Holly & Nick

I think this is the first wedding we've shared from the lovely Hazel Gap Barn and it's safe to say I'm in love. Not only are the spaces gorgeous - think lofty high ceilings, exposed brick and lots of beams, but the decor and styling of the actual venue is just perfection. It's the lovely blank canvas of a barn venue, but with the fancy extras that come with booking a proper wedding venue for your big day. Incredible food is a given with all of the Cripps venues, and Hazel Gap is no exception, Holly & Nick served guests a BBQ bonanza complete with chocolate brownie for dessert. Yum. Images come from the lovely Anna at Pear & Bear Photography, who has really captured Holly & Nick's big day beautifully. Enjoy lovely ones!

The Venue

Holly The Bride: Having been together for 7 years when we got engaged, we didn't want to wait too long to get married and quickly set about looking for venues. When we came across an architect's drawing of Hazel Gap Barn, we were instantly hooked! We met with the planning co-ordinator and were so impressed with their professional but relaxed approach. While my mum thought we were crazy to book a venue that wasn't yet finished, we still went for it and the gamble paid off! Hazel Gap Barn is totally stunning, the help we got from the planning team and staff on the day was second to none. The venue created the perfect relaxed environment for us and we had the most incredible day that we could have wished for. Oh, and the food! Hazel Gap Barn pride themselves on simple but delicious food – we had bricks of beef cooked on the industrial scale barbeque, served with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and heavenly brownie to follow. One seasoned wedding-goer said it was the best food he’d ever eaten at a wedding.

The Stationery

My (now) husband, Nick, designed our wedding stationery, seating plan and menus. He wanted something minimal, stylish and not too twee or "weddingy".

The Bride

I bought my Linea Raffaelli dress from Shade Bridal in Nottingham and I felt the best I've ever done wearing it. Shade Bridal were fantastic - they made buying my dress and veil so special and fun but also offered lots of useful advice.   A friend recommended Sali at Mrs Moo Make-up and I'm so glad she did - Sali made us all look gorgeous and was a master at keeping us all calm. Sali in turn recommended Lucille's Locks and she did wonders with our hair. I got some fabulous earrings and a bracelet from Keishi Jewellery - the earrings contain semi-precious stones called Beryl, on that basis alone I wanted them! Our bespoke engagement and wedding rings were commissioned with Temprell.

The Photography

Through Shade we discovered the wonderful Anna from Pear & Bear Photography. Anna captured the joy of the day, and we have the most beautiful photos which we'll love forever more.

The Wedding Party

My bridesmaids wore different dresses – I wanted them to pick something they liked and could wear again and didn’t feel the need for them to wear matching outfits. My friend Ali wore a soft grey velvet dress from Ganni, while my sister wore a navy-blue dress from Monsoon. The grey and blue complemented each other perfectly, and they both looked beautiful. Nick bought suits for himself and the groomsmen from a high-street store. His sister was a grooms-women and for her we were lucky enough to get hold of the same fabric that the suits were made from, which her friend made into an amazing jumpsuit.

The Flowers

Mrs Umbels made us the beautiful, relaxed flowers that were perfectly in keeping with our relaxed wedding. She also made me a magnificent flower crown and a flower wand for my flower girl. On the tables we had cacti and succulents set inside a black metal cage, and Mrs Umbels added some eucalyptus foliage around them. We also had eucalyptus leaves picked from our own garden as confetti – a huge amount of which seemed to end up down my dress! My Dad made a magnificent three tier fruit cake, which was delicious. Mrs Umbels decorated the cake with fresh flowers so that it looked as gorgeous as it tasted.

The Entertainment

When it came to party-time Howard Rose provided the music and it went down a storm with songs that got all ages up and dancing, including a live rendition of Riptide – Vance Joy for our first dance. The band also relinquished the stage so that Nick’s Dad, brother and brother-in-law could make a special guest appearance.