Never pick your wedding venue based on loving it in its best light. It can cause you all kinds of needless worry on the run up. It’s one of the reasons I love and will always recommend Cripps Barn in Cirencester. A bit of a secluded haven when you drive it. Feeling like you are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by The Cotswold countryside, fields galore, trees and big architectural barns on site. The grounds have so much to offer when you want to welcome your favourite people to celebrate with you. However, the barn inside is equally as breath taking. Big high vaulted ceilings, stone flagged floors, with an annexe full of light. It really is a venue that can look after you whatever the weather. With the addition of fabulous chefs who cook over coals and work with locally and fine sourced produce, it’s all bases covered.

Jess and Graham, living in Berlin, wanted a wedding to be free of a lot of formalities but instead relaxed time with their closest. With family in the UK from Brighton and London, getting time to come back and spend time is just hard. They were an incredible joyous couple to be around who simply found happiness in the absorption of their friends. They were so present with them and wasted no time sweating the small stuff!

The Day

Jess and family got ready at Casina Cottage. in Coln St Aldwyns, which is a 15 minute drive to Cripps Barn. It’s next door to The New Inn but can sleep 10-12, so great to keep everyone together and its great to be able to go back to, so you cont have to cart your bits and bobs around. Amazing suspended floral ring by Rebecca Hobbs was sensational. I’ve worked with Becca several times but never here, so it was great to see her take on Cripps Barn.

A little tip. Luckily, one person who had their baby, had packed some sun cream and it was shared amongst most of the guests (always pack an emergency bottle in any vanity pack you do for your guests, its amazing how many weddings don’t have any and results in lots of red patches at the end of the night). May in the UK can mean literally anything with the weather, so prep is essential. Also the great weather meant Jess & Graham had the option of getting married outdoors, in the glade thats offered at Cripps Barn too. It’s a sheltered area away from the barn and is lovely for a secluded ceremony. It’s a toughie though as the indoor ceremony is so beautiful in the barn too. It’s definitely working through the pros and cons.

Make It Your Own

They had crackers for favours, a cereal station in the evening, bubbles for their group shot and a pair of caterpillar cakes to cut ceremoniously. Graham’s Dad was the Toast Master and booked the fabulous singing waiter to get things lively again after their dinner. But the bit I recall the most fondly, was the life size cardboard cut outs of Grahams grandparents. The journey was just too much for them to make and they were a very missed pair from the day so the BM got them as near to being there as he could. Literally, not a dry eye.

If you like my work and would like to see if we could be a great fit for your day too, I would love to hear from you. Naomi x

Thank you again for everything, it was such a great experience having you as the photographer for our wedding 🙂 We honestly would recommend you to everyone