A lovely Summer barn wedding

9th July 2021 marked the date Joe & Tara got married at Southlands Barn, a beautiful wedding venue just outside Chichester, West Sussex. Here is their wedding story:

Tell us about the Proposal:

We finally got the keys to our first house on the 23rd January 2019, Joe picked the keys up during the day and once I had finished work, we went to the house together. To my surprise there were a beautiful bunch of flowers and a card in the bay window. I opened the card which read "turn around" as I turned around, I was met by Joe down on one knee holding out the ring and of course I said.... yes.

What drew us to the venue?

I was scrolling through facebook (as you do) and saw southlands barn advertising an open evening/Wedding fair, discussed it with joe and after some persuasion we decided to go, dad tagged along to. When we arrived at the venue we immediately knew this was the place for us. As we walked around looking at all the other wedding vendors that were advertising, the main barn was captivating and beautifully presented with an emphasis on fairytale lighting. We met the owners Phil and Jamie, who were so friendly, charismatic and easy going. From that moment we knew they would do all that they could to make the day what we wanted, and they didn't disappoint. Southlands barn gave us the rustic/countryside, relaxed feeling we were looking for with amazing scenery.

Did it take us long to find the perfect venue?

We were lucky, Southlands barn was the first venue we looked at and we fell in love with it, so no not long at all.

What was the most challenging part of organising the big day?

COVID Restrictions and knowing exactly what we were allowed to do e.g did the bridesmaids have to wear a mask going down the aisle? Also, TRANSPORT, everyone else seemed to be rather stressed about how we were all going to get there but we had it all under control.

Knowing it was the right dress?

I tried on dresses in two different dress shops in the style I thought I wanted, third time lucky we went to Eva Rose where after trying on more dresses my mum and sister-in-law suggested and wanted me to try on this simple but elegant dress. I looked in the mirror and knew by their reactions and how it made me feel that this was the dress.

Who supplied the Groom and Groomsmen's suits and was there a particular style you were looking for?

Astares, having used them before as I was an usher in two family weddings, we already knew that they could deliver exactly what we wanted, sticking with the colour scheme, lilac and navy, we went with navy suits for the ushers with a lilac tie and for myself, an indigo tweed with a blush pink check.

Did we always want to get married?

Yes! Having both grown up with parents in long lasting marriages' we wanted it for ourselves.

Who provided the wedding flowers?

Sussex roses, who were conveniently located over the road from the venue! Tara's favourite flower is a sunflower, so we had that incorporated into the bouquets and centerpieces along with different lilac coloured flowers, with white gypsophila and green leaves.

Stand out and cherished moments:

The moment Tara came down the aisle and our eyes met, we immediately felt at ease and the nerves melted away. Having all of our family there as this was the first time we could all meet after all the restrictions, which made the day even more precious!

Tips for other couples.

Relax, enjoy every moment as the day will fly by so fast and remember the most important factor is you're getting married to the person you love, don't get distracted by everyone else saying what you should or shouldn't do!

List of vendors:

Southlands Barn - Venue
Gourmet Chef - Caterer
Sussex Roses - Flowers
Darren Gritton - Photographer
Orla James - Wedding Rings
Astares - Suits
Eva Rose - Wedding Dress
Ali Baker The Cake Maker - Wedding Cake
Jenna Woodward - Hairdresser
Frankie Meredith - Makeup and Lashes