Real Weddings at The Granary Barns
Josh & Chloe
07.05.22
If you have been to our office you will know our team are a sucker for a house plant. So when Chloe and Josh told us they didn’t want flower centerpieces and wanted plants EVERYWHERE… Well we fell in love with them straight away!
As we got to know the couple more and more it was clear how many personal touches they were implementing. During their planning meetings it was clear how much effort they were putting into their special day and it was going to be ‘very them!’ Personal touches are what makes each wedding unique, read below to see how Chloe and Josh did this for their Wedding Day.
THE DRESS
From the start I knew that I wanted to go to House of Snow to choose my dress thanks to a glowing recommendation from my Bridesmaid and they did not disappoint.
We were able to enjoy a private appointment with the whole boutique reserved for just my mum and me, and we were made to feel so special as we picked out nearly every dress in the boutique to try on, with a glass of champagne in hand!
The dress I selected was the complete opposite of what I had imagined (I had something fitted, simple and silk in mind), but as soon as I put my dress on we both burst into tears and I instantly knew it was the one. I felt that my dress perfectly complemented the beautiful aesthetic of the venue; flowing and organic, with intricate detailing, and a necklace worn by my Grandma and then mum on their wedding days made it even more special and brought the whole look together.
The patience and honesty of the House of Snow team was second to none and they made the whole process an amazing experience from choosing the dress, to fittings and alterations, I couldn’t recommend them enough.
SUITED + BOOTED
We wanted to fit in with the country barn style of the venue so had our hearts set on tweed from the beginning. Moss Bros had a great range of tweed suits and a professional fitting service. We quickly fell in love with the dark green tweed three piece suit.
Inspired by the latest series of Peaky Blinders, I knew I wanted a crisp white shirt with a collar bar; and a pocket watch inscribed with the surname and first initial of each groomsman. The shirt was hard to find, but Saville Row came to the rescue at the last minute. There are 100s of pocket watch sellers on Etsy with inscription services - I chose fromwillow and they were amazing - fast delivery, beautiful inscription and a great accessory to complete the outfit.
It can be a stressful day finding the perfect suit so I highly recommend making an occasion of the day. Book in a big brekky, a decent lunch or save time for the pub to celebrate after choosing. Take onboard other peoples opinions, but remember that it’s most important that the groom is happy with the look. Don’t compromise on what you want. It’s your day too.
THE VENUE + DECORATIONS
Living near Newmarket but being from Norwich and Hertfordshire, we looked at loads of venues exploring all sorts of options. We loved the idea of a barn and as soon as we arrived at Granary, we both knew. The venue is stunning even without decoration.
We loved the use of fairy lights in the small barn, creating a magical and intimate space to get married. The options for lighting in the main barn above the dancefloor were breathtaking and we decided upon the waterfall fairy lights to frame our first dance.
We didn’t want traditional flower centerpieces - we wanted lots of potted plants and succulents of different sizes, giving each table a rustic, potting shed kind of feel. We used the same scattered selection of potted plants around the framed table plans. All of these beautiful plants made great wedding favours at the end of the night, with each guest leaving hugging a plant to take home. Taking a little bit of our special day home with them to nurture.
Rock music is a big part of our lives and when granary shared examples of PinkLamp's displays we instantly fell in love with the ‘Love Rocks’ neon sign on a background of greenery and spot lights. It presented loads of awesome photo opportunities and starred as backdrop to some of our favourite pics.
PICKING SUPPLIERS
For all the big ticket items (caterers, styling, photographer) - Granary made this super easy - having loads of pre approved/recommended suppliers to choose from, we were truly spoilt for choice.
We knew we wanted a band and stumbled across the 'Alive Network' - an agency with loads of bands to choose from. The Duplicators were incredible. Playing songs for all tastes, taking requests and DJing in between sets. They were a highlight of the day and a big hit with the guests, the dance floor was full all night long!
CATERING
After the most incredible tasting day ever we chose Hall & Co to be our suppliers. Our advice for the tasting day - bring your stretchy trousers, don’t eat for a day before and prepare to be fed. Easily one of the highlights of the wedding planning process - enjoy it and a make an occasion of it.
When it comes to getting your guests to selecting choices, we would highly recommend using a wedding website. We used ‘Withjoy.com’. Once we created it, the choices came in thick and fast capturing all dietary requirements which we simply extracted and plugged into Hall & Co’s spreadsheet.
On the big day, the food was incredible. The service was seamless and the guests gave us so many complements about them.
THE PLANNING
Not going to lie….. there are a lot of choices to make and it is really important you get them right because they will define you special day. But remember, all of the suppliers are professionals dedicated to delivering the best day of your life. The Granary Girls absolutely do this and are always there to advise, support and keep you calm. Nothing is too much, they are always smiling, never visibly stressed (even if you are a bride/groomzilla) and fill you with confidence at every step. Don’t underestimate what a HUGE bonus this is to the wedding planning process and your stress levels. You are safe in the hands of the Granary Girls.
We love our music and meticulously planned our playlists to mark each section of the day. We wanted to choose songs that we enjoy, have special meaning and fill us with confidence and energy. The playlists were a great way of stamping our personality into every part of the day.
The song we chose to walk down the aisle too (This Will Be Our Year - Foo Fighters) was not on Spotify or other streaming services - This was never a problem for Granary and they made sure we had a way of playing the most important song of the day.
THE PROPOSAL STORY
When we booked a Christmas trip to New York, I knew this was a perfect opportunity to pop the question in a magical setting. I wanted to do it somewhere with some privacy so opted for a isolated spot near one of many lakes in Central Park. I asked Chloe to pose for a picture, reached into my coat pocket, got down on one knee and popped the question. Chloe burst into tears whilst revealing the biggest smile I have ever seen before she said “Yes!” And “Thank you for wanting to marry me”. We spent most of the day calling relatives to share the news, taking pictures and telling strangers we had just got engaged. We finished the day off with an evening at Broadway seeing the extremely romantic…….King Kong…..
TAKE MY ADVICE
Make choices that reflect your personality. It’ll put a unique stamp on your big day that you and your guests will remember forever. They are there because they love you. Therefore if your choices reflect you, they will love them too.
www.thymelanephotography.co.uk
www.hallandcoeventdesign.co.uk / www.cma-event-hire.co.uk
www.sapphirecakeco.com
Flowers - Talented Mother of the Bride
www.alivenetwork.com/bandpage.asp?bandname=The%20Duplicators
www.papier.com
Bridal Hair - Roxanne Claxton
www.ellyjaynemakeup.co.uk
www.pinklamp.co.uk
www.houseofsnow.co.uk
www.essensedesigns.com/martina-liana
Necklace - Family Heirloom
www.winsorbishop.co.uk
www.prettylavish.co.uk
www.sixstories.co.uk
www.moss.co.uk
Pocket Watches - Etsy (from willow)
Shirts with collar bars - www.savilerowco.com
Ties and pocket squares - www.mrsbowtie.com
