Despite what you might think, Champagne and elderflower cordial aren't all you're allowed to offer at your arrival drinks (unless that's what you'd like to serve, of course)! The bar is your oyster, think outside the Champagne bottle, with the obvious place to begin - what is your favourite drink?

For a relaxed summer soiree, guests will feel right at home if they can grab a beer when they fancy one without flagging down your waiting staff. Benjamin Stuart Photography snapped this image of the ultimate-chill drinks reception with The Wild Fork: simply fill your wheelbarrow with your favourite beers and ciders, smother in ice and tie on a rustic bottle opener. Your waiting team will keep the ice topped up for a refreshing slurp. Usually, you can expect around 30% of your guests to have a couple of beers each.

We love a cocktail, everyone loves a cocktail, but with a selection of delicious food on offer it's wise to choose a cocktail designed to prepare your guests for the feast ahead! An aperitif or 'before-dinner drink' gets your guests taste buds tingling and ready for the array of tastes a three-course wedding breakfast provides.

An aperitif is usually zingy, refreshing and a little dryer than your usual sugar-filled tipples. Spice up a negroni with ginger syrup and a tonic topping or for the later months, an Autumn spiced gin and tonic will go down swimmingly.

Whether you're a non-drinker or need a little break from a day filled with booze, elderflower and sparkling water in a Champagne glass isn't really going to hit the mark. We were delighted to try Soho Juice Co's award-winning range of refreshing still juices which boast no CO2, no preservatives and they're vegan! Cucumber, mint, lemon and lime was a winner for us: all the flavours of a mojito transporting us to a sandy beach.

Need some help with styling your drinks table? Get in touch with us.

We are looking forward to 2021 when events are (hopefully!) back in full swing. Please visit our website and get in touch today to start your journey.

Your style or theme shouldn't be the only criteria for choosing the shape of your wedding tables. Although rustic wooden tables are the perfect backdrop for plentiful sharing banquet dishes, small nooks of your venue might be overlooked, wasting precious dining space! Why not opt for a contrast of beautiful bare wood banquet tables down the centre of your barn venue, with rounds  or squares providing an intimate space for ten guests to natter in each alcove. Being clever with your space will not only leave you with a neat, spacious dining area but also will allow you to have more options with your table plans.

 The politics of the seating arrangement can often take over dining plans. Of course, it's important to ensure your guests will be comfortable with their position, but the table layout itself is equally as important! Putting time and planning into your table layout early on will ensure no surprises on the wedding day itself.

Usually, your venue team or wedding coordinator can guide you with layouts which have previously worked well. If, however, you have an idea which hasn't been carried out at the venue before, such as a 'U' shape banquet set up in a barn which usually uses round tables, always ask for measurements and draw out the plan allowing plenty of extra space for your catering team and guests to move around the tables and chairs.

Sometimes, your dining space will transform under the spell of your catering team to provide space for a dance floor and evening entertainment. The layout for this part of the night can often be overlooked, however, it's always a good idea to chat with your catering team to plan a spacious and sociable furniture layout that promotes a lively dance floor whilst allowing quieter spots for conversation. Silchester Farm's hen house, above provides the perfect break-out from the hustle and bustle of the night.

Long gone are the days of white or ivory being your only linen choice. Linen can be a way to add intrigue to your wedding tables through colour, texture and shape.

Forget swans and fans, loose organic knots and napkins draped down the edge of the table allow a wider surface area of colour. Drawing on a colour within your floral arrangements can bring your table look together, and choosing a slightly different shade of this colour will enhance this further.

For table cloths, pattern and texture can surprise your guests on entrance to your dining room like Lucy and Chris' Sail Tent Company wedding above captured by Guy Hearn Photography where patterned rounds with a coastal feel contrasted with white-wash long tables.

If you want to let the bare wood of long tables sing, opt for an organic runner, like this one from Wedding Shed that we used with Crystal Hire's gorgeous oyster plates for an autumnal look.

With more and more crockery options flooding the scene, it can be hard not to get carried away with stacking up all sorts of plates and chargers for a beautiful textured table look. We understand that crockery can be an excellent way to inject your theme into your table set up, and we love the way our food pops against dark natural stoneware.

Black cutlery can add edge to a feminine colour palette while dramatically dark plates add a mysterious feel to a table set up later in the year. Textured stone plates feel more earthy, and work well with foraged, wild food that sings with the season.

Classic glassware lets the centrepiece, crockery and linen sing, whereas a coloured or etched glass adds a pop of something different and adds heigh to your look. We love adding hints of green glassware to a classical, clean white and green look.
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Whilst choosing your set up, it's always advisable to keep space in mind. Think about your table size as well as other items on the table, such as table decorations and any sharing dish elements which might sit in the centre. Although six foot rounds can comfortably seat ten guests for a three course meal, adding further courses and wine flights will significantly reduce this. There is nothing more frustrating than spending money on beautiful charger plates to find out on the morning that they won't fit on your tables. For glassware, although it's a nice touch to offer your guests multiple wine glasses, if you're opting for just one or two courses you can save space for your centrepieces by placing one wine glass alongside a stemmed water glass. Your caterer will also be able to advise on this, and will usually provide the crockery options for you to see at a tasting session prior to the big day.

Your catering team have seen it all - life-sized trees cut into the centre of the table, enormous martini glasses with cascading lilies or delicate little trinkets sat on wood stumps. Your centrepieces can completely transform your venue and are an extremely important part of your look and so plenty of planning and consideration should take place to choose the right arrangement for you.

When considering tall arrangements, think about your guests' comfort and how they will interact with the other guests on the table. Your arrangement should allow conversation to flow, and not inhibit guests from talking across the table, or passing feasting bowls to each other. The arrangement above from Miss Mollies Flowers is a perfect example!

Nestled in the depths of Winter, February isn't a particularly colourful month... There may be the odd bulb popping up here and there but Spring is yet to arrive. Earlier this year Lottie & Scott took matters into their own hands and brought their very own rainbow of colour to beautiful, countryside venue - Ufton Court. Emma Bettes captured their day perfectly and has kindly shared her gorgeous photos with us and our readers.

We've become very fond of Ufton Court over the years and the rustic timber beams of the Tithe Barn offer such a familiar and cosy space. The large farmhouse doors open out onto a perfectly kept courtyard, ideal for milling about chatting to loved ones with a glass of fizz in hand.

Lottie & Scott also made use of Ufton's Tudor manor house which has a big open fire for the colder months. Beyond the venue walls span extensive grounds with woodland, a sunken garden, fruit trees and so many photo opportunities.

I don't think we've seen a wedding cake as colourful as this one! Sitting proudly at the entrance of the barn, this impressive rainbow cake welcomed guests as they sat for their wedding breakfast. We wonder how many of those Haribo made it through to the cake-cutting!

With pops of pink and delicately stitched foliage, Lottie's veil made a unique and personal touch to her outfit. You can find similar accessories here on Crown & Glory where they've collaborated with the wonderful team at Rock n Roll bride.

Hopefully we've helped brighten up your Monday evening with Lottie & Scott's wedding in the Berkshire countryside. We'd like to say a big thank you to Emma for kindly sharing these stunning photos with us! If you have any questions or would like a helping hand with your own wedding plans, please don't hesitate to get in touch via the details below.

Weddings are unique, couples are unique, and so are all their loved ones. So why would you give a gift to your bridesmaids, best friends or happy couple that thousands have shared?

Now, you might call us biased because this talented lady is actually our lovely mum, however, we wouldn't share her beautiful products with you if we didn't believe they were wonderful. Paint Me New remasters tired and unloved vintage items into something unique, bespoke and personalised. Using Annie Sloan's famous chalk paint, a range of stunning fabrics or decoupage and personal touches, Paint Me New transforms these items into reflections of the recipient or ready-made items produced with her creative eye.

We love the idea of creating a bespoke jewellery box for each of your bridesmaids. Not only can you choose the colour and fabric to sing your friend's style, but a little shabby chic heart can be adorned with their initials. Or, if you think this little blue beauty is perfect for your pal, you can buy it here.

A range of intricate stencils can also be applied, like this little copper bee above, adding a little shimmering modern touch to something vintage.

Everyone's seen the traditional miniature postbox, or repurposed Fortnum's hamper... Knowing your wedding decor has been lovingly crafted and not produced for the masses adds another dimension to the day. This card display box is perfect for a barn wedding, with a dainty little heart sign. This can also be personalised to suit your theme or feel and the reverse of the heart can feature the couple's initials and special day.

On the hunt for the perfect bespoke gift? Browse the website for inspiration.

When we first walked into Siobhan Davies Dance Studio in South London earlier this year, we knew was a setting fit for a gorgeous editorial, shot by Megan Elle.

The incredible architecture of the main studio - a vaulted, curving and fanned ceiling - celebrated light, movement and dance, which is something we set out to capture with our shoot design. 

Our choice of design was delicate with a touch of edginess - a modern ballet. Feminine and masculine coming together with pastel blue and pink, soft grey and white. With modern touches such as the lucite chairs, bold paint swipes on the cake or use of dried, arty foliage as an alternative to fresh flowers. The look was pared back and simple, but with subtle layers of texture.

Amazing florist Lara from Wild Renata styled a unique ceremony back drop of dried foliage in white, green and pink, and created this wild, organic structure on top of the stacked dance benches, almost enveloping the bride and groom. She matched the design on the table top, to bring some texture and edge to the other minimalist and clean-edged elements.

Lauren from Oh Wonder Calligraphy designed the layered stationery in all their pastel glory, as well as the minimalistic welcome sign.

The Duo from MonAnnie Cakes designed a stacked, asymmetric cake to mirror the design of the studio ceiling, with flecks and brush strokes in grey, black and gold to further draw in the artistic inspiration behind the day. They provided beautiful pastries and desserts to go on the table, with more organic and delicate details.

The bride wore two new designs from Sienna Von Hildemar; delicate, elegant dresses with perfect shapes for movement and dance. The groom wore a gorgeous blue suit with black velvet by Keye London - bringing classic elegance to the look.

The ladies from Mel Kinsman Makeup and Sharon Roberts Hair styled two looks for the bridal outfits. The first, a glowy and natural face with a loose and flirty chignon. The second, a tighter and more 'stage' look for the bride's dance performance - a flower-adorned ballet bun and darker, moodier eyes and lips.

Dream Team
Design & Planning | Revelry Events
Venue | Siobhan Davies Studios
Photographer | Megan Elle
Florist | Wild Renata
Cake & Dessert | Mon Annie
Hair | Sharon Roberts
Make Up | Mel Kinsman
Stationery | Oh Wonder Calligraphy
Furniture | Options Hire
Dresses | Sienna Von Hildemar
Acessories | Eden B Studio
Suit | Keye London

Sometimes, it can be hard not to take your barn decorating a little too literal. Although dainty bunting and hay bales certainly have their place, you don't have to automatically adopt the décor because your big day is being held at a beautiful barn. Décor can be about contrast, it can be about wowing your guests with arrangements they aren't expecting in a country setting or sprinkling your personality all over the place. You can add shine, sparkle, texture, height and all the personal details in the world.

We've put together some of our favourite alternative barn venue looks to hopefully inspire you for your barn wedding.

There is no need to get caught up in a theme. The word theme is thrown about in the wedding world to help those who want to steer their wedding decor and feel in a particular direction. It doesn't mean everyone needs a theme, treasures you have collected along the way, florals from your grandma's garden or photo frames from your home can all be brought to your barn venue for decoration. Don't faff over whether it goes with the colour scheme, it tells your story and that's that!

Fancy a touch of shine? Gold isn't just reserved for dining in glamorous manor houses, sparkle has it's place in every venue. In fact, the way that metallics contrast with rustic wooden beams can add another dimension to your look. Whether a detail on the table or woven into displays, a glimmer of gold or silver is always welcome. Above, we added our gold woodland animals to a dreamy display set up at Silchester Farm with Victoria Shute Calligraphy's fresh pink place cards and wild, abundant florals from The Wessex Flower Company. The result? A modern spring-time take on a regal banquet style table.

Warehouse venues don't own the rights to neon signs! Nothing catches your eye quite like an industrial neon sign framing the entrance of a barn venue. An industrial object nestled amongst soft countryside flowers and traditional red brick will add a little edge to your venue to become a talking point. Farnham Sound & Light have an array of neon signs to bring something different to your venue styling.

Barn venues are often adorned with ears of wheat, lavender, cottage-style roses and hops. We love when couples opt to look a little further 'afield' or, past the field and into the woodland or walled garden. Lush green pops so well against the browns of brick and beams. Paired with crisp white linens and modern stationery, green ferns and foliage are a simple and elegant touch. For weddings later in the year, whimsical and wild amber foliage brings something mysterious.

Squares, circles, grids and hexagons add intrigue to your wedding decor. An impressive floral moon gate for your guests to admire or adding a touch of metallic geometry to the table in the form of interesting candle vessels will oppose the soft surroundings. 

We said it earlier - you don't have to be mindful of colour schemes! An explosion of bold jewel tones, patterns and textures makes for a party of colours in the sunnier seasons. Inject colour into your photo album with smoke bombs, bohemian coloured glass vessels and bright and interesting tapered candles.

Looking for some further ideas for your barn venue decor?
email us

At this very strange time, we're committed to providing heaps of wedding loveliness to feast your eyes upon. Weddings might be being postponed, but we know you're still on the hunt for all the inspiration you can set your eyes upon.

The lovely team at Stunning Tents have sent us this blog post, and it's certainly lifted our mood.

Rowena & Adam didn't quite opt for a theme as such, but more of an over-arching feel for their beautiful day. As they have both committed to veganism, they wanted to weave this thread through their wedding day to reflect their lifestyle and enjoy it with their family and friends.

Although their legal ceremony took place in Newbury, an intimate hand-fasting ceremony saw the couple committing to walk together through life, underneath a stunning hazel archway at Rowena's parent's home in Hampshire.

Rowena's parents created a labyrinth in the adjoining field, where gifts of water, salt and oil were made to The Earth.

Stunningly sophisticated, Rowan was adorned in the most flattering 20's style dress. This elegant design created by Kate Beaumont enrobed Rowena in special faux silk to keep even the attire vegan. Folk Clothing created Adam's very stylish linen suit, which he paired with a pop of colour in his red tie.

It went without saying - Rowena & Adam were to have a delicious vegan feast to please all of their guests' tastes. A vegan three course meal was provided to all guests by Cashew Catering, along with a traditional Victoria sponge wedding cake. Beelzebab pleased the crowd later in the evening with vegan hot dogs alongside a specially crafted ale from Little London Brewery.

Brighton florist Gunns Florist crafted arrangements with hues of red and orange. The bridesmaids and flower girl wore dried garlands, and even the dogs flaunted pretty collars.

Dried hops, similar to those you will be able to view at our next open day were attached to the teepee beams. Our natural rustic tables were decorated with dainty bottles and jars filled with rich red blooms.

In memory of Adam's mum, one of the biggest Elvis fans, there was an Elvis themed bar in one of our smaller teepees. Elvis themed cocktails were on the menu, and the bar was propped up by no other but the man himself... well, a life-size cut out.

Every detail of Rowena & Adam's day was planned and perfectly executed. We just can't help falling in love with this beautiful wedding and beautiful couple. Take a look at all of their fabulous suppliers.

Tent | Stunning Tents
Photographer | Ellie Gillard
Bride's Dress | Kate Beumont
Bride's Headpiece | Debbie Carlisle 
Bride's Makeup | Katie Adamson
​ Groom's Suit | Folk Clothing
Flowers | Gunns Florist
Celebrant | Fiona Channon
Floral Headbands & Collars | Lotus Floral Art
Catering | Cashew Catering
Hot Dogs | Beelzebab
Band | Moon River
Vegan Beer | Little London Brewery
Videographer | Shutterbox Film & Digital
Hazel Archway | Chairworks
Hops | The Hops Shop
Elvis Bar Sign | The Wood Store
Welcome Sign | RoseLilla

We were thrilled when PapaKåta landed this gorgeous real wedding in our inbox. Although arguably most famous for their beautiful white sail-cloth tents, PapaKåta can also provide lovely traditional tipis, and we adore them!

With plenty of marquee options out there, it can be hard to choose the right one for you. If you're looking for a relaxed, home-from-home, day filled with your own personal touches we cannot recommend a tipi enough! Instantly oozing festival vibes, a tipi wedding feels like it's own little party village. Adorned with festoon lighting and DIY touches, your guests are bound to be oo-ing and aah-ing as soon as they set foot in your venue.

The tipi itself does oh-so much of the talking. With impressive wooden beams and twinkling fairy lights, your tipi is bound to charm your friends and family effortlessly. Leanne & Michael chose Papakata's rustic wooden tables and stylish cross-back chairs to set a relaxed and social dining ambience to their wedding breakfast.

With a little boho influence throughout, the tipi was filled with macrame details, rustic wooden barrels and light up love letters. On the tables, Yorkshire Dales Flower Company provided the most delicate floral in ceramic urns, complimented by dark red runners with glittering gold details.

A formal, royal icing-topped, perfectly white cake would not have sang with the venue like this beauty. Zara Cakes created this semi-naked delight, with bronze macarons, decadent chocolate spheres and a stylish drip effect! You have to check out her website, the little cupcake is just darling.

Not only did sumptuous reds, rich terracotta and deep browns appear throughout the tipi and stunning wedding cake, Leanne's outfit worked in perfect harmony. Her statement jacket added a fun touch to a formal wedding dress, and we're digging it!

Who said canapés were the only arrival snack? Michael & Leanne opted for ice cream alongside refreshing cocktails, before delving into a delicious wedding breakfast from Eat Me Drink Me. Social dining lends itself so well to a tipi setting, giving off a communal sentiment. Oh, and can we forget... the doughnut wall!?

Tipi | PapaKåta
Venue | Skipbridge Country Weddings
Photographer | Photography by Charli
Florist | Yorkshire Dales Flower Company
Cake | Zara Cakes
Catering | Eat Me Drink Me
Entertainment | Steven Heath
Styling | The Bride Herself!
Welcome Sign | Prints by Ayesha

We know your time is precious when you're in the depths of wedding planning. That's why we've had a good old trawl around Etsy for some bridesmaid gift ideas to give you a little inspiration! From bespoke botanical necklaces to personalised robes, we've selected a number of pieces that we think you'll love as much as we do.

We like to support small creative businesses so all the items we've featured are handmade by a charming bunch of Etsy sellers right here in the UK. Enjoy!

Did you go on a city break for your hen do? Why not reminisce with a modern, illustrated print gifted to your best gal pals? Alex Foster creates a range of cute and quirky limited edition prints, this Paris poster is one of our favourites!

Created by 'Alex Foster Illo' on Etsy - Shop Now

Swoon alert! How gorgeous are these little hand crafted trinket dishes? Their minimalist design makes them fitting for any dressing table set up. As well as these personalised calligraphy designs, WILONNE has a range of unique options and if you buy 5 or more you get 15% off - perfect for you lot shopping for your bridesmaids. You're welcome! 

Created by 'WILONNE' on Etsy - Shop Now

Boho babes, these will be right up your street. These initial rings are satisfyingly shiny and are stamped with a bold chunky letter. They look quite delicate and feminine on their own or can be stacked for more of a statement look.

Created by 'House of Fifi' on Etsy - Shop Now

Add a touch of subtle sparkle to your bridesmaids' look with these elegant pale blush hair pins. Whether you're opting for an up-do or cascading curls, these cute accessories will add ethereal interest to any look. 

These cluster pins are made from a collection of clear diamante stones, pretty pink Rose Quartz gemstones and Swarovski crystal pearls in white.

Created by 'Melissa Morgan Designs' on Etsy - Shop Now