Our only wedding this weekend saw us make the short journey to Preston Court near Canterbury for Katie & Michael’s wedding reception.
This was our third visit to this unique venue, previously we have blogged about issues with the sound limiter which were making for an uncomfortable experience, but to keep everyone up to date with this I am extremely pleased to say that the venue have addressed the problem and everything is now great.
There is still a sound limiter installed to control the levels of bass leaving the venue, but it has since been re-calibrated and adjustments have been made to the microphone which was previously cutting the power off every time guests sang or clapped. I started playing at around 730pm and went through till midnight without any problems at all.
I played R&B, House, Latest Charts and Club Classics, there was plenty of cheering and atmosphere but not once did the green light move on the limiter. A band that registers a higher decibel reading would have to adapt to it but as far as the limiter picking up the ambient noise in the room is concerned this is no longer a factor and Djs using a pair of 1000 watt full range speakers will be fine.
Thanks to the changes that have been made the playing experience is completely different, its relaxed and I was able to concentrate on the performance rather than fretting about the limiter, I think the venue should be applauded for listening to and addressing the concerns that have been raised previously as the entertainment is a very important part of the overall success of a wedding.
Its great now that has all been resolved because Preston Court is an excellent venue in so many respects which make it unique and set it apart. What Preston Court oozes in abundance is options and the freedom of choice, the barn is lovely and feels very natural, it has a fairground style organ prop as the backdrop to the top table which is a nice touch. In fact I think this is something that should be seriously considered as a massive plus if you haven’t chosen your venue yet as it does make a huge difference to your photos during your time in the barn during the day.
Our own packages include Wedding Photography so we are always interested in what venues have to offer in this respect and as previously blogged there are plenty of other fantastic opportunities. We love the gravel driveway and the approach to the venue which is just a stones throw from St Mildreds Church and the amazing peacock which can be seen and heard throughout the day and evening which is quite an attraction in itself, the only other venue I have seen this is Northbrook Park in Surrey.
The church gives you the option for a church wedding as well as the Civil Ceremony barn option plus an outdoor ceremony option on Juliana’s Island amidst the romantic gardens where there is a wedding pagoda craddled by an ancient yew tree. So whatever type of wedding you are looking for its all covered.
Preston Court also offer the option to add a full size Victorian carousel that is adjacent to the 17th century Kentish barn which is available for all the guests to enjoy, so again this can give you very different wedding photos which is a great addition to compliment your perfect Kentish wedding. I also discovered another little gem on site, if you make your way to the car park you will see an interesting collection of old steam of engines, I’m not entirely sure why they are there or if they are owned by the venue but if they can be used at some point then it will add a new dimension to your daytime photos.
The barn has its own seperate service area so catering is efficient, I haven’t sampled the food at the venue but heard some of the guests raving about it so it must be pretty good. The bar at Preston Court is situated in a separate barn which has a lovely cosy feel to it …particularly at the end of the evening if theres a chill in the air and guests are waiting for their taxis home.
One thing I would highly recommend to anyone booking us for their wedding at Preston Court …the standard finishing time is 11pm but you can apply to the venue for a late license. It won’t cost you anymore to keep us there for the extra hour as our packages will see you up to midnight but its something worth doing to avoid disappointment on the night, as at 11pm I guarantee all your guests are going to be in full on party mode.
I’m quite passionate about this venue as I feel it has everything and more that you could wish for your wedding, I go to a lot of places and this is right up there as one of the very best. One other thing thats worth mentioning is that there is no dance floor at the venue, this isn’t a problem but if you are considering hiring one from us then a 16×16 will do you just fine. Check out our brochure for a package that best suits your wedding at Preston Court by visiting our packages page.
After a very successful day and evening Katie and Michael are off on their honeymoon to Marrakech in Morocco on their honeymoon and we wish them all the best for that and the future. If you were a guest at their Preston Court wedding leave us a comment below and tell us about your experience on their special day.