Barn in the Fells

Why did you pick BITF? “We always knew we wanted a Lake District wedding. The lakes is a huge part of our life and we wanted to show all of our friends and family that too. We searched online and for a while thought we’d never find a place that worked for what we needed, we were hit with small spaces or expensive marquees on land hidden away. And then we saw Barn in the Fells…The intrigue of a brand new venue in between our favourite Lake District towns Ambleside and Grasmere was too hard to turn down a visit. Right from the off, booking in with Annabel was so easy, informative and made us very giddy. We unfortunately lost my Grandad the week we were due to go and almost cancelled, but knowing he’d want us to continue our wedding search we made the journey in his memory. As we drove up to the breathtaking barn we were greeted with a warm and friendly welcome from Sharon the barn owner. Sharon told us she was a Wilson too, (just like my grandad) and we both knew this was the sign that we needed and this was the place. Walking around the farm felt like it’s own little Lake District village in its self, a real hidden gem. I visioned all of our guests walking down the road with music surrounding them and this came true perfectly on our day. We loved that the barn had been kept with as many of its original features as possible and that it didn’t feel like a traditional ‘white wedding venue’ but also with the courtyard at the back giving it chic Italian vibes. It was just the perfect combination in every way!” What space did you love the most? “In all honesty it it wasn’t just one space in particular for us but the vast amount of space the venue offers. When viewing nothing had been added yet so we had to use a lot of imagination but we loved that with the barn, courtyard and undercroft we had so much space to add our personalities to with options for all weather conditions.” How was the BITF team for you? “Just incredible. From start to finish. Nothing was too much trouble and we feel so lucky that we got to be a part of their brand new wedding venue journey. If you want a team who, let you bring your ideas to life freely, but who also get excited with you about your ideas then Sharon, Hogg & Annabel are the ones for you! With Sharon’s relaxed approach and creative eye along with Annabel, keeping things in check and keeping you sane throughout all the planning, they weren’t just members of staff they were a part of our wedding and we loved that!” How did you find planning a DIY wedding? “It was one of the reasons we loved the barn so much, it was a completely open space to bring our ideas to life. We enjoyed watching the venue grow over the year as more things got added and spaces filled with personality. It was a gamble but it paid off. DIY isn’t for everyone, and there’s A LOT that comes with it but to be honest, Annabel has you covered from the beginning and shares with you everything you need and from there you can decide it DIY is for you.” Any advice for those venturing into DIY wedding planning? “Marry someone who loves a spreadsheet! Jokes aside, there’s a lot to consider. Dealing with many different suppliers can be challenging so you need to be really organised. Go through everything you’d possibly need and then check again. Have a set budget and set some aside for the little things you might have missed, think napkins or cake stands etc. But DIY doesn’t always mean more money, we chose to do our own canapés and table decorations because you can do that here, it’s great! The team at BITF are all really close to the local suppliers and can help with advice on everything. But mostly, enjoy it! If the thought of DIY doesn’t make you feel giddy, it’s probably not for you.” Would you recommend this venue? ”We can’t recommended it enough. There is not a single person who didn’t comment on how unique and different it was. The space, the team, the location, the character - just perfect. Come and see for yourselves, you won’t be disappointed we promise.”

Why did you pick BITF? “We came across BITF on Instagram before it had held any weddings and we booked a look around. It was a dreary rainy day but we loved it even then so we knew that whatever the weather on our wedding day, it was going to be great. Through the main window in the barn you can see Loughrigg Fell which is where we got engaged, for our wedding day we got our friend to draw the outline of Loughrigg up on to the window which was really special. We were also really excited about the sheep! We knew that we would be talking alot to the team there through the planning process - Sharon, Hogg and Annabel so it was lovely when they invited us to have a brew with them and we chatted for ages, knowing that we felt relaxed with the team made it an easy choice. We didn't look around any other venues.” What space do you like the most at the venue? “The bar was a really amazing, atmospheric transformation from the first time we saw that space. But we really loved that there were so many different spaces to explore for our guests. We made use of them throughout the day so it felt like our guests were moving through different individual spaces, which kept the excitement high throughout the day.” How did you find the planning stage? “We can't say wedding planning was our favourite activity... It was just as things were opening up after covid and we struggled alot with providers being already booked up with their previous cancellations. We did alot ourselves and as a family in terms of decor which was a lot of work but meant that it was super personal and exactly what we wanted. The day was incredible.” What's your best memory of the day? “There are SO many. The weather turning from chucking it down on our way to church, to beautiful sunshine on our way back to the Barn. Feeding the sheep - Hogg set up a feeding pen out by the courtyard and it was so fun seeing people play with the sheep. Taking photos on a walk with our BRILLIANT photographer Carla. Our first dance. Pizza. The whole atmosphere. Watching everyone explore the gardens of Crow How with views of the fells all around.” What would be your advice to others taking on a DIY wedding? “From our experience, it's going to cost more than you expect, then more than that; although maybe that's just weddings in general! It's a really big undertaking to DIY but worth it to get exactly what you have planned. It was so personal to us and we wouldn't change the way we did it. We were very lucky to have lots of people to help us. The accomodation at the B and B next door was a brilliant surprise, the rooms there are stunning and you get to have full run of the place, the breakfast was incredible. We actually went off to a spa for the night after our wedding but we were gutted that we had to leave the B and B!! Our friends and family didn't mind the hard work of arranging the venue because we could spend the day in such a lovely place altogether, we had pizza out on the patio when all the work was done. The great thing about BITF is that the building is already beautiful so you don't need to hire/buy loads of stuff to make it look nice.” Would you recommend BITF? “Definitely. It's stunning, so brilliant and interesting to bring our guests to a working farm, and Sharon and Hogg couldn't have been more helpful. It really feels like a special venue because they don't do weddings every weekend, so your wedding feels like a really big deal and special occasion. They really went above and beyond.”

“We chose BITF for many reasons… Due to it being set in beautiful scenery We liked the flexibility of being able to design your own wedding, from the lighting to the napkins, we felt this added a much more personal touch, which was fed back from the guests. We had a few people say they could tell that we designed it all which we loved. Locality of the venue. Ambleside Cricket Club being right next door…the team didn’t have too far to stumble for the game the next day!😆🤦🏼‍♀️ We liked it wasn’t a traditional wedding venue, we had the whole place to ourselves. It’s not a ‘factory made/ conveyor belt’ wedding venue. Everything was bespoke. Sharon and Hogg were very welcoming and accommodating. Favourite space… The main barn upstairs..we love how rustic it is..all the wooden beams. The big space was enough room for all the guests to dance and have a great time. The team were fantastic.. Very helpful and accommodating. Very flexible. We were also very grateful for being able to visit frequently in the run up. Favourite part of the day… The whole thing was just fabulous. We cant pick a favourite part. Even when the rain and traffic delayed everything..this didn’t matter as we were able to run behind as the venue is so flexible…the guests were happy to go to the bar! Advice for a DIY celebration.. Don’t do what you think you SHOULD have at your wedding..just do what YOU want. You don’t need all the fancy stuff!! We did this and we had the best day. As long as there’s food, music and a fun crowd everyone will have a great time. Add your own personal touch to it all…like having your own personal Cocktail..The Wileman Woo Woo! What would we change … Nothing…apart from we both didn’t eat enough…I barely ate a thing for the sit down meal and we both didn’t even have a sniff of a burger!!! We were too busy having a great time. So we’d say we would make sure we ate 🤣🤣 Would we recommend BITF? Yes we would 100% recommend BITF!!”

How did you find the Barn in the Fells? “We found Barn in the Fells through Google searching as they were just starting out. We were trying to find the perfect venue for us and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly. We eagerly and excitedly tried to arrange a visit and we're blown away by the potential!” Why did you choose this venue? “We chose Barn in the Fells because it was such an amazingly versatile space with many different elements that enabled us to host our entire wedding there providing great continuity whilst being able to make each element of the day feel different. Furthermore, Annabel, Sharon and Hogg made us feel so welcome and at home from day one, we just couldn't wait to yet started. “ What are your favourite elements or spaces about the venue? “The undercroft was a fantastic space for our ceremony. We were able to create a very relaxed and intimate ceremony whilst also having space to comfortably seat all our guests and get them fully involved. The main barn is an absolute show stopper with a perfect balance of original features and everything you need to host the day. Our round table and relaxed dinner service worked superbly well and when the lights were dimmed and the dancefloor was rocking, there was no better place to be! Finally the scenery that you are entirely surrounded by is stunning and sure makes for a bunch of great photos!” What are your stand out memories from your special celebration? “Our stand-out memories are our ceremony, our dinner and the dancefloor. For our ceremony we recruited Charlotte a local Celebrant and she helped us create a ceremony that we believe struck the perfect balance of something that was uniquely "us" as a couple whilst also engaging and involving our guests. For our dinner, we had a relaxed sharing style menu that meant we had plenty of time to mingle between courses and go around and spend some time with all of our guests. And finally, we found an amazing band, put them on a stage and they hit just the right note. The dancefloor was packed from start to finish!” Would you recommend Barn in the Fells to other couples looking for a DIY wedding? “A DIY wedding is not for the faint hearted as it takes a lot of work and thought. We believe you have to be fully invested to pull it off but if you've got the time & energy, we can think of no better place than Barn in the Fells!” What would your top tips for them be? “Our top tips would be; a) Get a Pinterest board going early with your likes and dislikes and get consensus as a couple. b) Lock in those key suppliers as early as possible to be sure to get the ones you want. If you pick good suppliers, in keeping with the vibe you want, they'll do a lot of the hard work for you. As an example, we had a fairly loose brief for our florists but we trusted them and they knocked it out of the park! c) Have a budget and be sure to have a contingency pot built in for those unexpected extras. d) Build in time to stop, decompress and connect as a couple to be sure to enjoy the journey. We found it all too easy to get stuck into wedmin and the hours would fly by.”