The Great Barn Aynho
The winter is a busy time for wedding enquiries but a quiet time for wedding ceremonies. I thought I would use the time to contact some of the dog friendly wedding venues I’d yet to visit to ask if I could pay them a visit. The first who agreed was The Great Barn Aynho. Kate kindly agreed to make time in her busy day to meet with me and show me around.
The Great Barn near Aynho is located on the border of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, close to Banbury and Bicester. It was only a 45 minute drive from my home in Northampton so well within my catchment area for dog chaperone duties.
General Information
During my tour Kate gave me information about the location and answered all my questions. Located on a working farm, some of the farm buildings were converted to a wedding venue about 20 years ago. The basic structure of the wedding venue is built from honey coloured Cotswold Stone and dates back to the 18th century. In terms of capacity it falls perfectly within what most couples seem to require, allowing up to 120 guests for the wedding ceremony and wedding breakfast and up to 175 guests for the evening. Wedding couples can of course book the venue for parties less than 120 guests but the prices generally remain the same as you are booking sole use of the whole venue. Being a dog friendly wedding venue I asked how many of their weddings have a dog present and I was slightly surprised to learn that it’s as high as 50%. This just goes to show how common it is becoming for couples to want their dog to be a part of their big day.
The image at the top of this article shows where the wedding ceremony would take place. During an actual wedding it would have more decoration than this but it gives you a good idea regarding what the space is like. Even on a dull, overcast February day I found that a combination of natural light and mood lighting very sufficient. I would imagine that once night falls the interior of these barns would give off a very warm, cosy and welcoming vibe.
The bar area is another large space where the evening entertainment would take place whether that’s a wedding DJ or a live band. This room leads onto another similarly sized room where the wedding breakfast takes place. The image below shows this room but the tables would be laid out differently for a party of 120 guests. When I secure my first booking as a dog chaperone at this venue I will update this article with some new images from an actual wedding.
Other rooms within this part of the building include a decent sized dressing room, complete with a small table in the corner suitable for drinks and 4 large mirrors with lighting, perfect for your hair or make-up person to get the bridal party ready for the day.
Outside the barn is a courtyard where drinks can also be served in good weather. From the courtyard you can see a few cottages which are the overnight accommodation. I believe they can sleep a total of up to 10 guests across 3 cottages. It should be noted however that these cottages are not dog friendly. In such cases I’m usually asked for my Gold package to look after the dog in their own home. Alternatively I’m sometimes asked to transport the dog to a dog boarding establishment or a friend of the family who is either not attending the wedding or is leaving after the ceremony and before the evening celebrations. If couples require overnight accommodation for more guests the venue will happily suggest some local hotels. The grounds also offer a number of outdoor photo opportunities within gardens, a lake and woods. I will also point out that the car park is a very good size for your wedding guests and is on gravel so no concerns about muddy fields in bad weather.
The Great Barn Aynho Prices
Unlike many wedding venues, The Great Barn Aynho actually displays prices on their website and seems very transparent in regards to what is included within their package. For couples who may be interested in this venue I would suggest visiting their website, link below:
To give you a rough idea though, the 2025 prices to book the venue range between £1250 and £6500. Like most wedding venues the two factors that dictate the cost are whether you require a Saturday or mid-week wedding and what month the wedding will take place. You can save a significant amount by getting married in Autumn or Winter and save even more money by getting married mid-week, especially Monday-Wednesday. Indeed a wedding that takes place between Monday and Wednesday looks like very good value, even in the most expensive month of August. On top of this couples would need to select from a range of wedding breakfast options, evening food options and drinks packages. Again these are clearly listed on the website. You can’t use outside caterers but by using their in house team it’s less wedding suppliers you have to deal with.
The Great Barn Aynho Reviews
At the time of writing this article the reviews on Google for The Great Barn Aynho were a very good 4.8/5 from a total of 249 reviews submitted. Reading the reviews many of the same positive comments seem to come up, whether that’s in regard to the venue itself, the team who help organise the day and indeed lots of great comments about the food served. Many of the same adjectives came up in those reviews, in particular ‘magical’ and ‘amazing’.
If you are looking for a dog friendly wedding venue in Northamptonshire or Oxfordshire with a capacity up to 120 guests I think The Great Barn in Aynho is one that should be on your shortlist. I certainly found them to be very welcoming and helpful on my brief visit.
