a BBQ and lots of music! Please add songs to our playlist here!
Saturday, July 5
Order of events We might change the order of some things on the day depending on weather!
- 12:30pm: arrive
- 1pm: outdoor ceremony by the lake
- 2pm: photos, games, drinks, canapes
- 3pm: wedding breakfast in the barn
- 5pm: speeches
- 6:30pm: evening guests arrive, bar opens
- 7pm: first dance + party in the tipi starts!
- Midnight: carriages
Sunday, July 6
We’ll have breakfast together in morning. Please be ready to leave by midday!
The Accommodation
Camp with us!
We have the whole venue from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, and we’d love for you to camp with us! We have hired Under The Stars to set up a village of bell tents alongside the lovely lake at the wedding venue. If you choose to camp, you’re welcome to stay the whole time or just the one night. There will be toilets & showers available at the campsite. You can book these when you RSVP.
We have a few options for you to choose from that hopefully suit all budgets.
Exquisite Bell Tents
These tents are fully fitted with beds and bedding, flooring and rugs, furniture, lighting, soft furnishings and decoration. The prices below show the total cost for a Fri-Sun stay.
| Tent | Sleeps | Total Price | Price per Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m double or twin | 2 people | £220 | £110 |
| 5m group tent | 3-4 people | £250 | £63-£83 |
| 7m group tent | 5-8 people | £420 | £53-84 |
| *plus a £15 facilities fee per person |
Simple Bell Tents
The tents themselves are the same as above, just a little less fancy inside! They include futon/memory foam floor mattresses with sheets, and you can bring your own bedding.
The prices below show the total cost for a Fri-Sun stay.
| Tent | Sleeps | Total Price | Price per Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5m double or twin | 2 people | £150 | £75 |
| 5m group tent | 3-4 people | £180 | £45-£60 |
| 5m group tent | 5 people | £195 | £39 |
| 5m group tent | 6 people | £210 | £35 |
| 7m group tent | 7-8 people | £300 | £38-£43 |
| *plus a £15 facilities fee per person |
Bring your own!
If you’re a camper, you’re welcome to bring your own tent or campervan! There’s no charge for this, but if you’d like to use the facilities (toilets+showers), we’d appreciate it if you’d also contribute £15 per person towards these.
Stay elsewhere
We know camping isn’t for everyone! The venue has also recommended the following places to stay locally:
| Name | Description | Distance from venue |
|---|---|---|
| The Garway Moon Inn | Pub with 3 rooms | 1 mile |
| Luxury Pod House, Garway | Self catering, sleeps up to 4 | 1 mile |
| The Bell at Skenfrith | Restaurant with rooms | 2 miles |
| Adam’s Stable, Broad Oak | Self catered guest suite, sleeps 2 | 3 miles |
| Palace Farm, St Weonard’s | Self-catered holiday lets | 3 miles |
| The Covey Cottage, Broad Oak | Self catered cottage, sleeps 2 | 3 miles |
| The New Inn, St Owen’s Cross | Pub with rooms | 4 miles |
| The Guest Suite, Orcop | Self catering, sleeps 2. Can offer lifts to venue | 5 miles |
| The Temple Bar Inn, Ewyas Harold | Pub with rooms, can offer lifts to/from venue | 6 miles |
| Kings Head Hotel Monmouth | Hotel | 7 miles |
| The Punch House | Pub/restaurant with rooms | 7 miles |
| Creates Hotel, Monmouth | Hotel | 7 miles |
| The Kilpeck | Pub with rooms | 7.6 miles |
| Kings Head Hotel, Ross on Wye | Hotel | 13 miles |
More info
What’s the dress code?
We don’t have a particularly rigid dress code - “smart/fun”, maybe? We would love for you to wear something you feel amazing and comfortable in! Our hope is to end up with fun, colourful photos of us all having an amazing time. We would like to highly encourage wearing:
- something colourful
- your most excellent hat
- that outfit you’ve had forever, waiting for an occasion to wear
Since most of the day will be spent outside on a field, we recommend slightly more practical footwear - stilettos may be a bit risky!
Is there anything I should bring?
If you’re staying at the venue, consider bringing:
- swimwear
- camping equipment
- a BBQ (if you happen to have a portable one)
- food & drink for the Friday night
- a portable charger for your phone
Can we swim?
Yes, there will be the opportunity to swim if you’re staying with us on the Friday! We’d like to be clear that if you have a little too much to drink and jump in the lake on the wedding day, Liv will probably murder you. There’s a wood platform (pictured above!) giving access to the water.
Do you have a gift list?
Yes! Please don’t feel any pressure to give us a gift, we’re just happy to have you come to our wedding!! If you’d like to, though, we have a gift list at Prezola. Alternatively, we’d love contributions to our honeymoon (we’re thinking Costa Rica?). Our joint account details are
- Name: Olivia Denyer/Ben Allcock
- Sort code: 04-00-03
- Account number: 82794006
Can I bring my kids or pets?
Tiny kids are welcome! We’d ask you to be mindful of noise during the quieter moments (the ceremony/speeches) and step away if you need. The Dragon’s Gate is a working farm with an open lake, so is not safe for any children that are old enough to run off.
Sorry, no pets please!
Can I bring a plus one?
We’ve invited as many people as we’re able to, so sadly can’t accommodate anyone not listed on your invitation. If you have any questions, please reach out!
What type of food and drink will you be serving?
We’ll be serving canapes after the ceremony, and have a BBQ for our wedding breakfast. We will also be serving some food in the evening.
Can I let you know about my dietary restrictions?
We definitely want to make sure you enjoy your meal on our wedding day! Please let us know when you RSVP about your dietary needs.
How can we get to the venue?
The venue address is: The Dragon’s Gate, Great Demesne, Garway, Hereford, HR2 8RJ what3words: ///delight.prance.skid
It’s easy to find by car, If you’re driving, we’d love if you could offer any extra spaces in your car to other guests (in exchange for petrol money!). We’ve set up a sheet to organise this, please add your details if you’re looking for / offering a ride share! and we’ll have a sign by the turning to make it extra easy for you to spot! There’s plenty of parking available at the venue. The venue is about a 30 minute drive from Hereford station, which is accessible via train from many major stations inc. London Paddington (3 hours), Manchester Piccadilly (2.5 hours), and Bristol (1.5 hours). The nearest major international airports are Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol.
Will there be a bar, and will you be serving Guinness?
We’ll be providing drinks during the day (though you’re welcome to bring your own if you’re partial to something in particular), and will have a cash bar for the evening onwards.
Yes, we’ve made sure they’ll be serving Guinness. Unfortunately, it will not be on tap as kegs cost quite a lot of money but they’ve assured us they’ll use Nitrosurge
What will you do if it rains?
Call off the wedding.
If it’s raining, we’ll either move the ceremony to a drier time of the day or move it into our tipi tent! Our meal will be in the barn regardless of the weather.