We had the good fortune of hosting Laura & Barry’s wedding mid-August this year. Working with the couple was an absolute dream and everything on their day seemed to fall into place perfectly. It was so spectacular, we’ve decided to share some amazing photos and talk you through what happened…
We love the approach Laura and Barry took to inviting guests. They opted for a medium sized wedding with 61 in total guests. However, they also decided to invite another 50 people to the evening celebrations. We believe this is a wonderful way to do things. It keeps your ceremony close and intimate while allowing the celebrations to be that little bit more exciting! It was a lovely day to get married, as you’ll see in the fabulous pictures.
The Bride and Groom had exclusive access to both the Tudor Barn and the Granary, which helped things run exceptionally smoothly.
Laura decided to take full advantage of our on site bridal room to prepare herself for the day ahead. She opted for a delicious set of continental breakfasts to be delivered to the room for herself and her bridesmaids. The bride, mums, bridesmaids, as well as any other chosen guests can have their hair and makeup done here if required. Being on-site also means once you are ready, you can change and relax as you don’t need to travel anywhere. Using our fabulous bridal room gives everyone the opportunity to get ready together and really helps to kick-start the day with excitement.
Barry arrived slightly earlier after getting ready at home.
Their day guests arrived at 1.00pm, for a 2.00pm ceremony, with a fully stocked bar waiting to greet them.
Everybody looked amazing. Barry and his groomsmen all sported stylish navy suits with light grey and pale pink accents. However, Laura stole the show. Her white, off the shoulder wedding gown was simply stunning. Her dress was romantic and dreamy, together they were a real sight to behold.
Laura and Barry’s heart-touching ceremony took place in a wing of our Tudor Barn. The barn had been adorned superbly. Together they created an authentic allure with a magical feel about it. Laura and Barry did an exquisite job of detailing our historic barn. However, some of the credit must be given to our brilliant team, who helped where necessary. There were subtle fairy lights and green vines wrapping up and across the rustic support beams, which helped create a genuinely magical atmosphere.
After the ceremony, all the guests were invited outside to enjoy the Blackstock Country Estate grounds and courtyard. The newlyweds provided canapés and drinks to keep the guest occupied as they mingled, laughed and chatted about the ceremony.
In the meantime, the happy couple took time away to take part in a photoshoot with Emma Johnston. Laura and Barry explored our picturesque grounds and got some adorable photos. We believe this is one of the most intimate ways to spend some time on your wedding day. Finally getting a chance to slip away from the crowd and have some alone time with your new partner is a wonderfully special time, plus some fabulous photos and memories are created.
Once the Bride and Groom finished their shoot, everyone ventured into the Granary and were seated in preparation for their meal.
Everyone was seated for the wedding breakfast, and the brother of the Groom announced Mr & Mrs Lawes for the first time. The happy couple did an excellent job of deciding on a menu that looked and tasted great; all thoroughly enjoyed it!
Mediterranean antipasti, a fun selection of salami, prosciutto, chargrilled courgettes, aubergines and artichokes, roasted peppers, marinated olives and sun-blushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil dressing. Served with Parmesan grissini
Slow roast belly of pork, sage and onion-scented pork belly, served with crisp crackling, wholegrain mustard mash and port jus
Lemon posset, served with fresh berries and shortbread biscuit
Once everyone had finished their meal and enjoyed the last of the heartfelt, emotional speeches, they ventured back into the Tudor Barn. One thing that was really different was that Laura and Barry wanted to include a ‘cheese tower’. This cheese tower was several wheels of cheese towered up to look like layers of a wedding cake. This went down an absolute treat as guests indulged in a delicious variety of cheeses.
Mr and Mrs Lawes cut their cake, whist the Blackstock staff portioned out the cheese tower. This was romantically followed by their first dance as husband and wife, which was a moment nobody will be quick to forget.
At around 7 the evening guests arrived, and the party shifted into gear. All the nearest and dearest of the happy couple flooded the dance floor as the DJ played into the night.
When things finally came to a close, the newly-weds made the short walk to the Goat Shed, their luxury accommodation for the night. The small cottage gave Laura and Barry some time to live in the moment and properly digest what happened during the day, as a newly married couple. All our on-site accommodation was booked for friends and family, making the journey back to their beds as easy as possible.
We enjoyed working with both Laura and Barry and send them our very best wishes for their happily ever after.
Please get in touch if you would like to enjoy a wedding day such as this. All of our Event Managers take such pride in what we do, creating magical days for all our couples and fabulous memories to remember forever.
We would love to chat with you as well when you are ready to speak to us.
Our thanks to Emma Johnstone for capturing all the breathtaking shots we included in this blog x
