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I meet so many couples who say to me they want a ‘relaxed wedding’. No fuss, no drama. Just a chance to be with their favourite people, eat, drink, dance and have the best day ever! It’s not always as easy as it may seem, but this wedding had it down to a tee. The Barn at Drovers is a perfect place for a wholesome, family wedding. With a real emphasis on sharing good food, getting back to nature and enjoying quality time with your loved ones, it’s the perfect place to switch off and enjoy a lovely laidback wedding. And from the moment I met Caitlin & Alastair, I knew we were in for a treat, because it felt to me from the word go that they were always prioritising the right things and genuinely intent on having the most luscious, wholesome, feel good wedding possible. And that’s exactly what they did!  here are five things i loved about this wedding: A WHOLESOME WEEKEND: THE SETUP WAS PERFECT AND THIS VENUE WORKED SO WELL FOR WHAT CAITLIN & ALASTAIR WANTED! I JUST LOVE THE IDEA OF TAKING A WHOLE WEEKEND AND RETREATING TO A GORGEOUS LITTLE HIDEAWAY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS - IF I WERE TO GET MARRIED THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD DO! TIME AWAY FROM THE REAL WORLD IN A REALLY BEAUTIFUL LOCATION, SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER MOST.
THE WOODLAND: you know I’m a sucker for a woodland ceremony! There’s something really lovely about gathering everyone together under the shade of the trees, sunlight seeping through, and taking a moment to surround yourself with the love of all your fave people. It just hits right every time. THE VIBES: I love that in the daytime the feel was really laid back with a real emphasis on being able to relax, chat, eat and drink all together. The barns looked beautiful with simple flowers and candles; it was elegant but minimal and felt really cosy. But in the evening, the party came alive! With a fab band, some moodlighting and a burst of contagious energy, the dancefloor was heaving and the place was full of good vibes.
WILDFLOWERS: I HAVE SEEN MANY A ‘WILDFLOWER WEDDING’. MANY A COUPLE WHO OPT FOR THE ‘WILDFLOWER THEME’. I GUESS BECAUSE IT’S DAINTY, FLORAL, SWEET AND ROMANTIC, BUT ALSO GIVES BURSTS OF COLOUR AND LIGHT. THE FLOWERS HERE WERE ABUNDANT - ON THE MOONGATE WHICH THEY MARRIED IN FRONT OF, ALL ALONG THE AISLE IN THE WOODLAND FOR THE CEREMONY, ON THE TABLES, IN CAITLIN’S HAIR, AS A BACKDROP FOR THE PHOTOS. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY, AND IT WAS SUPER CHARMING AND PRETTY! THE TEAM: ON A SLIGHTLY SELFISH NOTE, I GOT TO WORK WITH SOME REALLY BRILLIANT PEOPLE. THE TEAM AT DROVERS ARE WONDERFUL AND HAVE A REALLY GREAT ETHOS. WORKING WITH KERRI FROM DEAREST LOVE IS ALWAYS A TOTAL DREAM (AND LOOK HOW PERFECT THEIR PICTURES ARE!). EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER SO BEAUTIFULLY. WHAT A TOTAL DREAM TEAM! SO LET ME TELL YOU HOW IT WENT DOWN...  Now, when I say this was a ‘wedding weekend’, I literally mean it! Not only is The Barn at Drovers a beautiful setting for a wedding but it provides cottages, safari tents and enough glamping for a small army! So before the wedding even began, families were gathering and enjoying their time together. They were able to meet for dinner at the Barn in Friday evening (and they came back again on Sunday for brunch, too!). So when I arrived on Saturday morning everyone was settled in and in great spirits. I made my way over to Drovers Cottage where Caitlin and the girls were getting ready - there was hair, makeup and all the usual morning busy-ness but there was a real sense of calm which was so nice to see. 
I WENT TO PUT FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE VENUE, CHECK OVER THE CEREMONY AREA, AND DELIVER SOME BUTTONHOLES TO ALASTAIR AND HIS GROOMSMEN, AND IT WASN’T LONG UNTIL GUESTS WERE BEGINNING TO ARRIVE. WHAT WAS SO LOVELY WAS THAT GUESTS WERE ABLE TO GRAB A DRINK AND MINGLE IN THE COURTYARD FOR A WHILE BEFORE HEADING OVER TO THE CEREMONY, GIVING EVERYONE A CHANCE TO CATCH UP AND GEAR UP FOR THE BIG DAY AHEAD! NO HERDING PEOPLE AROUND LIKE CATTLE FROM THE MOMENT THEY ARRIVED - IT SET THE TONE PERFECTLY FOR THE BEAUTIFUL RELAXED DAY THEY WOULD BE HAVING. 
Once everything was in place - registrars had met with both Caitlin & Alastair, our musician was ready to sing them down the aisle, and guests were getting comfy in their seats, we were ready for the ceremony to begin. I can’t begin to tell you how beautiful their woodland ceremony setup was. A short walk over from the barns, it was tucked away in the quiet of the fields and made a serene little hideaway for them to say their vows. The aisle had been dressed with wildflowers top to bottom making the prettiest little walkway, there were large urns giving big pops of colour to welcome everyone in, bunting hung between the trees, and the large floral moongate at the front made a perfect focal point for them to stand before. It was simple yet abundant, colourful yet calming. The sun shone all day long - it couldn’t have gone any better! The ceremony itself was stunning: caitlin walked down the aisle with both parents accompanied by beautiful music from Rosie Samara, some of the most luscious readings from their friends and it all ended in a huge throw of confetti as they walked back up the aisle! Delicious. 
  Ceremony complete, guests made their way back over to the main courtyard for drinks and nibbles. It was a beautiful day, perfect for sitting out in the sunshine with some fizz and some nibbles! While Caitlin & Alastair had a few quick photos taken, I roped a few groomsmen into helping me transport some of the decor from the ceremony over to the barn where we set up the floral hoop as a photo backdrop and made sure we repurposed as much as we possibly could. After a quick stop to chat with the horses, our gorgeous bride and groom soon joined us for their drinks reception by the barn. 
  The majority of the afternoon was spent catching up with old friends and reconnecting with family over drinks in the sunshine, the whiff of the food smoking away wafting over the courtyard as it cooked on the open fire, and the sounds of the sax filling the air. Isn’t that just the most perfect afternoon?! Once the food was ready to be served, we called everyone into what is known as the ‘posh barn’ for dinner and speeches. It looked so pretty with the wildflower bud vases and the candlelight flickering, and the food looked (and tasted!) absolutely incredible. There’s still nothing much special than having a gorgeous dinner with your favourite people, and I could tell we had some very happy faces! 
  Bellies full, dinner over, everyone headed back outside where cocktails were served. Caitlin & Alastair also opted to cut the cake (a fabulous homemade wildflower cake done by a family friend!), so that this could be cut and served for everyone to enjoy with tea and coffee as the evening drew in. To allow everyone a little time to relax, but also to keep them all entertained, there were little puzzles and crosswords for people to fill in and sweet little activities if they wanted to get involved. I thought it would all be lovely and lighthearted, but as soon as they heard there were prizes up for grabs it all became very competitive! Whilst this was all going on, Caitlin & Alastair stepped back outside for a few more photos, and this time not on their own but joined by the Drovers Rest alpacas! These might be some of my favourite photos from any wedding I have ever done - it was the cherry on the top of a fabulous day! Sun beginning to set, they were able able to get some GORGEOUS golden hour photos before we got the evening underway…  
  
When the band were ready and guests were in the mood for some dancing, the night got off with a bang! Caitlin & Alastair made an entrance into the ‘party barn’ and led into a brilliant first dance to Love On Top, before everyone eagerly joined them on the dancefloor! I have to say, if you’re looking for a good band for your wedding, Tux Fizz are brilliant! They brought so much energy, were amazingly talented, literally sparkled the whole night, and got everyone so engaged. There were some insane dance moves and some, shall we say, interesting voices on the mic! It was so great to see everyone having such a brilliant time. 
 Everything taken care of, I left them on the dancefloor looking very content and having the best time. I genuinely didn’t want to tear myself away (if it wasn’t for a 90 min drive home and a flight to Ibiza the next morning, I think I might have stayed!). I can’t tell you how much I loved working with Caitlin & Alastair, what a brilliant team they chose for their day, and how grateful I am to have been a part of this wedding. A brilliant venue, lush location, and being surrounded by beautiful people. It’s literally why I love my job as much as I do. Thanks so much, Caitlin & Alastair! 
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Hope you enjoy reading my blog. This is where I share all the gorgeous weddings I've been doing, as well as a few other tips and bits too! Previously...
October 2025
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