Chris and Jenny's Flower Filled Spring Time Barn Wedding by Sky Photography

Happy Good Friday everyone! I hope you are all well and happy and are all looking forward to the bank holiday weekend ahead of us. lets hope the sun comes and and the rain stays away for the next few days so we can all enjoy some time outside. we are off to Chatsworth today for an Easter Egg hunt and than tomorrow we are going to Manchester to watch Mary Poppins at the theatre. No doubt there will be lots of Easter Eggs eaten in the next few days! Today though I have this gorgeous spring barn wedding wedding to share with you. The flowers in this wedding are absolutely gorgeous, I just love the country feel to them and the abundance of flowers throughout the ceremony and the reception! A wonderful day full of springtime joy, all captured perfectly by Sky Photography.

The best day of our lives (so far) surrounded by those we love, with great company, food, drink and entertainment.

Jenny and Chris were married on 29th April 2023 at Dodford Manor in Northampton. ‘Firstly, the venue, It was both a barn style which we loved but with a modern twist and lots of natural light – we loved it online first. When we visited we were comforted by the way the team made clear that they would prioritise the atmosphere and a smooth experience for us and our guests. We also loved that the venue was exclusive, and how it flowed taking you from ceremony to drinks reception to evening seamlessly. We had around 100 guests with a few extra joining for the evening. We got engaged in September 2020 however, planning really started in April 2021, so 2 years in total to plan.’

How they met
We met at secondary school, aged 11, together from 17 and a further 12.5 years until we tied the knot!

The proposal
We got engaged on our 10-year dating anniversary, on a staycation in Oxfordshire. Before we left, Chris and I had already planned a 10-year anniversary party with both families the next day – so we came home and announced to both families together!

How did you allocate your budget?
For us, we prioritised good food, good music and flowers. We saved by having corkage free booze until the evening and doing the stationary and other details ourselves.

How did you choose your photographer?
Our venue had a list of trusted suppliers so we started there – our logic was that if they were recommended and knew the venue well it would likely go much smoother on the day. That’s how we found Sky Photography, we loved that they are a husband-and-wife team, they were so fun to work with which put us at ease, and love doing candid shots over formal shoots which suited us perfectly. They were so fun on the day and the photos we have are beautiful – could not recommend highly enough! Also, special shout out to our Videographer at @laurabakerproductions who a last-minute addition and we are so glad we did! She did a great job capturing the joy on the day.

The dress
Dress was by Caroline Castigliano and shoes the Rainbow Club – changing into Nike’s for the evening.

And the suit and bridesmaids
Blue House of Cavani tweed 3-piece suit, for Groom, Groomsmen and Fathers. Sage green bridesmaid dresses from Oasis.

Theme or colour scheme
We went with spring pastel colours, mainly sage green and lilac.

Flowers
Gorgeous ones! I don’t know the details but we wanted a ‘spring meadow’ feel and loved what our florist produced. Our guests still talk about the flowers to this day!

Decoration
Mainly flowers, but we did have some personal touches, additional lighting, chair decorations and photos around the venue. Inspired by our friend, and now wedding planner,

Food
We had a lamb roast in a ‘host the roast’ style which meant we had nominated a carver per table. This carver had to stand up and each were presented a comical apron, with an amusing phrase on, and chef’s hat – we made a real event out of it! This really got people chatting and laughing which is what we wanted – no formal awkward meal here thanks!

Wedding cake
Our close friend and Best Man’s wife, very luckily, does amazing wedding and event cakes @littlegraycakery. Not only are they beautiful but they are delicious! She also made our favourite chocolate chip cookies as wedding favours for all the guests to take home, or more likely snack on during the evening, some were even seen off before the starters came out.

Entertainment
During the ceremony and drinks reception we had music from the Vaults String Quartet. For the evening reception, we had music from the Distractions Band – they were absolutely brilliant and we have been asked to pass on their details to multiple friends who are in their planning stages! We also had a photo booth which is always fun!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
The wedding was on the Saturday and we went to the Caribbean for 3 weeks on the Monday stopping at St Lucia, Bequia and Barbados. We had help planning the trip from Audley Travel.

Personal touches
We had lots of pictures of us with guests from over the years, along with photos of those who were no longer with us to acknowledge they were there is spirit.

Special moments
Every second was special and that was down to how brilliant everyone involved was. It was truly the best day of our lives. To pick a couple I would say the first dance to the start of the evening party, or those first few moments, just the two of us, after the ceremony

Advice for other couples
It is your day, do it your way.

Biggest surprise
Just how special it is to have everyone you love in one room celebrating your love. Everyone tells you but it’s hard to imagine until you’re in it!