Great Barn Weddings – Rachel & Nathan

“The main barn is breathtaking, with the perfect mix of history and modern decor; very similar to our taste. The whole venue is so relaxing and emotional. It was everything we imagined for our special day.”

Rachel & Nathan Buckingham celebrated their marriage to each other in the summer of 2015.

They stayed from the Friday until the Sunday afternoon, having the whole venue exclusively, from start to finish. Rachel told us, “It was one of the best decisions we made, as it allowed us to have family and key people with us the night before the wedding. Ladies in one and men in the other. Close family also stayed in the main cottage the night of the wedding and we stayed in the smaller cottage just the two of us, with a big family breakfast the following morning, which was fab.”

With stunning images courtesy of Josh Gooding, we hope you are inspired by Rachel & Nathan’s story of their special day…

“We met through friends, during an evening out at Timepiece Nightclub in Exeter, in the summer of 2010, and have never spent more than a weekend apart since!

“Nathan asked the all-important question while we were on holiday in Sa Coma, Majorca. We walked along the shore as the sun was setting. We were drawing in the sand and he wrote the words ‘Will you marry me?’ followed by presenting the ring, whilst down on one knee. Sa Coma is a very special place to us both, for many reasons, and we returned nearby for our honeymoon.

“When we first saw The Great Barn, we were completely amazed. The main barn is so breathtaking with a great mix of history and modern decor; very similar to our taste. The whole venue is so relaxing and emotional. It was everything we imagined for our special day. John and Emma allowed us to create and add simple details that made The Great Barn really ‘us’ for the weekend which was great, as so many other venues are limited to what you can do. In reality you don’t need to dress the venue at all as it speaks for itself.

“My dress was heavy cream lace, straight and simple, with a detailed belt which tied into a bow down the back (and I was so comfortable!!!) I wore a veil to keep a hint of tradition and to add impact to my ensemble. It’s a bit of a cliche, but I felt emotional as soon as I tried the dress on and even more so when they added the veil. I felt like a ‘proper bride’.

“Nathan wore a simple mid grey suit, white shirt, beige bow tie and an avalanche rose buttonhole to match my bouquet. Nathan wanted to keep things simple, fitted and modern, with a rustic twist.

“We kept things fairly neutral and rustic with white and cream flowers, hessian and burlap. Bridesmaids were in deep purple long dresses and our flower girl in a dress with similar lace to mine. We wanted things to be relaxing for everyone, nothing to brag or show off about (as weddings often can be) and just ‘us’.

“Other than the whole weekend being exactly what we had envisaged… and everything going to plan, there were so many special moments…
– all our family and friends; those special to us – in the main barn dancing, enjoying the moment and laughing.
– walking into the main barn for the first time in the morning, for Nathan with his best man and for me, when I walked down the aisle, and then again for our feast, both times it was dressed beautifully and exactly to our taste. the candles, lighting and whole atmosphere was breathtaking.
– the following morning waking up to such a peaceful atmosphere, remembering the day before and having the opportunity to see the venue one last time, looking stunning in the sunshine. It will always be such an amazing place to us!
– many people recommended to us to stand back and watch for a minute or two during the day – we did this a few times and also spent as much time together a possible as often brides and grooms can be so busy entertaining. We were so glad we did as these memories captured everything we had wanted and will stay with us forever.

“Without a doubt we would thoroughly recommend The Great Barn. John and Emma are fantastic in their own ways. The Great Barn enabled us to bring our dream wedding to reality and, with hand on heart, we wouldn’t have changed a thing. All our guests genuinely had an amazing time, the weather was perfect and we felt the happiest and luckiest people on earth. The fact we were able to stay for the whole weekend made our wedding day last so much longer and although it flew by, we didn’t feel like everything went too fast! We had enough time to fully appreciate everything, feel excited, feel nervous and most importantly enjoy ourselves & be happy.”

Images by Josh Gooding

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