Calley-Ann & James: A Relaxed Summer Wedding at Bury Court Barn

We knew that we wanted somewhere private. Coming from London, we’re around built-up areas every day. So, a venue in the countryside was the start. We fell in love with Bury Court Barn from the moment we drove up to the venue. It’s hard to explain, but it was definitely a ‘when you know, you know’ feeling. Walking around it, we could envisage our big day, from getting ready to walking down the aisle, our ideas all felt possible at this venue, and it just felt like us. The staff were amazing from the get-go, the grounds were beautiful and having so many suppliers in-house took away some of the stress of planning a wedding.

I wanted a dress that was comfortable (and beautiful, of course). I always wear my hair down, so I went for a half-up, half-down look. The bridesmaids were in a satin sage dress. As for the groom, James wanted summer colours but a smarter look. So he combined beige with splashes of dark brown and a double-breasted jacket. The groomsmen also wore the same colours but in more casual attire without the tie.

We went for neutral colours with lots of white, beiges and greens. We didn’t have an intended theme; we went with things we liked that felt very ‘us’ at the time. It worked well and was quite rustic and botanical with a modern twist, which fitted well with the venue. It was nice to go with the flow and not feel pressured to keep to a theme. We had lots of potted plants instead of flowers, which were more sustainable and complemented what was already at the venue – we didn’t know this was even an option until the venue suggested it! We also wanted to have a little less attention on us, so we went with a banquet-style table layout where we were in the middle. That way, we felt closer to our guests and chatted with them more throughout the wedding breakfast.

Mimosa Floral Studio was our florist. I wanted colour, with pops of white in a wild-looking bouquet, and Mimosa nailed it. The flowers were so beautiful. It’s always nerve-wracking to give your inspo and hope on the day they are what you imagine… and they were better! I couldn’t recommend our florist enough—she was the best. We even had them dried and pressed to keep afterwards.

We started the search a week after we got engaged, giving us plenty of time! We were so happy when Amy confirmed she was available for our big day. Her photos were absolutely stunning and captured beautiful moments naturally without being staged—exactly what we wanted! Amy made us feel relaxed, and we are so pleased with how the photos came out!!

We had private vows before the ceremony and a first look. Initially, we were going to do our vows during the ceremony, but we made a last-minute decision to do it privately. We had the first look in the sun, in the beautiful gardens of Bury Court, exchanged gifts, and read our vows to one another. That private moment was priceless and the best part of the day.

The best advice we received was to take time for ourselves during the day and reflect on what had happened so far. The venue was great. They took us somewhere private with some canapés and a drink and allowed us to spend time with one another alone. We’d highly recommend this.

A lot of people have said not to stress over the small things. On the day, you realise that those small things aren’t noticed as much. This allowed us to just focus on being present on the day, fully taking it in and enjoying ourselves.