Gorgeous, Autumnal Redhouse Barn Wedding Photography

I was very much looking forward to this wedding at Redhouse Barn! Wedding photographers have a lot of kind words to say about this venue and now I can see why… As a wedding venue, Redhouse Barn in Stoke Prior, Worcestershire is completely amazing!  …and I do not say this lightly either. For me, to be a great venue, there are a lot of boxes to tick. Be it, the location, the beauty of the building, the grounds and surroundings, friendliness of staff, the atmosphere and the food to name a few. This venue, just down the road from Bromsgrove, ticks all those boxes and some on top.  Since shooting there, I have learned Redhouse Barn has gone on to win the national award for the best countryside wedding venue. This is totally and absolutely deserved! 
On the day, Rob was great. It is such a refreshing change to visit a wedding venue with a permanent Master of Ceremonies. He kept the whole day running smoothly, with constant updates of what was coming up and where things were happening. When I say everything ran like clockwork, this is not an understatement. 

…and I haven’t even had a chance to mention the incredible food!! I was so well looked after… It was delicious! 

In short, Neil & Briony’s wedding was fantastic from start to finish. I thanks them for giving me the opportunity to witness their wedding and to be able to shoot in such a wonderful location. All the best for the future and congratulations! 

Their Story

1) Please tell me how you first met? 
Briony: We first met four years ago when Neil came to a job interview at the school we both now work in. He had to teach a lesson to my current class as part of the interview process. I went to ask ‘Mr Tasker’ if there was anything I could help him with before the lesson started. Unfortunately, he asked for help with some complicated problem with the laptop. I couldn’t help at all so I slunk off quickly to find someone else who could! Despite my lack of help, Neil did get the job and I went on to be his mentor!!

2) When was it you knew they were the one? 
Briony: I have often described our relationship as being like ‘falling off a log’; from the moment we got together, we have always said how well we seem to fit together!

3) Could you give us the story of the proposal?
Briony: It was the best day of my life so far! We had gone for a little explore of North Wales last summer. I hadn’t been before so Neil (being Welsh) was leading the tour. One day, he took me to Llanddwyn Beach in Anglesey. I had noticed that the area had a red squirrel conservation area so I had been pestering Neil to go and look for some! He said that he wanted us to walk to the lighthouse first. At the end of the beach, there is an island called Llanddwyn Island, which is the Welsh Island of Love (although pretended that he hasn’t realised this at the time!). It was beautiful, with wildflowers growing everywhere and the ruins of a church. Neil totally took me by surprise when he proposed at the top of the island by the lighthouse. It was really magical and unexpected! 

4) If you don’t mind sharing, can you tell me something quirky, funny or silly about your partner? 
We separately chose our answers to this and both seem to be animals! Oh dear! 
Briony: Neil is a bear! He is always warm, which is handy as I’m always cold and need warming up. He also rubs his face in the morning like a bear waking up which always makes me laugh. He often refers to himself as the ‘big, brown bear’.
Neil: Briony is a squirrel. She likes to own ‘families’ of things and stock up in case we ever have some month-long blizzard! Not sure why the 5 teapots of varying sizes that we own will be needed in an emergency!

5) What is your perfect day together? 
We love just getting in the car and driving off to see what we can find. We don’t follow a plan or a sat nav and like disappearing off just the two of us. We often drive to Wales and find new routes home, going through beautiful places, like Brecon.

6) Apart from the obvious, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
The first dance! That’s the only part of the day that only the two of us know about. The song is a secret and we have enjoyed dancing around (very badly!) to it for the last year when we’re by ourselves.

7) What was it that inspired you to go for the theme or the decor you chose for your wedding? 
We are having a very cosy autumn themed wedding. When we were first together, Neil picked a beautiful hydrangea while we were on the way home from a night out and Briony dried it out to keep. We will have lots of fresh and dried hydrangeas on the day as they remind us of when we were first together. The original dried hydrangea flower that Neil picked will be in Briony’s bouquet on the day!

8) Please tell me one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your wedding planning process, that you could pass on to future brides reading this blog?   
Plan ahead! The time rushes away and one minute the wedding is months away, and the next minute it’s nearly here and you have to get organised very quickly!

9) When searching, what were you were looking for in a wedding venue? 
The church is a beautiful location, especially being next to Harvington Hall which will be an unexpected sight for visitors unfamiliar with the area. The church has links to the school that we both work in so is also personal to us.
We wanted somewhere that was charming and rustic whilst also being able to cater for whatever we needed, including unpredictable weather! Redhouse Barn is so well run and made us feel that we could trust them to keep everything running smoothly for us. It is such a lovely location and is perfect for any season, including our November wedding which we know could do anything weather-wise!

10) Could you tell me the process you went through when you were looking for a wedding photographer?
We wanted someone whose photography style suited ours and also someone who would work in a professional but unobtrusive way on the day. When we met Duncan, we knew that we could trust him to take exactly the sort of photos we were looking for and so we can relax on the day and not wonder what he’s off doing at any point! We were also made to feel so welcome when we popped over to his house to discuss the wedding.

Vendor List

Photography |  Duncan Cox Photography 
Ceremony Location | St Mary’s RC Church, Harvington.
Reception Location | Redhouse Barn, Stoke Prior
Video | Iconic Image (Lee Matthews)
Florist | Shelsley Herbs and Flowers (Kate)
Wedding Planner | Through Redhouse Barn
Wedding DJ | Insignia Discos (Gary)
Dress Designer | Alba Rosa
Wedding Dress Retailer | The Bridal Room, Broadway
Other Details/Vendors | Kidderminster Male Choir & Acoustic guitar set by James Baker Acoustic

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