Francesca and George’s wedding was an absolute dream, filled with personal touches, adorable piggy pics, and so much more! From their breathtaking outdoor ceremony in the Summer House to the epic celebration in the rustic Tudor Barn, every detail was carefully crafted to perfection. Get ready to dive into their magical day and discover the story of their charming countryside wedding — it’s all waiting for you in our latest blog below…
Date of your wedding: Sunday 25th June 2023
Time of your ceremony: 3:00pm
Location of your ceremony: The Summer House
We’d love to hear your first date stories or tell us how and when you first met!
We met 12 years ago when we were both working part time at John Lewis. We got talking at the Christmas party and the rest is history!
Which parts of the venue did you use for your big day?
We got really lucky with the weather so were able to get married in the Summer House which was beautiful. We had photos outside the Farmhouse and in the Courtyard with our guests before celebrating in the Tudor Barn for our wedding breakfast and reception. We had a band for evening entertainment and used the Horse Barn for the dance floor which is a fabulous space.
Which was your favourite spot for wedding photos?
We loved having pictures with the piglets and got some lovely golden hour snaps. Our photos in the Kitchen Garden and meadow areas are also some of our favourite’s too. The Farmhouse looked like it was from Italy or the South of France in the sunshine!
Tell us about any special colour schemes you had for your wedding day and how you styled your big day?
Our Bridesmaids were in sage green and Groomsmen in grey. George also had a dark green suit and we had pale pink and blush peonies, roses and orchids for our flowers. For our tables we themed these with countries we have visited as we love to travel. This included paper airplanes as our guests’ name settings, postcard menus and favours which were seeds of flowers or plants native to that country. We were also able to get some great photos of our guests throwing their airplanes after the meal!
How did you first hear about South Farm and what made you choose our venue for your wedding day?
We came across South Farm on Bridebook and after watching the South Farm video tour we were really keen to visit. On the day we were so impressed by the spaces which were offered and friendliness of the staff. The food menu also really excited us and we thought it was amazing how all couples were invited to the Menu Tasting events and got to try so many options. On our visit we never felt pressured to book and even met the owner who took us on a personal tour of the farm on a golf buggy and gave us a bag of veg to take home. It was the only venue we visited but we fell in love with it instantly and could not wait to book in!
Tell us some detail about your special day?
We really enjoyed thinking about the theme to our wedding day and were keen to base our tables and decor around places we had visited together as we love travelling. For our tables we had mini globes and easels with polaroids of the places we had visited, and named each table after that country. We also had a giant map for our seating plan and travel scrapbook we used for our guestbook. The company we used for this also made us personalised menu postcards which we included on the tables. Our place names were paper airplanes which were a lot of fun to make!
How did you feel on the day?
We both felt surprisingly calm on the day. We had been apprehensive about how everything would go but we could not have asked for a better day. The team made it so seamless and special.
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding?
Other than seeing each other for the first time in our wedding attire, one of our favourite memories is walking in as husband and wife for the first time to the Tudor Barn and seeing all our friends and family ready for the speeches. It was so special to have everyone you love in the same room.
How did you choose your ceremony and first dance music?
Our first dance was ‘World at our Feet’ by Joe Brooks which was on a CD George made when we first got together. We also tried to pick music which was less well known and acoustic covers of our favourite songs including Nina Nesbitt’s cover of ‘I believe in a thing called love’ by the Darkness which the Bridal Party walked down the aisle to. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of planning and took ages as we wanted to make sure we had the right music.
How many Bridesmaids did you have and how did you ask them to be your Bridesmaids?
We had three Bridesmaids. When we got engaged we bought them a Bridesmaid box which had some goodies and a scratch card asking them to be our Bridesmaids and Maid of Honour.
How did you pick your Best Men and Ushers?
For his Best Man, George had an old school friend who had lots of great stories about George from growing up. We also had both our Dads as Groomsmen and George’s sister’s boyfriend as an Usher so we could include all our immediate family members in the Wedding Party. Our Mums were both Witnesses too.
How many speeches did you have and do you have any advice for anyone giving a speech?
We had three speeches, Father of the Bride, Groom and Best Man. Some advice we have on planning the speech is to start with plenty of time so you are able to refine it’s content and make sure you include everything you want to. We also had our speeches before the meal so those giving them could relax and enjoy their food.
What did you wear?
Francesca’s dress was a strapless fit and flare Ivory gown by Justin Alexander with a cathedral veil and pearl accessories. George had a DKNY Dark green suit with an orchid buttonhole.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
We had an amazing day and the team were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly and there is nothing we would have changed. Particular shout out to Evie who was our wedding planner on the day and our fab suppliers.
What are your top tips for other couples?
Make sure you have a couple of moments throughout the day to check in with each other and just enjoy it! There is lots of stress before but on the day it is amazing to have all your friends and family around you and it goes too quickly! If you can, having a video as well as wedding photos is a really good decision, you miss so much of the day and having a video you can sit back and watch and relive it!
Where did you go on honeymoon?
We went to Bali for our honeymoon which was beautiful and a great place to relax after busy wedding planning!
Suppliers |
Photographer: Sian Richardson Photography and Film
Videographer: Sian Richardson Photography and Film
Dress: Justin Alexander dress from Brides of Berkhamstead
Grooms & Groomsmen outfits: Groom DKNY suit from Moss Bros Savoy. Groomsmen Light Grey suit from Next
Bridesmaid dresses: Sage green dresses from ASOS
Cake: Our fab friend made our amazing wedding cake which had three tiers – Lemon, Sticky Toffee and Lime &Coconut
Hair: Kirstie Purse Hair and Makeup Artist
Makeup: Kirstie Purse Hair and Makeup Artist
Flowers: Julie Cambridge
Entertainment: Elevate live band. We also had a Photo Booth from MB events which was such a great way to capture photos of all our guests in the evening and we have really enjoyed looking back at these!
We had an amazing time catching up with Francesca & George, hearing all about their love story, the unique touches they added to their big day, and their top wedding tips! We’re beyond thrilled to have been part of making your wedding day dreams come true. It’s so heartwarming to hear you both felt calm and at ease, and that our team helped make everything seamless. It was truly an honour to look after you both, and let’s not forget that magical ‘Golden Hour’ with our piggies — the perfect finishing touch to your wedding 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.