Real Wedding - Clare and Craig’s Rustic Summer Wedding At Bassmead Manor Barns

A delightful rustic theme was the perfect choice for this beautiful barn wedding venue in Cambridgeshire. See how this couple made their day at Bassmead Manor Barns extra-special.

“We chose Bassmead Manor Barns because I had always thought a converted barn would be the perfect place to get married. I also wanted everyone to be together, whether guests were dancing, talking or sitting. Bassmead Manor Barns’ layout enabled this so everyone felt part of the wedding no matter where they were. When we first went to look around the Rickety Barn, where the wedding ceremony would be held, it made me cry. The rustic beauty of the barn just made it feel really special - I got that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. We wanted something a bit different in terms of food and the venue was really flexible when selecting the package we wanted.” – Clare

“The look of the day was rustic to match the authentic character of the venue and we chose a colour scheme of dusky pink and green. We thought a rustic theme not only reflected us as we are quite laid back, but also helped our guests feel relaxed and at ease too. I made a lot of the decorations myself with the help of my bridesmaids. We had a memory table of those that couldn’t be with us, a chalkboard to tell people the order of the day and signs along the drive to the venue that told our story to name but a few! As a nod to Craig’s job in organic chemistry, we had an apothecary table as our seating plan and lots of mismatched bottles with personalised cocktail recipes as wedding favours.” - Clare

“When it came to dress shopping, I really wanted lace, but ended up getting something completely different. The dress I chose in the end was by Justin Alexander and it was heavily beaded in an intricate pattern. I found it in a wedding magazine and I just knew I had to try it on. I paired it with dusky pink shoes by Kurt Geiger and wore a blue ring from my Mother-in-law. It was my something borrowed and something blue.” – Clare

“We tied the knot in the Rickety Barn and celebrated with drinks and canapés in the beautiful gardens. We chose mojitos and berry blush and served crispy risotto balls, deep-fried crispy pork belly, mini fish and chips and ricotta and spinach with roasted pine nuts while an acoustic guitarist created a relaxing atmosphere. We had an incredible wedding breakfast in the Bridge Barn which included a sharing board of roast forerib of beef and fondant potato. It gave the day a more interactive twist as one person from each table was nominated to carve. We also had a surprise course of lemon sorbet with a shot of gin to cleanse the palate before a decadent trio of desserts.” - Clare

“If I could pass on any advice to future couples, it would say don’t stress about the small stuff. No one is going to notice that you forgot something little, they are all there for you and everything else you do is just an added bonus. Make sure you try and speak to your guests while you’re there too, we found that the wedding breakfast was the best time for this. If I could do anything differently it would be to step back and take it all in. People always tell you how fast your wedding goes but it’s true so make the most of it!” – Clare