Wedding at The Oak Barn, Devon

Meeting through mutual friends at Durham University, Mat asked Bella to go on a dog walk one day – and romance blossomed. Six years later, the couple were camping in northern Spain when Mat popped the question atop a cliff, with a beautiful sunset as the scenic backdrop.

“I am from Devon and always wanted to get married here,” says Bella, who fell in love with the idyllic location, celebration spaces and accommodation of The Oak Barn. “The venue felt very ‘us’ – it is beautiful and relaxed at the same time, down to the fact that you can really make it your own,” she says.

Personal touches and nods to Devon were woven throughout their celebrations, which stretched across four days. "The lead-up to the wedding included exploring the beautiful countryside of Dartmoor and a cocktail masterclass,” says Bella. Opting for a palette of pastel shades to complement the rustic spaces of the barn, the couple dotted the tables with posies of wildflowers they had arranged themselves. “We collected candles, candleholders and table decorations,” she says. “We received lots of compliments for our personal choice of table numbers. We made a series of 'when we were one, two, three…’ cards with photos of us at that age. This small touch went a long way!”

Flanked by bridesmaids in soft blue, Bella donned a vintage boho style gown for the al fresco ceremony led by the couple’s close friend Promeet. “Promeet has known us both since before the start of our relationship, so it felt really fitting and personal to have him lead the ceremony,” Mat explains. “He wrote a beautiful script for the ceremony, which was personal and really captured the essence of our relationship.”

After the ceremony, guests tucked into a homemade cream tea served on vintage china followed by a hog roast and fresh salads. A dessert table filled with cakes, brownies and cookies homemade by friends and family provided the sweet endnote to the flavoursome feast before guests spilled out into the scenic grounds for mingling and garden games in the late afternoon sun. A 30-person competitive game of Flunkyball – a German game testing your hand-eye coordination and drinking skills – proved a highlight. “We were enjoying this space so much we kept pushing our first dance back to enjoy the last of the evening sun!” says Bella.

When the couple’s first dance did finally get underway, “it was just a lot of fun and we got everyone to join in dancing halfway through! It was to Automobile by Kaleo, an Icelandic band we have been going to see for years,” Mat explains. “It’s a song that we listened to a lot very early in our relationship. It’s all about going on an adventure, which felt very right for our wedding day!”

A hearty buffet of homemade Scotch eggs, pasties, cured meats and local cheeses ensured guests were full of energy for a night of dancing, with a DJ providing the dance floor-filling music. “I’ll never forget Sheila, Mat’s 91-year-old grandma, tearing up the dance floor!” laughs Bella.

Reflecting on their festivities in the Devon countryside, the newlyweds have some wise words for other engaged couples. “Be true to yourselves – there’s no right and wrong with weddings, but rather ‘right for you’ and ‘wrong for you’,” reflects Bella. “Plan a wedding you'd like to attend and there’s a high chance everyone else will too!”