Natalie & Jake's Wedding at Bake Barn

It always makes me happy when fellow suppliers recommend me to their couples. Mark and Sara from Atlas Photographywere booked to capture Natalie and Jake’s special day and with it being a true DIY wedding they suggested they get in touch with me to see how I could help them. It is great to meet and work with new suppliers but it is always a joy to work with the ones I already know and love. Having worked together before it means we know we work well together and naturally have the same work ethics and couple goals as one another…

Hearing all about Natalie and Jake’s wedding plans and where their wedding was taking place, I was really excited. I had never been to or co-ordinated a wedding at Bake Barn on the Fonthill Estate in Wiltshire before.

Visiting beforehand to look around and see how Natalie and Jake had set it up, I was blown away, it was simply stunning. The most beautiful barn tucked away where no one would pass. Surrounded by open fields and an old open barn there were so many opportunities to have some alone time and capture some beautiful couple shots.

On the morning of Natalie and Jake’s wedding the team and I arrived early to check everything was where it should be and so I could show my team around. Natalie and Jake were using the main barn for their wedding ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception, so there would be lots of room changes throughout the day. The ceremony had already been set up and looked incredible with lots of mismatched chairs belonging to Jake’s mum.

Outside the bar area had already been set up as much as possible and all the outdoor styling props were in place. On the lawn area were some garden games from Jake's work which had been positioned next to the haybale seating area which had been supplied by Bales 4 Events.

Both Natalie and Jake were really creative and wanted to make as much as they could for their DIY wedding themselves. In front of the main doors stood the most stunning wooden arch that Jake had been busy making ready for their big day.

Between them they decorated it with fairy lights and Floral Rebellion arranged an incredible dried floral cloud at the top.

Jake had also made the wooden frame for their table-plan.

Meeting with some of Natalie and Jake’s family friends who had offered to cater for their wedding, I made sure they were ok and had everything they needed. Not long after, the registrar arrived to speak with Jake in the loft room prior to the ceremony and then to Natalie in her wedding car when she arrived.

The bridesmaids and Natalie’s mum soon arrived in a VW camper van driven by Jake's step-dad...

...with Natalie following behind in a classic car with her dad.

Wanting to save money where they could and with Natalie being extremely creative and a whizz on a sewing machine she made the bridesmaids forest green skirts and headpieces herself.

Not only that but Natalie had also made Jake and the groomsmen's waistcoats.

Frustratingly for Natalie when she arrived she realised she had left her bouquet in the house where she was getting ready. To resolve this there was a quick trip back to pick it up before she could walk down the aisle.

As the guests arrived we greeted them and directed them into the barn ready for the ceremony whilst we waited for the missing bouquet!

With the bouquet handed over and all the guests sat, it was time for Natalie and Jake’s big moment. Whilst their friend played the guitar at the front of the barn, I stood outside and helped with the timings of everyone walking down the aisle. It is always a good idea to leave a short gap in between each person or couple so your photographer can capture your important people individually, rather than a train of people all at once.

No ceremony arch was needed for Natalie and Jake’s wedding as the barn has a very beautiful and grand brick fireplace which you can dress as you wish. Natalie and Jake had decorated it with vases of dried flowers, an array of fairy lights and different sized battery operated candles which we had turned on when we arrived.

Once the ceremony was over and the signing of the register had taken place, Natalie and Jake were now...

Making their way up the aisle and outside as husband and wife, their guests followed behind.

Walking a loop, Natalie and Jake sneaked back inside and upstairs to have a few minutes to themselves whilst I took the ladder down to Mark and Sara who were gathering the guests for the confetti shot. With everyone in place and the confetti handed out, I dashed upstairs to get Natalie and Jake so they could make their way through the confetti tunnel.

Prosecco and beers at the ready my team kept the guests topped up during the drinks reception whilst the groomsmen did their job of handing around the canapés.

This was also the perfect time for the groomsmen to have some fun on the wall!

During the drinks reception Natalie and Jake also had a little and rather fluffy visitor arrive to congratulate them, their golden retriever Hendricks. I love it when couples include their pets in their big day, I always say ‘why not?’, I mean they are a big part of your lives too.

Whilst the drinks reception took place, myself and the rest of my team set to changing the ceremony room into the wedding breakfast. There was quite a lot to do with wheeling in additional tables, putting the chairs around and laying all the tables with pre-made labelled boxes of what was needed for each one.

A good ‘top tip’ to anyone planning room turnarounds. Make up individual table boxes with everything that is needed for each table. When time is limited you will be thankful you did this as it will help ensure your tables are laid quickly and in plenty of time for the next important part of your day.

Adding the centrepieces, children’s activity packs and favours of sloe gin, the room was ready for everyone to take a seat.

With everyone sat it was now time for Natalie and Jake to be announced into their wedding breakfast.

Natalie and Jake had chosen to have a cream tea using a mix of twee crockery, teacups, teapots and cake stands with vintage glassware and cutlery. The fact none of it matched gave it more of a personal touch and it looked perfect in the barn setting.

On the head table sat Natalie and Jake’s wedding cake which had been made by a family friend. Once Natalie and Jake had cut it, it was taken into the kitchen to be cut into smaller pieces and served as one of their cake choices for their cream tea.

With my team serving the wedding breakfast we brought out the different elements to the cream tea in stages. We started with the sandwiches and followed on with the scones, cream and jam. Finishing off with a selection of homemade cakes and slices of Natalie and Jake’s wedding cake.

Ensuring the wine and water flowed as well as plenty of tea and coffee, it was soon time to clear the tables ready for the speeches. Finding the mic and putting it on the head table for when they were ready, it wasn’t long before the heartfelt words and funny stories began.

As the speeches came to an end the evening suppliers arrived, so I was able to greet them and show them where to set up. The evening hog roast Salisbury Hog Roastwent to the right of the bricked entrance and the crepe van Pan Crepesto the left. Natalie and Jake’s guests were certainly being spoilt with plenty of delicious food to see them through their day.

The portable photo booth company Picture Blast also arrived and I showed them where they could set up their selfie pod, album and props in the entrance hall.

As soon as everyone had finished their cream tea, we asked the guests to make their way outside to get a drink from the Loggia where two of my team were serving from.

Whilst the guests got themselves a drink, mingled and played games in the courtyard the rest of my team moved the room around once again.

Clearing the tables and with the help from the groomsmen we wheeled most of the tables outside and out of the way leaving space for the band Mister Shakes to set up in front of the fireplace. Pushing the rest of the tables and chairs to the sides of the room it gave the guests somewhere to sit during the evening once their dancing feet were sore!

There is one other job I always like to do and that is to make sure guests have signed the wedding book or whatever it is my couples have chosen to do. From signed picture frames, to puzzle pieces, your classic wedding book or wooden hearts, there are so many options to choose from. It always seems such a shame to me when guests don’t realise where they are and they get forgotten. With that in mind and chatting to Jake’s mum, she asked one of the groomsmen to take Natalie and Jake’s box of hearts around to all of their guests so they could each leave them a message to make up their picture frame.

With everyone enjoying their evening food and chilling in the courtyard, the band were soon ready to play and encourage everyone on the dance floor. This was our queue that everyone was happy, all the jobs had been done and it was time for us to say our ‘Goodbyes’. Handing over the bar to two of Natalie and Jake's friends that had come along to help, we packed up our bags and left Natalie and Jake to have an amazing night with their friends and family.

These fabulous images from Atlas Photography say it all...

Receiving Natalie and Jakes review after their big day was a joy to read.

"Tasha helped us to create our perfect dream wedding day!

She was recommended to us by two separate people (including our photographers who work with a LOT of co-ordinators and recommended only her). Tasha and her team made our day run so smoothly - she was working her magic in the background the whole time, and proved to be a necessity on our day. I now have the best memories of our day being just wonderful thanks to her taking on all the work behind the scenes! "

I love to hear how happy my couples are and that we have helped ensure their day is stress free and just as they want it.

The great thing about Bake Barn is it is a true DIY venue and blank canvas for you to do whatever you want with the space. It is these types of venue that mean you might need some additional help with jobs or you just need someone there to take the pressure away and ensure your day runs smoothly. If you think you might need some extra helping hands on your special day, wherever it might be, then don’t hesitate to get in touch so we can chat through how my team and I can help. No one wants to give their loved ones a list of jobs to do, so let me do them for you!