I am not sure I will EVER get over Lizzie & James’ colourful Hidden River Barn wedding… Lizzie & James have such an energy, a real passion for life and everything they do seems to have FUN written all over it. There are so many highlights from their day but my favourites include James’ drumming performance with the band, the huge, bright pink, blousy peonies that adorned their floral displays and Lizzie’s dad’s speech. Now let me explain, Lizzie LOVES a tombola (which probably tells you everything you need to know about Lizzie – 10/10 babe) so her dad wrote a collection of stories and anecdotes he could include in his speech, which were numbered, and let Lizzie pick her own destiny with a mini tombola drum she she picked the numbers from! So very joyful, and so very Lizzie.

Hidden River Barn Weddings

This was my first visit to Hidden River Barn and I can instantly see why couples are attracted to it. It offers a much larger capacity that most other wedding venues in Cumbria (up to 250) and is a modern, flexible space that works well even on the wettest of days (check out my tips for rainy Lake District Weddings here). The plethora of on site accommodation is a real pull too, meaning that guest needn’t be trying to summon a taxi late in the evening.

Colourful flowers for a summer wedding

Lizzie & James’ flowers, created by gorgeous Hollie of Sprigs & Berries, were definitely some of my favourites this year. Full of vibrance and texture, they brought a real pop to this colourful Hidden River Barn wedding. The floral meadow that formed the backdrop for their ceremony was then repurposed around the top table for the wedding breakfast for everyone to continue to enjoy.

If fun and colourful weddings are your vibe then READ ON because this one is an absolute belter. And if you’re planning a Hidden River Barn wedding of your own, I’d love to chat some more.

How did you meet?

Via Bumble back in 2016. We chatted for a couple of weeks on the app before meeting for a first date in a wine bar (where I definitely didn’t fall asleep in the toilet for 20+ mins at the end of the night after a bottle of wine….)

Tell me your proposal story

We were in Norway on a trip to find the northern lights – big bucket list trip. I’d wondered if James might propose on this trip, but when it didn’t happen on night 1 or night 2 I forgot all about it. Turns out his only non negotiable was the northern lights so when they FINALLY came out on night 4 as we were driving somewhere after dinner, I shouted “NORTHERN LIGHTS!” He pulled over into the first place he could (turns out it was a snow covered car park), and that’s where it happened!

Why did you choose a colourful Hidden River Barn wedding for your wedding day?

We got married in Wandsworth registry office a few days before heading up north to Hidden River so my elderly grandparents based in London could be part of our marriage celebrations. We knew we wanted a big wedding weekend though as James is from New Zealand so some friends and family were travelling a long distance. We looked online for places that would take 150+ people and Hidden River Barn kept coming up and stood out from all the others – just so gorgeous! When I contacted them they said they had one Saturday left in 2024, and that was only because they’d had a recent cancellation, so we visited it ASAP and paid the deposit there and then. Just felt like it was meant to be! It was totally perfect for everything we needed and wanted – the whole site for the weekend, lovely accommodation for almost 100 guests, beautiful setting, delicious food, and lovely staff!

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

I tried on a lot of different dress styles and surprised myself by choosing a more form fitted one, I always thought I’d go more A-line or ballgown. I loved the ruching which was flattering and also meant I could eat absolutely everything in sight whilst covering any inevitable bloating! I loved my shoes because a) they were so comfortable and I hate painful shoes, and b) they looked so cute and were showed off a lot because my dress had a slit in the skirt. James wanted a dark navy suit because being a man he already owned a few suits, and he wanted his wedding suit to feel different and more special than his others. Paired with the waistcoat and dark navy tie he felt it did just that, and unlike my wedding dress he’ll get a lot of wear out of it in future! (If only it was socially acceptable to wear your wedding dress to work/other people’s weddings eh…)

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

The only vision we had was colour, and a relaxed/fun vibe. We didn’t want loads of styling or themes, so I spoke with our amazing florist Hollie and told her my vision of the types of colours and flowers I liked and sent her some photos from Pinterest. What Hollie produced was absolutely unbelievable and 10 times better than anything I’d sent her! She also did some bud vases on the table and sourced us some pink/orange/yellow candles which she put out the morning of the wedding which looked fab. Then my very talented and wonderful friend Fran designed and printed all our wedding stationary which was incredibly kind of her! Also went for colourful dried petals confetti and we love our confetti photos!

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

James is known for his love of Simply the Best by Tina Turner (lol), so our band sang the first verse and chorus in an acoustic style as the two of us swayed about awkwardly, and then everyone else joined us on the dance floor as the rest of the band kicked in.

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

ALL OF IT!!!!!!! But if we had to choose top 5 highlights….the ceremony which was led by one of our closest friends, where we said our own vows and everyone sang and danced along to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough with the gospel choir. The drinks reception in the sun with the choir and our favourite people from all over the world in one place having a happy time. All the speeches and our fabulous MC Jack all making everyone laugh and cry. The alone time we had driving around with Rhys and Hannah for photos, and being able to spend proper time with each other to reflect on the day. And then being on our friend’s shoulders on the dance floor screeching out “It’s all Coming Back to me Now” (the Celine version!).

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

Hannah’s documentary photography style was exactly what we were after because we wanted our photos to capture the essence of the day and not feel staged. To say Hannah nailed this is an understatement. She was fabulous in every way – so responsive to messages and queries in the lead up to the wedding and always there with handy tips/blogs. On the day of the wedding it was like having a calm friend around (and although in the photos there are so many brilliant close up photos I didn’t feel like I ever saw you/felt like you were always there?!? That’s a skilled woman right there!). And since the wedding we’ve stayed in touch and our photos have surpassed all expectations. We adore you Hannah!

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

 I went into wedding planning with a mindset that I wasn’t going to let it take over my life and make me an anxious bridezilla, and in a surprise to everyone (including myself) I stuck to that! We didn’t sweat the small stuff, and we decided not to bother with a wedding cake or table favours, all of which removed some things from the job list. I found that on the day there wasn’t time to look at the small details anyway, and we definitely had no space left for cake as there was so much food all day! We were both just so thrilled to be getting married to each other, and to have the best group of people who we love so much in one place, and that’s genuinely the main thing that will help make your wedding the best day ever.

P.s. if it might rain, bury a sausage in the garden! Someone gave me this tip as they said it would make the sun come out…turns out it works a treat!!

Lizzie & James’ colourful Hidden River Barn Wedding Suppliers