When Benjamin from Benjamin Stuart Photography drops us a DM to say he's sent a real wedding our way, we get pretty darn excited. His ability to creatively tell the individual story of each wedding he photographs is mesmerising, you'll see exactly what we mean below.

We weren't at Emilie and Tommy's wedding, but just by flicking through Benjamin's gorgeous photos we can relive the buzzing atmosphere of their special day. You can see how important family is to this lovely couple as the whole day seemingly revolved around loved ones with beautiful DIY touches created by family members, traditional outdoor games (including tug of war!) and SO much laughter. 

Tommy's Gran's chicken farm made the perfect backdrop for this rustic marquee wedding and their handcrafted décor tied in their countryside theme. If you're looking for DIY wedding inspiration then have a flick through their gorgeous photos below, they created their very own up-cycled weddings signs, an outdoor bar, Krispy Kreme wedding cake and so much more. Their wedding team included Kimberley Dredge Makeup, The Wedding Dress Barn, The Styling Chair and Marc Darcy Suits. 

Are you looking for a rustic barn venue in the Berkshire countryside? Nestled within the rolling hills of Combe, near Hungerford, sits the spectacular Combe Manor Barns. We've both visited this charming venue many times with The Wild Fork and absolutely love the set up. The space consists of two great barns which are attached in an L shape to offer plenty of flexibility, a beautifully picturesque lawned courtyard and a stunning manor house which couples are able to use for the bridal bedroom and drawing room.

If you'd like to know if Combe Manor Barns ticks all your boxes, scroll down to see our list of popular questions and answers... 

Between the two spacious barns sits a generously-sized stage which offers the perfect space for a band or DJ to set up their equipment.

Combe Manor Barns are licensed to hold civil ceremonies in their barns, you can see an example of the set up below (there's space for 150 seated guests). There is also a Grade 1 listed church next door which can be used for the ceremony subject to discussion with the local Rector and agreement with the Church of England. This beautifully historic church is just 50 metres away from the barns!

Combe lies within the rolling hills of the West Berkshire countryside and the winding roads up to the barns offer the most stunning views! To the west lies Wiltshire, Basingstoke and Deane to the east and Test Valley to the south. Combe Manor Barns is an easy drive from surrounding towns including Newbury, Hungerford, Basingstoke, Reading and Swindon.

Next to the barns there's a fully functioning kitchen which can easy handle a wedding breakfast for up to 200 people! Combe Manor Barns recommend a selection of caterers but you're also very welcome to bring your own caterer, although this does incur a small surcharge. Their recommended caterers include The Wild Fork, Total Hospitality, Vaughan's Kitchen, Nyama Catering and The Little Kitchen Company!

Combe Manor don't charge corkage (yay!) and they have fridges to chill down those all important bubbles and wine for your special day. If you're keen to have a pay bar for all or part of your day, they can recommend a few companies who can help with licensing and supply a fully-stocked bar and staff (your chosen caterer is likely to offer this service too). 

No! Combe Manor Barns have round and trestle tables, as well as chairs for up to 150 people. Even better, they don't charge for these.

As you can see, Combe Manor offers a gorgeous rustic setting within tranquil and picturesque location. You'll most likely still have plenty of questions about this countryside venue so thankfully they've included a whole host of information here on their website!

This quick and easy little DIY project is perfect for filling empty space at your venue, either as a backdrop behind your cake, a polaroid station or against a rustic brick barn wall. We've made ours into a photo display, but this can easily be transformed into a table plan; simply swap the images for table and guest names!

Now, we know that you don't choose the DIY life... the DIY life chooses you. Sometimes, you and the DIY life just don't work, and that's okay! We'll be adding some exciting new items to the shop soon so you can pop on and buy one from there.

Amazon, Ebay and school supply shops are full of these traditional hula hoops!

Your hula hoop is going to be a little too smooth for the paint to grip onto, so to get a rough surface rub the whole hoop down with medium sandpaper until you can feel a little texture but not too much that you get large pieces of plastic coming off. Be gentle!

Recognise this? It's the Champagne Gold spray paint from Wilko that we used for the cute little woodland animal place card holders! Make sure you're in a well ventilated area and spray away! We recommend a metallic spray because it's likely to hide any scuffs or marks, but really you could rock any colour you like! Hanging the hoop while you spray is the best way to achieve an all-over even coating.

We had a hard time choosing ribbon from Paperchase. Whilst it's not the cheapest place to find crafty items their selection is beaut! We opted for a muted Champagne pink colour. Start in the middle, tying your ribbon in a tight knot at the top and bottom and turning the knot so that it's on the outside of the hoop, and the ribbon is taught. Next, tie the two outer ribbons in the same way so that you have even spacing between them. Finally, tie the inner two ribbons following the same technique until you have 5 evenly spaced taught ribbons.

Using the same spacing technique as the ribbons, start organising your photos. We used the legends over at Lalalab for our polaroid style photos which turned out AMAZINGLY!! We attached our images with minute little wooden pegs. Aren't they adorbs?

Ok, so did you know TK Maxx have heaps of faux fleurs? We opted for a mixture of white and pink peonies, and some smaller ditsy blooms in between. Start at the top left of your hoop and work around to the right, tying each bloom with dark green floral wire and hiding the wire with the next bloom. You can use dark green floral tape if you find this easier - just make sure you tie the tape tight under foliage and florals to keep it hidden.

We've been itching to bring something a little different to the blog, and when Pen & Paper's new wedding cards landed in our inbox we were over the moon.

We would never expect anything less than super snazzy stylishness from Pen & Paper, but these cards still wowed us! In a range of designs, Pen & Paper's cards include cheery bright colours, snazzy geometric designs and iridescent typography.

Whether bright and bold, pretty pastels or sleek marble are your vibe, you will absolutely find the perfect card for your happy couple on the shop. These are the definition of unique and are created locally in Buckinghamshire (you know we love to champion local folk!)

With happy couple, Mr & Mr, Mrs & Mrs and Mr & Mrs cards available this range is completely inclusive and we LOVE it. You don't have to ask for bespoke designs with Pen & Paper.

We know your high street favourites have some gorgeous options for wedding cards, but why not shop small and support your local artists and designers? We know we will!!

Images courtesy of the wonderful Adam Whitlock!

When this arrived in our inbox, we have to admit we did a weird little excited jiggle. In December, Lulabee put together the most darling selection of stationery for Sophie and Elliot's wedding at Wasing Park and we're lucky enough to be able to share this with you!

Table plans can feel like a daunting rabbit hole, especially if one spends any wedding planning time on the 'P' word...(Pinterest!). You're torn between simplicity to ensure that your guests find their seat in an orderly fashion, and originality because it's an area you can really get your creative juices flowing!

Well, this deliciously rustic winter display certainly did not disappoint. Cherubs created the most whimsical indoor escort tree for guests to find their beautifully illustrated escort cards, and make their way to their seats. Among rustic crates, apples, ivy and greenery, Lulabee's delicate name cards looked beautiful.

Guests found their seats to be greeted with more romantic stationery. Each table had been named after special places for the bride and groom with a soft deckle edge, made from recycled Indian rag. The place names followed suit. These were certain to be name cards that guests would clutch onto and squirrel away in their bags to cherish as a memento of the occasion.

We love how Lulabee's stationery finishes your chosen look, tying the tables together. We can quite safely say that we have never looked at a suite from Lulabee and not been amazed by her talent.

If you love the outdoors but don't want the risk of soggy guests and frizzy hair, you have to have a nosy at some teepee weddings. Teepees offer the perfect combination of rustic and cosy but serve as a blank canvas for any theme or style. In the colder months your guests can warm up by the fire with a mulled wine and on sunny days you can open up the side to let the outdoors in!

Stunning Tents have kindly shared some gorgeous images from Alan Law Photography to give you a little inspiration if you're considering a teepee or marquee wedding. Joss and Fergus certainly weren't afraid to get creative and their décor was truly stunning. Although it was late October, this lovely pair chose to channel the tropics with zingy foliage-filled arrangements, mini palm trees and cocktails!

It's pretty clear they were absolutely buzzing about their special day as here's what they had to say...

"If you're looking for a party / wedding tent with a difference, just book Stunning Tents and don't think twice. Their ability to think of unique setups for your space, their range of beautiful finishing touches to make it all look amazing and their effortless attention to detail and positivity were just amazing. They were seamless, super calm, super professional and with tents / accessories / ideas that made our wedding beyond our dreams. We compared extensively with other suppliers on costs, range and also willingness to create a custom solution and they were hands down exceptional on all fronts. Book them now!" 

Teepee - Stunning Tents
Catering - Carte Blanche
Photographer - Alan Law Photography
Photo Booth - Hello Booth
Band - Turn It Up

It's a beautifully sunny Spring day in April but we're feeling super festive thanks to this stunning winter wedding from Benjamin Stuart Photography. We had spotted a few snippets of Sophie & Will's wedding across social media and knew we just had to share it on the blog. Not only is it the perfect example of a tasteful festive wedding, it also features a handful of our favourite local suppliers including Benjamin Stuart Photography, Ufton Court, The Wild Fork, Oakwood Events & Extremely Lovely Weddings.

When we think of wintry wedding arrangements, we visualise lots of deep red tones but these beauties celebrate the season perfectly with lots of dark green foliage and subtle pops of white. Ferns and eucalyptus add a wild vibe to these bouquets and dainty sprigs of fir add a classy nod to Christmas.

It's no secret that we love a naked cake here at Wedding Shed and this semi-naked creation is no exception. We all know buttercream is the best part of any celebration cake which is why this one in particular gets a big thumbs up from us - it's covered in the stuff! 

As guests arrived into Ufton Court's beautifully rustic Tithe Barn, they were greeted by this charming little set up of petal confetti, mini pick 'n' mix bags, a themed copper table plan and the ever-so-popular ivory post box.

Simple but so effective, the table plan consisted of handmade paper attached to a copper grid with the most adorable dinky wooden pegs. The table names were based on the 12 days of Christmas and had been hand-written in modern metallic calligraphy.

We're not afraid to say that we're firmly anti chair covers, you know the weird elasticated ones that get stretched over the chairs so they look like they're wearing a strange pair of spanx. Chair drapes like these, on the other hand, look bloomin' marvellous and we're digging this relaxed, natural look with added ivy.

It wouldn't be a festive wedding without a Christmas tree and Ufton Court's tree was looking particularly gorgeous dressed in gold tones and twinkly lights. Oakwood Events had installed their warm white festoon lights which added extra interest amongst the solid wooden beams.

We both tried our hand at wreath-making over the Christmas holidays and we felt pretty smug with our creations. After seeing these monsters we're feeling pretty inadequate, aren't they amazing?! They look so perfect contrasted with Ufton Court's original barn doors.

With warming British dishes being their bread and butter, The Wild Fork were made for a rustic winter wedding like this. Guests were treated to a champagne reception, comforting savoury canapés and a British game-themed three course wedding breakfast. Dessert was The Wild Fork's famous orange and treacle tart which we've tried first hand and can confirm it tastes as good as it sounds.

Metallic calligraphy and handmade paper featured once again on the tables. Victoria Shute created these cute mini menus which sat upon equally cute mini easels!

As well as capturing beautiful daytime photos, Benjamin Stuart is famed for his ability to capture the buzzing atmosphere into the night. When the sun sets and the night sky appears every little bit of light stands out, from dancing sparklers and flickering flames to festoons and twinkling fairy lights.

If you're thinking of having a winter wedding, we hope this helps you plan your special day! If you have any questions or are looking for a few pointers, please don't hesitate to email us via hello@weddingshed.co.uk. 

We've been lucky enough to receive the beautiful behind-the-scenes and wedding images from Helen Sarah Pictures of Kimberley and Edward, who married in the charming countryside setting of Ufton Court.

Now, as you know, we're always pretty chuffed when our recommended suppliers collide in an explosion of wedding gorgeousness, and this is no exception as the talented make-up and hair guru behind the bride's stunning look was from no other than Melissa Clare! With a degree in fashion and styling that found her working behind the scenes on London Fashion Week, Melissa has a deep and rich knowledge of her craft.

Just the right amount of glow - Melissa started with a soft complexion with a subtle hue to the cheeks, enhancing Kimberley's natural beauty. On the eyes, a natural warm tone with a little glitz provided a fresh and radiant take on the smokey eye giving those big blues centre stage.

Melissa continued the natural feel by creating a pale pink and girly lip with a delicate shine.

Onto the hair, and operation flower crown! 

Melissa loves working with fresh flowers; without taking away from the delicate beauty of the foliage and soft white blooms, she crafted a low-lying braid mimicking the intertwined florals. At the front, tousled strands fell softly around Kimberley's face.

The look encompassed everything you'd associate with a romantic, English countryside soiree. With a delicate lace dress and statement veil, Kimberley truly was a vision! The groom's look also nodded to the countryside with a textured waistcoat, and with bridesmaids in tow dressed in the most swoon-worthy shade of dusty blue, our eyes were pretty overwhelmed with just how gawj it all looked!

​Love this look quite as much as we do? Why not have a nosey at Melissa's website here.

So, after 10 plus years of making wedding flowers it is now my turn... So what on earth will I make for my wedding?

Make your own I hear you ask? Yes indeed, I would be an ACTUAL nightmare to any flowery friend to give them the mammoth task of making the flowers for my wedding. I'm currently feeling pretty calm about it but ask me the first week of July if in fact this is a good idea! As he dusted off his knee after the proposal, thought number one after the initial shock was "how can I possibly make all of my flowers?!

We have chosen a venue already which gives us lots of time before the big day itself to decorate. Hillfields Farm, if you haven't heard, is a little gem tucked away in the Lower Basildon/Streatley borders. All will be go go go once the keys are in my hands!

So flowers, I estimate that I have tackled around 500 weddings whilst owning Croppers in Bloom. Possibly even double that in various guises of freelancing or working for others. So how will I ever choose my own?!

A contender from June 2018 bursting coral Peonies, “Blackberry Scoop” Scabious, Fountain Grass, Red Sstilbe, Pink Phlox, Plum astrantia and various deep burgundy grasses…. It really popped. 

Another arrangement for my wedding-day moodboard is this beauty with Quicksand Roses, Green Lissianthus, three different kinds of Eucalyptus, White Hydrangeas and Freesia… I loved this one so much it's now on my wedding fair flyers centre stage!

I could potentially go the total opposite end of the scale with something super zingy (this is a summer wedding after all) or go down the "I raided the meadow look"... there's just such an abundance of choice!

If I opt to go down the exotic route, this colourful number will certainly serve as inspiration with a colourful mix of Protea, Calla Lilies and Grevillea Foliage amongst gardeny delights of Antirrhinum, Chrysanthemum blooms, Scabious seed heads, Astilbe and Stocks. The bold mix of colour and texture were my favourite aspects of this bouquet, also the fact that the bride had AMAZING taste in everything.

So there you have it, the deliberations of a wedding florist who has taken on the task of organising her very own wedding flowers. I shall keep pondering... and toying with different combinations in the workroom. All shall be revealed in approximately 115 days!

Who knew neon and soft could be used in the same sentence? Neither did we, until we fell head over heels in LOVE with this shoot put together by the dream team that is Revelry Events. We're sure you've heard us harping on about these guys, but in case you didn't know they're ultra snazzy London-based event planners bringing rulebook-free weddings onto the scene that capture the bride and groom's personality.

They chose the romantic setting of 10-11 Carlton House Terrace; reimagined to be the perfect venue for a contemporary neon-injected wedding. Usually chosen for conferences and traditional wedding styles, Revelry Events threw their epic trademark style right at it and created something remarkably cool.

The couple rocked varied textures throughout the shoot. We love the two different looks for the groom, both from Keye London and featuring oodles of velvet luxe. The bride wore two separate looks that contrasted so beautifully against the traditional backdrop; modern polkadots and a light satin tie back, both from Charlie Brear.

Inside the venue these event whizzes let their creative juices flow. How insanely beautiful are Bloomologie's planted florals to mark the aisle? There is something about a ghost chair perched next to the wild and organic flowers which makes this look KILLER.

With an exquisitely trendy combination of modern, traditional and wild they created looks not only for a gorgeous ceremony set up, but the most inspiring tablescape and dining area too. Sleek gold cutlery, cut glass, woven black table cloths, all finished off with pops of pink from Bloomologie's creations and the most adorable powder pink tapered candles. Betty Lou created unique black, white and blush stationery which finished the look perfectly.

A contemporary dessert table was put together featuring a marble delight from Blossom and Crumb, sat upon an uber modern geometric stand - working harmoniously with the theme of contemporary contrasting with classical. The intriguing beauty of orchid vines added yet another exciting dimension.

Photography | Fiona Kelly Photography (umm how talented is SHE?!)
Planning & Design | Revelry Events
Florals | Bloomologie
Cake | Bossom & Crumb
Desserts | Mon Annie
Venue | 10-11 Carlton House
Stationery | Betty Lou Design
Hair & Make Up | Rachel Mannix
Dresses | Charlie Brear
Suits | Keye London
Furniture & Tableware | Options Hire (who else is obsessed with ghost chairs?)
Neons | Love Inc
Shoes | Fabernovella