Hannah and Jack first met in a music class at secondary school. “We have stuck together for 11 long years and through long distances (Southampton to Newcastle) until finally moving to Oxford together,” says Hannah.

A Halloween proposal

Jack proposed on 28th October 2018. “We were at our flat and he carved a diamond ring into a pumpkin during our annual pumpkin carving competition,” says Hannah. “Then he got down on one knee. I couldn’t even believe it was real!”

Shopping for two dresses

“I actually bought two WED2B dresses from the Swindon store,” says Hannah. “Ria at the store helped me pick out loads of beautiful dresses to try. My main dress was Athens, a Platinum Edition design. I immediately fell in love with the detailed sleeves and beautiful lace train."

“My evening dress was a one-off, so I don’t think it had a name. I chose this one so I could dance the night away at our ceilidh and paired it with some cute cowboy boots.”

A winter barn wedding

The couple married at Kingscote Barn, a 17th century barn in the Cotswolds. “I fell in love with it as soon as we walked in,” says Hannah. “The cosy atmosphere but spaciousness of the barn was perfect and left loads of room for creativity. We got married on 21st November 2021 (after postponing from 15th November 2020).”

The big day

“Dad walked me down the aisle to a beautiful piece of music played by our wonderful harpist,” says Hannah. “Both Jack and I can play this piece on the piano, so it has a really special place in our hearts. We were also lucky to have a pretty clear day in November, with beautiful sunshine in the morning.”

“Then the canapés and drinks flowed during the drinks reception before our sit-down meal and speeches,” says Hannah. “I actually did a speech, instead of Jack, which I was terrified of doing but thoroughly enjoyed.”

"The evening entertainment was the most excellent ceilidh! We also had a fab photobooth too. Everyone had a blast and the band were great.”

A rustic Japanese fusion

The couple had a stylish rustic theme with nods to Japanese culture throughout the day. “I actually made all the signage myself and my mum and I folded 1000 origami cranes for a huge hanging display to bring good luck, which is a Japanese tradition,” says Hannah. “We also had Japanese Asahi beer.”

“Our favours were beautiful bespoke log slices with our name, date and venue laser-engraved on them. I also hand wrote calligraphy of the guests’ names on the other side, so they would double up as place settings.”

“Our semi-naked, three-tier cake was absolutely delicious and was displayed in front of the crane hanging display, inside a steel hoop decked out in foliage. We had a ceilidh band for the first half of the evening and a DJ for the second half, where we danced the night away under the fairy light canopy.”

My top tips…

“Budgeting is key,” says Hannah. “Set one right at the beginning and keep tabs on everything you spend. Do your research to find suppliers that meet your budget. Choose a big hitter each that you don’t want to compromise on, then work out how to reduce costs on other things that you are happy to compromise on. Ask the professionals for advice, too. They’ve seen thousands of weddings!”

Hannah’s Dream Team

Photographer: Joseph Dart Photography

Venue: Kingscote Barn

Wedding dress: WED2B

Coordinator: Georgina Rose Events

Florist: The Wilde Bunch

Catering: Cleverchefs

Cake: Cakes By Mrs F 

Band: Tweed in Bourbon

DJ: Dizzy Feet Events

Photobooth: The Two Bonnys

Harpist: Amanda Whiting

Hair: Louise Alway

If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings like this winter barn wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Or click here for more details about WED2B’s bridal shops Swindon