Hope Farm lies in a secluded green valley at Netherbury, a few miles inland from Bridport, and the first thing that strikes most couples is how completely hidden it feels. The land runs to some 40 acres of rolling Dorset, with two long views out across the valley, a pond that has become a favourite for photographs late in the day, and a herd of alpacas who take a close and slightly haughty interest in proceedings. It is run by the Stones family — Sue, Nigel and Matt — and that shows in the way the place is put together: warm, unfussy, and organised by people who are actually there on the day rather than a rota of staff you have never met.
The buildings do the work in sequence. Hope Barn is the newer conversion, a rustic frame given a sleek industrial edge, with floor-to-ceiling windows pulling the valley straight into the room and a fitted bar along one side; it takes a ceremony for up to 120. The Oak Barn handles the wedding breakfast for the same number, and there are prettier options still if the weather plays along, with couples marrying in the walled garden or among the trees. A horse box bar pours the welcome drinks, there’s a proper hair and makeup room for the morning, and fire pits and festoon lighting come out as the light goes. The hire runs from Friday midday to Sunday midday, which is the real luxury here: two nights’ accommodation on site for up to 10, the Hut House kept back for the couple, and a tuk-tuk to ferry people about. Bring your own table wine and there’s no corkage. There’s parking for 70 cars, which for a rural venue is a genuine relief.
Where a band sets up
Once dinner is cleared the celebration gathers in the barn, and it is a good-natured room for live music: a single span with a hard floor, a bar people can reach without leaving the party, and a scale that suits a crowd of around 120 rather than swallowing them. Bands tend to set up at the end away from the windows, which keeps the valley view free for the golden hour and puts the dancefloor in the middle of things. Worth mentioning early that a farm of this kind is a dry hire at heart, so power, a stage riser if you want one, and where exactly the PA sits are all conversations to have with the team well in advance.
How the night runs
The evening here builds slowly and then goes properly — drinks in the garden, dinner, speeches, then everyone in the barn until around midnight, with the bar and the music drawing to a close shortly before that. It is worth pinning the exact licensed finish down when you book, since the farm quotes its own time and it can differ from what you might assume. Either way a band’s two sets sit comfortably inside it, and because so many guests are staying on site the room stays full right to the end rather than thinning out as taxis arrive.
Bands available in Dorset and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Dorset.
- Dorset Wedding Bands
- Dorset Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Dorset
- Wedding DJs in Dorset
- Corporate Entertainment in Dorset
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.