A Peek Inside The Barn at Avington Open Day

Images by Angela Ward Brown.

The Barn at Avington launched last summer with the philosophy that couples should have the time and freedom to have a truly unique celebration. Set on a working farm, there are endless opportunities – foliage foraging, stunning scenery and total tranquillity. The Barn’s first winter Open Day in January was captured by photographer Angela Ward Brown and will provide you with both inspiration and knowledge to help you to plan your Hampshire wedding.

The Barn is unlike many found in Hampshire. It’s industrial corrugated roof, white breezeblock walls and grey concrete floor make you feel more like you’re in a London warehouse than on a Hampshire farm. The blank canvas comes with a promise – that you can make it your own. This allows for incredible floral installations, like the one created by Steph, Rabbit and the Rose. Steph brought along a stunning bouquet and buttonholes, many of which were proudly worn by couples who loved the bright colours and interesting textures. Robert, the owner, has an impressive collection of old trunks, quirky props and farming paraphernalia which work fantastically when styling your wedding.

Beth, Event Manager at The Barn, wanted to create a relaxed but opulent and warm feel to welcome guests for their first winter event. Rich berry and gold tones created a luxurious atmosphere. Mulled cider was served at the bar and hot chocolate was offered to those sticking to ‘Dry January’ by The Fabulous Catering Company. Creativity and collaboration are encouraged at The Barn, so Lo & Behold Bespoke and Beyond Vintage combined their screen and stationery to create a stunning table plan, adored with flowers from Rabbit & Rose. The cake and macarons, by award winning Cake Buds, exhibited simple elegance and wintery hues and immediately caught the eye of couples as they entered The Barn.

The team at The Barn recognise that a blank canvas is a dream to some but daunting to others, so having the venue set up allowed couples to see how it can be transformed. From the incredible ceremony teepee from With These Hands to the furniture from Purple Door Props, the Open Day showcased exceptional talent and leading industry experts. Lou from Beyond Vintage supplied the signs and stationery. She said “The main inspiration for the stationery came from the colour palette Beth put together and pulling ideas from the floral direction using red berries and other wine tones, lifting with a touch of blush pink. The hand torn paper just adds the extra softness to the sharpness of the red hand painted berries. The silk was hand dyed in a tonal burnt red shade to add another depth to the invitation bundle, this was included in the table plan installation styled by Beth on the day using a great selection of vendors.”

Other vendors included Crystal Hire with their elegant gold rimmed tableware and Nia from Luv Shifting Flowers. The table flowers combined foraged winter ivy and berries with succulents to give height and interest. Nia was also there with her spectacular silks, which made couples realise that there are infinite ways in which they can make their wedding personal and special.

The Barn’s recommended caterers were on hand to answer questions and offer delicious treats to try. Ann, from Smallpiece Catering said, “A warm welcome awaited us at The Barn when we arrived for the Open Day. Beth made sure we had everything we needed to set up our stand and nothing was too much trouble! Beth’s brief on the open day was spot on. I’m sure with our experience that the couples viewing and booking will be in safe, professional and friendly hands.”

The Little Kitchen Company was also delighted to be part of the Barn at Avington’s Open Day. “As an multi award winning wedding caterer, we are used to providing gourmet wedding catering to our clients and we love finding unique and like minded venues to showcase our work. The day was put together with tremendous thought from Beth the Event Manager, each couple who attended was given a personal guided tour of the venue, allowing them to fully appreciate the potential the venue has to offer.”

One of the highlights for couples was viewing the on-site accommodation. The cottages, which sleep up to 12, instantly warmed those stepping in from the cold. The log burner was glowing which made it hard to resist a sit down on the cosy sofas while they deliberated whether it would be family or the bridal party enjoying the hot tub!

It was the perfect day. Clear blue sky, delicious treats and a showcase of a unique venue and the talented suppliers who have given their support to The Barn since it first began it transformation.