Saturday 9 May 2027 · The Grain Barn, Alder Hollow
Mira & Idris
A long afternoon in a restored grain barn: a short ceremony under the oak doors, one very long table, and dancing until the lamps go out.
The invitation
Come for the whole of it, if you can
We looked at a lot of rooms and kept coming back to a barn that still smells faintly of grain and cut timber. It seats everyone we love at one table, which turned out to be the only thing either of us actually wanted.
The day is built to be unhurried. Arrive early enough to find a seat and a drink, stay for the toasts, and let the evening run long. There is no seating chart for the dancing, no schedule after ten, and no expectation beyond your company.
Everything you need to plan the day is on this page — when to arrive, how to get down the valley, where to sleep, and what the barn is like once the sun goes. If something is missing, ask us. We would much rather answer than have you guess.
Mira & IdrisWritten at the kitchen table, one year out
Saturday 9 May 2027
The running order
Times are the ones we will actually keep. If you can only make part of the day, the ceremony and the toasts are the two moments worth planning around.
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2:00Afternoon
Doors open
Park, stretch, and take a drink from the trestle by the oak doors. Seats inside are unreserved for the ceremony — sit wherever you like, on either side.
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2:45Afternoon
Please be seated
A bell goes fifteen minutes before. The barn doors close on the hour and stay closed until the ceremony ends, so this is the one time to be early rather than exactly on time.
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3:00Afternoon
The ceremony
Twenty-five minutes, two readings, no hymns. Phones away, please — our photographer has the aisle and we would like to see faces rather than screens.
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3:30Afternoon
Drinks in the yard
Out through the side doors to the gravel yard while the barn is turned around for dinner. Blankets are stacked by the wall if the wind is up, and there is a sheltered corner for anyone who needs to sit down.
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5:00Evening
Dinner is called
One table, place cards, five courses served family-style down the middle. Look for your name on the board by the doors before you come in.
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7:15Evening
Toasts
Four speeches, firmly capped at six minutes each. Coffee, cheese and something sweet come out while they run.
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8:30Evening
The table comes down, the band comes up
A four-piece until eleven, then records after. The doors to the yard stay open for anyone who wants quiet, and the fire pit is lit at dusk.
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11:30Night
Carriages
Last shuttle to the village leaves from the top of the track at 11:45 sharp. Anyone staying on site can walk back across the yard — bring a coat, it gets cold quickly.
Outdoor moments move inside if it rains. Nothing else changes.
Getting there & staying over
Travel & stay
The barn sits at the end of a signposted farm track off the valley road. The last stretch is gravel and unlit, so plan the return leg before you arrive.
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By road
Come down the valley road, not the hill
Satnavs favour the hill lane, which narrows to a single track with no passing places. Follow the valley road instead and turn at the white gate. Parking is in the top field on grass — flat shoes are kinder to it than heels.
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By train
Harrow Vale is the nearest station
Trains run roughly hourly through the afternoon. Taxis do not wait at the rank, so book the outward leg the week before. Allow half an hour from the platform to the barn doors.
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Shuttle
A minibus runs both ways, free
Two afternoon pick-ups from the village square at 1:15 and 1:50, then returns at 10:30 and 11:45 from the top of the track. Tell us on the RSVP if you want a seat so we know how many to run.
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Staying over
Three places within reach
The Alder Arms — eight rooms above the pub in the village, on the shuttle route. Hollow Farm — five cottage rooms, a fifteen-minute walk across the fields in daylight, longer at night. Greave Mill — a small guesthouse one stop up the line, best if you are arriving by train. We have asked each to hold rooms under our names until January.
Before you pack
Good to know
Four things guests have thanked us for mentioning in advance.
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What to wear
Smart, and warm enough for a field
No black tie, no dress code beyond making an effort. The floor is old timber and the yard is gravel, so heels sink and thin soles suffer. Most people will be glad of a jacket by nine.
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The barn at night
It drops several degrees after dark
Heaters run at both ends and there are blankets by the doors, but a barn in May is not a hotel ballroom. Layers beat bravery.
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Children
Welcome all day, with a quiet room
The small room off the barn has mats, books and a dimmer switch for anyone who needs a break. Tell us their ages on the RSVP and we will put them near each other at dinner.
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Photographs
Unplugged ceremony, open everything else
Nothing in hand during the ceremony. Afterwards, photograph as much as you like — we will ask for the bad ones as well as the good.
Asked and answered
Questions
If yours is not here, write to us — the address is on your invitation card.
Can I bring someone?
Your invitation lists every name we have a seat for, including partners and children. The table is full at eighty, so we cannot add names after the RSVP closes — but if a listed guest cannot come, tell us early and we may be able to offer their place to someone you would rather bring.
What time should I really arrive?
Between 2:00 and 2:40. The doors close at 3:00 and latecomers wait in the yard until the ceremony finishes, which is a long twenty-five minutes in the cold. If you are running late, come straight to the side gate rather than the main doors.
We would rather not bring a gift. Is that alright?
More than alright — we have a flat full of things and a long list of people we would rather see than shop for. If you would like to mark the day, we are collecting for the barn's roof restoration fund and there is a box by the doors. No one will be counting.
How do dietary needs work with family-style service?
Every course goes down the middle of the table with one dish that is vegan and one that is gluten-free as standard. Anything else — allergies, intolerances, a child who will only eat beige — goes in the RSVP notes and the kitchen will plate it separately with your name on it.
Is the barn accessible?
The ground floor is step-free from the yard, with a level threshold at the side doors and an accessible toilet off the hallway. The route from the parking field is grass and gravel, so tell us on the RSVP and we will arrange drop-off at the doors and a reserved seat at the end of the table.
Can I get a taxi late at night?
Rarely, and never at short notice. Local firms stop taking calls around eleven and the track is hard to find in the dark. The 11:45 shuttle to the village is the reliable option; if you need to leave earlier, the 10:30 run is the other one.
Can I leave my car overnight?
Yes. The top field stays open until midday on Sunday and the farm keeps the gate unlocked for us. Take the shuttle down, sleep well, and collect it in the morning — several people will be doing exactly that.
Closes 6 March 2027
Reply to the invitation
One reply per invitation, listing everyone named on it. Whatever you tell us here reaches the kitchen, the shuttle list and the seating plan in one go.