Zoe & Daniel met at Uni and tied the knot eleven years later in a beautiful wedding ceremony in our rustic Old Dairy. Their lilac colour scheme was perfectly complimented by stunning flowers and pretty pastel bunting in the barns. We caught up with them to hear how they planned their beautiful Spring Wedding!
Date of your wedding: 21st April 2023
Time of your ceremony: 14:00
Location of your ceremony: Old Dairy
We’d love to hear your first date stories and how you first met?
We met in 2012 on the second day of starting our studies at the University of Leicester. We had many lectures together and our friendship groups came together for nights. Two months later we were boyfriend and girlfriends and only then went on our classic “first date” to Nandos and the cinema.
Which parts of the venue you used for your big day?
We had the ceremony in the beautiful old dairy. It was beautiful! The sky lights added in over the winter made the room nice and bright. It was a good temperature and a perfect for our guest numbers. The photos of the ceremony look fantastic.
We were outside for the drinks reception and had the garden bar open. Our guests were having a great time with the drinks and nibbles. It was ideal for mingling and saying hello to everyone.
The wedding breakfast and evening entertainment were in the Tudor barn which was beautifully set up with the help of Fleur de Lace and some golden dinosaurs. Everything flowed so easily and we were able to use the projector for the best man’s speech. The dance floor and barn in the evening created a fantastic atmosphere.
We also used the courtyard for some wedding themed mini golf provided by Par Tee Events. It was a great place to set up and get the guests involved.
Which was your favourite spot for wedding photos?
There are a million awesome spots for wedding photos. The best spot we found was during the twilight photos going out into the gardens and where the blossom trees were in bloom and catching the sunset in the background.
Tell us about any special colour schemes and the theme you had for your wedding day?
We had a lilac colour scheme for the flowers, button holes, bridesmaid dresses etc. This worked great for the sunny spring wedding at South Farm. For our table decorations us and the parents got creative with a dinosaur table theme. We designed the table signs and plans. We then spray painted around 150 toy dinosaurs gold and used the table decorations with homemade flowery centerpieces to go with them. We even hid some of the dinosaurs in the toilets and on the driveway coming into South Farm. The guests loved the weirdness of it. Most of them stole dinosaurs to take home! It was nice to see pictures of people giving them to their kids to play with the next day or putting them on display in their homes.
How did you first hear about South Farm and what made you choose our venue for your wedding day?
We just googled East Anglia wedding venues and searched through the websites of every single one. South Farm had a great website and were really good at communicating to arrange a viewing. When we visited on the day, we immediately felt the warm welcome from the staff and their desire to give us the perfect day. The venue itself is stunning!
The Old Dairy as well as the outside wedding area looked fab and the Tudor barn sells itself as a great place for a party in the evening. All of the little quirky features like the pigs, the sheep, the caravans the steam engine make this place so special! You can really see the staff have focused on every single detail in making the venue perfect.
Tell us some detail about your special day?
There wasn’t a wedding the day before ours so we were lucky enough to be able to set up the day before. As soon as we arrived on the day Helen our events manager was there to welcome both of us and make sure everything was in place. It was raining at the time so we discussed with Helen and agreed for the ceremony to be in the Old Dairy. The suppliers we used were familiar with South Farm so they didn’t even need guidance from us on how to set up. Getting ready was easy.
The guests arrived and Daniel and the Ushers welcomed them and directed them to the Old Dairy. The ceremony was beautiful in the old dairy and the sun was beaming through the windows. After that we went to the front of the house for the confetti shots and family photos. We then had a sunny drinks reception in the garden with the outdoor bar. After mingling for some time we went away with Cat our photographer and got some amazing photos around the venue whilst our guests were directed to the Tudor barn for the wedding breakfast.
We were then announced in as Mr & Mrs Holland before speeches and then the food. All of our guests thought the food was stunning for all three courses. Big shout out to the dessert medley yum yum yum! After this we had tea and coffee with Par Tee Events providing mini golf in the courtyard which was the perfect place for everyone to get involved. Whilst our guests were golfing we went for some twilight photos around South Farm and found some more beautiful shots. The evening guests arrived and the kebab bar was the perfect evening food. Then all we had to do was cut the cake and dance the night away.
How did you feel on the day?
So happy, so relaxed, so perfect! Helen and the whole South farm team made everything flow so well and so easily. They took all the stresses away! As soon as they noticed we didn’t have a drink they offered us one. They kept everything on time but were flexible to our request as well.
It felt like the perfect day from start to finish. Our guests looked like they were having fun all the time and the atmosphere was fantastic.
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding?
Daniel: My most memorable moment was the beautiful ceremony in the old dairy. I remember turning around and seeing Zoe walk down the aisle looking incredible and the sun beaming through the skylights and lighting up the room. The perfect moment.
How did you choose your ceremony and first dance music?
Daniel’s brother, one of the groomsmen played acoustic guitar for the ceremony music. He brought his own equipment and the South Farm team helped him set up. It worked really well in the old dairy.
Our first dance song was Love Story by Taylor Swift. A song we had danced and screamed to on many a night out before. It has about a minute of slow build up to dance to then picks up half way through to allow the rest of the guests to join in.
How many bridesmaids did you have and how did you ask them to be your bridesmaids?
We had three groomsmen. Daniel’s two brothers and his best man Kenny. Daniel asked Kenny to be best man at a pub quiz in Birmingham. Zoe bought her two bridesmaids a personalized bridesmaid gift box and gave it to them for Christmas.
How did you pick your best men and ushers?
Daniel is very close with his two brothers so they were always going to be ushers. We chose Kenny because he was one of the most excited people when told him we were getting married. He was very enthusiastic about the wedding and always asking questions. We knew he would be fab at organizing a great stag do (the stagosaurus), delivering a great speech and being supportive throughout.
How many speeches did you have and do you have any advice for anyone giving a speech?
We decided to opt for traditional speeches with the father of bride, groom and then best man. We did them before the meal so we could relax and enjoy the food more. 10 mins for each speech was perfect. South farm provided a projector for the best man speech was great fun.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Nothing at all.
What are your top tips for other couples?
Your event manager and the South Farm team are so helpful, they will make the day feel so easy.
Have a “nickable element”. We had gold spray painted dinosaurs which looked great and everyone too home as souvenirs.
Stick together all day! Talk to all of your guests together. Sneak off for a break together if you need a moment away from the madness.
Where did you go on honeymoon?
We hired a beautiful romantic cottage near bath with a hot tub for 4 nights for our mini-moon. We visited Bath and Bristol and spent the time relaxing and eating all the naughty food we were trying not to eat before the wedding.
We have also planned a once in a lifetime trip to Australia and New Zealand for our big honeymoon.
Suppliers
Photographer: Cat Lane
Videographer: Weddit Films
Dress: David’s Bridal
Grooms & Groomsmen outfits: Peter Posh Suit Hire Birmingham
Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal
Cake: A Baker – Cakes tendering
Flowers: Julie Cambridge
Entertainment: DJ Gary, Par Tee Events
What a beautiful wedding day & perfectly styled by our lovely bride and groom, Zoe & Daniel. Their Spring Wedding photos are a treat and we love their beautiful pastel colour scheme – so perfect for the season!
If you are looking to book your dream 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 are perfect for intimate weddings or larger guest numbers. We offer exclusive use for your wedding day, guaranteeing you complete privacy for your wedding. What’s more, our friendly, experienced team will make sure your dream wedding day runs perfectly to plan in our wedding venue in Hertfordshire.
