Rachel Soothill

Wedding Fair: Sunday 4th February 2024, 10.30am – 3.00pm

Are you planning a wedding and looking for some inspiration? Then look no further, as we are hosting our annual Wedding Fair on Sunday 4th February 2024!

We have handpicked wedding suppliers that offer high-end and distinctive services. The chosen suppliers have all been tried and tested by our own wedding couples, and will be on hand to showcase their services and answer any questions guests may have.

The Wedding Fair will cover every wedding aspect, with suppliers being spread across the Dairy Barn, Threshing Barn and Bridal Suite. The plethora of stands will include videographers and photographers, wedding stationers, cake makers, musicians and stylists, to name just a few.

Book your place at this FREE event

When it comes to planning your wedding day celebrations, one of the most important elements to consider is your wedding day timings. Get it wrong and you risk either guests twiddling their thumbs or not having the space to relax. Get it right, and your wedding goes down in friend and family history as the event of the century.

“But what are the perfect wedding day timings??” we hear you cry! With so much to organise and plan, we decided to take this tricky admin task off your hands and let you know the very best structure for a glorious wedding day.

When to Say I Do

Arguably the most important part of your wedding, the ceremony sets the marker for the pace of the rest of the day. Whilst traditionally couples tied the knot in the morning, we find later makes for a smoother pace. Our recommended ceremony times tend to be 2pm for a summer ceremony and 1pm for a ceremony which takes place in the winter.

Whilst 2pm is ideal as it offers you and your guests enough time for a little lunch before the day’s events start to unfold, opting for a slightly earlier ceremony time in the winter means there is still plenty of natural light for which to enjoy your drinks reception and also have photographs taken in our beautiful grounds.

Getting Ready

Our Milking Parlour Bridal Suite opens its doors to you at 11am on the day of your wedding, leaving plenty of time for primping, preening and looking your absolute best.

If you are having your hair and make-up professionally done, experts suggest leaving an approximate window of one and a half to two hours for this. However, if anyone else in your bridal party is having their hair and make-up done professionally, that will also need to be factored in to your timings. Our Milking Parlour is a beautiful and spacious place, but if your bridal party is particularly large, it may be worth asking some people to dress elsewhere and just join you for finishing touches and that all important glass of bubbly.

Opening The Gates

So your ceremony is at 2pm, when should you ask your guests to arrive?

This is a delicate balancing act. Whilst you need to leave a buffer to account for any unexpected delays, getting guests to arrive too early and having them waiting around really doesn’t set the day off to a good start. We suggest a 1.30pm arrival for a 2pm ceremony. The extra half an hour allows for reasonable delays and gives guests time to quickly catch up with loved ones, but also means everyone is still full of energy and excited for your arrival down the aisle.

Time to Eat

Whilst reception drinks and canapés usually follow the ceremony, the timing of your wedding breakfast is the next key decision in your wedding day plan. We tend to suggest leaving an hour and a half between the end of your ceremony and the call to the Threshing Barn. This provides ample time for relaxed drinks and chatting with guests before everyone is ushered through for dinner. So if your ceremony finishes at 2.45pm, we suggest inviting guests to the Threshing Barn at around 4.15pm ready for a 4.30pm meal.

Evening Guest Arrival Time

Planning day guests and evenings guests? When inviting separate people for the evening it is really important to ensure there is no overlap with the section of the day they were not invited to – for example the meal. We therefore recommend that evening guests are invited from 7.30pm onwards, giving enough time for dinner to be finished, the room adapted if necessary and for your day guests to be getting in the evening party spirit!

The Cutting of the Cake

A lovely part of the day for your evening guest to witness is the cutting of your cake. We suggest doing this at around 7.55pm, just before your DJ or band starts, to ensure everyone gets to enjoy this moment with you. The cake cutting then seamlessly leads off into the first dance at 8.00pm signifying the start of the party.

Food Glorious Evening Food

If you are keen to ensure all your guests are having the very best time, then evening food is a great addition to your day. 9.00pm is a prime time to serve this as there has been a reasonable gap since the end of your wedding breakfast. Well timed evening food gives an extra boost of energy to keep people dancing right to the end. It also offers a little help to those who may have hit the bar a bit too hard…

Carriages

The bar closes and music ends at 11.30pm here at Southend Barns and we request that all wedding guests book carriages for 11.45pm.

As a helpful guide we have included our suggested wedding day timeframe below. This can obviously be adapted to suit your particular day, but these are the timings we feel make for a beautifully paced wedding day.

Southend Barns Suggested Wedding Day Timings

11:00 – Bridal suite access
11:00 – Bride arrival
13:00 – Groom arrival
13:00 – Shepherds Hut check in
13:30 – Guest arrival
13:30 – Pre-ceremony interview
14:00 – Ceremony
14:45 – Reception drinks and canapés
16:15 – Call through to Threshing Barn
16:30 – Start of wedding breakfast
18:30 – Speeches
19:00 – Coffee service
19:00 – Evening bar available
19:00 – Log fire lit and marshmallows
19:30 – Evening guest arrival
19:55 – Cake cutting
20:00 – First Dance
20:00 – Music/band
21:00 – Evening food
23:30 – Bar closes and music ends
23:45 – Carriages

While the weather has turned cooler and the days are growing shorter, we still have lots of couples planning their gorgeous summer weddings at Southend Barns. Following a season of absolutely beautiful celebrations here, we’ve narrowed down the very best summer wedding trends that are here to stay for 2024.

Summer offers incredible scope when it comes to wedding day décor. From ethereal Midsummer Night’s Dream styling filled with foliage, fairy lights and floaty chiffon, to an abundance of colour and flowers, simple paired back monochrome chic or textural natural tones, the choices are endless. Keep reading for the crème de la crème of summer wedding styling…

Look to the Skies

You’ve settled on the perfect tablescape, your floral arrangements are on point and you’ve chosen your dream menu, but don’t forget the rafters! Dramatic ceilings are a trend that is here to stay when it comes to wedding day cool. From billowing white drapes to swathes of greenery and jaw dropping floral installations to disco balls, couples are choosing to really make an impact and utilise the whole space as part of their wedding décor.

The ceiling of our Threshing Barn is already impressive offering incredible height and showcasing original 220 year old beams and exquisite chandeliers. However, if you are wishing to emphasise our ceiling even more, it lends itself beautifully to some gorgeous styling options including a twinkling Marquee style fairy light canopy or romantic drapes. Couples have also used our beautiful rafters to great effect to showcase floral installations, from garlands of foliage entwining the beams to the prettiest hoop of flowers hanging centre stage.

The Colours of the Rainbow

Gorgeous wedding day colour is here to stay! With no particular colour reigning supreme, we have seen thoughtful colour in a wash of beautiful hues adorn our barns. From stunning combinations of rust, yellow and cornflower blue, to tonal variations featuring every shade of pink, couples are embracing their own style and preferences for a day which is truly and utterly, them. Stylish black and white is also becoming an increasingly popular wedding day theme, for more inspo on how to go for a modern monochrome look, take a look at our recent styled shoot.

As well as beautiful block colours we have also seen a rise in the number of couples celebrating their special day with patterns. From the sweetest touch of floral print in a tie or handkerchief to extraordinary embroidery on a show-stopping gown and pretty patterned bridesmaid dresses, there are many ways to incorporate this charming trend into your wedding day.

Let them Eat Cake!

Gone are the days of a modest naked sponge cake, the extravagant wedding cake is back! Today’s brides and grooms want mouth-watering decadence from their wedding cake, but that doesn’t mean to say there has been a return to the traditional fruitcake, far from it.

From enormous cheese towers featuring a careful selection of the finest fromage, to multi-tiered, multi-flavoured beauties, these impressive cakes are decorated in a range of beautiful edible designs. From a trail of carefully crafted sugar flowers to fresh fruit and foliage, hand-painted details to incredible, structural cake toppers – the delicious world of cake confectionery is your oyster!

Cheers!

All hail the beauty of choice! A great addition to any wedding day that goes down a treat with guests, is the inclusion of an interactive drinks station.

In place of just the one signature cocktail, couples are opting for glorious choice in the form of a Cocktail Bar, Prosecco Cart, or Gin Station, letting their guests choose for themselves.

Another great option for post dinner drinks is our Espresso Martini Cart, offering a range of delectable Espresso Martini options including coconut, salted caramel and tiramisu, this is a great way to give guests an extra boost of dancing energy.

A Touch of Glamour

What says luxury more than a glittering tower filled to the brim with delicious sparkling wine. The champagne tower is back and we are all for it! As perfectly suited to sun-drenched summer wedding days as it is to winter soirees, this trend is as seasonally flexible as it is timeless. The perfect centrepiece and a great way to make a fun and luxurious splash (literally), a champagne tower is also a wonderful opportunity for some truly outstanding wedding photos.

The trend can be adapted to suit your wedding day décor. Why not choose a pretty blush sparkling rosé for a romantic twist, or alternatively go for classic opulence and old school glamour with golden tinged bubbly.

A Sustainable Wedding Day Haven

A trend which sits close to our hearts as a sustainably run wedding venue, is the rise in eco conscious wedding choices. Couples are forgoing just-for-the-night options like welcome bags and wear once bridesmaid dresses, instead choosing things that will continue to be used even after their wedding day has passed. From edible wedding favours to the use of living plants in the décor, we are seeing more and more planet-conscious couples drawn to our West Sussex wedding venue.

12 years ago Southend Barns Wedding Venue was created with an environmental focus in mind, and sustainability is still a huge part of how we operate. From the way we manage our buildings to growing a large portion of the produce we use in our menus in our own allotment and joining the local council in their journey to go net zero, we are constantly evolving with the environment in mind.

More wedding inspo and advice

Photography credits:

Ruby Roux Photography
Adorlee Weddings
Martin Beard Photography
Kelly Hearn Photography

We are delighted that our latest black and white wedding inspiration shoot has been featured on the ever-stylish Coco Wedding Venues blog! Featuring the newest addition to our Styling Selections, Magical Monochrome, the styled shoot brought together some of the best wedding suppliers the South has to offer, all displaying their talents against the backdrop of our exquisite wedding barns.

Read the article in full and take a closer look

• Photographer: Ruby Roux Photography
• Linen, Cutlery, Glassware: Crystal Hire
• Florist: The Floral Artisan
• Cake: Cakes in Bloom
• Signage and Props: My Event Lab
• Hair & Make Up: ID Hair & Make Up
• Dress: Whyte Weddings
• Suit: Astares
• Favours and Plants in Pots: The Little Botanical
• Models: Marysia & Ryan

For better or for worse, speeches are often a very memorable part of a wedding day. From the good natured jibes of the best man, to the touching trip down memory lane delivered by a family member and of course the heartfelt tributes made by the bride or groom. 

Who you choose to speak on your wedding day, what they say and when they do so, is something that is entirely personal to you and your partner. However, there are some tried and tested guidelines we always share with couples to help avoid any stereotypical wedding day speech pitfalls. 

From timings and length to the technical side of things, here at Southend Barns we’ve compiled our top tips for getting the most out of your wedding day speeches. Keep reading to find out more…

Timing is Everything

The key to successful wedding day speeches is timing. Wait too long and focus can get lost following the personalised cocktails or Pimp Your Prosecco cart, strike too soon and you’re competing with reuniting family and friends. 

An often-overlooked section of the day that is perfect for speeches is your reception drinks. Whether the Father of the Bride is a little shy and keen to shake off the nerves, or you’re worried about the Best Man indulging a little too much before he speaks, this is a lovely way to close your reception drinks and invite guests into the Threshing Barn to enjoy your delicious wedding breakfast.

The end of the meal is another great time to carry out the speeches as everyone is relaxed, satisfied and ready to sit back and enjoy. It also gives the photographer an opportunity to capture some lovely candid shots of your guests whilst everyone is fairly still and focused on what is being said.

Breaking Tradition?

Traditionally the order of speeches tends to be; Father of the Bride, the Groom and then the Best Man, but couples are now carving their own path when it comes to who speaks on their wedding day. 

Whether the bridesmaids are taking the stand, your mother would like to publicly wish you well or you’ve decided to address the room as a newly-wed couple. Whoever you choose to toast your big day, we suggest keeping your speeches to a maximum of four and limiting each to around five minutes. 

Why you might ask? Well, as a rule guests have an attention span of around 20 mins. This means if you have four people, speaking for five minutes at a time, each of your loved ones should get the focus and attention they deserve. Of course there are no rules, and you and your wedding party should do what feels right for you, however it is worth noting attention may start wavering if speeches go on for too long. 

If you are keen to keep speeches short but a loved one is adamant that they have too much to say for your proposed time limit, why not ask them to write a letter filled with anything that can’t be said within the time you’ve given? They could even present the letter to you and your partner on the day so you can treasure this sweet and heartfelt wedding day moment forever.  

Testing, Testing, 1,2,3

Both our Threshing Barn and our Collecting Yard are quite substantial spaces to fill, add to that a sea of guests dampening the sound and even the best public speaker would struggle to be heard by all. Therefore, it is a really good idea for your speakers to make use of our in-house microphones which are available to use both inside and outside. Using them ensures everyone can hear without anyone having to resort to raising their voice. 

Don’t worry if you are a complete technophobe, our Southend Barns team will be responsible for the set-up and testing of any microphones being used, so all you and your loved ones need do is steady those nerves and speak. 

Taking Notes

Although wedding day speeches are absolutely personal to you and your loved one, over the years we have noted a few tips which have made for some truly beautiful moments. 

Although it may be tempting to write out a wedding speech verbatim, some of the most heartfelt tributes we have witnessed have been read from notes. Perhaps easier said than done, a well-rehearsed speech prompted by notes allows the speaker to be flexible and really engage with the audience, instead of focussing on keeping their place on the page. 

That takes us to our next tip – practice! Although a few blessed thespians might be able to wing it on the day, for most of us, a lack of preparation will be rather apparent. Practice won’t just help you iron out any kinks, it will also significantly help ease any potential stage fright.    

Finally, if you just don’t know where to begin when writing your wedding speech, it can be helpful to identify one particular theme or story to base your speech around. This is a great way to keep your address focused and to the point and can also help provide a bit of structure. 

Raising a Glass

Whatever part of your day you decide to have speeches, our wedding day team will ensure glasses are full before the first toast begins. 

Our tipple of choice is sparkling wine from local vineyard Tinwood which we feel fits the occasion very nicely, however we have a range of sparkling wines and champagnes to choose from which can be ordered through Roots prior to your wedding day.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask our Southend Barns team for advice or guidance.

Photography:

Albert Palmer 

Emmie Scott

Charleigh Victoria Photography

Emma Hare Photography