Congratulations to Breege and Calum who tied the knot earlier in the year. As we always say at Ash Barton: it's YOUR wedding, have it YOUR way. So we have to give a shout out to the fabulous Colin the Caterpillar cakes. the lovely bridesman and your Dad's incredible singing speech.  

“We got married on the 22nd March and were very lucky to have a dry, sunny day. We did the ceremony in the threshing barn, drinks and canapés in the courtyard and old chapel, pics in the walled garden, and then the big party barn for the dinner onwards.

"On the Thursday, a small group arrived to help start with the set up and we enjoyed the house before the chaos began! On the Friday, people started arriving throughout the day, and when they did it was all hands on deck. We invited everybody in the house and camping to join us for easy oven food and some beers in the kitchen. Then on the Sunday, we invited everybody back for a BBQ we ran ourselves with food from Tesco/ Sainsbury’s etc. We had several deliveries come over the weekend and it was a nice, chilled day drinking leftover booze and having more time with everybody!"

Photography: Lee Maxwell Photography

“The amazing Lee took our photos and we had the full album back within about two weeks. The pictures are incredible! We both hate posing and he did a fab job of doing lots of fun candid shots. He was so friendly and kind all day and I would recommend him in a heartbeat.”

Videography: Danny Hollywood

“The fantastic Danny did our videography, and just like Lee he was super friendly and so helpful all day, directing us where to go/ what to do. The videos were beautiful, and we had the highlight video back in a few days which really helped with the wedding blues. Danny is local and knows Ash Barton so well.”

Make up: Sinead Kelly

“My sister Sinead is a make-up artist, so did my hair and make-up and made me feel so beautiful! Thanks Shin!”

On the day coordination/ bell tent and dec hire/ clean up and bar staff: Unity Event Design

“The wonderful Leilah did the on the day co-ordination, and I’m so glad we had somebody to help otherwise it would’ve been quite stressful trying to organise everyone. We caught up several times in the lead up to the event which helped as she also knows the venue very well so can answer any questions you have.

"We even had people camping in heated bell tents (in March!) and she organised all the payments directly, so it was one less thing to think about. They looked very cute and guests said they were comfortable and warm. We also hired some fairy lights for the threshing barn and covers for the hay bales.

"Leilah also hired two staff members to run our bar, and they all did the clean up the next day, which made a world of difference meaning we could catch up with friends and family rather than tidying up the mess from the day before! And Leilah did it all with a big smile on her face.

Decorations: DIY

"I recycled glasses, thrifted lots and borrowed from anybody I could. My beautiful friend Jaime did all the design work (seating plan, order of service, table names etc) and helped me nail the aesthetic. We used king size non fitted bed sheets from Primark instead of table clothes to make it more affordable as we knew they’d stain easily. I ordered a ton of candles from Ikea and purchased white napkins that were tie dyed. It was really fun collecting bits along the way and I liked things not necessarily matching. The confetti was rice paper and mixed colours and I think it made the photos epic!"

Catering: Big Pot Kitchen

Big Pot Kitchen did our food all day and we had such raving reviews! People loved the mains and the DIY dessert table was a big hit. Trevor and the team were so kind and didn’t batter an eyelid when we came to them with an array of dietary requirements.

Cake: M&S

“We purchased giant Colin and Connie the caterpillar cakes from M&S and they were great!”

Flowers: Triangle Nursery

"Apart from buttonholes, we did all the flowers ourselves from triangle nursery. There are loads of really helpful videos on how to make bouquets etc and we spent about £450 on all the flowers (a quarter of the price of other quotes I received). You can plan to receive the flowers on your arrival day, to put in water so they open up in time.. The flowers did take longer than anticipated to organise, so if you are considering this option please factor in time and hands."

Drink: DIY

“We did a mix of supermarket booze, Majestic and a local wine shops to where we live. Each table was a country we loved and we had spirits on the tables that came from that country, and everybody was very merry.”

Glass hire: Total Event Hire

"We hired glasses through Total Event Hire as couldn’t be bothered to wash all the Majestic ones and return them all!"

DJ and audio: DJ Sam and friends

“My Dad organised a DJ from Oxford to come who was so much fun. We then had two friends DJ after midnight. My Dad also brought his own PA kit, and even treated us to a song for his father of the bride speech! This was so special and got everybody up dancing!

“We had an AMAZING time, and it really was the best weekend of our lives. Ash Barton is such a magical place, and we will cherish it forever."