When Abi and Chris started planning their wedding, they knew they wanted a beautiful venue where they would feel relaxed. Amazing food was also high on their list of must-haves and so Clock Barn was perfect for this pretty summer celebration.

The Venue

The rustic feel of Clock Barn instantly appealed to Abi and Chris and as soon as they visited, they could imagine themselves spending their wedding day in this wonderful setting. As the couple also wanted a civil wedding ceremony, Abi and Chris loved the fact that they could hold their whole day at Clock Barn, giving everyone plenty of time to relax and enjoy themselves.

“We chose Clock Barn because it was the most beautiful place we had ever seen and we felt so relaxed there. At every venue we visited afterwards, we just kept saying ‘it’s not as nice as Clock Barn’ and that’s when we knew it was the perfect venue for us! We loved the fact that the décor inside was simple but stunning and could be used for any colour theme and style we wanted. There’s also plenty of room inside and outside so we knew our day would be incredible, no matter what the weather was like.” – Abi

The Décor

The natural wedding theme of the day really highlighted Abi and Chris’ personalities and the lilac and purple colour scheme was one of the first things that they chose for their day:

“We chose lilac as our main colour but brought in other shades of purple where we could. As soon as we first decided to get married, we asked each other ‘what colour?’ and we both answered ‘purple!’ straight away!” – Chris

“We used flowers as table centres, in the Stable Room and around the ceremony room. They were all very textured, full of variety and loosely arranged to help us create the natural, rustic theme we were after. We only had these floral decorations, by florist Sarah Styles. The barn is so beautiful, we felt it really didn’t need anything else.” – Abi

The Outfits

Abi wore a gorgeous Pronovias gown that made her feel like a princess and she knew it was ‘the one’ as soon as she first tried it on at Miss… Bridal Gowns of Hungerford. She accessorised her dress with a vintage pearl bracelet that was her great-great-grandmother’s necklace. Abi also wore Rainbow Club shoes, diamond studs borrowed from her mum and a stunning necklace that Chris gifted her on the morning of her wedding.

The groom and groomsman wore sharp suits from Autograph at Marks & Spencer while the bridesmaids looked their best in dresses from ASOS and sandals from Accessorize.

The Wedding

On the morning of the wedding, Abi and her maids prepared for the big day at Abi’s parent’s house and then travelled to Clock Barn for the ceremony. After the vows, the celebrations could begin:

“We held our drinks reception in the garden of Clock Barn. Our guests really enjoyed the Pimms and we also served elderflower cocktails for the children. There was also a beer drum and so many amazing canapes including mini burgers, mini fish and chips, fried brie and risotto balls among others. They were all delicious and everyone complimented them.” – Abi

For their wedding breakfast, the couple chose a roast lamb main course and a trio of desserts – lemon tart, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate brownie. The dessert was a combination of Abi and Chris’ favourites:

“Chris loves lemon tart, I adore chocolate brownie and our joint favourite is sticky toffee pudding. All the food was incredible and the Events Team were amazing. I asked so many questions and they were so helpful and supportive with anything I needed.” – Abi

The evening reception began to the tune of ‘A Million Love Songs’ and Abi and Chris took to the dancefloor for their first dance. After this, the party started in earnest and the dancefloor was packed all evening thanks to Storm Disco. Guests refuelled with freshly made pizza and garlic bread from the pizza oven, treats from a sweetie cart by Bonappa Sweet and the most delectable cake made by Meadow Cottage Bakery. Abi, Chris and all their friends and family really loved every moment of this special day.

Final Thoughts

“I would definitely recommend taking some time away with your husband for couple’s photos. This was one of my favourite moments of the day – we could talk to each other about the day and Mia, our photographer, captured some fantastic photos when we were so relaxed.” – Abi

“My wedding planning advice would be to plan as far in advance as you can to reduce the stress closer to the day! Make the most of every moment, take it all in and love it all! It goes so quickly.” – Abi

If you’d like to find out more about Clock Barn, why not book your own personal wedding show round? We can’t wait to welcome you!

Images courtesy of Mia Hooper Photography