Wedding at The Oak Barn, Devon

Cathy and Suzanne envisioned a warm, welcoming and relaxed wedding packed with the people they love in a place they could instantly feel at home in. "We started off looking around local hotel venues in Exeter, but something wasn't quite right," says Cathy. "We arranged an appointment to view The Oak Barn, met the owners Katharine and John and fell in love with it! We knew we had found our perfect wedding location."

Wedding space sorted, and the pair meticulously planned the details for over a year, deciding on a "girlie and bright" colour scheme of hot pink and purple, which carried through the flowers, bunting and balloons. "We also wanted to have a romantic feel about the place, so we used lots of different lighting to give that effect. We hired illuminated LOVE letters, which were a fantastic feature against the high wall of the barn," says Cathy.



The days leading up to the wedding allowed Cathy and Suzanne to enjoy the company of family and friends and to wake up on the wedding day to a decorated venue, as Cathy explains: "The beauty of hiring The Oak Barn is that its yours the day before and half a day after. It gives you chance to absorb the beautiful surroundings and relax before your big day. It gave us the chance to put up all of our decorations and catch up with the family that were staying there with us."

A personality-packed, collaborative affair, family and friends pitched in to help with everything from the make-up and decorations to the delectable wedding cake.





Along with the dazzling decor, guests' appetites were sated with canapes and welcome drinks before a wedding breakfast of sausage and mash, pie and mash or butternut squash pasta with goat's cheese and chilli. The evening featured a hog roast alongside entertainment from a photo booth and disco, which kept the party spirit in full force throughout the night.

Cathy advises other couples to research all options in order to follow their vision and design a unique day. "We would advise you to shop around for every aspect of your wedding, ensuring you end up with exactly what you want. Enjoy the planning as the day goes so very quickly!"

Photography Jonathan Neale
Venue The Oak Barn www.theoakbarn.co.uk
Dresses Lenovia at Catwalk 09 Bridal Studio www.catwalk09.co.uk
Ella Rosa at Prudence Gowns www.prudencegowns.com
Bridesmaid dress Just For You Bridal www.justforyoubridal.co.uk
Hair Lucy Davies Hairdressing www.spacehairandbeauty.co.uk
Catering Oaktop Hog Roast www.hogroasthirenorthdevon.co.uk
Flowers Peamore Flora www.peamoreflora.co.uk
Illuminated letters Bespoke Disco www.bespokedisco.com
Entertainment Future Media www.future-media.co.uk
Photo booth South West Photo Booths www.southwestphotobooths.co.uk

Copyright Wed magazine 2016