Danielle & Phil’s Late Summer Wedding at The Hall Barns

They brought so much of their personality and love of the countryside into their day! From the seasonal flowers to pretty personalised details, they really put their own stamp on this beautiful barn renovation in Leicestershire. Over to the couple to tell us more about their big day…

Danielle and phil say…

When we started viewing potential venues we knew we wanted something like a barn conversion that had lots of character and a relaxed atmosphere. We liked the idea of having the ceremony outside but with the unpredictability of the English weather we decided it was too risky. The Hall Barns courtyard where the ceremony was held was a perfect compromise; a covered courtyard which had a roof in case it rained but still felt open enough to enjoy the good weather which we luckily ended up with on the day itself. After visiting The Hall Barns we loved how well it had been restored and decorated, we liked the outdoor space and the general relaxed feeling the venue offers.

When first going shopping I had a vague idea I would like a fitted style of dress but I was happy to try other designs to confirm this was the right style for me. My dress was a lot simpler than I thought with plain crepe fabric for most of the dress and some lace on the sides and back. All the alterations were done in house at Beau Belles, I had buttons added to the whole train and they sourced extra lace from the designer to add to the sides. It was nice to be able to add these touches and it made the dress feel more my own and unique to me.

I knew from the start of dress shopping I wouldn’t want a veil but I have always liked floral crowns  so I decided to find one online. I saw the neutral coloured one on Hidden Botanics but it was a lot bulkier than I was looking for so I contacted them and they offered to make a more delicate version which was perfect and so comfortable to wear on the day.

I wear some makeup day to day but not a lot, therefore I wanted a natural look and to feel myself on the wedding day. I found Claire Salter online and liked her work and she does hair too so I booked her. She was such a warm, calming soul to have around on the actual wedding day too and was happy to help with anything else we might need.

Initially, Phil tried a few different tweed-style suits in browns and greens but none of them felt right so he looked online for a few more ideas and liked the look of a tuxedo. He wanted something a little different to a ‘normal’ suit and this fitted the bill. The tux jacket was found by complete coincidence in an outlet shop, and it was the perfect colour green to go with our chosen accent colours for the day. The rest of his outfit was bought online after deciding to go plain black for the trousers and waistcoat, with a classic white shirt and a textured bow tie. I know he was really happy with what he chose in the end, and he looked (and felt) super comfortable and stylish on the day.

We decided on burnt orange for the bridesmaids dresses as we loved this colour when seeing other images of weddings and we knew we wanted something that was a deeper colour for the bridesmaids rather than a pale pastel colour. All the bridesmaids were very different body shapes and heights so we decided to go for the multi way dress so they could wear them in whatever style they felt comfortable in, as well as having the option to change it up if they wanted to during the day.

I have a creative background and always love coming up with ideas so I knew I wanted to do as much as possible myself. I started by looking on Pinterest and following a lot of wedding/styling accounts on social media to look for ideas. I liked the idea of having a neutral timeless colour palette but with hints of one or two accent colours that felt autumny but we also didn’t want the styling to be too ‘rustic’. We chose the burnt orange and forest green as our accents as we loved how these looked together and they felt right for the time of year.

We wanted to use as much of what we already had as possible or if we were buying anything new we wanted to be able to reuse it. We collected glass bottles/jars for the table centre pieces, these were then spray painted and we hired table runners in our two accent colours. Whilst looking for ideas on Pinterest we found an idea for table names; using old photos of both bride and groom from the same year and having the year as the table number, this was a really nice personal touch on the day.

Having visited Floral Media on a previous occasion and already following their social media accounts, Paula was our first port of call when looking for a florist. I love her natural style and admire that they grown their own as much as possible. I knew from the outset I would like a mix of dried and fresh flowers, in a looser, wild flower style.

We were happy to go with varieties that were in season and that matched the style we wanted so we left Paula to decide exactly what would go into the bouquets/arrangements. I asked for neutral coloured flowers and lots of greenery and named a few flower varieties that I knew I definitely didn’t want. I knew we would love whatever Paula created but they far exceeded our expectations, lots of guests commented on how beautiful they were too. We have since had the fresh flowers pressed so we can make some keepsakes with them and the dried flowers.

All the catering was done in house at The Hall Barns. When we first visited the venue we loved that all the food would be served on sharing boards/bowls. We love this style of sociable dining and it was a good way to break the ice for our guests on their tables. The food on the day was delicious, lots of our guests commented how how tasty it was and how much they had enjoyed it.

We knew from the start of planning we didn’t want a huge extravagant cake, we opted for a semi-naked, two tier cake with cupcakes too. We are both huge fans of a local Midlands bakery and had some of their lemon tarts on the day too which went down very well with our guests and was a nice personal touch.

We found Luke Whittemore Photography online and started following his social media right away. We loved his relaxed natural shots and style of editing, it was exactly what we were after. We were happy to invest in a good photographer as the photos are what you are left with after the day ends, and can be looked at fondly for many years after.

We met up with Luke for a pre-wedding shoot which was a great way of getting to know each other a little before the actual day and definitely helped us feel more comfortable having our photos taken on the wedding day. Luke fitted right in with everything on the big day, we didn’t even notice he was there most of the time and could easily have been one of the guests. We were beyond excited when our sneak peeks came through while we were away on our honeymoon and even more excited after seeing these to finally get all our finished gallery. They are perfect and exactly what we wanted from our wedding photos, they will be treasured for a very long time.

Best part of the day

Danielle – I loved the whole day, it was absolutely perfect but if I had to choose I would say the moment at the top of the aisle before walking down, where I felt every emotion possible but seeing all your loved ones together for us, it was overwhelming but a moment I’ll never forget. Also having time together just us having our ‘couples shots’ done, where we had time to catch up and take a breather together.

Phil – I enjoyed the whole day, but if I had to choose something it would be the drinks reception after the ceremony. The ‘stressful’ part was finished and it was lovely to just enjoy the day from then on and chat with our guests. We had perfect weather so it was so nice to be outside enjoying drinks and nibbles in the sunshine.

From one couple to another…

Do what you both want to do, not what’s expected or what others think you should do. It’s your day so do/have whatever you both feel comfortable with.

Take moments throughout the planning and the actual day to just enjoy the process and what’s going on around you, whether it be dress shopping, designing invitations or food tasting. It all goes so so fast so remember to take moments to look around on the day and absorb as much as you can.