The Henry Moore Foundation

The Henry Moore Foundation, which now calls the site Henry Moore Studios & Gardens, is the house, studios and land at Perry Green where Henry Moore lived and worked. It's one of the venues I've played most often, and it's unlike anywhere else on this site: the celebration happens in the countryside where some of the most famous sculptures of the last century were made, and many of them are still standing in the fields around you.

A barn among the sculptures

The views and the grounds are phenomenal. There are 72 acres of gardens and rolling fields, with Moore's sculptures set out across the grass, so your drinks reception and your photographs happen among works you'd normally see behind a museum rope.

The Aisled Barn is a 16th-century timber-framed barn, and hanging on its walls are huge tapestries woven from Moore's designs. They're worth a great deal of money and nobody is allowed to touch them, which is worth knowing before you plan where the dance floor and the decorations go.

Ask about your date first

This has never been a venue that does weddings every day. The Foundation has only ever taken a few a year, and I believe that number has come down. Before you fall in love with it, ask the Foundation's team whether they can take your date at all. Because it's a working museum, the gardens are also open to the public during the visitor season (in 2025 that ran from mid April to early November), so ask which parts of the grounds will be yours alone.

From the booth

I've played in several different rooms here, including the barn and, for a Christmas party, the main building, so where the music goes depends on the rooms you book. I've never come across a curfew at the Foundation, and I'm almost certain there's no sound limiter, though it's still worth confirming both with the team when you book.

How the day moves between rooms is the same question as at most venues with more than one space. If you have everything in one room, it has to be turned round between the meal and the dancing, so ask how long that takes and plan a drink outside around it. If you book separate rooms, nobody has to wait while tables are cleared.

Loading in is very easy, and the estate has level access and free parking, which makes the arrival simple for older guests and for your suppliers.

Getting to Perry Green

Perry Green is a small hamlet near Much Hadham in east Hertfordshire, between Ware and Bishop's Stortford, and it's a country-lane drive whichever way you come. Put the postcode, SG10 6EE, on your invitations, and tell guests to allow a little extra time on the lanes. Stansted Airport is close by for anyone flying in.