Last October, Cogges Manor Farm hosted their first Wedding Open Day to showcase their wonderful barns and garden along with some highly talented, local suppliers who specialise in offering unique, bespoke and professional wedding services.

Cogges Manor Farm is nestled in the lovely market town of Witney and offers two stunning seventeenth century barns for weddings. They are a perfect blank canvas where you can add loads of personalised details to make your special day complete.

At their Open Day, the Wheat Barn was dressed for an English country garden wedding, complete with beautiful pale pink accents and bird details, a hay bale aisle and framed ceremony focal point.

The barn was adorned with swashes of fairy lights (from Oakwood Events) across the beams giving the barn a warm romantic atmosphere.

The highly talented Paper Tree Design hung an impressive flower decorated heart (made from Tyvek) under the huge gilded frame, acting as a ceremony alter for the day. Wild rose paper garlands (printed with a pink gradient and threaded on to organza ribbon) hung behind the frame and were highlighted against the huge pink barn doors.

A bird cage inspired seating plan was proudly displayed on a mirror, which reflected the soft light and guided people further in to the barn.

Tables were decorated by Larkrise Flowers with an abundance of delicate and charming flowers, some sourced from the venue’s own walled garden, along with wheat (providing a nod to the venue’s wheat barn heritage).

Flowers on the top table (displayed in a terracotta urn) included:

• Rosa “Pink Avalanche”
• Rosa “Lazise”
• Eustoma “Arena Pink”
• Astrantia roma
• Sedum spectabile
• Eucalyptus nicholii – foliage
• Euonymus – foliage
• Asparagus fern – foliage

There were also English hydrangea heads in aged terracotta pots and echeveria secunda glauca in white pots, as well as plants of mixed herbs (rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme) and bellis perennis (daisies) in more terracotta pots.

The addition of succulents brought this tablescape bang up to date with mixed sempervivens under glass domes, plus mixed baby gourds, birch slices, glass storm lanterns and glass tea light holders making the table feel extremely plentiful.

In front of the top table ran a stunning floor display of pink cactus dahlias, verbena bonariensis, hedera foliage, wheat, sedum spectabile, and 3 types of grasses (lagurus ovatus, panicum, and setaria).

Stationery from Paper Tree Design complimented the stunning floral displays. From their Tree of Hearts wedding stationery range, this included:

• Robin name card –  tent cards with pop out robins
• Menu card – individual menus printed on Harvest Colorplan card-stock
• Wild roses with tie on name cards – hand made paper wild roses with luggage tag style name cards tied on with natural bakers twine
• Wild rose heads – small handmade paper wild rose heads used to decorate the tablescape
• Robin & Wildflower table numbers – made from off white card and mounted on to sticks and decorated with bakers twine (these numbers can also be made for use with number stands or freestanding)
• Robin & Wild Flower top table sign – made from off white card and mounted on to a stick and decorated with bakers twine (this can also be made for use with number stands or freestanding)

Vintage props were provided by Mabel and Rose including old suitcases, ladders, milk churns and barrels.

Accompanying food followed the rustic English country garden vibe, consisting of Yorkshire pudding and roast beef canapés, a ‘cheese’ cake and ice creams provided by Abigail’s Kitchen, Wates & Co Delicatessen and Mag’s & Tim’s Ice Cream Trike, respectively.

The whole effect gave an example of one direction you could take to make this venue your own – a real abundance of local, natural products with a feeling of bringing the outside inside.

Venue | Cogges Manor Farm | Witney, Oxfordshire | http://www.cogges.org.uk/
Photography | Ric Mellis
Catering, cutlery & crockery | Abigail’s Kitchen | 07771616415 | abipritcher@yahoo.com
‘Cheese’ cake | Wates & Co Delicatessen | https://www.facebook.com/Wates-Co-Delicatessen-1668555833361530/
Flowers | Lark Rise Flowers | http://larkriseflowers.com
Hay bales | sourced by venue
Ice cream | Mag’s & Tim’s Ice Cream Trike | https://www.facebook.com/magsxtimsicecreamtrike
Lighting | Oakwood Events | http://www.oakwoodevents.co.uk/
Prop hire | Mabel & Rose | http://www.mabelandrose.com/vintage-hire/
Stationery | Paper Tree Design | https://www.papertreedesign.co.uk/

By the way – get Sunday 17th September in your diary. It is this year’s Wedding Open Day at Cogges. So go along to see this venue in all it’s glory or contact them in the meantime for an earlier look round.