Lower Barns Sofie and Jo

Lower Barns was the one!

Having looked online at small intimate wedding venues, Jo and Sofie came across Lower Barns, it was the only venue they looked at because they both knew instantly it was the one for them.

"We loved the vibrant colours and quirky furniture and the outdoor space. It was like no other venue we had come across. 

Both Janie and Mike made us feel extremely welcome when we visited and made us feel special even from the initial phone call."

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A Change of Plan

Initially, they had chosen Lower Barns exclusive package which accommodated 18 members of their family and closest friends staying at Lower Barns from the Friday to Sunday. Then COVID happened...

"Once COVID hit we knew the most important thing to us was that we still got to have our special day"

Janie and Mike at Lower Barns were very accommodating allowing Sofie and Jo to change their package to 'just the two of us.'

"Lower Barns was perfect for an elopement wedding."

Both Sofie and Jo worked throughout the pandemic one working for the NHS as a front line nurse working long tiresome hours and the other working as a post lady with much busier days due to the increased volume of parcels.

"Knowing there was light at the end of the tunnel and that we could still get married - just the two of us made it all the more worthwhile."

Arianna Fenton Photography

Arianna Fenton is on the Lower Barns recommendation list Sofie and Jo loved the vibrant colours from her sample album and noticed she was able to capture every moment, emotion and personality and this really stood out to them. 

"Throughout the build-up to the wedding she was extremely communicative with us and gave us confidence in our big day." 

The day's vibe...No pressure or stress

"We wanted a wedding that felt different from other weddings with a relaxed atmosphere with no pressure or stress. We didn’t want a day that felt to structured and scripted so the theme and vibe of Lower Barns was perfect with Janie and Mike making our day special."

All suppliers chosen were all recommended by Lower Barns and they all complimented the venue and worked well together. Their wedding hair was styled by the one and only HairByEmmaC, the beautiful bouquets were by Cornish Flower Farm. They had also chosen makeup artist Suzi Winter but due to Covid19 they had to do their own.

The wedding feast!

"We woke up on the wedding morning and had a cooked breakfast delivered to our room. 
For our wedding feast we had a main course of caramelised red onion, herb and goats cheese tart with salad and new potato’s. For desert we had squidgy chocolate torte. Our wedding cake was a lovely lemon drizzle cake provided by Lower Barns. We then had a selection of cheese and biscuits throughout the evening."

The dresses

"We chose to wear wedding dresses, we didn’t keep it as a surprise from one and other as we wanted the dresses to complement each other. Sofie wore laced healed shoes and Jo wore her signature look of wedding flip flops"

Accessories

They chose a simple pearl bracelet one with a dragonfly charm on and on the other a heart. Both wore pearl earring and flowers in their hair.

Favourite part

The beautiful intimate ceremony at Lower Barns which even included Freda the dog accompanying them down the aisle.

"Janie and Mike also went out of their way to make our day special, as nothing was too much trouble." 

Due to Covid and wedding gatherings unable to take place they decided to meet their family and their two fur babies Rolo and Pebbles at the Lost Gardens of Heligan for photos after the ceremony.

"This made our day special as we were able to see loved ones and have our professional photos with them."

Heligan was a perfect choice - it was like an extension of Lower Barns with the colours of all the different flowers.

"Our favourite photos of Heligan are in the Italian Garden and also the wild flower meadow looking over Mevagissy. 

The staff at Heligan were extremely welcoming and made our family feel welcome and special throughout the day, they even cornered off a section of the car park so we could be together on arrival." 

top tips and advice

"On reflection of our day and the plans we had initially made throughout the year we have realised that not everything goes to plan, but thats OK because its those special moments and memories we create throughout our lives that are the ones that are unexpected, unscripted and unplanned.

The best part of our day was that it was completely unscripted, fun and it became just about the two of us. So take a deep breath, relax and let it go."

• Photographer: Arianna Fenton Photography
• Venue: Lower Barns
• Wedding Hair: Hair by Emma C