Paul and Stacey had their gorgeous wedding at Ash Barton back in 2016. We caught up with Stacey recently to talk about midnight feasts, partying until 3am and dancing down the aisle to Stevie Wonder.

Why did you choose Ash Barton as your wedding venue?

“We wanted a wedding venue that was ours to do whatever we wanted (within reason). Having been to numerous weddings over the years, we had a clear vision of what we wanted our wedding to be like and we were really struggling to find a venue that ticked all the boxes. Then we stumbled upon Ash Barton which was genuinely the perfect venue for our DIY wedding. No curfew, no corkage, free reign of food, drink and entertainment and a venue that could accommodate our nearest and dearest on site."

“Ash Barton was our dream venue – so much so that we put down a deposit without actually visiting it in person! We’re not totally insane, I promise! Devon is a 4/5 hour drive for us and we couldn’t get down to visit the venue for several weeks but there was only one date left that worked for us. So, the wonderful owner, Simon, gave us a virtual tour at his home in London. We trusted our gut instinct and went for it. Thankfully, it turned out to be the right decision!”

What really stood out for you?

“We loved the fact that we could fit our bridal party on site, plus a few other close friends and family. The barn was amazing and provided a great back up option for reception drinks in the case of bad weather (which, let’s be honest, is definitely not guaranteed in late April/early May in the UK)! We also fell in love with the old chapel which was the perfect venue for our wedding ceremony and our post-band DJ after party!”

Let's go back to the beginning. Tell us about the proposal

“We met in 2010 and got married in 2016 and Paul proposed In Greenwich, on top of the hill near the meridian line with amazing views of London. It was where we went on our first date back in 2010 and in hindsight, I probably should have twigged that he was going to propose on that day. But I genuinely had no idea until he got down on one knee and then it suddenly dawned on me!”

Did you have a theme for your wedding?

“We didn’t really have a theme for our wedding but the colours were navy and pink. The groomsmen wore navy blue suits with pink ties and the bridesmaids wore full length navy blue dresses from ASOS. I had four bridesmaids, one of which lived in Australia at the time, another in the US and two in the UK which made bridesmaid dress shopping complicated! So I ordered a couple of dresses for my UK bridesmaids to try on and they agreed on ‘the one’ which I ordered on ASOS and had delivered to my bridesmaids overseas. Easy!”

And how many guests attended your wedding?

"127 adults and 5 children, so 132 total."

Tell us about your gorgeous gown. Who was the designer?

“I chose a beautiful Sophia Tolli dress. It was a gorgeous A-line gown with frosted seed beads and a low keyhole back. It had an amazing train – I loved it! It was simple yet elegant and the keyhole back was stunning.”

Who did your make-up and hair? 

“Maddie Pearce from Changing Faces. She was amazing.”

What did the groom and best men wear?

“Navy blue suits with waistcoats (their own suits) and matching pink ties which we provided.”

And how did you add a personal touch to your wedding?

“So many things! We had a good friend of mine and my brother in-law sing during the wedding. They sung Love by John Lennon and Stand By Me by BB King. We walked (or should I say danced) out to Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

“We also had pictures of Paul and I as children dotted around the venue and our wedding favours were personalised wine glass trinkets.”

Where were your wedding rings were from?

“Alfie Best, an independent jeweller in London’s Hatton Garden. He was recommended by a friend and I designed my own wedding and engagement ring. He was great.”

What food did you serve? Who did the catering?

“We used the inimitable Aimee and Helen from H&A catering and they were beyond fabulous. They catered all three days of our wedding, providing vegetable lasagne and cottage pie traybakes for our family and friends at Ash Barton on the Friday night, the wedding breakfast on the Saturday and then a post-wedding BBQ on the Sunday. All of the food was delicious.

“For our actual wedding day we had canapés during the drinks reception, miniature roast beef and horseradish Yorkshire puddings, honey glazed miniature sausages, cajun chicken skewers, falafels with tomato salsa, miniature fish cakes with chill dip, and miniature blue cheese tartlets with red onion compote.

“For the wedding breakfast, we started with a sharing platter which included pate, hummus, sun blushed tomatoes, chorizo, prosciutto, pimento peppers, olives, breads, crudités and dipping oils served with red onion chutney and crust bread

“For the main we had a traditional roast with rare roast beef with garlic and fresh herb rub cooked on the rotisserie spit, served with malbec shallots, roasted carrots with kale, maple and balsamic, roasted potatoes with rosemary, garlic and thyme, sage and onion stuffing and Yorkshire pudding and red wine jus. For the veggies we had stuffed field mushroom with ratatouille, cheddar and breadcrumbs.

“Then for dessert we served wedding cake on slates in middle of the table with tea and coffee.”

Sounds incredible. What was the wedding cake like?

“Sonya Daniels provided our wedding cake which we served as dessert during the wedding breakfast and also some yummy cupcakes for the BBQ on the Sunday. Controversially for some, I hate fruit cake and jam, so we had a simple three-tier lemon cake with white buttercream icing, decorated with pink roses that matched my wedding bouquet.”

Who did your entertainment? What was the name of the band/DJ?

“We had a band – The Neotones – from 9.30pm to midnight and then a DJ – Liam from Flybase – in the chapel from midnight to 3am. Liam was amazing and transformed the chapel into a laser-filled, glow-stick laden nightclub. We were blown away when we walked in and saw it.”

What was the order of events on the day?

“Paul and his groomsmen went to play golf first thing and Maddie arrived to do our hair and make-up at around 10am. Guests arrived at 2.45pm and the ceremony started in the old chapel at 3pm. At 4pm we had canapes and champagne in the walled garden, then at 6.15pm we sat down for the wedding breakfast in the big party barn. After the speeches, the band played and we had our first dance at around 9.30pm. Then we had a midnight feast of bacon baguettes, fish finger sandwiches with tartar sauce, and roasted veg and hummus served in warm pitta breads, followed by the after party in the old chapel until 3am!”

What were the most magical moments of the day?

“Too many to mention. Walking down the aisle, our wedding speeches, dancing the night away with all our friends and family.”

Anything go wrong or any mishaps? Any funny stories to share?

“I was ready 60 minutes early (I’d built in lots of time for delays/problems!) but everything ran like clockwork and we were ready so early. It was great. I chilled out with my bridesmaids sipping champagne and was so relaxed and happy before walking down the aisle. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my husband-to-be’s watch had stopped and he was almost late for our wedding! Luckily our photographer was there to chivvy him along!”

And how about the day after? Did everyone stay over?

“All of our wedding guests came back for a post-wedding BBQ on the Sunday. After a glorious sunshine-filled wedding day (thank you weather gods), it tipped down with rain on the Sunday so we made great use of the games in the barn and the pool. It was the perfect lazy Sunday catching up on the day before with friends and family.

Who was your wedding photographer?

"The fabulous Tori Deslauriers. She photographed my brother’s wedding back in 2012 and was amazing, so we knew she was the only photographer we wanted for our special day."

What was the best thing about Ash Barton on the day? 

“It’s the most magical setting for a wedding. Our photos are beautiful with lovely scenery and amazing wind turbines in the distance. We loved being able to stay in one place for the whole day but being able to move around and make use of so many different parts of the venue - the chapel (twice), the barn and the lawn for drinks plus gorgeous photos in the wildflowers.”

What’s your advice to other couples planning a wedding at Ash Barton? Do you have any top tips?

“Just do it! Honestly, you won’t regret it. It’s such a versatile venue which can be transformed into whatever you’re looking for. We opted for a bank holiday weekend wedding which was perfect as it meant we had the venue from Thursday to Monday and it was great to have a day either side to hang out with friends and family. Definitely take a look at any pics of past weddings at the venue for inspiration but also the owners are super helpful and will definitely point you in the right direction. There are lots of local suppliers with experience of weddings at Ash Barton, so I’d definitely recommend sticking with them. They know what they’re doing and you won’t be disappointed.”

So would you recommend Ash Barton as a wedding venue?

“100% yes if you’re looking for a beautiful venue in Devon that you can transform into your perfect venue. It does take a lot of planning but there have been so many weddings there now, there’s a long list of trusted suppliers who will help you plan your perfect day. I’d do it all again tomorrow if I could!”