A Cripps & Co Wedding – Hazel Gap Barn Edition
Choosing your wedding venue is always going to be one of the hardest things to decide for your wedding day!
Your venue is your atmosphere to your day: how light/dark it is, the level of control you have to your styling, the grounds it has for if the weather is nice, the inside space it has for if the weather is dreary…the list is pretty much endless.
So how do you go about choosing the right venue for you?
- make sure the space fits who you both are…is it modern, traditional, candlelit, industrial, fun, simple, elegant, flamboyant etc
- speak to the staff and make sure they “get” you. If you want an informal day you aren’t going to want the coordinator to be trying to push you into a formal event style wedding.
- Is there space both inside and outside- we are in the UK so we never know what the weather has in store for us. Make sure your venue has a great inside backup.
and that’s pretty much it!
Hazel Gap Barn has it all – no question
Here’s 5 reasons why I believe this after shooting several weddings here this year
1) Hazel Gap Barn’s Ceremony Room
It’s grand, it’s elegant, it has exposed brick, high ceilings, candlelight, huge barn doors and a long aisle.
It literally needs no styling. Maybe add a few flowers here and there, extra candles, but that is all you would need. That’s a big green tick. The space is so elegant, rustic and breathtaking without adding anything to it- you can only elevate it further.
I’ve shot weddings in many places, and one thing that always sticks out is if the aisle is long enough for you to enjoy your walk. Hazel Gap Barn has such a lovely aisle. Its length gives you time to let it all sink in. Also, equally important, is the length let’s you both enjoy your exit down the aisle as a married couple (meaning your exit song gets to be played for that bit longer and just fills your guests with happiness and excitement for the things to come for your wedding day as nothing has felt rushed).
2) Hazel Gap Barn’s Courtyard
The courtyard at Hazel Gap Barn is so beautiful on a dry day. It gives the impression of being abroad with it’s dark brick work and water fountain.
If you get married at Hazel Gap Barn you’ll be doing your confetti toss within this courtyard, and given that it has different seating areas within it your guests snake around this giving a fun walk through.
The courtyard is also a lovely place to greet your guests and have some tasty appetisers served. I love shooting candids at weddings and always find that this courtyard offers such a relaxed atmosphere that guests are more than happy for me to circulate round and capture them enjoying your day.
3) The Food at Hazel Gap Barn
You can’t really discuss a venue without discussing food…and the food here is worth discussing. I’m not sure what the full menu is like in regards to how much choice you have but what I can tell you is that whenever I have shot a wedding day here at Hazel Gap Barn the food has been tremendous and the guests have always commented on that!
It’s fresh, it’s prepared on-site and it’s delicious. What more could you ask for?
Oh I know…how it’s served? I love that there’s the option for shared bowls/grazing because this gives an informal way to dine. It’s a lovely thing for guests to be sat round a table and pass the different dishes around, it definitely creates a relaxed atmosphere. It’s funny how food can do that!
I’m a foodie, and I know that if I was planning my wedding day the food would be a top priority. I’m so so happy that a venue as stunning as Hazel Gap Barn really delivers on their food too. Just another almighty green tick.
4) Hazel Gap Barn’s Reception Space
If you’ve already Googled this venue you will know what I’m about to say…light!
There are windows EVERYWHERE. It really does take your breath away. The light is mirrored by these huge beams of wood that arch over the entrance way and are carried through into the ceiling.
The back windows look out onto the lawned area and feels like inside/outside space. There’s also twinkly lights in the ceilings and enough space around all the tables to walk through and chat to guests with ease in-between courses if that’s what you feel like doing.
It feels grand and luxurious without feeling formal, how Cripps & Co have accomplished this is beyond me, but they have and I love it.
5) Hazel Gap Barn’s Grounds
I’ve seen it all on here. Lawn games, axe throwing, outside acoustic singers, you name it.
The Lawned area at the back of Hazel Gap Barn is so lovely for anything you have planned.
I really like how they have placed a tree lined area with a bench at the end because that means that even on the brightest of days (if we time it right) there’s enough shade here to have your family group photographs if you would like to.
From the gardens you have two beautiful backdrops too. You have the woodland area around the back and also Hazel Gap Barn itself. I love doing couple portraits in these gardens as well as using the front of the building.
The grounds at the front of Hazel Gap Barn are just as magical and offer a lovely place for early sunset photographs. I say early because if you leave it too late the sun disappears behind the tree line so you have to do this early.
The front of Hazel Gap Barn is where the destination scenery comes into play. It always reminds me of Italy with its tall thin trees and climbing flowers. It makes for such a romantic backdrop to those later photographs you might have planned in with your photographer.
And there you have it- 5 lovely reasons why you should put Hazel Gap Barn on your viewing list for your wedding day.
If it’s not clear already I love it here!
Here are the suppliers from the images above in case you loved anything and would like to see what they have to offer too.
Suppliers:
Venue & Food: Hazel Gap Barn
Videographer: Oliver Mitchell
Photography: me 🙂