Romance and Style at Bassmead Manor Barns

A striking navy colour scheme set the scene at this most elegant springtime wedding.

All About Bassmead

“The moment Nick and I drove up the driveway, we turned to each other and said ‘wow!”, smiles Laura. “Bassmead Manor Barns had everything we wanted. The Rickety Barn feels intimate and special and the reception room blends the old with the new so well. But what really takes the venue to the next level is the service you receive from the events team. Nothing was too big or too small for our Events Manager, Hayley.”

The beautiful wedding barn set up for the wedding breakfast with candles in hurricane vases on each table

Theme of the Day

After choosing their venue, Laura and Nick started to think about the theme. “I went with classy and elegant,” says Laura, “a style that won’t ever go out of fashion!” Nick is in the armed forces and chose to marry in his military uniform, so Laura based her colour scheme from that.

“I knew I would want to coordinate with his navy-blue uniform so chose navy, gold and accents of cream.” Candles and flowers were the main decorations, alongside beautiful wedding stationery. “I used Rea Shaw from Confetti Sweethearts to create all the signage, menus and table numbers,” explains Laura.

The happy couple wanted to create an atmosphere that felt special, romantic, inviting and intimate… a look they certainly achieved.

Dried petals lined the wedding aisle in the Rickety Barn for the wedding ceremony

A close up of the groom’s military hat to accompany his military suit – wedding ideas

The order of the day was displayed as an illustration on hug piece of navy card – wedding ideas

Family photos in white frames were placed on a table in the wedding venue to create a personal touch

All About the Dress

“My dress was beautiful. It makes me smile just thinking about it,” says Laura. “At six-feet tall, I was uncertain about being able to find a dress that flattered my frame, but Lesley Gibbs, the owner of Ramsey Bridal, turned out to be my fairy godmother!”
After trying on a few gowns, Lesley suggested a strapless gown by Benjamin Roberts with gorgeous lace overlay.

Simple accessories included elegant drop earrings and Charlotte Mills wedding shoes which have a sixpence embedded in the left shoe.

“I will never forget the feeling when the curtain drew back and I was looking at a voluptuous, feminine me… with a waist!”

Laura

The bride got ready with her bridesmaids in the Bridal Boudoir

The bride’s wedding dress hangs from the beams in the Bridal Boudoir

The bride wore wedding shoes which had a mesh fabric embroidered with white hearts and a bow

As for the Groom and the Bridesmaids…

Nick wore his military uniform for the ceremony and wedding breakfast but decided to have a suit custom-made for later in the evening. The Moss Bros bespoke suit was dark navy with the initials of the newlyweds embroidered on the inside pocket.

With one of her bridesmaid travelling in Europe for work and the other in New Zealand, custom-made dresses were out of the question! Laura ended up finding the perfect navy-blue dresses on Amazon and was delighted with the quality. Sophisticated accessories included blush pink earrings and coordinating sandals, both from New Look, alongside navy and gold bags from Etsy.

The groom gets ready for the big day ahead wearing his navy blue military suit

The bridesmaids make their way down the wedding aisle wearing floor-length navy bridesmaid dresses

Beautiful Blooms

As a florist by trade, flowers were always going to be a big part of Laura’s day. Her bouquet was in shades of cream, grey and green with a hint of peach and flowers included phalaenopsis orchids, freesias, ranunculus and roses.

The bride holds her wedding bouquet featuring white flowers and green foliage – wedding ideas

Beautiful white flowers were on display throughout the venue including the top table – wedding ideas

“I wanted a bouquet with a lovely scent so that I could always be reminded of our wedding, and I added a brooch of my Nana’s to incorporate her into the day as she is no longer with us.”

Laura

In the venue, petals lined the Rickety Barn aisle, with a beautiful arrangement on the register table, making the most amazing wedding ceremony. For the wedding breakfast, hurricane lamps sat in round bases with pillar candles.

The newlyweds celebrate after saying their wedding vows in the Rickety Barn at Bassmead Manor Barns

Time to Dine

A post-ceremony cocktail hour was a fabulous way for the couple to greet their guests and celebrate with their loved ones. “The cocktails were displayed on a rose gold tablecloth and we served a selection of six different canapés,” says Laura.

“Nick and I love good food so were delighted to have the expert on-site catering team providing the catering at Bassmead Manor Barns,” she continues. Seared scallops were served to start, followed by a lemon sorbet palate cleanser and a main course of beef two ways with squash puree and dauphinoise potatoes.

“Dessert was a trio of our favourite sweet treats,” smiles Laura, “white chocolate mousse, treacle tart and an iced passion fruit parfait.”

The couple hold hands as they make their way in to the wedding breakfast

Saving the best until last guests enjoy a trio of desserts from the expert on-site catering team

Let Them Eat Cake!

The happy couple chose a three-tier cake from Windmill Bakery in Ramsey. “Nick is English and I am from New Zealand so the cake designer created an amazing world map,” explains Laura. “A red heart was placed on the UK and on New Zealand with a little dotted line between the two countries.” In navy and cream with gold accents, it was a wonderfully personal and bespoke cake.

The couple’s three-tier wedding cake featured a navy coloured cake at the bottom and map detail on the middle tier

The happy couple steal a moment away from guests to stroll around their country wedding venue

The bride stands with the groom and his groomsmen all wearing military suits to create a stunning wedding photo

Evening Celebrations

To entertain their guests during their evening reception, Laura and Nick compiled a playlist of their favourite songs which were played throughout the wedding breakfast. Later in the evening, a live band called the Dukes of Havoc filled the dancefloor. They also learned the first dance song, ‘Have I Told You Lately’ by Rod Stewart.

A fantastic cheese wedding stack was served alongside charcuterie and chutneys.

The happy couple enjoy their first dance on the dncefloor as husband and wife

The couple also had a cheese wedding cake which guests enjoyed with biscuits crackers and fruit

Laura’s Favourite Moment

“The whole day was amazing! Nick’s speech was one of my favourite moments. He had the whole room in fits of laughter and then moved them to tears talking about what I gave up to be with him in England. It was completely unexpected.”

“After the band’s first set we all lit sparklers. Looking back at the photos you can see everyone has a big grin. It’s like the inner child came out in everyone!”

For more real wedding inspiration from this beautiful Cambridgeshire wedding venue, check out Nicola and James’ Woodland-Themed Wedding Day and see how amazing their big day looked.

The bride and groom enjoy lighting sparklers during the evening reception at this beautiful Cambridgeshire wedding venue

Laura and Nick take a moment out of their wedding day to sit on a tree stump and enjoy the countryside surroundings

Laura and Nick's real life wedding at Bassmead Manor Barns

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Colourful Elegant Wedding at Bassmead Manor Barns