A Relaxed Summer Wedding at Grittenham Barn | Lucy & Callum

Picture it. You’ve driven past a place a hundred times, watching the light roll across the fields, and one day you realise that’s where you want to get married.

That’s exactly how Lucy felt about Grittenham Barn. Tucked down a farm track near Petworth, with the South Downs stretching out all around, it had been catching her eye for years.

As a Grittenham Barn wedding photographer, I loved telling Lucy and Callum’s story. A family church in Fernhurst, a beautiful old barn, a pair of very friendly donkeys and an ice cream van straight out of Callum’s childhood.

If you’re dreaming of a wedding that feels relaxed, personal and full of laughter, this one’s for you.

Getting Ready at Grittenham Barn

Lucy got ready at Grittenham Barn itself, with soft light spilling through the windows and old stone walls all around her.

Gemma Souter looked after her hair and makeup, keeping everything calm, natural and very Lucy.

Lucy just loves green, and you could see it everywhere. A sage bridesmaid dress hung beside her gown, and her bouquet from Elizabeth Tyler was all soft roses and fresh foliage.

I knew from our planning together that Lucy’s necklace had been made from her mum’s wedding dress. It’s the kind of detail that stays with you long after the day.

Then her mum Helen and sister Katy, her maid of honour, helped her into the dress.

A First Look With Dad

Lucy and Callum wanted to wait until the church to see each other. But Lucy chose a first look with her dad, John, before they left.

Look at that hug. That’s what you’ll want to remember, not where anyone was standing.

Then it was off to Fernhurst in a gorgeous classic Morris Minor from Paddock Prestige.

Down the Aisle at St Margaret of Antioch, Fernhurst

St Margaret of Antioch is a church with deep roots in Lucy’s family. You could feel how much it meant to her the moment she arrived.

Katy couldn’t stop laughing, and Dad wasn’t far behind.

Callum waited at the front, head bowed, as Lucy started her walk down the aisle with her Dad.

And then he turned around. That smile says everything.

Vows, Rings and Plenty of Laughter

The church service was the part Lucy and Callum cared about most, along with the people sharing it with them. So I made sure to capture the guests too, singing their hearts out under those lovely timber beams.

Lucy and Callum are a warm, easy going couple, and it showed. There were smiles and laughs right the way through.

Of course, the smallest guests always find a way to steal the show!

Outside, a cloud of confetti was waiting for them.

Family Photos Without the Fuss

Back at Grittenham Barn, we kept the group photos short and sweet. Lucy and Callum told me the traditional look at the camera photos weren’t a big deal for them, and being made to pose was the one thing they didn’t want.

So we did a few quick family groups against the ivy covered stone, then let everyone get back to the fun. If you’re planning yours, my guide to wedding group photos is a great place to start.

Donkeys, Olive Trees and the Grittenham Gardens

Lucy’s favourite thing about Grittenham Barn? The donkeys, no question! So they were our very first stop.

The barn sits in around seven acres of gardens, orchard and meadow, with a lake and resident animals tucked among them. It gives you endless corners to explore without anything ever feeling staged.

We wandered from the olive trees in the courtyard with the old blue benches, and they simply chatted and laughed.

I don’t ask couples to perform. I give you a beautiful place to be together, then I watch for the moments that happen on their own (the occasional bad joke from me helps to bring the smiles though – don’t say you weren’t warned!).

An Ice Cream Van Straight From Childhood

This was a bit of their day Lucy and Callum were really excited about. T&M Ices is their local ice cream van, run by the same ice cream man who’s been serving Callum since he was a child.

Guests had fun tucking into cones in the evening sun, and the newlyweds squeezed into the van for one of their own.

Golden Hour in the Meadow

Before we headed for the ice cream van, as the light turned golden, we slipped out into the field with long grass. That view across the fields is exactly why Lucy fell for Grittenham Barn in the first place.

Her cathedral veil caught every breath of breeze.

On the walk back to get ice creams, Callum knelt down to help Lucy with her shoes. It’s the little things.

Pizza, Giant Jenga and Good Company

Food came from Eat the Street, and pizza was exactly the sort of relaxed, happy feast this day called for.

Out in the courtyard, the giant Jenga created lots of fun moment. Honestly, nothing gets a reaction quite like a wobbling tower.

A Summer Wedding at Grittenham Barn

Lucy and Callum’s day was everything they hoped for. Their family church, the views they’d loved for years, the donkeys, their ice cream man and the people who mean the most, all wrapped into one golden August day.

If that sounds like your kind of wedding, I’d love to be your Grittenham Barn wedding photographer too.

Suppliers

Venue – Grittenham Barn
Ceremony – St Margaret of Antioch Church, Fernhurst
Hair and makeup – Gemma Souter
Flowers – Elizabeth Tyler
Wedding car – Paddock Prestige
Catering – Eat the Street
Cake – Henry’s Kitchen Cakes
Live music – Ollie Wade
Ice cream van – T&M Ices

Looking for a Grittenham Barn Wedding Photographer?

If you’re planning your own wedding at Grittenham Barn, or anywhere with a story worth telling, I’d love to hear all about it.

Love a barn wedding with golden evening light? Have a look at Hannah and Rory’s golden hour wedding at Fitzleroi Barn.

Or for another relaxed West Sussex countryside day, see this woodland wedding at Two Woods Estate in Pulborough.