Say “I Do” to Wild Love: Eco-Friendly Festival Vibes in the Heart of Kent
Looking for a wedding that’s so you – laid-back, beautiful, and seriously Instagrammable?
The Wilderness is your dreamy outdoor wedding venue, hidden in a secret valley just outside Canterbury, Kent. Think wildflower meadows, ancient woodland, a private lake, and giant tipis under the stars. It’s giving boho, festival, vibes – with a sustainable twist.
Whether you’re planning a barefoot ceremony in our enchanted Woodland Glade, a lakeside “I do” at the rustic Boat House, or dancing the night away in our Big Hat Tipis, every moment feels like magic. This isn’t your traditional venue – this is a nature-first, eco-chic, zero-stress kind of celebration.
Festival Feel – Outdoor wedding vibes, tipis, champagne shack, Wild Roots Pizza, treehouse DJ Booth, twinkling lights & a fire pit for cozy, late-night chats.
Eco-Conscious Celebrations – Sustainability is at the heart of every celebration. The venue is set on a 200-acre eco-farm involved in a re-wilding project for nearly 30 years, creating a sanctuary for diverse flora & fauna.
Aesthetic Goals – Wildflower backdrops, natural wood textures, dreamy lighting, and tipi tents straight out of a Pinterest board.
Perfect for…
Boho, festival-style, or rustic weddings
LGBTQ+ weddings & inclusive celebrations
Content creators + aesthetic-driven couples
Laid-back party people who love the outdoors
This is the wild, wonderful, one-of-a-kind celebration your love story deserves.
With on-site glamping, vegan catering options, and a team who gets the vibe, The Wilderness is here for couples who want to make memories and a difference. Forget cookie-cutter.
Ready to escape to the wilderness?
Book a viewing today & explore the venue now with our cute Wilderness map
What we offer
The Wilderness is set on a truly unspoilt rustic farm, where we are lucky enough to be able to host a small number of unique events each summer. We are a family and when you choose to marry here we want you to join our family. We do what we all LOVE and we aim to make every event remarkable.
Rustic simplicity is what it’s all about if you choose to marry at the Naked Tipi. Handcrafted from Chestnut coppice, felled right here on the farm. This tranquil spot is right by the water, surrounded by wildlife & views across the Water Meadow.
The Woodland Glade is the place to relax, feast & party. Home to the Big Hat Tipi, fire pit, rustic tree house, Champagne Shack Bar, Wild Roots Pizza Shack & Chapel Bathrooms the Glade has a cozy village-like feel.
Sitting right on the water’s edge, The Boat-House is surrounded by the beauty of nature – the perfect place for your wedding ceremony overlooking the wild Water Meadow and views of the surrounding countryside, with up to 120 of your loved ones.
Set in the Woodland Glade our sustainable treehouse is the perfect place for informal speeches, photos and ambient daytime music. The treehouse is also licenced for intimate wedding ceremonies, of up to 40 guests in the woods.
Our vintage shepherds hut is a special place for our newlyweds to take five minutes together, away from it all on their wedding day. Its a peaceful spot and the views of the sunset over the Meadow are spectacular in the evenings.
Our extensive selection of accredited caterers is second to none & they will work with you to create your perfect wedding day feast, using fresh, locally sourced seasonal ingredients wherever possible. We suggest you try the food before picking your caterer.
We warmly welcome & celebrate all love here at The Wilderness. LGBTQIA+ couples are embraced with joy. Love is love & we all believe that your special day deserves a place where you feel valued & celebrated.
With meandering paths cut through the long wild grasses you are taken on a journey through nature, from the boathouse, past the naked tipi and on over the footbridge to the magical Woodland Glade in the ancient woodland.
Delicious woodfired pizzas are freshly cooked & served by our Pizzaiolos throughout the evening & served from the majestic trunk of a fallen oak tree in the Woodland Glade. Try the camembert with Hot honey - its heaven.
Gather together, relax and have some fun! We have a range of fabulous quirky ways to serve your wedding day drinks including Aris, our vintage car bar, gold barrows, brimming with cold beers and Kilner jars of your favourite cocktail.
Our extensive selection of accredited caterers is second to none & they will work with you to create your perfect wedding day feast, using fresh, locally sourced seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Please have a look on our accredited caterers page.
As you cross the footbridge it’s like entering a different world, as you leave the vast views and big skies of the Water Meadow to the cosy sanctuary of the Woodland Glade…here you can capture the best golden hour photos.
Spend the night with your loved ones, sleeping under the stars in one of our 10 beautifully curated bell tents. Then wake up and enjoy a breakfast together as the sun rises over the Meadow. Hot showers, luxury bed linen & proper beds.
Sitting right on the water’s edge, The Boat-House is surrounded by the beauty of nature – the perfect place for your wedding ceremony overlooking the wild Water Meadow and surrounding countryside, with up to 120 of your loved ones.
Our very own videographer led diary room, set in a vintage horse box is a great alternative to a traditional guest book- always a giggle, quite often a hoot & never failing to create a warm fuzzy feeling when viewed.
Sustainably built & always fully stocked, our Champagne Shack bar is nestled into the heart of the Woodland Glade, ready to serve your favourite tipple. We are proud to also stock a selection of delicious, locally produced beer, wine & apple juice.
Set in the Woodland Glade our sustainable treehouse is the perfect place for informal speeches, ambient daytime music. The treehouse is also licenced for intimate wedding ceremonies, of up to 40 guests. The views out across the meadow are not to be missed.
Sunsets here are simply spectacular – with big skies and miles of open views, the Water Meadow is the perfect spot for your photographer to capture the most beautiful golden hour pictures. The photographers seem to agree!
Feel connected to the woodland, with one side of the tipi open during the day, as you dine at our rustic refectory tables. As night falls the space transforms for your party with a dance floor area & stage for your band or DJ to set up.
The Tipis in the Woodland Glade take on a whole new dimension at night with hundreds of twinkly lights- if you have newer partied in the woods before, prepare to be blown away. Don’t forget your dancing shoes.
We would love for your beloved dog to be part of your wedding...they are even welcome to stay with you at the Glampsite. But if a full day is too much for your furry friend, we can recommend doggy daycare providers who will chaperone.
We are a family run farm, with a long-term vision to restore nature. Having been part of a rewilding project for nearly 30 years, The Wilderness is now a sanctuary for flora & fauna, with wildflowers, dragonflies, butterflies, and may rare wild birds.
an idyllic woodland venue hidden away
The Wilderness is set on a 200 acre eco-farm in east Kent. Anna’s parents Michael and Lorna began a re-wilding and sustainability project here nearly thirty years ago. There are lots of rare wild birds, beavers & butterflies.
''our guests said that our wilderness wedding had redefined modern weddings for them now.''
The Wilderness is full of wonder with its endless skies and dreamy sunsets, it will make your soul soar. We want you to relax and feel at home here. We encourage the unconventional.
We are 56 mins on the fast train from London St Pancras to Canterbury West, and then a 17 min hop in a taxi to us.
Meet the family
A family owned & run events venue
We started opening up the barns and gardens of Preston Court Farm for weddings and events in 2008 and this was met with an overwhelmingly good response.
Being a very rare, family owned and run wedding venue we have complete dedication to the farm and take huge pride in each and every wedding
Our passion for sustainability. We have been running an eco-project on the farm for more than 25 years. Each autumn we plant a tree on the farm in celebration of every event we host.
