The Old Kent Barn Wedding with Bride in Off The Shoulder Wedding Dress

Photography by Olegs Samsonovs Photography

Just 24 hours before Elsie and Nuno were due to get married at The Old Kent Barn, the U.K was put into Lockdown. Even though they had to cut short their wedding day, and some of their family and friends couldn't make it, they had the best day infused with their Guinea-Bissau and Zimbabwean cultures and were so joyful and thankful to just be married.

Magnolia tree at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Fairy curtain back drop and floral moon gate

Aisle and altar wedding decor at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Bride in floral getting ready robe having her hair down on the wedding morning

Bridesmaids on the wedding morning in floral getting ready robes

Groom in navy suit and burgundy tie for The Old Kent barn wedding

Groom holding heart ring box with wedding bands

Bride on wedding morning in off the shoulder wedding dress

Beautiful bride in lace long sleeve wedding dress

Bridesmaids in burgundy dresses sitting on a bench

Bride and brother in a taxi on the way to the wedding ceremony

Gold glitter wedding shoes with bows at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Wedding ceremony bridal entrance at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Groom waiting at the altar for his bride

Emotional wedding ceremony at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Little boy ring bearer in navy suit at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Bride and groom exchanging vows in front of their floral moon gate

Bride and groom smiling during the wedding ceremony at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Bride and groom walking up the aisle as husband and wife at The Old Kent Barn

Bride and groom walking up the aisle as husband and wife

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What Made Our Day Unique
Firstly, we had a multicultural wedding right in the middle of a pandemic. On the morning of our wedding, the reception was cancelled which automatically made our day unique. Although this was a complete and utter shock our family and friends kept the right energy and celebrated with us even though we would only be celebrating half a day. We had the right suppliers that made the best out of a very different situation that no one had probably encountered before. Despite everything that was going on in the world around us, we somehow managed to say our ' I dos', this impacted our souls and made us extremely thankful.
Elsie & Nuno

The Old Kent Barn wedding reception decor

Round tables at The Old Kent Barn wedding reception

Lantern and floral centrepiece on tree slice at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Classic four tier wedding cake on Tree stump cake stand

Lantern centrepiece filled with white and green wedding flowers

Giant E&N light up letters at The Old Kent Barn

Bride and groom dancing under a confetti bomb

Confetti bomb dance floor moment at The Old Kent Barn

Bride and groom dancing at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Groom feeding his bride the wedding cake at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Bride and groom portrait in front of a floral moon gate

Intimate bride and groom portrait by Olegs Samsonovs Photography

Bride and groom golden hour portrait in front of a floral moon gate at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Beautiful bride in off the shoulder wedding dress with long sleeves at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Intimate bride and groom portrait by Olegs Samsonovs

Beautiful black bride in off the shoulder wedding dress with long sleeves and full skirt for The Old Kent Barn wedding

Bridal party portrait with bridesmaids in burgundy dresses at The Old Kent Barn wedding

Bride and bridesmaids portrait by Olegs Samsonovs

Page Boys in navy suits and burgundy ties like the groomsmen

Special Moment
Despite all of the havoc and rush we were in, my husband wrote me a beautifully worded letter that brought me to tears and ruined my makeup & he also bought me a charm that simply stated 'wife'. I just could not believe that despite all of the uncertainty of our wedding and how busy we had been due to the pandemic he somehow found the time to write me a letter. This letter was amazing because even though I had not seen him the morning of the wedding, reading it made me feel so close him. It was as though every thought I felt towards him in that very moment was reciprocated. Even though it felt as though the wedding was crumbling our love, joy and peace were unshaken.
Elsie & Nuno

The Old Kent Barn

With less than 24 hours notice Elsie and Nuno had to cut short their original wedding day at The Old Kent Barn at the end of March to ensure they were adhering to government lockdown restrictions. But as soon as it was safe to do so Olegs Samsonovs Photography arranged a complimentary photoshoot with them at their venue so they could wear their African inspired outfits and reminisce about their day. Both the wedding captures and photography session portraits are incredible. They look soo happy and were just grateful to be able to say their vows.

Inspiration & Styling
The vibe of our day was primarily based upon our cultures, Nuno is Portuguese originally from Guinea-Bissau, and I am British Zimbabwean. We aimed to have music, clothing and aspects of our ceremony that would depict our cultures, however with the classic touch and elements of my favourite colours burgundy & blush. My in-laws sang me a song and clothed us in traditional clothing that had some bright gorgeous colours. We also had African attires that clearly showed off our cultures and slightly deviated from the traditional white dress.
Elsie & Nuno

Bride and groom smoke bomb portraits at The Old Kent barn

Bride and groom smoke bomb portrait by Olegs Samsonovs

Bride and groom holding pink and orange smoke flares at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Bride and groom holding smoke flares at The Old Kent Barn

Groom in navy suit and bride in wedding dress with front split holding coloured smoke flares

Bride and groom in traditional African wedding robes at The Old Kent Barn

Bride and groom in traditional African wedding attire

Bride and groom portraits at The old Kent Barn

Portrait session at The Old Kent Barn by Olegs Samsonovs Photography

Bride and groom portraits in the courtyard of The Old Kent Barn

Portrait of bride and groom kissing by Olegs Samsonovs Photography

Bride and groom walking through the grounds at The Old Kent Barn wedding venue

Advice
Please enjoy the planning process. Enjoy every interaction, your food tasting and choosing your suppliers. Remind each other why you're getting married throughout the journey. At the time he proposed we would have never dreamt that a pandemic would be taking place. The most important aspect for us was being joined together in marriage, in the eyes of God, the law our families & friends. Although some of our family & friends were unable to make it and the day did not go exactly as planned, we had the best day of our lives because we were joyful and thankful for what we had and no one can take that away from you.
Elsie & Nuno

If you need help adjusting your plans to fit in with the current government guidelines, please read our article on downscaling your wedding. Remember downscaling doesn't mean there should be any less of a celebration, you can still have a memorable day.