Emily & Simon celebrated their wedding at South Farm early last May. Despite a touch of rain, their day remained magical with stunning Spring backdrops, including our beautiful wisteria on the Garden Terrace — you’ll absolutely love their photos! We just adored their ‘folky May Day theme,’ which perfectly complemented the Spring blossoms and flowers at our beautiful barn wedding venue. Read all about their charming love story and how they planned their beautiful Spring wedding in our latest blog.
Date of your wedding: 3rd May 2024
Time of your ceremony: 3:00pm
Location of your ceremony: The Old Dairy
We’d love to hear how and when you first met?
We met at work in 2013, and decided to go to fireworks night together after work one eve, the rest is history!
Which parts of the venue did you use on your big day?
We got married in the Old Dairy due to the rain (we were supposed to get married in the Summer House). We had our drinks reception in the Old Dairy, and dancing in the Horse Barn.
Which was your favourite spot for wedding photos?
My favourite photos have changed over time! The garden shots near the wisteria are lovely, but I now treasure the Old Dairy photos the most. The beams with our bunting made the photos look beautiful!
Tell us about any special colour schemes you had for your wedding day and how you styled your big day?
I work as a designer/ illustrator, so painted florals (and sketched a portrait of our dog Eva) for the stationery.
We decided to go with an eco-friendly less wasteful option of having dried flowers. I wanted every colour! Loosely following a folky May Day theme, with the multi-coloured aspect which included the bridesmaid dresses, ribbons on the back of the chairs and colourful lanterns.
We had seeds and honey as favours too, with each table name being a different flower.
How did you first hear about South Farm and what made you choose our venue for your wedding day?
We both attended a wedding reception in 2016, and remembered how amazing the food was. The food was all vegan and it was the first time we appreciated how good vegan food could be. We were also very taken with the charm of the venue, especially all the animals.
Tell us some detail about your special day?
After a week of glorious sunshine, I was a little bit caught off guard on our wedding day when the heavens opened and did not stop all day! I had probably imagined being outside until about two days before the wedding. But on the day, we were SO well looked after. The staff were absolutely brilliant, ensuring the smooth running, but also having time to say hello! I cant express how welcome I had felt there since booking our day. You have truly wonderful and thoughtful people working at South Farm, who clearly love what they do.
The day went so fast! The Coach House Suite was just perfect for getting ready. I was so happy to have that base. I have been bridesmaid in cramped ‘getting ready’ areas, which were quite awkward!
Everything ran smoothly and I didn’t have a thing to worry about. I think I was only disappointed not to have a picture with the piggies!!
When we received our video and photos, South Farm was shining in all its glory. I didn’t miss the sun one bit, and actually have come to love the rainy umbrella photos!!
How did you feel on the day?
Relaxed, happy & giddy!
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding?
All of it! Our first dance was memorable when everyone started singing our song (Heaven by Brian Adams, which DJ Gary mixed into DJ Sammy version at the end!!)
How did you choose your first dance music?
I think it was one of the less cringey ideas! Haha!! We wanted something relatively upbeat and not too serious, and something everyone could recognize. I think that worked in our favour, as everyone felt a part of it, instead of us just being watched in the centre!
How many bridesmaids did you have and how did you ask them to be your bridesmaids?
Three and I think I asked them to just come over as soon as we booked the venue! I made them illustrated cards.
How did you pick your best men and ushers?
Simon has been best friends with Sam since school (married to one of my bridesmaids). Ross is also a great friend (also with one of my bridesmaids!) and Lewis is my brother.
How many speeches did you have and do you have any advice for anyone giving a speech?
Three speeches – Father of Bride, Groom and Best Man.
Well, as Sam the Best Man put it “imagine everyone naked!” He then mentioned to my mother, Phyllis, that she was looking rather lovely today haha!
What did you wear?
I wore a white dress from ASOS! It had lots of sparkles on it!
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Been more relaxed in the photos! Also learnt or practiced a few dance moves. It was very inbetweeners school dance vibes, haha!! So I think….being more charismatic?! We are both clearly introverts!
What are your top tips for other couples?
Keep it simple and don’t sweat the small stuff. You really don’t care anymore on the day! Seeing everyone who loves you in one place is a magnificently overwhelming feeling, which you will carry in your heart forever!
Let your guests request songs from the DJ and have a list of your fave songs you want played given to him before hand. Our guests had a blast as DJ Gary was so accommodating.
Hire a content creator!! I cant express how amazing this was. The candid videos and photos have been amazing – things you won’t have from an edited down videographer. We received everything the next day which was so good. It was reassuring and just made you feel great!
Where did you go on honeymoon?
We went away for a week in Kos, Greece in September 2024
Suppliers:
Photographer: Lucy Lloyd
Videographer: Mike Savory / The Mystery Guest
Dress: ASOS
Grooms & Groomsmen outfits: Slaters Menswear
Bridesmaid dresses: Ever-pretty
Cake: Marks and Spencer
Hair: Cambridge Bridal Hair
Makeup: Charlotte Victoria MUA
Flowers: Hidden Botanics
Entertainment: DJ Gary
We loved catching up with Emily & Simon to hear all about the story of their amazing wedding day – how they met, how they planned their day and how they felt on the day itself! Their wedding day photos are stunning and we hope they have many happy memories of their special day!
If you are looking to book your dream Hertfordshire garden wedding venue for your wedding day please get in touch. We’d love to hear all about your wedding plans and to show you around our countryside wedding venue, rustic wedding barns and stunning gardens. Our fantastic choice of ceremony and reception spaces is perfect for weddings all year round. There are so many gorgeous spaces to choose from and we offer exclusive use for your wedding day, guaranteeing you total privacy on your special day. What’s more, our friendly, experienced team will make sure your perfect wedding day runs exactly to plan in our beautiful barn wedding venue.
