Rachel and Ben married at Douai Abbey in Upper Woolhampton. If you are having your dad walk you down the aisle on your big day it will be one of the moments you remember forever. Just imagine how super lovely it would be for your Dad to walk you down the aisle and then actually marry you?! How amazing is that? That is exactly the case in Rachel and Ben's wedding. Their reception was full of amazing blooms so if you are a flower lover and a liker of pastel shades, this is the wedding for you.

Rachel The Bride: Our marriage took place at Douai Abbey in Upper Woolhampton near Reading,Berks. It is a beautiful abbey that has a new elevated front but retains its high original ceilings. Our wedding ceremony was particularly special as my Dad is a Deacon and he performed the ceremony for us. He walked me down the aisle and then straight on to the alter. It was incredibly special to have such a personal service.

The Perfect Space

We searched high and low for a rustic yet grand barn and stumbled across the perfect space in Old Basing built in 1535. A rustic barn that is a historic site and is open to visitors throughout the year. It was a blank canvass, but one that enabled us to be creative and make something special happen. Once we had decorated the barn with fairy lights and the dining tables had been dressed it was completely transformed into a romantic warm space. Our florist created beautiful table pieces that complimented the soft pastel theme that we wanted and brought a touch of elegance to the tables.

Pretty Peach

I love lace and classic dresses. My mum wore a long sleeve lace dress when she married and I love how it has come back into fashion some 30 years later. Peach has been my favourite colour for years and was always my first choice, we both love spring and all the soft shades that it brings. For Ben and the groomsmen we went for a light grey three piece suits with pale mint ties and shiny shoes to compliment the bridesmaids peach dresses and the overall soft, pastel theme.

Ambiance

Jay Archer is an incredibly talented florist who created not only our flowers but a whole ambience for our wedding. We wanted a big centrepiece for the centre of the barn and the 'tree was born'. The tree was over 2m tall and stood on a large trunk with branches hanging over our guests heads. From the tree hung test tubes and votives of hydrangeas, stocks, ranunculi's and peonies.

Free Bar

Guests were treated to a starter of crispy pigs cheeks with a frisee salad and pickled apples followed by a Mediterranean lamb dish served with crushed new potatoes and wilted spinach. The catering was incredible and
the service the Pot Kiln provide was outstanding, and the food drew compliments from every guest. Due to the barn being a non licensed venue we decided to provide a free bar. We selected a variety of beers, ciders, spirits and locally sourced ale. We also made a trip to France to taste and select our wines and Prosecco for our wedding.

Capturing Every Moment

We had the loveliest photographer imaginable who captured every moment in the most subtle way. We could not be happier with our photos from Hayley Savage. She captured the true emotions of the day and now paint a picture to help us remember every little detail. It was so lovely to share such a special day with someone who is so smiley and happy to be around.

With amazing music, incredible entertainment and delicious food we had the most amazing and memorable day we could have dreamed for. We felt our selection of suppliers were perfect and each and everyone of them were faultless in what they promised.