FAQs for hiring a venue at Kew Gardens

Can we bring our own suppliers to Kew?

Your catering, production, audiovisual (AV) requirements and floristry must all be provided by companies listed on Kew’s approved list. As Kew's venues are all either Grade I or II Heritage-listed buildings and the greatest care must be taken to prevent damage, only the approved suppliers are allowed to provide a service for any event at Kew.

If the required service is not intrusive by its nature, or does not require power from the venue, you are welcome to source your own suppliers outside of our approved list.

Photographers and videographers fall under this category and are therefore not limited to our approved suppliers list, although we have a selection of highly recommended photographers and videographers that have worked at Kew on many occasions.

If you plan to use any supplier that is not on our approved supplier list, please discuss all plans with our operations team before confirming or paying any money to the supplier. The Kew Venue Hire team reserve the right to refuse the use of any supplier should their services be available through one of our approved suppliers or should they not be able to adhere to our H&S policy or provide the relevant H&S information.

For any events in the Temperate House, please note that only our accredited suppliers are permitted.

Having an approved supplier list allows us to use suppliers who we know provide service to the high standards of delivery that we expect for all of our clients.

Do you have an outdoor space that is available for hire?

Our venues come with varying degrees of outdoor space which is included in your exclusive hire space and may be utilised for your event. As a backup however, an indoor option must always be hired alongside an outdoor space as unfortunately we cannot guarantee the weather forecast!

We cannot allow any temporary structures such as tents or marquees on our lawns. In addition, gardens games are allowed on the lawns but please note no ball games or games which might puncture the lawns.

The Gardens are a public attraction and although you have access to them while they are open to the public, we must ensure that the outdoor area that you use for your event will not impact on the experience of our day visitors.

I have seen the venues and decided on my date - what are my next steps?

You can hold a date provisionally with us for 14 days for no extra fee, while you contact our various suppliers to get a better idea of how much your event at Kew will cost. Confirmation of a Wedding or Private Event requires a signed copy of our terms and conditions together with a 50% deposit of your venue hire fees. The final 50% payment is required no later than eight weeks before your chosen date.

Payments can be made via cheque, bank transfer or credit/debit card (unfortunately, we cannot accept American Express).

Can we outsource our own DJ or Band?

We have a great range of music and entertainment suppliers on our approved list, which represent thousands of acts from DJs, to string quartets, to jazz trios. At Cambridge Cottage and the Temperate House, you must use one of our accredited entertainment suppliers. At the Orangery, special arrangements can be made to allow a non-listed act to play at Kew, which include the following:

• All acts must work within the venue and garden regulations, Kew's Premises Licence and Kew’s health and safety protocol.
• All equipment must be PAT test certified.
• For live bands the PA system equipment must be hired through one of our approved suppliers (entertainment or production).
• The act must be covered by Public Liability Insurance for £5 million.
• The act must operate at less than 85 decibels.
• The client is responsible for hiring a sound technician from one of our approved suppliers (entertainment or production) to conduct pre-event checks and oversee the setup, performance and de-rig on the day of your event to ensure that your chosen act is aware of the specifications of Kew Gardens.
• The act must have pre-approved permission from your Operations Manager.
• A maximum of an seven-piece band including vocals is permitted in the Orangery.
• A maximum of a five-piece band including vocals is permitted in the Temperate House.
• A maximum of a four-piece band including vocals is permitted in Cambridge Cottage.

Can we decorate the venues?

Due to the Heritage Listing of all of our venues, nothing may be fixed to any surface, either internally or externally. Freestanding decorations or stands are recommended but please consult with our Operations Team to discuss your requirements or request. No real flames or candles are permitted within our venues or the wider Gardens to mitigate the risk of fire and disruption to event proceedings. LED candles should be used as an alternative option to real candles.

Can we have fireworks or confetti?

Unfortunately, fireworks, sky lanterns, flairs, drones and confetti are not permitted at any private events at Kew: this also includes rice, petals or biodegradable confetti inside or outside out venues. We have found bubbles to be a good alternative!

Do you have any packages for corporate events?

We have a selection of different package available for corporate clients, which include both catering and venue hire as a price-per-head fee. Please find more details on the corporate packages and team building page on our website.

Is there a dressing room available at Kew?

We do not have a dedicated dressing room on site, we advise all couples get ready elsewhere and come to the Gardens dressed for their event. There is a range of local accommodation nearby if you would like to arrange for a changing room to be available throughout the day.