DIY Wedding With Rustic Barn Theme: Lucy & Fraser

We married in Slough Baptist Church – We have grown up attending and being supported by this church so it felt natural for us to have our ceremony there.

Our wedding reception was at Stanlake Park Wine Estate – the first time we visited we fell in love with it. My father had been on a wine tasting tour there years beforehand and remembered it having great potential as a wedding reception. We knew from the start we wanted a barn reception and we loved how many photo opportunities and space the vineyard had so it was perfect.

Words by Lucy. Images by The Chamberlins.

I chose my wedding dress as it had pockets!

At first, I didn’t know what kind of style of dress I wanted and I loved them all. But when I tried on this one I loved it! I loved the long train and the buttons down the back as well. It was originally strapless but it was no problem for Debbie to add spaghetti straps.

We wanted to go for a rustic barn theme wedding and we used the vineyard as inspiration for our decorations too using corks for name places and table plan. (We still are in the habit of saving our wine corks almost a year on!)

We wanted to do as much as we could ourselves for the day and so we made our own decor. The hard work in the DIY department paid off as it felt all the more personalised and special to us knowing the time and effort that was put into our day.

We bought the flowers from a wholesaler as my mother and I completed a 6-week wedding floristry course and wanted to attempt the arrangements and buttonholes ourselves. My best friend put together the bouquets. We felt this was the most fun and cost-effective way of doing all our wedding flowers!

Our wedding photographers were fab! They made us feel at ease the whole day and really felt like two of our guests! We are not naturals in front of the camera but they did such an amazing job guiding us and taking such beautiful photos. Nothing was too much trouble for them and our guests loved them.

We borrowed most of our decor from friends and family. We wrapped fresh ivy around the pillars in the church and collected jam jars with spare flowers and empty wine bottles with lights in them for the table centrepieces. We also bought two blossom trees for the outside of the barn; they are now planted in our garden!

If we could impart any wedding planning advice? Don’t worry about the little things, you won’t notice them on the day as you will be so caught up in the whirlwind. It was only at the end of the day that Fraser told me that he had lost his tie (which I had spent hours choosing!) in the morning getting ready and used a different one!

It will go so fast so enjoy every second!

Wedding Photographers: The Chamberlins / Wedding Dress: Village Brides / Alterations: Debbie Rees Bridal / Shoes: Next / Venue: Stanlake Park Wine Estate / Bridesmaid Dresses: asos / Grooms Suit: Slaters