In Their Words: Siobhan & Alex’s Wedding

There’s something incredibly special about hearing a wedding story told by the couple themselves. In this journal post, Siobhan and Alex reflect on their beautiful April wedding weekend here at The Great Barn – from glorious spring flowers and delicious wood-fired pizza, to laughter-filled ceremonies and sunshine-soaked memories.

Tell us a little bit about your wedding day…

We stayed at The Great Barn over the weekend with our bridal and grooms’ party in Place, and our close family in Figgy Cottage and St Nectan. It was brilliant having so many people we love and care about at the venue for the whole weekend. People were able to use the pool on Friday evening and make the most of relaxing in the beautiful cottages.

We wanted the weekend to be relaxed and fun. We had a family member act as our celebrant for the ceremony which was great fun and really personalised. Our drinks reception took place in the garden, which was absolutely beautiful with the magnolia in bloom. The wedding breakfast in the Great Barn happened absolutely seamlessly thanks to the efforts of Emma, John and The Great Barn team.

After the wedding breakfast, we had wood-fired pizza in the walled courtyard. We were so lucky to have warm weather in April, which meant that so much of the day could take place outside in the gorgeous grounds. For evening entertainment, we had a brilliant DJ we found in The Great Barn’s Brides Bible.

Why did you choose The Great Barn Devon?

The Great Barn itself is absolutely stunning. We wanted somewhere where our friends and family could stay for the weekend and the Great Barn is able to accommodate many people across three cottages. We wanted a venue that had a rustic feel but was also very comfortable. We also loved the beautiful gardens outside of Place Cottage and the walled courtyard, which had a Mediterranean feel when we visited in summer. We visited in July and then again in January and can honestly say that we found the venue as beautiful in the depths of winter as in the height of summer.

A big part of the appeal of The Great Barn was the warm welcome from Emma and John, who were enthusiastic, experienced and incredibly organised. We will miss having communications with The Great Barn team!

How did you style your wedding day?

We had a colour theme of sage and peach. We kept to minimal décor as The Great Barn itself is so beautiful and has so much character. We placed candles in the alcoves and lining the aisle for the ceremony. We had simple bud vases on the tables. Alex’s dad made us a personalised order of the day board, and one of our favourite artists, Clair Rossiter, designed our seating plan and table names.

Tell us about your wedding outfits…

Siobhan’s wedding dress was from The Bridal Emporium Exeter. The dress had a lace bodice, delicate straps and a chiffon skirt. Her veil was Italian tulle, also from The Bridal Emporium. The bouquets and buttonholes were created by our brilliant florist, Helen from Isca Flora in Exeter.

Siobhan’s hair was styled by Lucie of Fika Salon in Exeter. Lucie is great fun and a joy to have around while getting ready. Make-up was by Justine Olver, who specialises in natural wedding make-up in Devon. I don’t usually wear make-up so wanted a really natural look, and Justine is a pro at this.

How did you choose to feed, water & entertain your guests?

We had a selection of delicious canapés, prosecco, wine and beer. The feast was sharing platters of lamb and seasonal veg, followed by Eton Mess. Vegetarians had moussaka. In the evening, we had wood-fired pizzas. The food was absolutely delicious! We had a DJ — Mark from Perfect Wedding and Events DJ. The evening music was great and really followed the mood of the room.

What was your favourite part of the day?

The whole day was incredible, but the ceremony and drinks reception stand out. Having a celebrant for our ceremony meant that we were able to incorporate lots of humour and stories into the ceremony itself. We have lovely memories of the drinks reception taking place in the gorgeous garden with the spring flowers in bloom. We could look around and see our friends and family relaxing in the sunshine with drinks and croquet.

Do you have any advice for future couples?

Get married at The Great Barn! Emma and the team are so brilliantly organised and thorough before and during the wedding. John is wonderful at the rehearsal stage and directing everything subtly on the day. We had a lot of fun the day before the wedding doing our rehearsal with John. If you’ve been organised in the lead up to the wedding, then try not to worry too much the week before. The Great Barn team are so experienced; they will ensure that everything runs smoothly!

Thank you so much to Siobhan & Alex for sharing this lovely feedback. If you’d love a wedding weekend that feels relaxed, beautiful and deeply personal then our venue could be just the place. Get in touch with us to arrange a visit. We’d love to help you plan your own unforgettable day.