The only thing better than hosting love stories here at Upton Barn is having the opportunity to relive them! Which is why we’re sharing a snippet from Natalie and Josh’s swoon-worthy summer celebration, hosted on Saturday 16th July 2022. The couple were spoilt with incredible sunshine for the duration of their day, so they could make the most of the outdoor space here on offer. Enjoy hearing all about Natalie & Josh’s beaut of a big day and prepare to be immersed in oodles of wedding inspo!
The minute we visited Upton we were able to envisage our wedding day and the ‘vibe’ we were going for. We wanted a natural, organic feel to the day but we also loved the industrial feel created in The Stable Barn and so we wanted to use matte black accents alongside neutral tones. We had visited a few other wedding venues beforehand, but the minute we stepped foot in the Walled Garden and met with the amazing events staff, we both just knew that this was our place. It was unpretentious whilst still feeling luxurious, we could really see us and our guests partying and the outside ceremony space was truly magical.
Natalie chose to get ready in The Paddock with her bridesmaids. The brides explains, “it was such a chilled morning with music playing, smoked salmon for breakfast and maybe a bottle of bubbles or two! The Paddock is a luxurious yet chilled space to get ready, the dedicated hair and makeup areas are heavenly and the huge Crittall windows and gorgeous interiors make for amazing photos too!” Natalie wanted a simple bridal hairstyle, opting for a low knotted bun with a long nude colour veil, embracing total bridal vibes! When it came to her bridal make-up, Laura Le Page was on hand!
I had the AMAZING Laura Le Page. She was truly worth every penny! Once again, my makeup was super natural with glowy skin, neutral eye and makeup. I wanted beachy vibes as it was so important that I still felt like me and Laura did an amazing job.
Her stunning bridal gown was ‘Milan’ by Enzoani, featuring delicate embroidery all over. “Being petite, the fit and flare style and sweetheart neckline suited me best… and was really the only style that truly made me feel like me and not like I was dressing up in my mum’s dresses! I always knew that I would never have an all over ivory/white dress and so the ivory embroidery of my dress really popped with the nude under layer of the dress.” Natalie completed the look with a pair of classic white Jimmy Choo sandals (and she wanted to make sure she chose a pair that she could wear again to remember the day).
When it came to the bouquets, it’s safe to say that we were all smitten! “Gaaaaahhhh I’m still OBSESSING over these! We used the amazing Gemma from Dried & Design who I think had a mini heart attack when I said I wanted fresh roses (haha!) Gemma did an AMAZING job of all our beautiful flowers. My bouquet were crisp white roses with gorgeous nude roses (called Quicksand roses) too, these once again complimented the dress. I wanted a super romantic style whilst still being neutral… My bridesmaids had smaller bouquets which were just the Quicksand (nude colour) roses.”
Once the bride and her tribe were aisle ready, they made their way down to our enchanting Walled Garden for the outdoor ceremony in the sunshine. “The ceremony was truly magical, to walk down the lavender filled aisle with my dad to my side and my gorgeous husband to be at the end is a memory I will never forget. The fresh smell of lavender will always remind me of our wedding day,” reminisces Natalie. “The great thing with the outside ceremony space at Upton is that it really does require minimal decoration! The lavender filled aisle takes centre stage, however we did add a little flower display and candles in hurricane glasses on the ceremony table. We also had lovely seat reservation signs (from Etsy) on certain seats which were once again on theme with a dusky rose/neutral silk ribbon. I’m a huge fan of the little things and of course attention to detail, so knowing that we were due to have hot weather I created a wicker basket full of wooden fans to help our guests stay cool throughout the ceremony and reception (these were also a lovely accessory for photos!).”
After vows had been exchanged and they were officially newlyweds, Natalie & Josh hosted an alfresco drinks reception in the Walled Garden, spoiling their guests with Blood Orange Paloma’s, Prosecco and the most delicious selection of canapés from the ever-professional Mulberry Catering team.
The happy couple then headed inside to The Stable Barn with their friends and family for their feast of a wedding breakfast, where plates were laden with honey and five spice duck breast for the main (served with seasonal veggies and roasted potatoes) and a trio of desserts, all of which were whipped up by the Mulberry Catering Co. “The speeches were laughter filled and were our opportunity to not only reflect on our relationship but also thank our nearest and dearest,” Natalie says. Drinks were flowing, food was being devoured and guests were having an absolute blast, which led everyone enthusiastically into the evening. The Busketeers took centre stage for the night, drawing guests to the dance-floor to showcase their best moves! “I cannot recommend The Busketeers enough, they even learnt and performed our very unorthodox first dance song (Timber by Kesha and Pitbull!) in their very own The Busketeers acoustic style… never did I think a Pitbull song could sound so beautiful!” The couple fuelled their guests’ dancing with dirty fries in the evening – perfect for those who were feeling a little peckish!
When it came to decorating their wedding reception in The Stable Barn, their florist was on hand to add a touch of floral luxury!
Gemma did an amazing job of the flower centrepieces. They combined dried hydrangea, pampas grass and roses. We then had matte black candle stick holders which matched so well with the black in The Stable Barn. I had dried poppy seed heads (from my dad’s garden) which made lovely little place settings and had wooden charger plates from Keeping It Vintage. The wood from the charger plates created a natural/organic feel which was once again in-keeping with The Stable Barn interiors,” explains Natalie. “I’m a big fan of signage and so Josh made an amazing matte black table plan hanging stand, we then hung the plan with leather tags (courtesy of IKEA!) and had our florist add a dried flower & rose floral installation to the corner – I must say our table plan was one of my favourite pieces!
A few words of advice from the bride & groom…
The more organised you are beforehand and the more you do throughout the early planning stages then the better! Being super organised will mean that you haven’t got a stress in the world in those special days beforehand and on the actual big day itself. Also do an itinerary/checklist of everything you need to pack to take to Upton e.g. the number of candles, candlestick holders etc… this way you know that everything is where it should be!
A huge thank you to the gorgeous Natalie and Josh for choosing Upton Barn as the backdrop to your love story! We couldn’t be more thrilled to share your celebration with our future couples! If you’re newly engaged and would like to explore the setting for yourself, we welcome you to book in a private viewing here.
