Rachel Soothill In Cakes, Florists, Food & Drink, Photographers, Southend Blog

Spring Wedding Day Inspiration

Wedding day inspiration 2024 (credit: Adorlee)

Why hello spring! With brighter days and blossom filled trees, we’re looking forward to lots of beautiful Southend Barns weddings.

Nothing says romance like spring on the south coast, and everything about our West Sussex wedding venue leans into this glorious time of year. From our countryside setting and carefully landscaped gardens awash with seasonal colour, to our tranquil outdoor ceremony space and of course (in case of April showers!) our cosy and fully protected Collecting Yard. Spring weddings at Southend Barns hold more than a touch of magic.

Read on for our very best 2024 spring wedding trends…

Wedding inspiration for 2024

The Wedding Flower of the Moment

When it comes to curating beautiful spring wedding decor, why not work with what this gorgeous season naturally brings – fabulous flowers!

At a time when the outdoors feels fresh, green and new, nature offers an incredible range of florals to choose from.

Using seasonal flowers is a good idea for a number of reasons, not only do they tend to be cheaper as they are more widely available, picking flowers when they are naturally thriving means you get blooms at their strongest and most beautiful which in turn ensures they will look fresh all day. Many growers cultivate popular flowers for use all year round and not just when they are naturally in-season. This can result in a pricier product and one which can pale in comparison to its in-season counterpart.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few of the most popular seasonal wedding flowers for spring:

March – Hyacinth, Narcissi, Muscari
April – Ranunculus, Tulip, Anemone
May – Peonies, Sweet William, Roses, Lily of the Valley

Wedding flowers inspiration

Elevate Your Arrangements

So you’ve settled on your blooms, but 2024 wedding day florals can be more than just a bouquet or single centrepiece.

From meadow-like arrangements lining the aisle in our Dairy Barn and flower filled arches framing your vows, to textural tablescapes filling the air with fragrance or picturesque ceiling installations making the most of the original beams in our Threshing Barn. We’ve seen spring flowers used to glorious effect by many of our couples, bringing the outdoors in with seasonal blooms beautifully reflecting our surrounding landscape.

Floral displays for weddings

A Road Less Travelled

If full on florals are just not your style, do not fear, there are many gorgeous ways to incorporate a springtime feel into your big day without buying out the local florist!

Your colour palette can be a powerful tool when it comes to creating the desired feel for your wedding day. Pretty pastels are evocative of this time of year and when used carefully can result in chic but romantic wedding styling. Whether you choose a tonal approach with one colour in a variety of textures and hues, or a carefully chosen collection of colours, we’ve seen spring styling done beautifully.

Floral arrangements for wedding table

Taking the Stress Out of Styling

Feeling a little overwhelmed with your spring wedding styling? Then our popular wedding Styling Selections are a great place to start. Inspired by our years of experience planning dream wedding days, we’ve created a range of exquisite decor options combining candlelight, luxury linens, centrepieces, lighting and more, to form the perfect base for our couples to add their own personal touches.

From fabulous fairy light ceiling installations to romantic drapery, textural boho touches, monochromatic chic, luscious greenery and the ultimate elegant wedding day set up. Each of our styling options has been carefully honed to deliver maximum impact, without you lifting a finger.

Wedding cake inspo

The Sweetest Thing

Your cake can be a striking centrepiece and a beautiful addition to your spring wedding theme. We have seen some true masterpieces from the creative cake makers our couples have chosen. From exquisite sugar flowers to hand-painted beauties and fresh flowers to dried pressed designs. Delicious and beautiful, what else could you ask for!

Wedding food inspiration ideas

Let it Grow!

Another glorious side of spring is the abundance of delicious food! Our Kitchen Garden is filled with scrumptious vegetables all ready to be used in our Roots kitchen. Our team of chefs are passionate about using the very best quality ingredients either grown on site or sourced as locally as possible. From homemade bread using our own Wildfarmed flour, fresh vegetables and herbs from our garden to fish and meat sourced locally, we are able to offer the freshest and most flavoursome dishes, knowing the full journey of each of our ingredients.

Some spring favourites from our current menu include our Roots Allotment Vegetable Salad, Sussex Wild Mushroom, Leek and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Tortellini and of course the classic Overnight Shoulder of Lamb, served with a rosemary and cranberry glaze, roasted new potatoes, crushed pea and mint salad and delicious allotment vegetables.

Click here to browse our full menu.

For more wedding day inspiration follow us on Instagram or Pinterest.

Photo Credits:
Lydia Stamps Photography
Martin Beard Photography
Elizabeth Ruby Photography
James White Photography
Adorlee Weddings
Kelly Hearn Photography

Rachel Soothill In Bridal Wear, Cakes, Florists, Food & Drink, Southend Blog

2023 Wedding Trends

Each January we get together and discuss our wedding trend predictions for the year ahead. While we think a wedding should always be about the couple and their own individual tastes and personalities, its always fun to see some of the new ideas and inspirations that come around.

From bold colourways and a return to fine dining to a focus on sustainability, read on for our 2023 wedding trend predictions…

A Splash of Colour

Classic greenery and whites are always popular choices when it comes to wedding décor and flowers, but 2023 will see some extra splashes of colour. We’re loving the new shade of orange and pink for flower arrangements as well as brightly coloured candles and accessories.

Living Plants

Another up and coming trend is a surge in live plants rather than floral arrangements. Perfect for creating a botanical jungle, live plants are also a more sustainable and cost effective option as they can be taken home and kept or hired in and returned at the end of your day.

Bringing Sexy Back

From plunging necklines to ethereal sheer designs, catwalks have been featuring bridal gowns that are not only beautiful – but a little bit sexy too! However, if you are looking for a dress with a bit more substance, the timeless ball gown with full skirt and billowing sleeves is also back. This is the kind of dress which would have Cinderella weak at the knees.

Grooms are also taking their wedding look to new heights this year as stunning tailored suits in an array of sumptuous fabrics take centre stage. From velvet to silk, 2023’s groom is embracing luxury – and we are here for it!

Here Come the Girls

Whilst the trend for mismatched bridesmaid dresses shows no sign of slowing, 2023 brings a more tonal palette of earthy and neutral colours to the table. From wedding parties dressed all in white, to soft and stunning rusts, sage greens and sky blues – let nature be your guide.

The Conscious Touch

From flowers to food, sustainability is important to many of us. Over the years we have seen a definite shift in how couples approach their wedding day choices with many more interested in locally sourced food, local flowers and adding reusable elements throughout their big day. As an eco-conscious wedding venue, this is a trend we are definitely celebrating.

The Great Outdoors

With stunning countryside surrounding our beautiful barns, our wedding venue is the perfect place to embrace the trend to tie the knot outdoors. Our Secret Garden sits between the flint wall of our Dairy Barn and our alpaca’s field. Lined with elegant stone benches and surrounded by beautiful borders filled to the brim with greenery and flowers, we’ve created a stunning setting for outdoor nuptials.

Click here to find out more

Menus with no rules!

Couples are relishing a culinary world without rules. Over recent months our Roots team have seen an increase in fun, creative menus. From twists on retro classics like the Scotch Egg, Chicken Kiev and Arctic Roll (a childhood favourite of our Executive Chef), to mouth-watering fusion food featuring world-inspired flavours.

Healthy, plant-based dishes and salads are also becoming requested lots more and in contrast to this there has been a return to full on fine dining.

Cheese wedding cakes are still going strong with couples opting to personalise them with carefully selected options that represent memories, places or family favourites.

Home Grown Flavours

With an increasing focus on local flavours and ingredients, we’ve changed the produce grown in our Roots Kitchen Garden to include some of this year’s trendy veggies and herbs.

Heritage carrots are particularly popular right now as they pack a punch in terms of colour and flavour. Spring greens and cavolo nero (black cabbage) have also been added to our seasonal vegetable selection while our herb patch is full of basil, coriander and plenty of oregano to top the wood fired pizzas, cooked in our new outside kitchen.

These are just a few of our predictions. We can’t wait to see what else this year has in store!

Photo credits:

Adorlee Weddings
Kirsty Mackenzie Photography
Ruby Roux Photography
Marcel Grabowski Photography

Rachel Soothill In Cakes, Supplier

Queen Bees

Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? Queen Bees specialise in making French Macarons, an ultimate indulgence at your wedding. These delights can complement any colour scheme due to the bespoke shades we can create.

Macarons look seriously smart, making them an excellent choice as wedding favours. Beautifully packaged on the dining tables they’re the perfect scrummy gift for your guests. Macarons can be custom shaped, hand painted, etched or gold leafed to make them extra special.

We can provide limitless flavour and colour combinations. Hundreds can be arranged across tiers to create an attractive Macaron Tower, offering you a wedding cake alternative or a tasty centrepiece on a dessert/buffet table. Your tower will become a talking point as guests will be eager to tuck in and try your chosen flavours.

Cakes