A surprise proposal by candlelight and an excited acceptance saw Noora and Nashwan plan their summer wedding that was full of everything, and everyone, that they love.

Finding ‘the one’

High on Noora and Nash’s list of must-haves was a venue that felt like home in beautiful surroundings and Upwaltham Barns made a fabulous first impression:

‘Upwaltham Barns immediately felt like home. There’s a real family-orientated vibe and the team running Upwaltham really made us feel welcome. It’s so clear they enjoy what they do,” says Noora.

“The aesthetic of the barn appealed to our earthly and homely tastes – it has so many different things to offer from the East Barn and South Barn to the Stable Bar and Moroccan snug. We genuinely loved it all, and the backdrop of the countryside was beyond our dreams.”

Styling Upwaltham Barns

Noora and Nash were very keen to keep things as minimal as possible, but they also wanted their decorations to reflect the homely, natural vibe they love.

“I suppose our theme was akin to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Everything was leafy but elegant with a sage, gold and ivory theme and our aim was to keep things simple while expressing our love for the earth.”

Another of the couple’s loves, Mumford and Sons featured heavily in the day! Every table was named after one of the band’s songs and, of course, Mumford and Sons was part of the wedding day soundtrack.

The wedding flowers, by Someflower, were exactly what Noora and Nash were hoping for. The bouquets, buttonholes and floral designs featured lots of foliage with white roses, all of which complemented Upwaltham Barns perfectly.

Dressing for the occasion

Noora’s beautiful Mori Lee gown suited her personal style. There was a definite Grace Kelly feel to the A-line dress, and Noora couldn’t have been happier with her choice.

“I found my wedding dress at Aurora Bride in Surrey, and I loved it for its classic yet simple style and the low back was incredible. It was the kind of look that I wanted to go for and, as with everything, I kept things minimal. My accessories were a diamond bracelet that Nash had given me and a small pair of pearl earrings.”

Noora wore her hair in an elegant twisted bun that was finished with perfectly styled hairpins that held her veil in place. Sharon Roberts Hair attended on the day and made Noora and her bridesmaids look amazing.

The two bridesmaids embraced a 1950s style and their vintage inspired, off-the-shoulder knee-length dresses from JJ’s House complemented the colour scheme and were ideal for a hot summery day.

Nash wore a stylish soft blue checked suit from Astares in Havant, finished with a sage bow tie, while his groomsmen chose contrasting grey check suits from Moss Bros.

The wedding day

Noora and Nash held their ceremony in the East Barn and everything looked perfect. Two tall silver candelabras sat on either side of the ceremony table, which was decorated with floral jam jars, a lantern and photos of Noora and Nash as children.

The couple were very keen for everyone to focus on the ceremony and so they asked their guests to ‘switch off’ for the duration.

“We wanted everyone to put their phones and cameras away and enjoy the ceremony. We really valued this as it felt uninterrupted and intimate. I walked down the aisle with my father to Ludovico Einaudi’s I Giorni and my best friend read one of my favourite poems by E. E. Cummings.”

With the formalities behind them, the celebrations could begin, and Noora and Nash chose a delicious menu for their day.

“We absolutely adored the catering by Nibbles2Nosh. We’d chosen our menu before the wedding experience evening, but the event confirmed everything we’d picked – we loved our choices!”

Noora and Nash’s wedding breakfast included a starter of sun blush tomato, red onion and mozzarella tart, served with baby leaves and a balsamic dressing and a main course of lamb shank with buttered mash and chicken breast with potato puree, pine nuts and game chips.

“The speeches were very emotional, with my dad drawing a good few tears from the crowd. Everyone spoke so beautifully and made the wedding breakfast a wonderful experience that was filled with joy.”

After the wedding breakfast, Noora and Nash took to the dancefloor for their first dance, the Van Morrison classic Have I Told You Lately.

After the wedding breakfast, Noora and Nash took to the dancefloor for their first dance, the Van Morrison classic Have I Told You Lately.

“The lyrics to this song really hit home, and we were singing to each other as we danced. We were so absorbed in the song that we forgot everything around us. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

Wedding tips and advice

“If we could do it all again, we’d make sure we were more careful of our budget as we ended up going over our initial planned budget. We could have been more organised here, and then we would have stayed on top of the figures.”

“Also, give yourself a break from planning when you need to so you’re not left feeling that all there is to life is the wedding! It could easily become all-consuming and that’s not good for anyone. At the end of the day, focus on having a marriage, not a wedding.”

If you’d like to take a look at another brilliant summer wedding, don’t miss Chloe and Tom’s handmade and sustainable celebration.

Images courtesy © of Clemmy Photographer