Camlad Barns Wedding | Relaxed Outdoor Barn Wedding in Shropshire

Camlad Barns wedding venue in Shropshire

Hannah and Zoë asked me to photograph not just one wedding, but TWO of their outdoor relaxed barn weddings! Their first wedding took place in summer 2021, with a restricted guest list; a year later, they were finally able to gather all of their loved ones to celebrate together.

Two outdoor wedding ceremonies, one year apart

For both of their weddings, Hannah and Zoë chose the brilliant Camlad Barns in Shropshire. Camlad Barns is a wedding venue set on a farm high up in the hillside that overlooks the Mid Wales border. The buildings themselves are beautiful – rustic and totally charming – but the view itself is something else entirely.

From the grounds of Camlad Barns, you have a panoramic vista that stretches from the Long Mynd, across the valley from which the Barns take their name, and all the way to the rolling hills of Wales in the distance. It’s a truly magnificent, has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed kind of view; lucky, then, that I took plenty of pictures!

Boho barn wedding styling (sunflowers, hay bales + DIY details)

Hannah and Zoë had excellent weather for both of their LGBTQ+ wedding dates, and so enjoyed an intimate outdoor ceremony with views over Wales ceremony for each. For their 2021 wedding, their guests each sat on their own hay bale on the lawn, facing the direction of the barn. For their 2022 wedding, guests sat in wooden chairs arranged on the lawn, this time facing out to the rolling greenery beyond. (I loved the white chairs interspersed with the wooden ones – such a simple thing to do, but it looked so effective!)

The two brides chose a boho wedding style for both days, which again fitted the outdoor laidback two-day celebration wedding vibe they had going on. The bales and seats were decorated with hessian and posies of gypsophila and sunflowers, which were also arranged in huge milk churns that flanked the top of the aisle. Repurposed wooden pallets acted both as signage, where they displayed the order of the days, and as a frame for photos of them and their loved ones throughout their relationship.

This rustic, boho wedding decor continued into the receptions. For their first wedding, Hannah and Zoë celebrated with a delicious meal in the shade of the barn. The guests all sat around a table decorated beautifully with garlands of greenery, and more gypsophila and sunflowers tucked into old gin bottles and tied with a raffia bow. A sprig of gypsophila tied a stamped Kraft paper name tag to a sage green napkin at each place setting. With the side of the barn open, the two brides and their loved ones could still enjoy the sun but also enjoy their yummy Italian feast courtesy of Feli’s without burning to a crisp. Sunflowers as a motif carried on throughout the wedding too, including in signage at the second wedding that let people know the rules of beer pong!

Relaxed wedding timeline: food vans, games + no seating plan

The same-sex weddings prioritised a laid back approach. They didn’t have a sit down meal for their 2022 wedding, instead hiring a pizza van for the evening. Though some round tables were set up and decorated with flowers in the barn, there was no table plan – guests were free to drift in and out as they pleased.

In fact, guests were pretty much free to do what they wanted all day. After the ceremony, there were drinks and snacks for guests, including a crisp and pretzel station and an ice cream cart outside, as well as a homemade pick ‘n’ mix station inside. There were also plenty of garden games for guests of all ages to enjoy, from a football goal to a skittles-style game and beyond.

Another game that all of the guests had a good go at was the beer pong: tucked inside the barn next to the photobooth, games raged on all day.

When you think of a very relaxed wedding, you might think it’s best to plan absolutely no structure whatsoever. However, part of what made Hannah and Zoë’s day work so well was the touch points they had throughout the day, so that everyone could come together periodically.

For example, everyone gathered round to cheer them on as they cut their cake, a two-tier buttercream marvel decorated with fresh flowers and a customised banner topper. This was just one part of the dessert table, which also featured matching cupcakes, and gluten free and options for any dietary requirements too. Just after this, the brilliant band started out, and to round the night off, Hannah and Zoe lit the firepit and had a sparkler send-off too.

Same-sex couple wedding portraits

On both occasions, I had some time with Hannah and Zoë to take some beautiful couple’s portraits. I’m totally in love with the portraits we took in 2021, with the gorgeous light and the two brides looking SO happily in love with each other (eeep!) But, having said that, I also adore the shots we took in 2022, taken whilst sitting on the ground playing with their beautiful baby, who they welcomed in between weddings. Being able to capture these shots just a year apart was so magical.

Planning a Camlad Barns wedding?

So, essentially: I loved it all. Hannah and Zoë planned the most joy-filled two-bride wedding weekend at Camlad Barns, and I’d love to photograph more same-sex weddings like this – relaxed, personal and properly good fun.

My approach is effortless, attentive and unobtrusive, with gentle direction when it helps, so you can be fully present while I capture how it felt. If you’re searching for a wedding photographer who brings calm confidence, emotional storytelling, and a elevated but laid-back feel, see if your date is available here.

Planning a same-sex wedding? Here’s another LGBTQ+ celebration I loved at Lusty Glaze Beach, Cornwall.