Eve & Graham | Real Weddings at Bachilton Barn
How did you two meet?
Not the most romantic story but we met on social media during Covid so it was a while before we got to go out on a proper date. Our early days were spent going for walks before we joined our "covid bubble" together. We moved to the Isle of Lewis together and got engaged on the beach during a camping trip on the Isle of Vatersay.
What was it that made you choose Bachilton Barn?
We knew from the start we wanted a barn style wedding and came across Bachilton during our venue research. We were instantly drawn to it because of the amazing accommodation on site, it was very important to us that our wedding party and family could stay at the venue the night before as well as the night of the wedding. We attended one of the many open days and were blown away. The relaxed atmosphere and beautiful surroundings were exactly what we were looking for.
The venue was so spacious with different rooms - another thing that was important to us to ensure the day ran smoothly with so many guests. Inside the barn was so cosy and we fell in love with the fairy lights and wooden beams. The outside is equally as stunning with rolling hills, outdoor seating and a pond with a fountain.
What was important to you when planning your wedding?
It was important to us that we had a venue that we could include our own style and ideas. I am quite crafty/creative so I wanted to be able to express this in our venue styling etc. Bachilton was the perfect blank canvas wedding where we could let our individual vision come to life.
We knew from the Bachilton social media just how different all the weddings there are so we knew we could put a real personal spin on our day. The team gave us such freedom to decide everything about our day and worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen. Everything from the layout of the rooms to timings was completely up to us which made the planning feel so relaxed. We were able to get in to the venue the day before to set up all our personal touches and all our guests commented on how personal it felt. Ellie our wedding co-ordinator was on hand the day before to do a ceremony run through with us to our chosen music, which settled the nerves more than I expected!
Tell us about your big day! What was your favourite part?
Our wedding celebration was everything we could have possibly dreamed of. Having all of our family and wedding party staying on site meant the celebrations started early and we had the opportunity for one last get together the night before the wedding.
The cottages were beautiful and so well stocked with everything we needed. The morning of the wedding getting ready was so relaxed and our wedding co-ordinator Ellie made sure to pop in to check on us.
We had a humanist ceremony with hand fasting and personal vows. We met our celebrant Beverley Bryant at one of the Bachilton open days and instantly felt calm in her presence so we knew she was the one for us! Despite the crazy wind we had on the day of the wedding, the venue provided enough shelter that we were still able to sit outside for our drinks reception in the afternoon. There were so many beautiful spots we were able to use for our photos. We also added the lawn games on to our package which were a hit with our guests!
Our caterer De-licious catering tailored a menu perfectly suited to us and we had a "Thursday Roast" to celebrate our love for a Sunday roast. The food totally exceeded our expectations in every way and we had so much good feedback from our guests. The evening definitely brough the energy we hoped for with singing waiters getting the party started right after the meal. This was probably my favourite part of the day, it was booked a surprise from my Mum and it was amazing seeing the whole room come to life. Seeing my grandparents laughing, singing and swinging their napkins along was definitely a highlight. The party continued with our band The Upbeats keeping the dance floor filled all night. "The Barn" was the perfect space to have our reception with plenty of room for dancing.
What tips and tricks would you give to other couples planning their wedding?
My biggest advice for couples planning their wedding at Bachilton would be to attend the open days! We went to several throughout our planning and were such a vital part of being able to get inspiration, planning the set up of the rooms and asking any questions that we had! It is also so fun to be able to bring family along to see the venue and we left so excited after every one we attended!
We also had a final details meeting with Ellie a couple of months before the wedding to run through the full plan of our day. Ellie ran through every detail of our day, things we never would have even thought of, which I am so grateful for as it meant on the day the team had a clear plan and everything ran so seamlessly.
How are you enjoying married life?
A couple of days after the wedding we set off on a 3 week tour of Italy, starting in Milan and ending in Sicily. It was an absolute dream and the perfect way to kick off married life with sun, pasta and wine! A few months on from the wedding I still find myself looking at our photos and watching our video constantly. It's so hard to have wedding blues when everything went so perfectly - if we had a chance to redo the day I know everything couldn't have gone any better.
And finally… Shout out your fabulous suppliers:
De-licious Catering - Richard worked with us to create a perfect menu, nothing was too much to ask for and on the day the food was INCREDIBLE. After we went for our tasting i didn't stop talking about the food for days. The service was absolutely seamless.
Timorous Beastie - Pizza van at night which went down an absolute treat
Karolina Simpkins and Helen McNeill - Hair and makeup who made us all feel so beautiful and confident
Kevin Key Photography - Captured the most natural candid moments that we will treasure
Vow & Motion - Videography, our video is absolute ART, Dylan and Kevin totally made our whole day. They kept us calm, made us laugh and even helped set me free when my veil got caught in a gust of wind and attached to the roof!
The UpBeats - Our band who absolutely filled the dance floor
Davie Stark - The piper who also piped at Graham's mum and dads wedding 30 years ago.
Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín - Violinist who played during our ceremony and drinks reception
Beverley Bryant - Humanist Celebrant
All images provided by Eve & Graham