A Sunset’s blush { Almonry Barn Wedding Photography }
Back in the summer, we celebrated the marriage of Gabi and Chris in one of my favourite weddings of the year – the union of a gorgeous kind hearted couple who are clearly very much loved, wonderful guests and a photographers dream wedding to photograph full of pretty and clever details that kept the guests entertained and smiling throughout the day – and well into the night! A little about the couple and all about Gabi’s meticulously planning (well she knows weddings back to front as part of the wedding PR duo SweetPea PR!) is included in this EPIC blog post!
Chris popped the question five days before Gabi’s 30th birthday. She had returned home from work with Chris insisting that she watch the video he had made for her, entitled “Now that you are turning 30 here are 30 things I love about you.” What followed were 30 eccentricities of Gabi’s that Chris loves which ended with him getting on one knee and presenting the most beautiful ring she had ever seen (although she couldn’t quite see it through the tears!). A bottle of bubbly was cracked open shortly before they were escorted to a fabulous French restaurant to celebrate.
Blackburn Bridal was the second boutique Gabi visited as her sister had bought her wedding dress from the same shop four years earlier. Russell the owner listened to Gabi’s vision for the big day and her thoughts on dresses; he then selected a few dresses to try on. Gabi knew dress number three was the one, instantly feeling goosebumps! The dress was made up of two layers, a slip underlay with a separate tulle and lace overdress. The gown had a very low scooped back with button detailing, a boat neck with applique floral detailing and cap sleeves. She just loved the fact that the dress had a show-stopping back whilst looking classic and elegant from the front. The dress hunt was over!
On the day, Gabi wore her soft, romantic dress with a floor-length tulle veil purchased from Blackburn Bridal. This was paired with a vintage side headband from Victoria Fergusson, simple drop earrings and a diamond tennis bracelet that was a gift from Chris given to her on the morning of the wedding. Finally, her incredible shoes were from Emmy Shoes and they made her feel like a princess! Everything came together beautifully!
Chris wore a bespoke three-piece navy suit which he teamed with a white shirt (embroidered with his initials) a blush pink pocket square and tie and shoes all from Reiss – he looked very handsome!
The couple made their decision about the venue in no time at all. They were looking for something fun and not too formal, where they could imagine throwing a big party that would cater for 100 guests. Almonry Barn was the first venue they visited and from the moment they arrived, they knew it was the perfect backdrop to suit their ‘rustic luxe’ scheme. The venue hunt was over pretty much as soon as it had begun.
The groomsmen wore three-piece suits Lounge lizard from Ted Baker at Moss Bros – which were teamed with blush pink ties and pocket squares (also from Moss Bros). They looked very dapper and complimented the bridesmaids perfectly with their touches of blush pink.
Gabi and Chris had a guitarist and a saxophonist who played Canon in D for the walk down the aisle, they then played the Beach Boys God Only Knows whilst the register was being signed and finally The Beatles All You Need is Love when we walked back up the aisle. Gabi’s dad is a musician so the musical entertainment was very important to him, the musicians were his friends which added another personal element to the day. The musicians then played jazz music during the outdoor drinks reception.
Gabi and Chris had a civil ceremony which took place in the hayloft of the barn. The ceremony room was decorated with clear globes suspended from one of the wooden beams in the hayloft, each of the glass globes had a large sweet avalanche rose placed inside which made it a real focal point during the ceremony; the room was styled a little differently with a real wow factor. The barn had a beautiful selection of Conran candlesticks in varying heights dotted along the back wall – these were filled with handmade tapered white candles dipped in gold glitter. The soft candlelight looked beautiful in the room and it had a really cosy feel.
Gabi and the florist from Euphoric Flowers have become great friends over the years having flowered her twin sisters and best friend’s wedding so there was absolutely no doubt they would do theirs too. They pulled out all the stops with an amazing selection of peonies including Festiva Maxima, Chiffon Parfait, Shirley Temple, Catharina Fontijn, other flowers on the table included Astilbe, Sweet Peas, Brunia and Garden Roses. These were all dotted around in a mixture of blush pink, gold and glitter vases. The tables were also decorated with gold, glass and glitter tealights. Each table looked absolutely breathtaking and smelt divine!
The bridesmaids were dressed in blush pink Coast dresses with a sweetheart neckline that incorporated sheer tulle and sparkle embellishments. They were perfect – matching the luxe theme Gabi had running throughout the décor. The dresses were teamed with gold glittery shoes purchased from Dune which were accessorised with bespoke blush pink shoe bows from Brooklyn Bridal.
Prosecco was served to the guests and featured a ‘Pimp Your Prosecco’ Bar with a vintage tea trolley. This was decorated with gold and white decorative touches including handmade glittery striped straws. Clear bottles were filled with peach, orange and lychee juice and there was an option of strawberries so guests could ‘pimp’ their drinks as they wished!
Chris was very keen to ensure guests were entertained throughout the day and found a mini golf company (Crazy Golf 4 u) who set up a course in the grounds surrounding the barn. The course was personalised including a wedding cake hole on one round – this was a huge hit with the guests especially in the sunshine.
Living the cream, an ice cream trike, was hired to serve their award winning Somerset Ice Cream – guests could choose their own flavour and then added sprinkles / flakes etc.
The barn itself is an old medieval barn which has been restored beautifully and feels very luxurious inside so a rustic luxe theme was chosen early on. There was a lovely juxtaposition of elegant touches such as the gold chevron sequin table runners against the stone and wooden beam surroundings. Gabi did something a little unexpected to the vintage style weddings that had been held at Almonry Barn previously – injecting some luxe and the light up marquee table numbers worked so beautifully – everything twinkled under the star canopy of fairy lights.
The wedding favours were personalised blush pink biscuits from Nila Holden. These doubled up perfectly as a place name as each guest’s name was stamped into the biscuit.
From early on Gabi was keen to have a popcorn bar, this tied in with the full floor-length gold and white chevron table runners. She had purchased glass jars in an assortment of sizes and filled with a mixture of savoury and sweet popcorn. Each jar had a printed sign which was attached with gold glittery ribbon.
Each table had a light up number placed in the centre. Gabi’s mum had made a big 30 for her birthday previously and has since then been making for friends and family. This was a great idea and added something different and personal to the tablescapes. To tie in with the scheme, gold glittery paper was added to the table numbers – they were a real talking point on the day! The words POP were also made by mum for the popcorn bar / cake table.
It was Chris’ idea to create a ‘Mystery Box’ for each table – this was hidden under each table and before the dinner was served the guests were told to open the box. Within each brown box tied with gold ribbon were a number of games and items to keep the guests interacting throughout the dinner (including toys for the kids). The boxes also included disposable cameras with accompanying instructions on specific photos each table had to capture, props for selfies, table quiz cards, personalised #websheenwedding pencils (purchased from Not on the High Street) and also a mini bottle of bubbly and a bar of chocolate.
The ‘Mystery Box’ also included a pink apron and chef’s hat which was to be given to the tables chosen server – they were the carver and hand carved the beef for the table – everyone seemed to love this idea and it kept everyone entertained.
The wedding cake was beautifully made by Emma from Cake Maison. It was a bespoke three tier design incorporating three different flavours: banana cake with a peanut butter ganache, carrot cake and a traditional Madagascan Victoria Sponge with Champagne Strawberry Jam. YUM!!
In the evening, Foreign Affairs played a mixture of covers and their own music – very much on the style of Mumford and Sons, they were a huge hit.
Photo Lounge was amazing and went above and beyond. They created a bespoke gold and white chevron backdrop, used the couple’s stationery branding on the print outs and had an abundance of pink props – it was perfect!
Everyone filled the dance floor until the very end! Chris had created a garage music set which Gabi was unsure about but the whole party danced away and absolutely loved it. This wedding was such an experience and it features some of the most creative ideas! I wish my now dear friends Gabi and Chris all the luck in the world as they begin their lives together!
Contact me for your Almonry Barn wedding!
Suppliers:
Venue: Almonry Barn // Bridal Dress and Veil: Blackburn Bridal // Brides Shoes: Aurelia // Vintage side headband: Victoria Fergusson //Bridesmaid Dresses: Coast // Bridesmaid Shoes: Dune // Bridesmaid Shoe Bows: Brooklyn Bridal // Grooms Attire: Reiss // Groomsmen Attire: Moss Bros // Florist: Euphoric Flowers // Signs: Wedding in a Teacup // Mini Golf Company: Crazy Golf 4 u // Photobooth: Photo Lounge // Table Runners: Gilded Linens // Cake: Emma from Cake Maison // Entertainment: Foreign Affairs // Wedding Favours: Nila Holden // Videographer: HD Moments // Personalised #websheenwedding pencils: Not on the High Street
