A beloved family home and countryside wedding venue in Devon, Upton Barn instantly wraps you up in a warm welcome that will make you never want to leave. We’re all about those wholesome, stripped-back rustic vibes while our approach is simple; you are at the heart of what we do. Now, who’s ready to get married?

Sarah & Doug’s Spring Love Story

We may be heading into the winter months here at Upton Barn, but that hasn’t stopped us swooning over Sarah and Doug’s photographs from their spring wedding earlier this year.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, our countryside wedding venue in Devon really is a wedding venue for all seasons. Whether you’re looking for a cosy winter wedding in the barns, or you want to make the most of the summer sunshine in the Walled Garden.

If you’re wondering what time of year you want to tie the knot, Sarah and Doug’s special day will very much tempt you to say, ‘I Do’ in spring. So, we welcome you to keep scrolling and soak up all the wedding inspiration on the journal today!

This lovely pair married on Saturday 2nd April 2022 – Sarah was actually one of our very first brides to use the Paddock!

“Wow, it’s stunning and made my morning getting ready there. It’s beautiful and kudos to Claire and Richard for designing and building such a wonderful addition to Upton,” says Sarah. “Upton is truly magical, we loved how private it is and the style is so simple but elegant. It was the first and only place we even considered – it was perfect for us. The entire day ran so smoothly, thank you so much to the team and Kat for making our day so effortless.”

Sarah’s glam squad arrived at the Paddock on the morning of the wedding. Emma Roberts was her make-up artist, working with the bride to create something that completely suited her. “I don’t wear heavy make-up that often and wanted a very simple, soft and natural look. That’s exactly what Emma did – thank you for making me feel beautiful.” Beth Yeowell from BStudios styled Sarah’s hair in a super stylish bridal ponytail. “The whole time leading up to the wedding I was going to have a low bun but at the last minute I changed my decision to a low pony after having my make-up trial, and that’s how I happened to have my hair that day!”

Emma Hewlett Floral Design was on hand to work her flowery magic, creating the most exquisite bridal bouquet brimming with white long-stemmed roses. “We tied on four generations of engagement rings to the ribbon!” The couple chose to host their ceremony in the Cider Barn, which is a traditional cob barn with wonderful views across the gardens. Their talented florist lined the aisle with gypsophila, along with a stunning archway featuring white roses and foliage surrounding the doorway. Throughout their wedding day, the newlyweds wanted to keep the décor simple and elegant. From their ceremony to their reception, they filled Upton Barn with flowers, flickering candles and small delicate centrepieces for the tables. “We also had a polaroid for guestbook, which we love looking back at,” explains Sarah.

Sarah and Doug hired Mulberry Catering to create an epic feast for their wedding guests to tuck into.

“We are BIG foodies, so this was probably the biggest decision for us. Mulberry Catering did not disappoint! We attended their tasting afternoon, and the food was incredible, we knew whatever we picked would have been delicious and it really was. We kept everyone fed from start to finish, with canapés, a three-course wedding breakfast and dirty fries to end the night.”

Dan Costin was on hand to play the violin during their wedding breakfast, followed by his saxophone set afterwards to really get the party started. “The best decision we made was hiring Dan Costin to come and play for us. After his set finished, he had to go to another wedding but surprised us by coming back to the venue to finish the night off in the right way!”

When it came to their favourite part of the day they told us, “How much time we spent together during the day and the calm moments away for photographs with Kat & Justin!” The happy couple described their day in three words as ‘wholesome, loving and perfect’. We asked them to offer other couples who are getting married a few words of advice and here’s what they had to say…

“It’s your day, no one else’s, so do it your way! Everyone will have opinions on everything to do with your day but choose what you really want, whether that’s your flowers, cake flavours or colour scheme. Also, I would highly recommend hiring the Paddock at Upton!”

A huge thank you to Kathryn McCleod for capturing Sarah & Doug’s very special spring wedding day on camera, and a shout-out to their suppliers below who brought their dream wedding day to life. We still have a few dates available for weddings next year, so please do get in touch to book in a viewing of Upton Barn.

Real love stories, planning advice, inspirational features – you name it, we’ve got it covered.