I had my heart set on a barn
Although we had a couple other viewings on the same day, we decided to cancel them after we had seen Bateman's Barn and had met with Nicole.
It was absolutely perfect for us and just what we were after. It is so geared up to accommodate any potential scenario that a British summer can bring and it also came with the owners, Nicole and John, who have over 18 years’ experience looking after over 500 couples, so I knew we would be in safe hands.
The venue includes the barn, a courtyard that is covered by a marquee, a beautiful little bar serving local beers, ales, ciders and much more as well as amazing gardens, surrounded by meadows and far reaching views - proper countryside!
Next to the barn is the B&B which includes 5 bedrooms for the Bridal Party to stay for the weekend which was so convenient and they offer breakfast served in the barn the morning after the wedding. We knew we had found the perfect venue for our intimate day.
Nicole certainly put our minds at ease as well as providing us with recommendations for our florist, caterers, DJ and much more. Her highly experienced and thoughtful advice was really appreciated.
Nicole was also helpful in accommodating our ideas and despite the usual setup where the ceremony is held in the barn and the reception in the marquee, Matt and I wanted to get married in a local church and have the reception in the barn instead.
Nicole had no problems with this and allowed us to turn the marquee in to a casual seating area with pallet furniture.
We wanted something that captured a sense of both of our personalities as well as cultural backgrounds, as I am from South Africa and Matt from Britain, so we wanted hints of Africa combined with a British, vintage feel.
Bateman's offered that quintessentially British countryside and we added in hints of Africa with our subtle decorations. The majority of the decorations we made ourselves, but the vision became clear and easy with Bateman's as our canvas.
I think we had the hottest day in June (2017) so the prospect of bad weather was certainly not on the horizon. This worked perfectly as our guests enjoyed playing lawn games in the gardens under the shade of the beautiful ancient trees, drinking delicious homemade lemonade, elderflower presse and refreshing glasses of Pimms.
Every single one of our guests commented on how beautiful the venue was, and 6 months down the line, they are still telling us that we couldn’t have chosen a better venue.
As I’m sure everyone says, the day goes by so fast, but it was well and truly the best day of our lives so far, filled with love and happiness in the peaceful surroundings of Bateman's Barn.
I truly will miss our drives down the pretty country lanes of Suffolk to this beautiful and special venue it is such a lovely captivating setting.
And not only do you get an incredible venue, you really do not need to sweat the small stuff as with Nicole and John at the helm taking care of you and your loved ones, you get a worry free calm and serene day.
Thanks for everything.
Christine and Matt
