Deborah and James’ wedding day was a truly joyful spring celebration filled with lots of lovely personal touches. When we first heard from the couple after their wedding day, it was so wonderful to hear how they felt their day had been nothing short of unforgettable. In their own words, here’s what made it so special…
Tell us a little bit about your wedding day…
Our wedding day was absolutely perfect! We were blessed with incredible weather which allowed us to use The Great Barn to its full potential. Our ceremony took place in the Great Barn itself which was lit beautifully by John. We were then able to have our reception drinks and canapés in the garden outside the main accommodation. Here there were garden games to entertain our guests. We then made our way back in to the Great Barn for our delicious wedding breakfast and speeches. A fire pit was lit in the courtyard so our guests could gather and get ready for our amazing band in the evening. Overall it was the best day of our lives and now weeks later we are still buzzing from the day.
Why did you choose our venue?
James was born and bred in Devon, and with his family and childhood friends still living in the area, it was an easy decision to get married in the county. We loved the idea of a barn wedding due to us both loving farming and nature. When we saw The Great Barn it took our breath away. The grand building with the stunning architecture was the perfect place for us to get married. There were many other aspects we loved including the beautiful accommodation on site for our guests, the lovely grounds which enabled us to have our reception drinks outside and lots of photo opportunities like the line of tall trees.
Did you have a particular theme or colour scheme?
Our colour scheme included sage green, soft yellows, greys and white. We felt this complemented the nature surrounding the venue, plus they represented us well as a couple. Our décor was mainly flowers from our amazing florist Floren Flowers. They were able to create simply stunning displays to complement the Great Barn. We had candles for our wedding breakfast. But apart from that we felt the barn spoke for itself; less was definitely more!
Tell us about your wedding outfits…
Deborah bought her dress from a local boutique back in Cheshire. It was a simple design with a train decorated in buttons. There was subtle lace details on the front and back. She wore a short veil to complement the dress. James wore a lightweight grey tweed suit jacket with navy waistcoat and trousers.
Our flowers and buttonholes were a mixture of fresh and dried with wheat shafts and bunny tails to have a touch of our agricultural loves. We felt they really complimented the colour scheme of the white, yellow, sage green and grey tones.
Deborah had her hairdresser from Cheshire kindly travel down south to do her and her bridesmaids hair. She did an up do style for Deborah which allowed her short veil to be pinned over the top and fall down the back. The adult bridesmaids had similar styles with added braids. The makeup was styled by Makeup by Lisa Hannah. We all asked for subtle makeup to enhance our features but still make us look like ourselves! It was perfect.
What did your guests eat and drink?
The bride and some guests are vegan so we had quite a diverse selection to cater for all. For canapés we had a selection including tempura vegetables, cocktail sausages and salmon tartar. We opted for no starters as the canapés were so filling. For our main course we opted for either shoulder of lamb, roast chicken or vegan tagine. Desserts were either sticky toffee pudding or chocolate brownie. We had a selection of cakes for after our evening food of pizza fresh from the oven. All the food was so delicious! Our guests had nothing but good things to say and they were completely full.
For our wedding reception we ordered a barrel of Devon Red cider, James’s favourite drink. There were also prosecco and gin and tonics for Deborah’s choice. Elderflower fizz was on hand for those who wished not to drink alcohol which was beautiful.
What did you do to entertain your guests?
James made a game using a chop of wood on welded horseshoes. The aim was to hit a nail with a hammer into the wood. It was great fun, especially for the stags! The Great Barn provided giant jenga and croquet on the lawn during our drinks reception. All guests played with those and provided some great photos.
What was your favourite part of your wedding day?
The favourite part of our wedding day was being able to spend so much time with our guests in an amazingly relaxed environment. We mingled for hours and were able to enjoy the day almost as guests ourselves! The backdrop was incredible and everyone complimented the venue on how stunning it looked.
Do you have any words of advice for future couples?
Relax from the moment you wake up! We had little hiccups like forgetting to order confetti! But it all turned out perfectly. Most things are out of your control at that point so just roll with it.
With the relaxed countryside charm feel to their wedding day, Deborah and James made our venue completely their own. If you’ve been dreaming of a wedding surrounded by nature, history, and beauty, we’d love to show you around. Book a viewing and start imagining your own dream day here with us.
Photographer Josh Iskander Photography
Flowers by Floren Flowers
Makeup by Lisa Hannah
Hair by Gemini Balance
LandRover from Bespoke Vehicles
Signage by Bespoke Creations
Dress from Sarah’s Wedding Boutique
Band Function Republic
