Toni & Vince’s Intimate South Farm Wedding

The areas of South Farm that you used for your big day: Bridal Suite, Ceremony and reception drinks in the Old Dairy, Wedding breakfast and evening reception was in the Tudor Barn.  We used the grounds for our photos – including a few snaps with the teeny piglet 🙂

Were there any colours or themes to your day? The colours were navy and white.  We had white flowers and used navy for any signage to match the bridesmaid dresses and groom’s tie.

How did you choose your wedding venue? We knew we wanted a venue with exclusive use for our day and we wanted the whole day to be in the same place, no travelling around for our guests.  South Farm ticked all the boxes, it was the first venue we saw and nothing else measured up.  We just knew it was the wedding venue for us as soon as we saw it.

Tell us about your special day: Our day changed so many times. We went ahead with the restricted rules with 15 people. This number allowed immediate family only. It was hard not to have our full wedding party there, but everyone understood and were so lovely about it.  We both found the day so personal and intimate. It was a beautiful day with fantastic weather – from the photos it’s hard to tell it was a Wednesday in November.  We had a lovely ceremony followed by a drinks reception and canapes. The smaller numbers meant it felt like a family gathering, everyone was relaxed and comfortable.  We had speeches that were so personal and we were able to speak about everyone in the room – the speeches were really a special moment for us both and all the guests.  The cake was made by a friend and it was so lovely to have that personal feel. We had a fabulous meal followed by a reception full of laughter, we both felt so happy that our small day felt so huge because of all the love we were surrounded by.  South Farm made sure everything run so perfectly and nothing seemed too much trouble

Was there one particular moment that stood out for you?  As we walked into the Wedding breakfast, we had a moment alone and all the emotions came out that we had made it to this point and we felt so grateful that nothing has stopped us getting married. We faced challenges and adapted so many times but we never lost the things that mattered to us.  Walking in to the Tudor Barn – everyone was cheering and the feeling of happiness was just amazing.

How did you choose your bridesmaids? I chose my sister as my chief bridesmaid.  We had our niece too as we both knew we wanted our family involved.  I had chosen two of my closest friends as bridesmaids too but due to Covid restrictions we could not have them there on the day.

How did you pick your best men and ushers? Vince chose his brother as best man – there was no better man for the job! He took on all the jobs we asked of him and didn’t complain J  He had chosen two close friends as groomsmen but due to Covid restrictions we could not have them there on the day. 

What did you wear? My dress was Stella York – Catherine.  I got this from Brides of Berkhamsted.  Lucy, Jess and all the ladies there are amazing.  I had my alterations done by Dawn Bird who was amazing and supportive.  All the ladies were so supportive and helpful

Where did you go on honeymoon? We planned to go to Vegas and Barbados, Vince’s family are Bajan and we originally planned to have a celebration there too.  Covid had other plans so we changed for a two week break in Cornwall travelling around.  We loved it there – amazing food, lots of wine and such beautiful scenery.

Suppliers – who did you use?

Signage: I had signage made by Mother Wild, she is a local to me and I followed her work on Instagram.  I absolutely loved it and have it on display in my kitchen now.

Venue and catering: The amazing South Farm – venue and catering both stunning and everyone raves about the food to this day!

Photographer: Natalie Bayliss – New Pixels Photography.  We met Natalie  at a Wedding Fair – loved her energy and personality we both knew we needed her to capture our day.  She was amazing with all the changes to our plans and I can’t recommend her enough. www.newpixels.co.uk

Dress: I got my dress from Brides of Berkhamstead.  I tried on all different styles.  Jess who was helping me said a new dress had come in and she thought I should try it.  I put it on and just knew it was the one for me.  My mum, sister and two friends who were bridesmaids, all just said yes! I bought it that same day! It was the only shop I went in. www.bridesofberkhamstead.com

Grooms & Groomsmen outfits: The Groom’s suit was light grey with navy and was from Suits Direct.  A family friend tailored the suit for us. Covid made planning very difficult, not know who would be able to come – or if we could even go ahead.  We made the decision that matching suits was not a big deal for us, the best man wore a suit he already had as did the father of the bride and father of the groom.  By luck they all seemed to be in grey or navy so worked out perfectly.

Bridesmaid dresses: Navy blue Maya dresses from ASOS – I loved the sparkle and the fact the dress comes in a range of styles for all body types.  In the end I could only have my sister and our niece who had actually both chosen the same long sleeved style.

Cake: My good friend Lauren made our Wedding cake.   It was a Wedding gift from her to us and it was lactose free and gluten free so all the Wedding guests could enjoy it.  It meant so much to have a cake that felt so personal on our Wedding day.  Everyone loved it!

Hair: Charlotte Jarrett – Hair by CJ.  Charlotte is my neighbour and so talented.  My sister loved her messy up do.  She was so fun to have around on the Wedding morning and I was so pleased she was free to do our hair.

Makeup: Laura Allen – I Love it Laura.  My friend Laura is a make up artist, I feel so fortunate to have a friend who is also a make up artist.  She made me feel so relaxed on the Wedding morning and I felt amazing. lala26@live.co.uk

Flowers: Jane Maple – All flowers were white, button holes & corsages were white roses with gypsophila.  The Bridesmaids were gypsophila clouds.  My bouquet  and our centre pieces were a dream mix of all white flowers including hydrangeas, roses and foliage. www.janemaplesflowers.co.uk

Entertainment: Spotify! That was all Covid rules allowed J But was fabulous regardless!

Huge Congratulations to Toni & Vince. We are thrilled that they got to have their dream wedding day even after a rollercoaster of planning, a last minute change of date and adjustments to their guest numbers to suit the guidance.

As Toni said the fun, love and laughter is clear for all to see in their wonderful wedding photos and the story of their day.  We loved hosting their wedding day and all the South Farm team wish Toni & Vince every happiness for the future!

If you are looking to book your dream wedding just get in touch. We’d love to hear all about your wedding plans and to show you around our rustic barn wedding venue set in stunning gardens on the borders of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. We have an enviable choice of ceremony and reception spaces to suit weddings large and small and offer exclusive use for your wedding day so you can enjoy our intimate wedding venue in complete privacy! Contact us today to book a showround or discuss our availability.