Laidback, Family Picnic Style Farmyard Wedding on a £3,500 Budget

Katie Goff Photography

April 20, 2020

Sharron and Chris wanted their spring wedding day to be really laid-back and for guests to feel relaxed without the usual formalities of a wedding. Sharron also knew she wanted an outdoor ceremony, so started their planning finding a venue that would fit their requirements; Cornish Camels in Helston ticked all the boxes! 

With a £3,500 budget, they kept things super simple and low key. Guests were told to bring a picnic blanket and a chair. They served a cream tea picnic as a wedding breakfast followed by vegan street food later on. The entertainment was already provided in the form of the resident camels, who were looking adorably dishevelled as their fur was malting. They kept decor simple, with table decorations of jars with sheet music wrapped around and bunting loaned from a friend’s previous wedding. 

Sharron was seven months pregnant for their big day and they nearly cancelled when they found out, but instead worked with the venue to make some changes to fit their budget. The bride wore a green maternity dress from Maya at ASOS, paired with a real floral crown from Cornish Flower Crowns. Her friends, and bridesmaids, kindly gifted her hair and make up as budget wouldn’t allow for it. Keeping the catering casual helped keep costs down, and another friend kindly made their cake.

Their ceremony was outside of the 14th century barn that’s situated on the farm, but was fully legal as they repeated their vows under the licensed archway. Sharron walked down the aisle with her daughter to an acoustic singer performing Everlong by the Foo Fighters. Sharron’s daughter read a poem called Getting Married Means You’ll Have by Nicholas Gordon. “The ceremony was very personal and intimate and I remember looking at Chris the whole time. Everyone else just disappeared”, the bride said.

When asked if they had any advice for future brides and grooms, Sharronsimply said, “You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your day special. There are some great bargains to be had in high street shops. There are always people selling wedding items on Facebook marketplace and we got some really great free stuff off there too. Also, weddings really show you who truly cares about you. We were so close to cancelling our wedding because we thought we could never afford it once we were expecting a baby. We were amazed by our friends generosity and also suppliers willing to reduce their costs for us too. The most important thing is your love for your partner. Everything else is a bonus!”

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