What dry hire actually includes
Dry hire means you are renting a room and nothing else. The attraction is control and a low headline fee. The risk is that eight line items which were invisible in a package quote all become yours to find, book and pay.
| Line | In a package | Under dry hire | Typical cost to add back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catering | Included per head | You appoint a caterer | £55–£110 per guest |
| Staff and service | Included | Priced by your caterer or separately | £25–£40 per staff hour |
| Tables, chairs, linen | Usually included | Hired | £8–£15 per guest |
| Crockery, cutlery, glassware | Usually included | Hired | £6–£12 per guest |
| Bar and licence | Venue holds it | You appoint a mobile bar | Often free if the bar takes the revenue |
| Kitchen facilities | Assumed | Frequently absent | £500–£1,500 for a catering tent or equipment |
| Toilets | Assumed | Sometimes absent for outdoor sites | £400–£1,200 |
| Power | Assumed | Sometimes a generator | £300–£800 |
| Coordination on the day | Venue manager | You, or a hired coordinator | £600–£1,500 |
| Clear-down | Venue staff | Your responsibility, often by midnight | Time, or a paid crew |
When dry hire genuinely saves money
When the space is unusual and you want it, when you already have a caterer you want to use, or when the guest list is small enough that per-head hire costs stay low. Dry hire scales badly: hire charges are per guest, so the saving shrinks as the wedding grows.
It stops saving money when you add back a coordinator, which most couples eventually do — and should, because the alternative is that someone in your family spends your wedding day directing a delivery van.
Before you sign a dry hire contract
Ask for the access time, the clear-down deadline, whether there is a noise limiter and at what decibel level, what power is available, whether there is a kitchen and what is in it, whether there is a supplier list you must use, and who is liable for damage. A noise limiter that cuts a band mid-set at 60dB has ended more receptions than bad weather.
Price it properly before deciding
Add every line back, then compare against a package quote for the same guest count.
Common questions
What does dry hire mean for a wedding venue?
You are renting the space and nothing else. Catering, staff, furniture, crockery, glassware, the bar, sometimes power and toilets, and the coordination on the day are all yours to arrange and pay for separately.
Is dry hire cheaper than an all-inclusive wedding venue?
Only sometimes. Hire costs are largely per guest, so the saving shrinks as the wedding grows, and most couples end up adding a coordinator back in. It saves reliably at smaller guest counts or where you specifically want an unusual space.
What is usually missing from a dry hire venue?
A kitchen, adequate power, toilets at outdoor sites, and anyone whose job it is to run the day. Ask about all four explicitly, because none of them appear in the hire fee.
What is a noise limiter and why does it matter?
A device that cuts power to the stage if sound exceeds a set level. At a low threshold it can stop a live band mid-set. Ask whether one is fitted and at what decibel level before booking any entertainment.