It feels like a real treat to photograph weddings so close to home and Holly and Chris literally sent my rolling home, full of delicious dinner after their early autumn Eden Barn wedding. I absolutely adore these two and I can hand on heart say they had the nicest wedding guests ever; they were all so lovely, so kind, so warm, so well dressed and SO EXPRESSIVE, they were just a joy to be around.

Holly & Chris’ day was so true to them; gorgeous readings and plenty of Lord of The Rings references (of course, no admittance except on party business!) with plenty of home made and DIY loveliness to decorate. In the evening we had lovely light and enjoyed a stroll around the meadow for portraits and I left them to enjoy an evening of ceilidh dancing.

If you’re planning an autumn Eden Barn wedding I’d love to chat some more. Do take a look around my blog, or get in touch to chat some more about your plans; I can’t wait to hear from you.

How did you meet?

We met at university back in 2012. We fell in love over our mutual love of films (particularly Lord of the Rings) and dancing (badly) in our university amateur musical productions.

Tell me your proposal story

Chris proposed to Holly in Lisbon – his plan to propose at a scenic viewpoint did not quite go to plan, but in the end the proposal next to the abandoned ticket machine was perfect, and it’s a memory that will always make us smile.

Why did you choose an autumn Eden Barn wedding for your wedding day?

We loved being surrounded by the beautiful cumbrian countryside, and the Eden Barn team were so warm and welcoming, we knew we would be in good hands.

What was it you loved about your outfits and accessories that made you choose them?

Chris loved his leaf of Lorien LOTR pin, which all of his groomsmen wore as well.

I never thought I’d wear the traditional white wedding dress, I surprised myself and fell in love with this dress almost instantaneously. I loved my green vintage shoes (to match the LOTR leaf pins), and they did me well for the ceilidh (didn’t take them off all day/night)

Tell me about the vision you had for your wedding including your theme/colour scheme/styling/flowers

We envisaged a warm autumnal theme, with greens, oranges, browns and gold. We hadn’t initially planned to have that many LOTR features but ended up leaning into it, particularly with the signage and stationary. Dried flowers and pine cones were a great inexpensive way to decorate the tables, and Holly really enjoyed making the colourful pom-pom garlands for the chair decorations.

What was your first dance and why did you choose it?

We did not have an official first dance, but had a big ceilidh dance instead. Strip-the-willow is a particular favourite of ours.

What were the most wonderful parts of the day for you?

Having a quiet moment/”a first look” before going down the aisle together Going off for a wee photoshoot with Hannah after the meal – so relaxed and was a lovely moment to step away from the event and check in with each other Dancing the night away with a ceilidh and disco

Why did you choose Hannah Hall Photography as your photographer, and what was your experience of your photography on the day?

We came across Hannah’s website during a search for Lake District based photographers and loved her photographs the moment we saw them. There’s so much warmth and joy that come through them, and we were attracted to some of the more candid/non-traditional styles (from the start we knew that we didn’t fancy having dozens of staged family photographs). Hannah was amazing – we honestly can’t imagine having anyone better! She was so friendly and knowledgeable and really put us at ease, even from the first zoom call. On the day, she was incredible – very calm and organised, and orchestrated all of our ideas to a tee (e.g. having a first-look photograph and then photos of us coming down the aisle together). Our couple photoshoot after the meal was so relaxed, and it was a really lovely moment away from the hustle and bustle of the day.

What would be your best bit of advice to other couples planning their wedding?

1) Don’t let the little stuff get in the way of you having a great day – we had such an amazing day, we honestly couldn’t stop smiling all day

2) Hire Hannah as your wedding photographer <3

Holly & Chris’ early autumn Eden Barn wedding happened with the help of the following suppliers…

Venue Eden Barn / Caterer Southcott Event Catering / Ceilidh Striding Edge Ceilidh Band