From adorable snaps with our precious piglets to dreamy Dahlia-filled moments and magical twilight shots along our fairy-lit driveway, Nikki & Mark’s wedding was pure perfection! Choosing South Farm as their countryside wedding venue was a no-brainer for them— our charming barns, on-site accommodation, stunning grounds, incredible food and drink, and warm, welcoming team ticked every box from the moment they first visited. The rest, as they say, is history! Dive into all the beautiful details of their special day in our latest blog below…
Date of your wedding: 28th September 2024
Time of your ceremony: 2.00pm
Location of your Ceremony: The Old Dairy
We’d love to hear your first date stories or tell us how and when you first met!
We met on Bumble in 2019 and after several months of talking we met at a bar in Watford, Hertfordshire and the rest is history. After four years of dating Mark proposed at an Alpaca farm!
Which parts of the venue did you use on your big day?
Ceremony – The Old Dairy
Drinks Reception – Outside areas with mini golf on the paddock area
Wedding Reception – The Tudor Barn
Dance Floor/Evening – The Horse Barn
Breakfast the following morning – The Horse Barn
Which was your favourite spot for wedding photos?
When viewing South Farm we fell in love with the pigs and were hoping we’d get a picture with them on our big day. Thankfully our dreams came true and we were able to spend some time with some very tiny piglets!
We also loved walking around the gardens and having pictures with all the beautiful flowers, the setting was just stunning.
Tell us about any special colour schemes you had for your wedding day and how you styled your big day?
We went for a dusty blue colour scheme with some pink thrown in too, we felt this matched perfectly with the iconic Farm House backdrop.
We are both theatre lovers so wanted to incorporate this subtly into our special day. We found a small business on Etsy who drew and printed our favourite London theatres/shows onto card which we then had framed and placed on each of the tables at the wedding reception. We had multiple guests comment how ‘us’ this was without this being tacky.
Mark works for Lindt chocolate so this was also present throughout our day with Lindt wedding favours for our guests and a huge basket of chocolate full to the brim with Lindor balls in place at the back of the room. Unsurprisingly, there was no chocolate left at the end of the night!
How did you first hear about South Farm and what made you choose our venue for your wedding day?
We always knew we wanted to get married in a barn and waltzed across Hertfordshire each weekend for several months trying to find the perfect place. By chance we came across South Farm online just as we were starting to lose hope. I can distinctly remember going through the website and feeling teary thinking ‘this is the one.’ We quickly booked a viewing and as we drove down the driveway we both just knew South Farm was for us. Everything about it was beyond perfect and more than we could ever have dreamed of. It ticked every box for us. The multiple barns, the accommodation on site, the grounds, the food and drink, the friendliness of the staff and the flexibility. From our initial viewing to the big day nothing ever felt like too much trouble for them which we couldn’t have appreciated more.
Tell us some detail about your special day?
The week leading up to our wedding was full of rain but when we woke up on the morning of our big day we were greeted with blue skies with some fluffy white clouds which instantly helped us to relax and feel excited about the day ahead.
I began to get ready at a nearby hotel before transferring to the venue for the finishing touches. Whilst Mark and his Groomsmen arrived a little later to get ready in another room on site. The morning was full of laughter, happy tears and excitement. Our wedding planner Evie popped in multiple times to check we were ok and instantly put us all at ease. She was just amazing!
I walked down the aisle with my dad to ‘Can you feel the love tonight?’ – Elton John, played on the harp which was a dream come true. We exchanged personal vows as part of our ceremony which led to a few giggles as they were almost word for word the same.
During the drinks reception we ensured we kept our guests entertained with mini golf which went down a storm as well as being provided with a variety of canapes and drinks. Following the South Farm Menu Tasting evening we knew we had no worries in regards to the food and drink. We had so many positive comments about the food, particularly from the vegetarian/dietary requirement guests who shared that it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten.
Mark’s mum made the cake for us which felt like such a personal touch to our day.
We’re music lovers so had an actioned packed schedule for evening entertainment comprised of a singer, a roaming brass band and DJ set. Mark had heard Callum McMorran play at a music venue in Southport and returned home to tell me that he’d be playing at our wedding – this was prior to us even being engaged! I think Callum was the first person we booked once saying ‘yes’ to South Farm. No Limit Street Brass Band was also something we really wanted to have at our wedding. It may not be your traditional wedding band but our guests loved it, as did we. The dance floor was full all night!
How did you feel on the day?
Nikki – Like a princess!
Mark – Overcome with emotion at times, but on top of the world
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding?
It’s hard to pick just one moment as every second felt like something out of a film.
We have both said that seeing each other at the end of the aisle was a feeling we could never replicate as well as saying ‘I do.’
Other moments like looking out to all our loved ones whilst having the wedding breakfast, holding hands and talking whilst walking around the beautiful grounds, our first dance, walking into the wedding breakfast, the initial moments just the two of us following our wedding ceremony, the list is endless…
How did you choose your ceremony and first dance music?
As we were honeymooning in Africa and share a love of musicals it felt fitting to incorporate this somehow so chose ‘Can you feel the love tonight? From The Lion King as the song I walked down the aisle to.
Our first concert together was ‘McFly’ so chose ‘Love is easy – McFly’ as our first dance song.
Other songs we used throughout the day were ones that meant something to us whether this being an artist we’d seen together, a song we both loved or something that had a meaning in our lives.
How many Bridesmaids did you have and how did you ask them to be your Bridesmaids?
I had one Maid of Honour and two Bridesmaids. I never actually officially asked my Maid of Honour but this is something we had spoken about for our whole lives so she just knew she was destined for the role! As for the Bridesmaids I had given them a card each but tried to make this as unsuspicious as possible. For Hattie I waited until her birthday so that she thought this was a birthday card and for Sarah I’d given her some chocolate and placed the card inside.
How did you pick your Best Men and Ushers?
Best Man (Ben) and four Groomsmen (Alex P, Alex C, Ross and Jack), all close friends from school and university. I gave them all a card with a message asking them to be part of our big day. I also presented them with tie pins and cufflinks with their initials on.
How many speeches did you have and do you have any advice for anyone giving a speech?
We had three speeches. The Father of the Bride, the Groom and the Best Man. I feel you never know how people will feel standing up in public, how well rehearsed they may be or what stories they will tell but I couldn’t have felt prouder of all three of them. I am so pleased we had a videographer to record them so that we will always be able to watch these back and reminisce.
What did you wear?
Morilee! The wedding dress was actually the first dress I tried on. I remember at the time thinking ‘wow’ but that it couldn’t possibly be the first dress I tried on, right? Wrong! Me and my mum ended up going to multiple shops and trying on LOTS of dresses but I couldn’t stop thinking about dress number one. We booked a second appointment at the dress shop and when I put it on for a second time both me and mum sobbed. Sarah (the owner of Ivory & Lace Bridal) even had tears in her eyes too. It was such a special moment.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Honestly, nothing! You obviously want your wedding day to be the best day of your lives and for us it truly was. After all the preparation and organisation we’d put in we knew there was nothing more we could do and that our trust was in South Farm. Picking South Farm as our wedding venue was the best thing we could have done, I cannot thank the staff enough for making our day so magical.
What are your top tips for other couples?
Book South Farm! Your wedding day will be the most incredible day of your lives so don’t compromise and settle for second best. The venue is absolutely beautiful, the staff are absolutely phenomenal and the food is to die for.
Where did you go on honeymoon?
We went on our honeymoon almost immediately after our wedding. We spent a week on safari in Kenya and then had a week relaxing on the white sand beaches of Zanzibar. The safari was an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience which we will cherish forever!
Suppliers
Photographer: Cat Lane
Videographer: Tim Spatz
Dress: Morilee ‘Melinda’ – Ivory and Lace Bridal
Grooms & Groomsmen Outfits: Fogarty Formal Hire
Bridesmaid Dresses: Babaroni
Cake: Marks mum!
Hair: Charlotte Butler Hair
Makeup: Kelly Frances
Flowers: Darling Buds
Entertainment: No Limit Street Band
Singer: Callum McMorran
Harp: Harriet Flather
Mini Golf : Drives of Yesteryear
Looking back on Nikki & Mark’s beautiful autumn wedding at South Farm has been such a joy! Hearing all about how you created a day that was truly yours has been so special. We couldn’t be happier knowing our wonderful team took great care of you — Evie had the best time celebrating with you all! Wishing you both a lifetime of love, laughter, and happiness as you embark on this exciting new chapter together as Mr & Mrs.
If you are looking to book your dream outdoor wedding venue in Hertfordshire for your wedding day please get in touch. We’d love to hear all about your wedding plans and to show you around our Cambridgeshire wedding venue, rustic wedding barns and stunning gardens. Our fantastic choice of ceremony and reception spaces is perfect for intimate weddings or larger guest numbers. There are so many gorgeous spaces to choose from and we offer exclusive use for your wedding day. What’s more, our friendly, experienced team will make sure your perfect wedding day runs perfectly to plan in our wedding venue near Bedfordshire.