“We had a few non-negotiables in terms of what we were looking for in our wedding venue, and as soon as I saw The Walled Garden at Orchardleigh online I knew it would be a strong contender. We had quite a big guest list, so a lot of places had to be ruled out simply because they couldn’t accommodate our numbers. We knew we wanted some accommodation on site, and that the layout for the reception room felt open. It was also important that the bar was easily accessible in the same room as the dancefloor to keep everyone together. My (now) husband was also adamant that with a July wedding there was adequate air conditioning 😊.
In terms of styling, it was important to us that our day reflected us as a couple. I’d describe it as, if our friends and family had walked around not knowing it was our wedding, I’d have hoped they would have been able to guess anyway, and that they would walk away saying the day oozed Scott and I’s personalities. We had Fleetwood-Mac themed invitations, a personally chosen gin bar during reception drinks, a Sean Paul “Like Glue” entrance, homemade skittle vodka shot favours on the tables, and of course, our now infamous wedding breakfast playlist! I will always remember the whole room singing The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me Baby” back at me whilst the starters were being served. The music was loud, people were up dancing and it was a party atmosphere from start to finish, exactly how we wanted it!” – Joanna and Scott
Full Supplier List in the footer.
Some wedding planning tips from the Bride, Joanna…
My advice to anyone going through the planning process would be that, in my opinion, the top three things that make a great wedding haven’t changed much….
- People – Make sure you have the people you want there, and if venues can’t accommodate your numbers, don’t sacrifice not being able to invite people for a place. There are loads of beautiful venues so just keep searching!
- Food & Drinks – Choose the food & drink you want for your wedding breakfast and but don’t worry about splashing out on things like canapés and champagne during reception drinks. When I was fretting over wanting the more expensive canapés my husband said to me “Think back to a wedding you went to 3 years ago… can you remember what the canapés were or whether it was champagne or prosecco?” he was right, I couldn’t!
- Music is key! Whether a string quartet is your vibe, a steel band or acoustic guitar player, or even just a well put together iPod playlist, having a good selection of tunes sets the mood and tone for any event. We spent over £1000 on two sets of live musicians, one for during reception drinks and then some live singers in the evening and are SO pleased we did.
And finally some very kind words too…
“I couldn’t recommend Barney enough! From the moment we met, my now Husband and I both felt completely at ease with him, and that our wedding photography was in safe hands. After all, you can only capture those moments once!
Barney can be described as nothing less than an expert in his field. On the day, he coordinated so much behind the scenes with our venue, videographer etc. to ensure we captured great shots at the right time. As a couple who don’t sit easily in front of the camera, he made us feel completely comfortable which meant a lot.
If you are looking for real, natural, unstaged wedding photography with a down to earth guy, look no further, Barney is your man!”
Supplier List
Photography: South West Wedding Photographer Barney Walters.
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Walled Garden at Orchardleigh Estate
Videographer: Red Carpet Cinematography
MUA: Kayleigh Marsh
Hair Stylist: Gemma Scott
Reception Drinks Band/DJ: Jason Darling
Evening Band/DJ: Scott Richardson
Florist: Norma @The Lily Locket
Cake: The Cheese Shed
Dress Designer: Grace Loves Lace
Light Up Lights: The Word Is Love
