We love, love, LOVE a DIY Welsh Barn Wedding here at Cwtch HQ!
Today we are sharing a wedding that I photographed last year. Lisa & Steve, along with all their friends and family rolled their sleeves up and completely DIY’d this working barn for their wedding day. Every bit of detail you see in these pictures was put together by them all. If that wasn’t great enough, every single one of their guests were simply fabulous individuals and I’m a huge believer that your guests can make or break your wedding day. The Ceremony was full of laughter and tears by all, the dance floor was never empty and the photo booth at the end… well, you can see for yourself :)
It was an absolute pleasure to have photographed this wedding and to also work alongside some great wedding suppliers such as Kate Petersen & Holdens Catering .
I’m so thrilled with all the images, especially as I know Lisa & Steve adore them. So… without further a do, lets hand you over to Lisa to tell you all about her wedding. ~ Maria
All images in this post are by Maria Farrelly Photography
Handmade, everyone pitched in barn wedding. 
What were your favourite parts of your wedding?
The emotional roller coaster that was the service. 
My step dad officiated, our wonderful Usher, John prepared the most wonderful personal reading and I wouldn’t have made it through the vows with out sobbing, had our badly planned ceremony back drop not provided some light relief & broken the ice. The photos of Steve and I laughing surrounded by streamers are some of my favourite of the day. 
Tell us about your Wedding Dress
I love a beautiful gown but the idea of spending more on one dress that my entire wardrobe didn’t sit too well with my bargain hunting nature…so it was with a little trepidation that I ventured out dress shopping one spring day with my wonderful bridesmaids in tow.
The dress was by Lusan Mandongus/Anna Sully & was the second one I tried on. I loved it. But in all honesty the trip solidified that spending that much on a dress wasn’t a priority for me…So a few more trips later & a lot of wonderful options explored, I was about to hire a gorgeous alternative when this one appeared on Preloved. 
Picking it up coincided with a work trip up North, a random rondevous in a car park & breaking down in the middle of no where with my sister! There were a few tears when after trying it on I realised I’d been a tad optimistic in the sizing & it wasn’t in perfect condition, but with the help of my mum and a big dollop of patience we cleaned, adjusted and tweaked it back to life! 
In the end I felt brilliant wearing it & the saving paid for a band..and LOTS of bubbles, totally worth the effort. 
Who did you pick as your bridesmaids &/or best man and why?
Our wedding party was made up of live long friends and people we both love to bits. They were all wonderful, chipping in, making the build up and the whole day so wonderful. 
Surround yourselves with people you love & make you laugh & you cant really go wrong can you!
Why did you choose your venue?
We wanted somewhere we could decorate how we wanted, bring in our own caterers and allowed us to provide our own alcohol…That ruled out a lot. When we meet Mirander & her husband at the farm we knew it was a good match. Over looking the fact it was a working barn in the middle of winter they were so accommodating and nice. We knew it was a winner! 
Tell us about your photographer
The AMAZING & super creative genius that is Maria Farrelly . We had met the year before at a Cwtch The Bride event and after spending the day with her at a friends wedding and seeing her wonderful work, no one else could come close!
Maria simply becomes one of the family for the day…The beautiful and natural images she creates is testament to how at ease she makes everyone! I will cherish her pictures for ever!
How did the proposal happen?
We were at a BBQ and incredibly drunk sat chatting on a friends sofa! Not a modern day fairy tale exactly, but very heartfelt & looking back very us. Ring shopping the next day was interesting way of warding off a hangover! 
Any DIY stories/tutorials you’d like to share?
A lot was do it yourself with a big helping hand from family and friends. From the cake to the decor, lighting & stationary. I enjoy making things and work in a design industry so this was pretty enjoyable!
The biggest thing we pulled off was probably the flowers, with the exception of my bouquet, my green fingered mum grew & arranged all the flowers! Seeing her garden transform in the months building up to the wedding was exciting! She put so much love & hard work into planning & growing them all… 
In hindsight, was there anything you would have done differently?
Picked a closer hotel. We had visions of staying up all night at a hotel bar chatting over late night drinks..In reality we were exhausted! A comfy bed, minus the hour long coach drive would have been a better idea. 
Do you have any advice for future couples?
Prioritise your budget right from the start…and stick to it. Some things really mattered to us & made the decision process a lot easier when we came across a few budget dilemmas…Like falling in love with a venue that was realistically more than we had planned. Some traditional things simply dropped off our list, like cars for example..Meaning we could splash out on a safari honeymoon in Africa! 
What was your favourite thing about planning a wedding?
Seeing the months of work and planning all come together on the day. Take a moment and soak it all in when everyone’s eating or dancing or just chatting…it goes by so fast, but seeing everyone happy and there to celebrate with you is great! 
The Suppliers
Photographer: Maria Farrelly
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Red Barn, Hedrehedog Farm (Brides Friends)
Bride’s Dress: Lusan Mandongus/Anna Sully
Bride’s Shoes: Accessories/Converse
Bride’s Headpiece: Fresh Flowers
Bride’s Jewellery: Something borrowed
Groom’s Outfit: Dyfed Mens Wear
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: BHS
Cake: Home Made
Flowers: Rachel at Sweet Peony
Hair and Make Up: Kate Petersen
Band: Oktoberfest
Stationery: Alice Eades via Etsy
Caterers: Holdens Catering
Any Reception Decor/Props: Furniture came from Blue Sky Marquees . Candles holders/Lanterns Belle Journee
Transport: A Friends Husband
The Wedding Album
