A PERFECT, INTIMATE, DOG FRIENDLY WEDDING!

Just love it when you guys write a review, especially when my lovely sister flies home from France and steps in last minute for Brynn and Annabella’s magical day. Big love for sisters!

“In January this year we spontaneously decided on a date for our wedding – 12th March 2018, a lot sooner than we’d initially planned! Given our timescales (and budget!) we wanted something simple, stress-free and intimate, with just a few guests and, above all, our three little dogs.

I am so glad that my husband came across Lower Barns during his research as it turned out to be the perfect place! We arrived the evening before the wedding and were blown away by the whole feel of the venue (we hadn’t even had a chance to see it beforehand and chose it based on the reviews online). It’s in an idyllic location, surrounded by fields and feels like something out of a fairy tale. We had 4 rooms for our wedding party – us and the dogs in Hideaway, my parents in Cranny and our two friends in Nook and the Hayloft. Every room was so unique, well-presented and those little extra touches like cake and chocolates, cotton buds, nail polish remover – pretty much anything you could think of needing – it really made the difference. As an aside, the website doesn’t make it clear that due to a licensing term all guests have to stay at the venue to be able to attend the wedding. But in fairness I would recommend the same even if this was not the case. You will not be disappointed with this place! Nook and Cranny had their own private hot tubs, Nook even had a sauna! There was also a “communal” hot tub close by that we ended up taking advantage of during our stay – in a secluded enough part of the venue to allow you not to feel on display.

The Hideaway had an enclosed garden for the dogs, which made it the only truly dog-friendly place we have stayed in to date. All the rooms had fridges and the usual tea and coffee facilities (with particularly nice coffee to the delight of my friend). Nook and Cranny both had little kitchenettes (sink, fridge and breakfast bar with a bit of storage). All the rooms were a great size too, comfortable and close to each other so we could pop over to any of them, but also affording some much-needed privacy when required. Janie and Mike who run the B&B were on holiday during our stay, leaving us in the capable hands of Janie’s sister Jody and their mum. They made us feel incredibly welcome and gave us the impression of being just as excited about our wedding as we were. Also, we appreciated the fact that they were willing to go the extra mile. For example, it was raining when we arrived on the Sunday so I was concerned about walking from our room to the venue in the Wedding Shack wearing my long white dress the next day if the weather didn’t pick up. Jody immediately said that there was nothing to worry about – if we needed a row of umbrellas from the room to the venue on the day she would make it happen!

Luckily the rain stayed away on our special day, but it was lovely to know that Jody was willing to make sure nothing got in the way of making it perfect. The day itself was amazing and exactly what we wanted. In the morning we had a delicious home-cooked breakfast, took the dogs for a wander in the beautiful surroundings and then got ready for the ceremony. We were married in the cosy Wedding Shack by the fire and had the reception in the Party Shed afterwards, where the dogs were also allowed to join us. We had champagne and nibbles (the mini jacket potatoes with sour cream really stuck in my mind) and that evening headed off to an amazing dinner in the Lounge with the best pavlova dessert I have ever tasted! All the food, which Jody and her mum made themselves in the kitchen upstairs, was delicious and beautifully presented (e.g. heart-shaped spoons and bowls etc), just fantastic!

Then we returned to the Party Shed where we continued our celebrations with wedding cake, card games and good company. One of the resident cats (Fat Cat) even decided to join us despite the presence of our three dogs – even they all managed to get on! Our guests stayed until Tuesday morning and then headed home. We stayed for another few days as part of our honeymoon and it was just the ticket. We loved it all so much that we extended our stay for an extra night. We actually had the place to ourselves until the last night of our stay and it made everything even more intimate. We ate breakfast in the Lounge every morning, always served with a smile and friendly chat. Most evenings we ate out, but on the Wednesday Jody made us a lovely intimate dinner in our Party Shed, which featured more absolutely divine food (I will never be the same after my roasted pork belly main – it was out of this world!). We were so pleased that Jody suggested the option of using our Party Shed for a second time instead of the Lounge as it was so cosy with us and the dogs, music playing on the sound system and fire going. Another beautiful memory. St Austell is a lovely area. About a half hour drive away from Lower Barns we had a couple of dog-friendly beaches so we could give the dogs a bit of a run. Other than that we could just relax and enjoy each others’ company. We returned home full of smiles and love. We could not imagine a more perfect place to get married. These people truly love what they do and put their heart and souls into making every corner of Lower Barns special. Their slogan “A smile lasts a moment, the memory of Lower Barns lasts forever” could not be more appropriate! Thank you Jody, Janie and Mike for giving us a magical wedding week!”

If you’re looking for a dog friendly wedding give us a call on 01726 844881 or check out www.lowerbarnswedding.co.uk

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