At Belle Bridal we LOVE a barn wedding and today we have a gorgeous one to share with you all. Captured by Eye Of The Tyne Photography, Claire and Craig held their special day in the picturesque setting of Healey Barn. Claire and Craig wanted a day that reflected them as a couple, which they achieved through DIY décor, luxe touches and a relaxing atmosphere.

“We know it is a bit of a cliché, but we just wanted something that was a reflection of us as a couple. We tried to make it as the day as relaxed as possible, while also allowing for a spot of luxury here and there. This meant doing a lot of DIY elements at home to make sure the day was exactly what we wanted. We tried to put our own stamp on details such as the food, the table plan, the flowers, the tattoos and the music, so that our friends and family would look back at our wedding fondly knowing they had a thoroughly good time. We’ve had so many messages from guests asking for details about specific songs and other elements from the wedding, so we think we achieved our aim.”

“On top of that, we knew that attending a wedding as a guest nowadays isn’t exactly a cheap day out; from arranging babysitters, hotels and transport through to buying new outfits and gifts for the happy couple. As a result, we wanted to make the wedding as relatively fuss-free logistically and financially as possible for guests so that they could just turn up and have a jolly good time and not worry about how much their credit card bill was going to be the following month, or how they were going to get back to their hotel from the middle of nowhere.”

After returning from holiday, Claire and Craig ventured to Healey Barn while feeling incredibly jet-lagged. They knew the moment that they saw the barn that it was the perfect venue for them.

“We booked the wedding for September as we both love Autumn, and we thought that as long as the weather was relatively nice (AKA not raining) then we couldn’t have asked for more. However, someone must have been looking down on us as the 23-degree temperature and bright sunshine made us feel like we were in Southern Europe as opposed to the wilds of Northumberland.”

Advice for other brides and grooms?
“Considering the day is one big celebration of two people spending the rest of their lives together, you would be surprised at how very little time the bride and groom actually spend together on the big day. Whether you are saying hello to guests and relatives you haven’t seen for a long time, or speaking to the staff at the venue to make sure everything is going according to plan. So, we would definitely say hold hands and try and spend as much time together as possible and enjoy your big day as a newly married couple because the day will be over before you know it.”

What was your highlight of the day?
“The big glass of prosecco after the ceremony – AND to finally relax!”

Where it all began...

"I can remember the first time I properly met Claire like it was yesterday. Although our story isn’t likely to be turned into a screenplay anytime soon, it goes to show that even the most obscure, unlikely and chance scenarios can lead to a lifetime of love. So, once upon a time, Claire came into the place that I was working at the time for her birthday, I remember her walking in with her friends and my ears ringing while all around me the world launched into a comedy slow motion. She asked me to look after her birthday cake.

After a few weeks of endless flirting (mainly on my part!) during random encounters in Pret A Manger, bumping into each other in bars, I decided that it was time that we went on a PROPER BONAFIDE DATE!. But I was faced with the simple conundrum that plagues us all: How and when do I ask her out?"

Do I call? Do I text? Do I send a Facebook message? Do I send up a smoke signal? How do you even do that? Eventually I decided to text her, because that was our main form of communication thus far. I waited for a good few days, so as not to seem overeager. We both really liked the film Labyrinth and we had chatted about watching it together one weekend, she also really liked Chinese food, so inviting her out for some Chinese food and then watching Labyrinth, seemed like the perfect move."

As I waited for her to reply, I started picturing our hypothetical future together - as everyone does! I had even planned out her birthday and Christmas presents for the next 20 years. Who knew what our future would be?"

My heart stopped. This was the moment of truth. Fifteen minutes go by … Nothing. My confidence starts going down and shifting into doubt. An hour goes by … Nothing. Two hours go by … Nothing. Three hours go by … Nothing. A mild panic begins."

Then. Just as I had given up all hope of having a beautiful future together, Claire finally texted me back: 'Hey, thanks for the offer but just popped into town and bought loads of cheese from the market - think I’m just gonna go home and eat these then have a nap instead - maybe next week? xxx' I still give her a hard time about this story 9 years later, but she now admits that she was interested in me at the time … she just really wanted to spend all afternoon eating some cheese!"

"In my opinion, the story of how we met perfectly sums up everything that is so wonderful about Claire and why that text made me like her even more."

For more inspiration, please check out our selection of real weddings.

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