Saxon Barn Wedding

Ema & Henry’s epic Winter wedding at Saxon Barn had all that I love about weddings

“Martin was the first and only photographer we met with, after meeting with him there was no need to continue the search! We instantly felt at ease with him and LOVED the album and photographs he came along with to show his work. Martin came to our wedding venue to meet with us, a newly converted Saxon Barn in Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire.

The fact that he fell in love with the venue as much as we confirmed to us that he was the photographer that we wanted! The photographs of our special day reflect exactly how perfect the day was and we cannot fault them. On the day Martin was the perfect balance of ensuring he got the photographs he/we wanted and leaving us and our families to enjoy the day. Would highly recommend Martin, especially for a Winter wedding as he is so clever at getting beautiful photographs in challenging light!”

Ema and Henry got married in December at the groom’s parents’ farm (Priory Farm), which is a beautiful farm in Leonard Stanley near Stroud. They had their ceremony at the newly renovated Saxon barn, a stunning medieval barn next to Henry’s family home. The couple chose Priory Farm and Saxon Barn because they could personalise it and didn’t have to pay for the hire!

Bride & Groom got in touch with me in Spring and their enquiry intrigued me. They said that they are getting married in a brand new venue and it would be the first wedding there! I liked that idea as I love to photograph weddings at venues that I never photographed before.

The ceremony

The wedding itself was a humanist ceremony as the venue didn’t have the wedding license yet. During the ceremony, they had several beautiful readings from friends and family. It was a beautiful way of involving everyone. The barn was decorated with candles and the wood burner was keeping everybody warm and cosy. To be honest with such a lovely rustic feel you don’t need any decoration at all!

The reception

The reception was in a marquee in the afternoon, and they had a live band in the evening. The marquee was connected with another rustic farm building and was beautifully decorated by fairy lights. The effect was brilliant. The first dance was a romantic slow dance, and they finished off the evening with sparklers.

The funniest part of the day was the speeches, especially the part involving ducks (see below). They also prepared party poppers for every guest to reveal the sex of their expected baby after the speeches – it was the first time I’ve seen that at a wedding and it was amazing to capture it. Ema and Henry’s wedding was so chilled and had a fun atmosphere. Here’s their epic Saxon Barn wedding!

Winter wedding at Saxon Barn

Thank you to everyone who made Ema & Henry’s Winter Wedding at Saxon Barn happen:

Ceremony and Reception: Saxon Barn at Priory Farm

Hair & Makeup: Feel Good Factor

Dress: Grand Jour Bridal Boutique

Band: Tommy and the Fuse

Flowers: Fleurs de Rue

Catering: Relish Event Catering

Cotswolds Wedding Photographer: Martin Dabek Photography

If you are planning to tie the knot at Saxon Barn at Priory Farm or anywhere in the Cotswolds for that matter, please get in touch. I would love to hear about your wedding plans and ideas.