Suffolk &amp; Cambs


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1199" height="800" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-garden-wedding.jpg" alt="wedding couple walking through a courtyard garden" class="wp-image-37706" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-garden-wedding.jpg 1199w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-garden-wedding-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-garden-wedding-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-garden-wedding-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-garden-wedding-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px" /></figure>



<p>Planning your wedding and want to know what&#8217;s worth spending your hard-earned cash on? Say goodbye to boring beige buffets and long engagements. According to Ruth Melton from the gorgeous <a href="https://elmsbarnweddings.co.uk/">Elms Barn</a> near Beccles in Suffolk, for 2024 onwards it&#8217;s all about sticking to your own style, micro ceremonies and surprising your guests with creative entertainment. We asked Ruth to share what&#8217;s hot in the wedding world right now. Read on for her suggestions, wedding trends and brilliant insights straight from the front row of the white aisle. Over to you Ruth&#8230;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speedy-engagements">Speedy engagements  </h2>



<p>There are more couples now booking with a short lead time. Life is too short to be planning a wedding for 24 months. I have even planned a wedding in 6 weeks with no problems at all. I&#8217;d say 6 months is very comfortable for planning wedding, especially with an on-site planner who knows the venue, in-house catering team who are dedicated to one venue and in-house florist team.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharing-s-caring">Sharing&#8217;s caring</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/EBW_food_hero-001.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40376" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/EBW_food_hero-001.jpg 1920w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/EBW_food_hero-001-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/EBW_food_hero-001-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/EBW_food_hero-001-400x225.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/EBW_food_hero-001-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



<p>When it comes to food, the sit-down meal is still king. There will always be something special about all your nearest and dearest being gathered together for the most celebratory meal of your lives! However this doesn’t mean it has to be a stuffy formal affair. Having a sharing element &#8211; a starter of bread, olives and balsamic oil or a full on meze main &#8211; is very popular and can help being everyone together. Having family style vegetables and sauces on the table can also bring that communal element to proceedings while keeping the more classic sit down feel, giving you the best of both worlds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bye-bye-buffets">Bye bye buffets!  </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="1120" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/street-food-burgers-elms-barn-wedding.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40414" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/street-food-burgers-elms-barn-wedding.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/street-food-burgers-elms-barn-wedding-800x583.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/street-food-burgers-elms-barn-wedding-1000x729.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/street-food-burgers-elms-barn-wedding-400x292.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /></figure>



<p>Another big food wedding trend is couples opting for street food in the evening. Buffets often get ignored and 9 times out of 10 will end up in the bin&nbsp;and&nbsp;we really hate food waste here at <a href="https://suffolkcambs.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/elms-barn-wedding-venue/">Elms Barn</a>. </p>



<p>We&#8217;ve now switched to street food &#8211; think burgers with oozy cheese and salty bacon, loaded nachos covered in chilli and homemade guac, gyros wraps with spicy meat and chips and mini fish and chips with homemade tartare sauce. There&#8217;s no need to stop dancing to eat and no one forgets to help themselves to a box of street food goodness!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stick-to-your-style">Stick to your style </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="655" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/rainbow-over-field-wedding-couple-1000x655.jpg" alt="bride and groom walking through a field with a rainbow overhead" class="wp-image-37702" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/rainbow-over-field-wedding-couple-1000x655.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/rainbow-over-field-wedding-couple-800x524.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/rainbow-over-field-wedding-couple-400x262.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/rainbow-over-field-wedding-couple-801x525.jpg 801w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/rainbow-over-field-wedding-couple.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>People are far less scared to be themselves when it comes to wedding fashion. You do you!&nbsp;The classic white ballgown is still hugely popular, but every bride that does this feels comfortable and confident in that style rather than feeling she has to. Colour is creeping in, although I don’t think we have fully gone down the colourful road just yet.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Funky shoes will always be a personal favourite. There&#8217;s nothing like a stunning floor-length gown hiding a pair of Crocs or Converses to add a bit of fun to the look. And, wedding wellies to dance in the puddles is an amazing touch in winter. </p>



<p>The outfit change has also made a comeback. Brides, and sometimes grooms, disappear and return a short while later in something completely different to the original wedding look to party the night away.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Grooms are being a lot more expressive with their looks, from kilts in their family tartan to custom pants and socks. I&#8217;ve even seen one who had the bride&#8217;s face printed all over them!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bring-the-outside-in">Bring the outside in</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-drapes-.jpg" alt="wedding trend bring the outside in" class="wp-image-40371" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-drapes-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-drapes--800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-drapes--1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-drapes--400x266.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Fairy lights and drapes remain popular and are iconic in the barn as they really draw your eyes to the beams. </p>



<p>Colour explosion floral displays are on trend and provide so much drama. Putting pinks with oranges, blues and yellows makes everyone smile and sets the tone for a vibrant day. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="1252" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/colourful-wedding-flowers.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40413" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/colourful-wedding-flowers.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/colourful-wedding-flowers-800x652.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/colourful-wedding-flowers-1000x815.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/colourful-wedding-flowers-400x326.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /></figure>



<p>Bringing the outside in with extensive greenery and wild displays edge is a wedding trend we love. The key to this look is to make sure nothing is a ‘perfect’ shape. This makes the huge space of the barn feel like an orangery and helps to bring the joy of our gardens inside. We even have couples this year using huge trees as their table centres with delicate bud vases to soften the look and bring it back to the classic wedding style.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-three-day-weddings">Three day weddings</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-wedding-venue-suffolk-norfolk.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-37708" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-wedding-venue-suffolk-norfolk.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-wedding-venue-suffolk-norfolk-800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-wedding-venue-suffolk-norfolk-1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-wedding-venue-suffolk-norfolk-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2023/12/elms-barn-wedding-venue-suffolk-norfolk-789x525.jpg 789w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>One day flies by so quickly so having three days exclusively just for you and your guests on site helps to draw out the celebrations and makes every couple feel special. I started my wedding co-ordinating career in a large chain hotel where we would do weddings back to back and sometimes even two on the same day! The difference between that and Elms Barn where every wedding gets three exclusive days makes me love the job I am privileged to be doing now.</p>



<p>We offer pre wedding BBQ’s and post wedding breakfasts for the couples who would like it and we even have one couple this year coming back the day after their wedding for a mass rounders game with 110 of their guests &#8211; I cannot wait!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creative-entertainment">Creative entertainment </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1152" height="909" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/illustration-wedding-favours.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40420" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/illustration-wedding-favours.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/illustration-wedding-favours-800x631.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/illustration-wedding-favours-1000x789.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/illustration-wedding-favours-400x316.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1152px) 100vw, 1152px" /></figure>



<p>Singing waiters are so much fun and they lift the energy of a wedding instantly. Last time we had them the bride and groom didn&#8217;t know they were coming and the look on their faces was the best moment of the whole day.&nbsp;</p>



<p>We have also have a few Ceilidh dances and this is a sure fire way to get everyone from the smallest toddler to all of the grandparents onto the dance floor.</p>



<p>A more subtle entertainment choice that I&#8217;ve seen recently and loved was an illustrator who did portraits of every guest as their wedding favour. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-full-on-themes">Full-on themes </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="938" height="923" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/1920s-wedding-theme-.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40423" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/1920s-wedding-theme-.jpg 938w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/1920s-wedding-theme--800x787.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/1920s-wedding-theme--400x394.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px" /></figure>



<p>We recently had a 1920s/ Peaky Blinders themed wedding at Elms Barn. With any theme, the more you lean into it the better it will be. This wedding went all out decking out the marquee with antique furniture and props to bring a speakeasy vibe. The barn was dripping in draped pearls and feathers with strong black, white and gold colours. All the staff were asked to wear headdresses and flat caps and I was in a full flapper outfit. They had vintage cars, a custom keg of peaky pale ale and bespoke weddings cocktails &#8211; I was a mixologist prior to my wedding planning career!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-start-things-off-small">Start things off small</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="889" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/micro-ceremony-.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40417" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/micro-ceremony-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/micro-ceremony--800x474.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/micro-ceremony--1000x593.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/micro-ceremony--400x237.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Micro ceremonies are going to be big for 2025. Having a triple wave of guests arriving starting with a really small ceremony with just the closest family and friends can help keep couples calm and make the ceremony a more poignant moment in the day. Having a micro ceremony of up to 20 guests can help to alleviate the stress and put more of an emphasis onto the importance of this part of the day.&nbsp; The triple wave of guests then also allows a larger wedding breakfast finishing with the last wave arriving to party the night away!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thoughtful-favours">Thoughtful favours</h2>



<p>More and more couples are ditching the wedding favours or doing something more personal for the favours such as Lego mini figures of each guest, succulents that have been propagated by the bride, honey from the mother-of-the-groom&#8217;s bee hives, and homemade sloe gin are just some of the ones that spring to mind.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keep-something-secret">Keep something secret </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1011" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-bubble-confetti.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40410" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-bubble-confetti.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-bubble-confetti-800x539.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-bubble-confetti-1000x674.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/suffolkcambs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/06/wedding-bubble-confetti-400x270.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Having a secret element to the day is a lovely wedding trend we&#8217;re seeing. Planning a wedding can be such an involved process for your wedding party so keeping one element secret like a saxophone player, photo booth, bubble guns instead of confetti or even alpacas to give out confetti (yes that is a thing!) are such a talking point and light up everyone’s faces, especially those who think they know every element of the day. </p>



<p><em><a href="https://elmsbarnweddings.co.uk/">Find out more about Elms Barn and book a venue tour here</a></em>. </p>


Aisle style: 11 wedding trends to fall in love with

You may also like