Beauty and the barn

Melanie and Adam styled their day at The Old Kent barn in pink and white, with a touch of Vegas glitz

Just picture the scene: Salzburg, Austria, 3rd December 2017, it's snowing and the view from the top of the Hohensalzburg Fortress is spectacular. What an incredibly romantic location for a proposal, and it so happens, the spot where Adam asked Melanie to be his wife. "It was a complete surprise to me; we'd booked the trip to visit the Christmas market, as it's one of my favourite times of the year," Melanie remembers. When the time came to look for wedding venues, the pair visited many, all over Kent. Melanie explains, "The place that had the most immediate impact on us was The Old Kent Barn. It definitely has the wow-factor and the staff were so friendly. Nothing was too much trouble." We caught up with the bride to find out more about the couple's springtime W-day, 26th April 2019…

The chosen theme was traditional, painted in a pastel palette of pink and white, with a touch of glam. The all-important floral arrangements were dominated by pale pink and white peonies, blush pink and white roses, and gypsophila. For the centrepieces stunning silk blooms were displayed on tall crystal pillars as pure white domes, with tea lights around the base. The three-tier blush-rose bake was also decorated in theme-fitting flowers.

The elegant table plan boasted a white hydrangea surround with silver lanterns arranged around the base. The place and table names both reflected this glamour adorned with silver glitter and pink ribbon. The couple had selected a secondary Las Vegas-inspired theme, and namedall of their tables after hotels on the strip. The favours were scratch cards in honour of the city. The beautiful Old Kent Barn was certainly dressed to impress in ivory ceiling drapes, blush sweet pink chair hood ruffles, and vase and pillar candles, all of which created a wistful, romantic atmosphere.

Beauty and the barn: Image 2 The newlyweds and their guests enjoyed a selection of canapés during the drinks reception, including sausage bites (as a side note, I've tried these, they're amazing), thai prawns, devilled whitebait, parmesan arancini, mozzarella balls, and ham hock tartlets. If your mouth isn't watering yet, the menu continues: starter was a tartlet of leek, cheddar and smoked pancetta with a soft herb salad, or carrot, smoky cumin and coriander soup. This was followed by a main course, which included the option of the delicious-sounding perfectly roasted rump of lamb accompanied by Mediterranean ratatouille and a basil, olive and rosemary tapenade. Dessert options included lemon posset with mixed berries, topped with Chantilly cream; or Kentish apple, blackberry and stem ginger crumble served with cream. In the evening everyone feasted on humble bacon rolls and chip butties. This sounds like the best day ever!

Melanie wore a beautiful Ronald Joyce gown – Norma. "I tried on a lot of dresses, but knew instantly when I'd found the one," she says, "plus the reaction from my nan and mum confirmed it, it was a very special moment." She put the finishing touches to the look with a pearl tiara and veil.

The groomsmen were dressed in air force blue suits with matching waistcoats, where as the groom was set apart with a grey version. They each accessorised with a pale pink pocket square and tie. Adam also had a pocket watch.

Beauty and the barn: Image 4 The beautiful bridesmaids wore pale pink, one shoulder, floorlength dresses.

Beauty and the barn: Image 5 Magician Paul Fowler entertained guests throughout the afternoon. Melanie remembers, "He was brilliant as he got guests talking and laughing, making sure everyone was involved. Even to this day, we're all still baffled by the tricks he performed, and would highly recommend him." Apollo Funk got the party started in the evening with a DJ set. "We chose a playlist, which got everyone up on the LED-lit dancefloor." They added to the fun with confetti canons, let off after the newlyweds' first dance. We think there's no better way to end the day than with a sparkler guard of honour to send off the happy couple, and that's just what Melanie and Adam did. "It made for some effective photographs," the bride recalls.

For Adam, the highlight of the day was turning around at the altar to see Melanie for the very first time, as she walked down the aisle towards him on her father's arm. "We were both so excited, but sonervous," Melanie reveals.

The bride was over the moon at how blessed they'd been with such a beautiful spring day. "The sunshine and blue skies meant we could get married outside in the beautiful gazebo area," which was one of the venue's features that initially attracted them to it.

Beauty and the barn: Image 7 "We'd highly recommend using an experienced, and expert, toastmaster. John Oakley took firm control of proceedings throughout the day, to ensure that everyone was in the right place at the right time, which was particularly important for organising the photographs. Plus, he was thoroughly professional in making all the necessary introductions and announcements."