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, Florists, Food & Drink, Southend Blog

2024 Wedding Trends

2023 was awash with glorious Southend Barns wedding style as our couples expressed their love in lots of beautiful ways. Many of our 2023 couples chose to take advantage of our Styling Service, using our range of professionally curated styling options as a springboard to support their chosen wedding decor. But enough reminiscing, it’s time for us to share our projections for the very best wedding trends for 2024. Keep reading for the inside scoop…

What’s New with Wedding Décor?

This year wedding decor is bright, beautiful and above all personal. Glorious warm colours will be taking the stage, ranging from sunny yellow to hot pink and delightfully vibrant poppy red. Add to this a good dose of opulence and you have a celebration fit for royalty!

From enormous floral displays to fruit bowls spilling with delicious and exotic delights, the natural world will be a huge influence in wedding design. Reaching further shores than recent years, greenery will still be an important staple, but elevated with colour and texture, enveloping the senses like never before. Think billowing romantic drapes, ceilings dancing with fairy lights and your favourite candle infusing the air.

Wedding barn venue, Sussex If pared back sophistication is more your thing, then 2024 also brings a beautiful take on tonal wedding decor. Using one colour in various tones and textures creates cohesive and super chic styling. As well as being a visually striking way to style your wedding day, the tonal trend is fairly easy to accomplish and gives the wedding party greater freedom when choosing their outfits.

Brand new for 2024, our Amber Sunset styling option is bang on trend with a tonal palette of warm, sun-kissed shades. Highlighted with beautiful burnt orange and golden touches, this is deliciously rich, wedding day styling at its very best. With a sprinkle of Southend Barns magic, Amber Sunset succeeds in creating a romantic, dusky glow long after the sun has set over the West Sussex countryside.

Alternatively, our Boho Blush wedding venue styling option takes tonal texture to the next level. With sumptuous macramé touches, dried flowers and pampas grass all in soft neutral tones, this is a stunning option for those interested in romantic, blush wedding day styling.

Wedding Day Dressing for YOU!

Gone are the days of prescriptive wedding gowns – for 2024 couples the world is your oyster, with brides and grooms opting for wedding wear which perfectly suits their personality. From glorious mini dresses to jewel toned wedding gowns, personal style is in!

Black and White Wedding Day Styling

Monochrome is back for 2024, so if your dream day is to create a beautiful black-tie occasion, then we’ve got the perfect styling selection for you. Our gorgeous m onochrome option features chic black and white, glass touches, white roses and elegant foliage as well as hints of gorgeous gold with items such as cutlery.

Super luxe styling doesn’t stop with dressing your venue either, over the top dress codes are set to be popular in 2024. Invite your guests to celebrate in extravagant attire, from black tie with a twist to your favourite glamourous theme. However, a note to the wise, try to keep it light and not too prescriptive, or you could run the risk of making dressing for your wedding a stressful experience.

The Personal Touch

Not a new trend, but one that has had growing appeal for quite a few years now. Your wedding day is all about you and your love, so what better way to create a timeless and beautiful celebration than by weaving moments from your love story through your day. From handwritten letters to homemade wedding favours or a cocktail which transports you back to that special holiday together. There are many ways to touch on important moments in addition to the anecdotes revealed during speeches.

Nostalgic Wedding Day Food

Many of our couples have been opting for food that takes them on a trip down memory lane. From Hunter’s Chicken or Chicken Kiev, our team of incredible chefs have given these childhood classics a creative twist to make them worthy of a wedding day menu without losing their nostalgic charm.

From decadent BBQs to mouth-watering plant-based options, our varied and diverse menus have something to sate any palette. You can brows e our full menu here, and our Roots chefs are always happy to chat about any special requirements you might have.

Festival-Fabulous Weddings

Personality is everything for 2024 weddings, so if you are more of a laid back kind of couple why not opt for a festival style theme. Our rural setting is a gorgeous backdrop for a festival wedding, with surrounding fields, our Collecting Yard and pretty gardens – the perfect spot for games, stalls, drinks stations and pop up food stops! Our Roots chefs also do a delicious festival inspired menu with sharing platters, homemade pizzas in pizza boxes and more.

Our rustic Threshing Barn looks wonderful dressed with festival-fabulous disco balls, garlands and gorgeous big tonal balloons, and makes an amazing space for you and your guests to dance the night away to an awesome band or DJ.

Keep the festival magic running into the night with our new luxury Bell Tents. Our six tents are situated in our pretty wildflower meadow and make ideal overnight accommodation for close friends and family to retire following your celebrations.

Wedding Day Drinks Trends

With a significant increase in people going teetotal, it is more important than ever to ensure you offer a great selection of non-alcoholic drinks for your wedding celebrations. Here at Southend Barns, we take taste seriously and have curated a wide range of the very best non-alcoholic drinks options. From the award-winning Wide Idol alcohol free sparkling wine, to popular non-alcoholic spirits, and of course our own delicious range of mocktails and spritzers.

On the subject of drinks, another trend here to stay is the gloriously decadent champagne tower! This throwback to roaring 20s style creates real wow factor as a centrepiece and is a fun addition to your big day. The tower can be filled with your choice of sparkling drink, and whether you choose one of our local Tinwood sparkling wines, Prosecco or a non-alcoholic option, it will be a moment your guests never forget.

Wedding trends can be fun to take inspiration from, but fashions come and go, the most important thing to remember when choosing styling, food and decor, is to pick what makes you and your partner happy.

Our whole team is dedicated to ensuring you have the perfect wedding day for you. A special day like no other which you truly enjoy, creating beautiful memories to treasure and hold dear for many years to come. We can’t wait to be a part of each and every celebration this year and we promise that every single wedding that takes place in our beautiful barns will be utterly and completely perfect.

If you are interested in booking Southend Barns for your wedding day, please do get in touch on 01243 641247 and our dedicated team will be more than happy to help.

Photo credits:
Ruby Roux Photography
Kelly Hearn Photography
Jasmine Andrews Photography

Rachel Soothill In Florists, Southend Blog

Guest Blog: The Floral Artisan

My name is Lucy, I am Creative Director at The Floral Artisan, a bespoke floral design business in Chichester, West Sussex. My team and I create romantic and whimsical custom floral displays, that channel the beauty of nature and really celebrate the love of the couples we work with.

June and July are popular months for weddings in the UK and a stunning time of year to get married at Southend Barns Wedding Venue in West Sussex. As the weather warms and the days get longer, there are an abundance of beautiful flowers in bloom – the perfect opportunity to incorporate seasonal florals into your wedding décor.

I have worked with Southend Barns for years creating unique floral displays for weddings, photoshoots, parties and more. As the wedding season takes off, the team have asked me to share my thoughts on the wedding day floral trend that currently has me swooning…

White and Black with a Dash of Mother Nature

If you’re looking for a classic and timeless colour palette with a modern twist, then a white and black monochrome theme, softened with dark greenery is an exciting but sophisticated way to go, and a fresh, new wedding trend that I’m loving!

A symbol of new beginnings, white flowers are a popular choice for weddings, but just because they are a classic choice, doesn’t mean they can’t be styled in a beautiful, new way. Some gorgeous white flowers that are in season at the moment include peonies, roses, delphinium, sweet peas, stocks, and hydrangeas. All of these flowers can be used in bouquets, centrepieces, and even as part of your ceremony décor such as wedding arches and large pedestal arrangements.

A good tip to add depth and contrast to your white floral arrangements, is to consider incorporating black or dark accents. These unexpected touches can be in the form of black vases, black candles and candle holders or even monochrome stationary and signage. The striking contrast in colour works to complement the angelic floral arrangements beautifully for a truly striking look.

The natural world is a huge inspiration to us at The Floral Artisan and our wedding arrangements often embody the deconstructed, romantic aesthetic that nature does so well.

Foliage is an incredibly hard working element of your wedding day décor, tying together and creating unison between different design elements. In this instance, dark greenery looks particularly striking as a backdrop for your white and black arrangement. The natural texture and tone of the foliage works to link together the stark contrast between white and black, adding a romantic twist whilst retaining the impact.

Foliage can also be freshened up with the inclusion of some unexpected additions. Large dark tropical leaves, Soft Ruscus and trailing ferns are all great options that can add both texture and depth to your arrangements and can be used in bouquets, centrepieces, and even as part of your ceremony arch.

Lucy’s Top Wedding Flower Tip

When it comes to choosing your wedding flowers, it’s important to consider what’s in season. Not only will this ensure that your flowers are fresh, vibrant and looking their absolute best, but it can also help you save money on your floral budget.

By choosing seasonal blooms and incorporating a classic colour palette, you can create a timeless and elegant wedding that will be remembered for years to come.

You can find out more about The Floral Artisan including a gallery of Lucy’s incredible work here.

Photography credit: Ruby Roux 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 Florists, Supplier

The Floral Artisan

Working from her rural workshop in Chichester in West Sussex, Lucy uses the exquisite surrounding countryside to inspire all of her natural and whimsical floral designs, ensuring that each wedding she styles is unique and tailored to reflect each couple’s personality.

Lucy will guide you through every step of the planning process from your initial consultation where you can throw your ideas around, using Lucy’s expertise and flower knowledge to begin picturing your wedding day flowers, through to your special day where Lucy and her team will create your bespoke wedding flowers and designs -bringing your wedding day vision to life.