CLAIRE + WILL
A Cherry Barn Wedding With A Boho/Foodie Twist
I’ve been so excited to share this Cherry Barn wedding because it’s full of foodie wedding inspiration + a bunch of great relaxed wedding ideas. There’s also a glory hole but I don’t wanna give any context to that statement so I’ll just let the wedding photography explain later. The Cherry Barn is a beautiful 17th-century oak framed barn just outside of Rye in East Sussex. It’s such a perfect venue for couples looking for a barn venue within reach of London whilst simultaneously escaping London to a stunning view of the countryside through the orchard. As if staring into nature’s abyss wasn’t relaxing enough, The Cherry Barn can be rented for 48 hours + it’s all yours …so you don’t need to worry about any prep or pack away time. If you’re not sold yet then I’ve saved the best feature of The Cherry Barn till last… the teeny tiny bridge. You can call it a “bridal bridge” but you don’t have to. I don’t know why bridges became so popular with wedding venues? One possible explanation I’ve come up with is that wedding coordinators are actually little trolls that live under these bridges. I didn’t actually look under the bridge so it’s entirely possible that my theory is true until I’m proven wrong. I guess it’s also entirely possible that there’s a bridge there so that the bride wouldn’t have to swim to the venue but we shall forever live in wonder.
Cherry Barn Wedding Suppliers
Photographer – Chris Barber
Planner/Stylist – Dita Rosted
Venue – The Cherry Barn in Rye
Wedding Dress – Grace Loves Lace
Shoes – Kurt Geiger
Groom – Beggars Run
Bridesmaids – House of Fraser
Flowergirls – Monsoon
Florist – Flowers in Rye
Entertainment – The Boogie Brother
Rings – Flawless Fine Jewellery Hatton Garden
Caterer – Will (the groom) + 2 of his friends
Stationery – Hire Love / Dita Rosted
Hair Stylist – Alison Smith Bridal Beauty
East Sussex Barn Wedding Venues
Claire + Will first got in touch with me through Dita Rosted, who is a total ninja at planning laid-back, fun weddings with a creative twist. Sometimes wedding planning + on-the-day coordination can be super overwhelming, so I’d definitely recommend giving Dita a big ol’ Scandic hello (or “Hej!”) so you can focus on just getting the most out of your day whilst she takes care of all the logistics, catering + styling.
Claire + Will met in 2014 whilst they were both working as actors + musicians in a musical rendition of Dracula. I love working with creative couples + photographing any couple with a background in the performing arts absolutely never fails to leave my face aching after a wedding. I work with couples who tend to be more camera-shy + introverted so it sort of feels like cheating when I photograph a wedding where people aren’t literally hiding from the camera. We jumped on a call (why do people say that?!) + Claire shared endless wedding planning banter which had me in stitches. I also found out that she calls Will “Pidge”, which is a term of endearment we share – presumably because we’re both resourceful + love the city + not because we’re disease carrying bird vermin. Anyway, based on Claires surname… I affectionately refer to them as Pretzel + Pidge. Fun fact: It was Claire that actually proposed to Will. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it because SH** LIKE THAT SHOULD BE NORMAL BY NOW. Plus….after hearing 15 years of proposal stories…trust me when I say that men are generally pretty awful at proposing.
Foodie Wedding Ideas
We need to talk about the food at this wedding…because long-term relationship commitments are important but food is the real reason for a wedding. As Will + Claire’s chair placements said “sharing food is the most intimate act you can perform with your clothes on.” Will is a chef which naturally meant that he had the opportunity to invite his closest friends + family to “masticate with willy”…I laughed wayyyy harder than I should at any sign ever.
Cherry Barn Wedding Inspiration
This Cherry Barn wedding ceremony was everything that a ceremony should be: personal + full of emotion. Rather than filling the ceremony with random readings, they invited Will’s Mum + Claire’s Mum + Dad to give mini speeches. Parents speeches tend to be more sentimental, so it felt totally right for these heart-felt speeches to happen when everyone is already an emotional wreck + save the roasting of the groom till at least dinner time. Once Pidge had eventually stopped crying, Linda the celebrant went on to deliver a super personalised ceremony that didn’t leave a dry eye in the barn.
The happy couple exited the ceremony whilst being splattered with bubbles + definitely not the spit + saliva of all their friends + family. Claire + Will were ill for weeks afterwards but at least we collectively saved Mother Nature from non-biodegrable confetti. Just kidding – they were fine + bubbles are fun for kids + adults alike.
“WE DIDN’T WANT STUFFY OVERLY POSED PHOTOS”
“We knew Chris was the one the moment I saw his stuff online. We always knew we didn’t want stuffy overly posed and crafted photos. We’re attention seekers and love photographs, but don’t like posing. We love to laugh and be goofy and silly and Chris had a way of capturing that but finding total beauty and hilarity through the lens that – not making anyone look horrific in the process! There was never any question that he wouldn’t be our photographer.”
CLAIRE + WILL
SAY NO TO BORING WEDDING PHOTOS
Planning your Cherry Barn wedding?
In case you can’t tell… I love Cherry Barn weddings. I think my natural wedding photography approach suits the relaxed vibe of the Cherry Barn. I’d also really like an excuse to come back again soon so hit me up if you’re looking for a wedding photographer who knows all the best nooks + crannies of the venue.
The wedding industry Goliath (Annabel at Love My Dress) recently featured this wedding shortly after the first Covid lockdown in 2020 + wrote some wonderful words that really summarise my approach to wedding photography. She discusses how people are responding more to wedding photography that puts expressions, stories + emotions over everything else.
Need to see more? See more Cherry Barn weddings.
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