Shustoke Barn wedding with elegant boho vibes, dried flowers and lots of sentimental inspiration

Ellie and Sam’s Shustoke Barn wedding will remain in my heart for a long, long time. Of course, the boho vibes, dried flowers and barn venue meant it was an aesthetic dream, but the multitude of personal touches they’d included ensured it was an incredibly emotional day too. Both of these elements came together perfectly to create a stunning wedding day I was so grateful to have been asked to capture as wedding photographer.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own Shustoke Barn wedding, or ideas for some meaningful, personal touches you can include in your day, then Ellie and Sam’s wedding has got what you need!

Shustoke Barn wedding venue

As soon as they arrived at the venue, Ellie and Sam knew that they wanted a Shustoke Barn wedding. “We looked at a few venues, but we felt this was the one for us as soon as we walked in.” Ellie remembers. “The vibe of the setting fit the wedding we wanted. It felt right for both of us!”

And it’s easy to see why! Shustoke Barn is an 18th century red brick building set around a sunny courtyard full of olive trees. It’s already beautiful from the outside – but it’s even more breathtaking once you step inside the huge doors (especially if you look up, and notice the incredible shaped ceiling.) Complementing the original, rustic brick and oak features, the modern additions of glass and a unique wall feature at the bottom of the aisle mean that ceremonies feel dramatic and atmospheric, whilst also feeling summery and joyous.

After the ceremony, Ellie, Sam and their guests stepped out into the courtyard whilst the venue team changed the room over to get ready for their meal. As part of your Shustoke Barn wedding, the team offer feasts cooked on their tailor-made BBQ and rotisserie, ensuring a wedding meal that’s unfussy but unforgettable. These are then served family-style in the middle of the table, alongside a plethora of mouth-watering sides – including the most delicious jacket potatoes, which I really think should feature at more weddings!

Elegant boho vibes, with dried flowers and a neutral colour palette

The aesthetic of the day was elegant boho, which perfectly matched the elevated, rustic look of the venue. Ellie and Sam brought this to life by focussing on texture rather than bright colour. Instead, they used a neutral colour palette of white, nude and beige, with pops of gold too.

Alongside Ellie’s beautiful white dress with its sweetheart neckline and lace sleeves, her bridesmaids also wore white, in the form of sleek, simple satin bias-cut dresses (want to see more white bridesmaids’ dresses? Check out Lisa and Louis’ wedding here). Her mum also wore a nude-toned jumpsuit and fascinator, which was a lovely way of denoting her as part of the group as well as showing off her proud status as mother of the bride!

From the start, Ellie and Sam knew they wanted dried flowers to feature at their Shustoke Barn wedding; their invites even featured a bough of dried grasses as part of the design (which were all done at the hands of the very talented Ellie.) When the day came round, this floral choice didn’t disappoint. Flower Design of Lichfield created some gorgeous bouquets for Ellie and her bridesmaids, made from fluffy pampas grass, soft bunny tails and other arid, dried stems all tied together in tall arrangements, whilst her flower girls wore super cute dried floral crowns made from the same.

Dried flowers also played a huge part in their wedding decor. Ellie and Sam got married in front of a hexagonal frame adorned with an elegant explosion of more fluffy pampas grass, palm spears and stems, as well as some fragrant eucalyptus leaves for depth (they moved this backdrop to stand behind their seats for the reception, too.) Their elegant cake, featuring elegant textured edges and a dried floral arrangement bursting from the middle, was also framed in a smaller version of their ceremony backdrop. Hexagons continued to feature in the table decor too, with the table number suspended in a wooden hexagonal frame, and a different photo of the newlyweds in a gold frame adorned with a mini floral arrangement on each.

The dried flowers were one way that Ellie and Sam added texture to their Shustoke Barn wedding; another was in their use of gold accents. The signage and place names were made from mirrored gold acrylic, which afforded the designs an even more luxurious edge.

Meaningful wedding day moments

Ellie and Sam’s Shustoke Barn wedding was also full of thoughtful, meaningful elements that came with huge sentimental value, including lots of nods to the importance of family.

The moment when the bride reveals her dress is always a beautiful one, but Ellie’s was particularly emotional as she revealed it to all of her bridesmaids, her mum and her dad all at the same time, as they all lined up on the other side of the street!

Another incredible way that Ellie and Sam included their family in their wedding was by having their grandads as their witnesses – I love the photos of them stood at either side of the signing table, proud as punch.

There were also lots of beautiful nods to family and friends who had sadly passed. A special table by the entrance featured photos of them, and Ellie also had a charm featuring these photos in her dried floral bouquet. As it’s a cause close to their heart, they chose Alzheimer’s Society pins as their favours, which included a charity donation on behalf of each guest.

A beautifully bespoke wedding day

As you can see, Ellie and Sam’s Shustoke Barn wedding was an absolute joy from start to finish. It was elegant and emotional, luxurious yet laid back, boho and brilliant.

If you’re planning a Shustoke Barn wedding and are looking for a relaxed documentary wedding photographer, I’d love to chat to you about your plans.

Alternatively if you’re getting married somewhere else but still want a Shropshire wedding photographer to capture your day in its full glory – you can get in touch here. I can’t wait to hear from you!