Isabel & James - August

A day filled with so much love and laughter and also an outfit change!

The emphasis for this special event at the foot of the fells was pure joy, memory making and splashes of wow! The lovely couple wanted to make sure everyone experienced the glorious surroundings, having time to take it all in, plus being entertained and treated like the special folk they are.

The pops of colour worked wonderfully in the barn and the hoops were a huge highlight! Lighting created the atmosphere, dipping for the evening helped. The outfit change and first dance routine were a big and brilliant surprise too!

Annabel, our Wedding Manager, commented on the day:

“Not only did I love working with this couple, but the day was so epic too! Using the garden next door for the blessing was a delight as it really meant you could take in the surrounding views. Then that styling was a triumph. I love contrasts and bangs of bright tones in such a rustic place. It just all came together so wonderfully. I am really chuffed for the couple!”

Every wedding here brings something unique and lovely to our story and experience. We love helping everyone create an event that truly reflects them and makes every guest feel honoured and valued. Memories made in the most magical way!

Suppliers who helped to make this incredible day:

Furniture and lighting: Eden Events Hire

Ceremony: Crow Howe conducted by the Bride’s sister

Flowers, candles and props: Wilde and Romantic

Catering: Karen Rhodes Catering

Photography: Carla Whittingham and Gasp Photo Co

Videographer: Velvet Cow

Crockery, cutlery and napkins: Karen Rhodes Catering

Band: Truly Medley Deeply

Guest Book: The Telephone Guest Book

Makeup and Hair: The Collective

Kind words:

Why did you choose BITF for your big celebration?

• We knew we wanted something rustic in a scenic/outdoorsy location.

• We looked at lots of venues in different locations, saw dozens of barns!!

• Chose BITF because:

• We needed a large venue (up to 150) which ruled out a lot. BITF is an amazingly large & flexible space.

• We saw so many ‘overdone’ barn conversions where everything felt too contrived. We loved BITF being a new venue, being farm of a working farm and the opportunity to make it into exactly what we wanted.

• The limited number of bookings throughout the year was very attractive to us. We didn’t want to feel like we were a part of a conveyor belt of weddings and having the Crow How for the weekend was a huge plus.

• The people! Everyone we met was super friendly, helpful, excited for the next season of BITF weddings and flexible on what was on offer.

• We love the Lakes & spend a lot of time there. We had originally tried to find somewhere a little closer to London so travel would be easier for guests, but after seeing BITF there was nothing else that came close and we thought it a wonderful opportunity to get all our friends up to somewhere we love!

• What made you choose Annabel to assist with your wedding?

  • It was a huge plus that Annabel was already a part of the BITF journey and we were offered some consultations as part of the BITF package.

  • Annabel had great knowledge of the venue, DIY weddings & relationships with a ton of local suppliers so we chose to work with Annabel more closely on all aspects of planning!

• What was the most difficult part of planning a wedding?

  • The never-ending number of tasks/decisions & balancing that with everyday life!!

• What are your key memories from the day?

  • Pure happiness. We weren’t stressed for a second, everything went so smoothly & we spent every second enjoying ourselves & taking in the moments with all our family & friends.

  • The beautiful setting (outdoor ceremony) helped by luck of the incredible weather on the day!! It had been a monsoon the day before… and the day after. We can never complain about the weather again.

  • The barn looked stunning, décor/flowers were more than we could have possibly imagined.

  • The dance floor was packed all night!! An empty dance floor had been one of our biggest fears. Owe that to the best band ever that Annabel recommended.

Would you change anything?

• Nothing! And that’s our honest opinion we promise.

How was having Annabel there throughout the event?

• Annabel really came into her own on the day. She was in complete control, never once flustered & that cascaded to us.

• She was thinking about us the whole time, making sure we drank water, ate properly & had a few moments to ourselves! She even helped me get into my (admittedly) third outfit! Far beyond her job spec.

• She was fantastic with the guests, especially the groom’s nieces & all the suppliers on the day.

• She even roped in her husband as mixologist who was arguably the most popular many on the night!

What advice would you give others planning a DIY style wedding?

• Start early, have a good list & a good wedding planner!

• Get key suppliers booked in earlier than you might think.

• It’s hard work but totally worth it when you see it all come together !

Have you feedback on the rest of your supplier team?

• Band – best band ever, great acoustic set & d floor packed all night.

• Catering – delicious! Canapes insane, we had the best feedback from everyone.

• Décor – Janet made the vision come alive & the flower hoop was such a perfect centrepiece for the barn.

• Photographer/videographer – both so easy to work with & genuine pleasures to have with us for the whole day. They captured the fun so perfectly.

• Coffee van – went down an absolute treat!

• Cocktails!! – Divine. What more can we say!

Would you recommend BITF & Annabel?

• Absolutely !!

Too many gorgeous images to choose from!