Rolling country hills, fabulous photo backdrops, stunning cottages for your guests, sumptuous food, exclusive use, hot-tubs and barbies, a gorgeous horseshoe arch, woodland glades, an attentive host catering for your every need and of course a licence to do whatever you want with the space – think you can’t have it all in a wedding venue? You most certainly can – read on to find out how Thief Hall stole our hearts!
Almost every couple I speak to longs for their wedding to be different, unique and totally fitting to who they are and what they stand for. So I can understand why it’s such a disappointment when they’ve visited venues and have to choose from a standard Gold, Silver, Bronze package where the most interesting decision they get to make is the colour of the table linen. Which is why here at Rebel Heart we LOVE finding those venues that truly live up to their claim to make your day every inch as special and exceptional as you are …and boy did we find it at the stunning Thief Hall in Northallerton.
You know we love a blank canvass allowing you to plan your wedding, your way and set down a quiet road in North Yorkshire with only hills and sheep for company, Thief Hall enables you to be as loud as you want, for as long as you want. We rolled up on a bright, sunny August morning and immediately fell in love with the views, the space, the high-quality finish, the personal touches and owner Jess Barker’s exuberance for ensuring every family has exactly the event they’ve dreamed of.
It’s been a tough year for wedding couples and Jess has dedicated the time to talking to each one of them, outlining their options, talking through the implications, investing in an already beautiful location to ensure that although things might not happen quite when couples wanted, it will still be the day they’ve dreamed about. Operating as holiday cottages since 2009, and a wedding venue since 2015, Thief Hall gives couples the opportunity to hire the whole space including wedding venue, bridal cottage and guest accommodation for up to 60 for an entire weekend (and this doesn’t factor in the new Glamping Pods that have gone in this month and the ability to accommodate caravans and motor homes on-site!) without being interrupted by other guests or holiday makers. Can you imagine the sort of 3-day rock-star party you could have with that kind of arrangement?
Jess tells me many couples choose to have a small and intimate marriage service in the registered cottage on the Friday afternoon with just their closest present, before hosting a barbie on the patio to celebrate the legal union. Then on the Saturday with the remainder of their guests they’re free to create the exact ceremony they want, either in the main hall with the rolling hills of Yorkshire as their backdrop, or deep in the woodlands surrounded by nature at her best. Holding a separate ceremony in this way enables couples to take their time, exchange truly meaningful vows written from their own hearts and include rituals such as hand-fasting, sand ceremonies or Vodka Connections (message me for explanations!) to make their ceremony more interesting for their guests and more meaningful for themselves.
And then when the formality of the ceremony is over it’s time to truly rock the joint – whether that’s with cocktails and canapés on the terrace, a massive hog-roast in the garden, mini-fest food trucks surrounding your music stage or a more sedate but beautifully prepared sit-down dinner, done your way. Whatever your imagination can create, Thief Hall will endeavour to deliver with passion and excitement.
The thought of having so much freedom and choice can scare many couples and the idea of having to start with everything from scratch can be truly overwhelming. But for those couples who do embrace their Rebel Heart and go with it, the stories they will tell long into old age about how they rocked their wedding are so worth it. And remember you’re not alone! With a venue team like Jess and her crew and a celebrant like myself crafting your ceremony, standing beside you, invested in giving you an absolutely brilliant day, how can it fail? Sure, we’ll meet some challenges, we might even shed some tears, but we’ll rip down those barriers and hand you the tissues to give you everything you’ve dreamed of. If you’re wanting to do something different but don’t know if you dare, Thief Hall could be the perfect location for your perfect wedding day (or weekend!). You have all the licence to do whatever you want, in an absolutely stunning location, knowing there are experts on hand who absolutely have your back – go-on, trust your Rebel Heart and give myself or Jess a call!
”I don’t know where to start! The most perfect venue for our wedding! A total blank canvas to work with and so much scope to make your wedding personal”
Lizzie James
YOU CAN CONTACT JESS & THE TEAM HERE:
WEBSITE: WWW.THIEFHALL.CO.UK
CALL: 01609 801700
INSTAGRAM: THIEF HALL