The wedding venue to end all wedding venues; Ghyll Barn, nestled just outside the Lake District in the Eden Valley at the foot of the Pennines is the perfect venue for couples who are looking for a modern, effortlessly cool space for their wedding that still offers it’s own rustic charm; it was easy to see why Lucy and James fell in love with it and chose a Ghyll Barn wedding for their day.

Modern wedding styling in the Eden Valley

I’m still not over it; Lucy and James really planned the most fun day, full of warmth, love and good food. There were so many things I loved about their day the list would fill 3 sides of A4… Wedding dresses with wings, ceremony singalongs, roaming brass bands, houseplants EVERYWHERE…. make a brew, have a read and a nose through their photos… and if you think I might be the perfect Ghyll Barn wedding photographer for you, do drop me a line to chat some more!

Congratulations Team Piper, thanks for letting us be a tiny part of it.

How did you meet?

Modern day romance – Tinder! James is adamant that we had previously matched and had some conversation which didn’t lead anywhere, I don’t remember that, however second time round he cut the awkward chit chat and went straight in and asked me out for a date.

Tell me your proposal story

We were in the lakes (Keswick) for a holiday in our caravan and went for a walk up Cat Bells, it was quite rushed as we were late setting off,  we had Max with us, he was only 5 months at the time. Near the top we stopped for a break and took some photos, James was crouched down behind me for the photos (we had set the camera up on self timer). Then he said while we’re here, I’ve got a question to ask you, and got onto one knee. I said OMG you’re not are you?! as I had been waiting for it for a while, but hadn’t expected it at all that day. He presented the ring, I of course said yes, we shed a little tear, and then quickly had to crack on with the walk as the sun was starting to go down and we didn’t want to get stuck up there in the dark! It was lovely, a really special place for us, Max (and Penny – our dog) was with us. And it was everything I wanted it to be. We got back form the walk, grabbed a bottle of champers from Booths and headed back to the caravan to call our friends and family. Then went into Keswick and had a celebratory dinner at the Dog and Gun!

Why did you choose a Ghyll Barn wedding for your day?

I came across Ghyll Barn in the depths of the wedding website Hitched, being quite a new venue there wasn’t a massive amount of photos of it, I didn’t see any of any actual weddings on there. But as soon as we drove onto the drive way we were blown away. The setting is stunning, and then the barns themselves are beautiful. So unique with all the reclaimed, salvaged materials and furniture. It’s not like all the other rustic barns out there (no shade – they’re beautiful too), we just wanted something a bit different. Then when we got talking to the owner Chris, we knew it was the place for us. We knew we’d be doing a lot of DIY decor etc, and hire of the venue is from the day before the wedding to the day after, so that was perfect, allowing us to set up and clear out without being rushed. Nothing was too much trouble, any questions we had were answered promptly, we just got really good vibes!

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

My dress was a very unexpected choice for me. Day to day I’m not really a glitzy person, so to go for a full sequin dress was surprising. I loved how it made me feel,  I just felt beautiful and fully like a bride! The wings were an addition I had seen in another bridal store, but knew they would work perfectly with the dress. I knew I wanted to wear a headband, and a veil wouldn’t really work well with that, so the wings were the perfect choice. I loved that I almost had two looks, with and without the wings. And with heels I’m very much go big or go home, not one for a kitten, so the silver platforms were a no brainer. Platforms always give more comfort, I  was able to dance all night, didn’t take them off till we got home after midnight – no flip flops for me!

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

It took me a really long time to decide on the theme/style for the wedding as I loved so many different styles. I knew I really wanted to have all greenery/foliage bouquets, no flowers, and then I saw a seating chart idea on Pinterest that I loooved, that was all plants (which I ended up copying almost exactly) so that helped me decide to lean into the botanical theme – greenery and terracotta (from the terracotta plant pots) and of course, lots of candles! I also have an unhealthy obsession with ferns, so there was a lot of them included in the decor. I love interior design and aesthetics are important to me, I wanted it to be beautiful, but not over the top. I wanted our guests to think it looked gorgeous! The venue itself is so visually interesting that I knew it wouldn’t need a massive amount of decor. I made all the decor myself and actually didn’t end up using a lot of it on the day as it just wasn’t needed, the space speaks for itself! I had already decided on the bridesmaids colour scheme before settling on the decor theme, it was just a happy accident that they complimented each other so well! I had six bridesmaids, all very different, so I wanted them to each choose a dress that they felt comfortable in. I love the look of mix and match dresses, so they were given free reign within a range of colours, and it ended up working perfectly with the wedding styling.

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

Somebody Loves You – The Snuts

Neither me or James are massively into music, we didn’t have a song that was ‘ours’, so we actually found it quite tricky to choose a song. We also don’t really love the overly romantic slow dance kind of vibe, it’s just not really us. So we wanted something that had a bit of romance but also a bit more upbeat. The Snuts are a band we have been to see together, so that was a good starting point, the lyrics worked well as wedding song, it was good to dance to, good for everyone to join in with, and we both love the song, so we landed on that one!

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

Its hard to pinpoint the most wonderful parts, as the whole day was just the best!  But if I had to choose, I’d say the ceremony. Our celebrant, Juliet just made it so special and so personal, all our guests have commented on what a brilliant ceremony it was. Just having everyone we love in one place was amazing, it’s a rare thing to have all the different friendship groups and families together, so that was really special. And then the evening do, our entertainment was something a bit different, a Brass Band (Atomic Brass), and they were just so much fun, we didn’t get off the dance floor all night!

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

We knew we wanted a relaxed documentary style, no awkward cheesy staged photos. Our celebrant recommended Hannah and as soon as we looked at her Instagram we knew she was perfect! We loved her style and when we had a Skype call we got on well (which I think is really important) and luckily for us, she was available!

Hannah went above and beyond throughout the whole process, always there to answer questions and provide recommendations for various aspects of the wedding, I found this suuuper helpful. And of course, getting Rhys in as second shooter to capture some important moments was amazing! On the day she made us feel super relaxed, we had fun with it all, she knew we didn’t want to spend ages during our drinks reception taking photos, so the necessary group shots were done quickly and efficiently, just as we hoped. We couldn’t have had a better experience really!

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

Give yourself plenty of time to plan the day – it takes longer than you think! We planned ours in nine months and if I were to do it again (hopefully not!) I’d definitely give myself longer.

Also, everyone says this, but the day really does go by in a flash, soak it all up, and spend as much time together on the day as you can – be glued together. It’s your day, enjoy it together.

Also – book Hannah as your photographer – she’s the best!