A 1950s Rockabilly and Lindyhop Inspired Wedding at Lains Barn, Oxfordshire

Wow! What an absolutely gorgeous weekend its been here in the UK! Hello sunshine! It truly feels like summer has come to say an early hello – and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it feels like staying around.

I do love the wedding I've chosen to share with you this morning – there is something about bride Monika's infectious smile and, judging by all the dancing, I reckon this wedding was probably a huge amount of fun to be a guest at!  Monika and David tied the knot on 26 October last year at the beautiful Oxfordshire wedding venue, Lains Barn.

“We didn't really have a theme as such but our love of all things classic definitely had an influence.  We both love everything from the 1920s to the 1950s.  We have been dancing the lindy-hop for just about two years now with the Medway Lindy Hoppers and love it, so we wanted dancing and music to be a huge part of our day.”

Photography Copyright (c) 2014, Caro Hutchings

“David and I met at University in sunny Glamorgan and have been together for sixteen years.  It was on holiday in Cuba, somewhere that we really love and is special to us, that David proposed on a beach during a thunderstorm.  We just wanted to get married as soon as possible, and we did a year later.

Our wedding venue, Lains Barn, was just perfect - we knew the moment we saw it and stepped inside.  It is such a beautiful barn and in such lovely surroundings.  The staff at Lains Barn, especially the two Katies, were fantastic.  They helped us so much."

“Our florist was Rachel of Green and Gorgeous.  We gave Rachel free reign over the flowers.  I am not the most green fingered person and I wanted flowers that would be autumnal and bright.  Rachel was fantastic and knew exactly what I wanted.”

“My dress was the 8501 design by Alfred Angelo Vintage, from a shop just down the road from me called Kiss the Bride.  I tried on many dresses from all different shops, but this one was the one I felt suited me the best and just felt wonderful in.  Simple and most definitely affordable.”

Pretty much the first thing we decided, after David popped the question, was that we would get a rock and roll band that we could all dance to. Wild were brilliant – they not only kept the lindy hoppers on the floor all night, but the rest of the wedding party as well. We just didn’t want them to stop playing.  It was so lovely to take a step back and see everyone with big smiles on their faces  enjoying themselves. Our dance floor was packed from first song to last song and it gave the whole day a real buzz."

"We were really lucky to be able to have Wild play our wedding song for us which was I Fought the Law.”

"Our wedding cake was from Marks and Spencer  – we decorated it at home and also served Mr Kiplings French Fancies."

“Our photographer was Caro Hutchings, who we found by searching weddings at Lains Barns.  We loved her photos so much and knew she would capture the wedding perfectly.  They are so natural and fun.  Caro is an amazing photographer she really catches people at their best and most relaxed.”

"The earrings I wore on my wedding day are the ones I wear every day!  My necklace was a present from my Dad."

“My father walked me down the aisle to the sound of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s ‘Dream a little Dream of Me’.”

“During the ceremony we stuck to the traditional classic vows, and our reading was ‘I Rely on You’, by Hovis Presley.  It really summed us up and made us laugh.”

“Our rings were from Great Frog in London. We do love our rockabilly and we both already have a few rings from there.  They were just what we wanted – something that was definitely us.”

“We put together a little package of favours per table, wrapped in brown paper and tied together with colourful ribbons.  Inside were fake moustaches and model airplanes to build.  Even my nan put on the false moustache!”

Words of Wedded Wisdom…

“Well it is a cliché but enjoy the day as it does go by so fast.  Things do go wrong, but don't worry – I realised that the tables had numbers on them, but on the plan each table was named after a place in Cuba – oooops!  I just thought you know what it doesn’t matter and wrote the numbers on the table plan – who is going to mind? no one! 

Remember the wedding is a celebration and a chance to have all your friends and family celebrate with you.  We wanted the wedding to have a real relaxed feel about it and that is what we achieved.  The staff at Lains made sure everything ran smoothly and not only were the guests relaxed but we were too.  We could just really enjoy the day.”

What a fabulous day! Such a perfect celebration of love to kick start the week – hopefully its put a smile on your face and inspired you lovely brides planning your own wedding.

A huge thank you to Monika and David for sharing their wedding and a very big thank you to photographer Caro Hutchings for sharing her work – you can see more wedding photography from Caro Hutchings on Love My Dress here.

Love Annabel

Photographer – Caro Hutchings
Venue + Catering – Lains Barn, Oxfordshire
Wedding Dress – 8501 design by Alfred Angelo Vintage via Kiss the Bride
Veil – Fur Coat and no Knickers
Shoes – Rachel Simpson via Fur Coat and no Knickers
Grooms Suit + bowtie/pocket square – Hackett
Flowergirl Dresses – Monsoon + handmade dress for the evening
Florist – Green and Gorgeous
Cake – Marks and Spencer
Transport – Borrowed from the Groom's Father
Entertainment – Wild
Rings – Great Frog, London
Stationery – Zazzle + Not on the High Street
Hair Stylist – Colin Smith from Fordham Soho
Make-up Artist – Krissy Crooks from Topps2Toe

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