From their first dance together at Oxford Lindy Exchange to a surprise proposal six years later at the very same event, Lauren and Toby’s love story is full of rhythm, laughter and unforgettable memories – just like their EPIC wedding day!
Their Spring celebration at our barn wedding venue in Cambridgeshire was the perfect reflection of who they are as a couple: fun-loving, creative, and full of heart. With a backdrop of seasonal Spring gardens, countryside charm, and hand-crafted touches, their day was bursting with colour, music, and personal details that made it truly one of a kind.
From dancing down the aisle to ‘The Blues Brothers’ to sea shanties in the Old Dairy and a packed-out dance floor in the Horse Barn, this was a wedding full of surprises, love, and moments that guests will never forget. Come with us as we relive Lauren & Toby’s joyful day…
Date of your wedding: 04/04/2025
Time of your ceremony: 3:00pm
Location of your ceremony: The Tudor Barn
We’d love to hear your first date story – tell us how and when you first met?
We met at Oxford Lindy Exchange and danced the night away. Six years later we went back and Toby proposed!
Which parts of the venue did you use for your big day?
The majority of the day was in the Tudor Barn where we had our ceremony, dinner and dancing. We also used the garden and the Old Dairy for the drinks reception and sea shanties!
Which was your favourite spot for wedding photos?
The whole grounds! But particularly sunset on the sunset terrace.
Tell us about any special colour schemes you had for your wedding day and how you styled your big day?
We wanted to bring a splash of colour to the day and as Toby’s favourite colours were inspired by sunsets that was the best place to start. We wanted to make a lot of the decorations ourselves which helped us pick what we could do – bunting, paper lanterns and gin bottles with fairy lights kept the colours fresh but also provided a bit of a rustic look which matched with the venue really well.
How did you first hear about South Farm and what made you choose our venue for your wedding day?
We were looking at venues within an hour’s drive. South Farm captured our imagination because it provided a really relaxed and rustic atmosphere while still feeling polished and professional. We wanted to feel like we could bring our own flavour to the day or not worry about fitting in with a prior set aesthetic.
Tell us some detail about your special day?
The day started with dancing as the wedding party practiced going down the aisle and ended with dancing as no-one wanted to leave the dance floor! We wanted to bring as much life and joy to our day through song and dance. I don’t think anyone expected to watch Bridesmaids and Groomsmen dance down the aisle to ‘The Blues Brothers’ or for a Bride and Groom to dance back up the aisle to ‘Love Train’ but it set the tone for surprises and laughter.
Music continued to be a theme with our Best Man singing his speech and the Groom and Groomsmen starting a round of sea shanties after dinner. One of our biggest wishes was to have a full dance floor throughout the evening and our guests delivered. The Horse Barn was an amazing dance floor with the lights and provided a separate space from the Tudor Barn so people could sit and chat without having to shout over music.
How did you feel on the day?
Overwhelmingly grateful for all the love in the room. We kept looking around us and couldn’t stop thinking how thankful we were to have such amazing friends and family.
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding?
Groom: Dancing down the aisle to The Blues Brothers
Bride: Reading my vows and making the entire room cry….
How did you choose your ceremony and first dance music?
We wanted music that would set a joyful and perhaps not so serious tone. We wanted people to have fun throughout the ceremony and enjoy songs that we love to dance to in our living room – hence The Blues Brothers and soul music such as ‘Ain’t no mountain high enough’, ‘This will be An Ever Lasting Love’, ‘Love Train’ and ‘Stand By Me’.
We’re both swing dancers so we wanted to pick a song for our first dance that we could easily swing dance to but something that, again, was fun and maybe a bit different – ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ by Queen was our choice!
How many Bridesmaids did you have and how did you ask them to be your Bridesmaids?
I had three Bridesmaids and a Man of Honour, chosen from my sisters, my cousin and my brother. I wanted to keep it to just family and being the last sister to get married, my brother has always been on the outside of the bride activities and this time I wanted to make sure he was as involved as much as possible as a Man of Honour. He even organised my hen!
How did you pick your Best Men and Ushers/Groomsmen?
I had six Groomsmen and my Best Man. It was hard to narrow it down any more than that. I ended up picking two people from different stages of my life – school, theatre and my life in Cambridge.
How many speeches did you have and do you have any advice for anyone giving a speech?
We had five speeches which, despite South Farm warning us, we didn’t believe would go on for 45 mins! I think we were lucky that all our speakers were really charismatic and many people said the time flew by!
Our advice is to time your speeches to know how long they are and know how long everyone else’s is – they’ll be longer than you think!
What did you wear?
Bride – An A-line gown with applique lace from Wed2B, golden sparkly heels and my mother’s veil!
Groom – A green three piece suit from Cavani.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Nothing!
What are your top tips for other couples?
Personalise your day. It’s easy to get caught up in what other people are doing but really prioritise what you want.
Decorations, if you’re going to do them yourselves, will take much longer than you think to sort and organise so leave yourself plenty of time and recruit helpers.
Try to maintain a budget and cashflow sheet to keep track of spending.
Put as much detail as you can into your day run sheet – it’ll make everything go so much smoother as no one is wondering what happens next!
Where did you go on honeymoon?
We got married on Friday and we were off on Honeymoon on the Monday. We went to Gozo for a week which was lovely – not too hot and busy as it was early in the season but still plenty to do. We wanted a little piece of oasis after the hustle and bustle of the wedding .
Suppliers:
Photographer: Lucy Lloyd Photography
Dress: Wed2B
Grooms & Groomsmen outfits: Cavani
Bridesmaid Dresses: Wed2B
Cake: M&S
Hair: Make up by Sam
Makeup: Sister
Flowers: Larkspur Florals
Transport: Myalls and Son’s Coaches
Entertainment: Queen Bee Blues Band
A huge thank you to Lauren & Toby for sharing the beautiful details of your wedding day with us. Your energy, imagination, and love for each other made your celebration truly one of a kind—and we’re so thrilled to have been part of it! Wishing you both a lifetime of dancing, joy and adventure together!
If you are looking to book your dream eco-concious 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 dream wedding day runs perfectly to plan in our wedding venue near Bedfordshire.
