Outdoor DIY Festival Barn Wedding in Sheffield | Helen + Tom
If you love festivals then you'll love this super fun and colourful diy festival wedding in Sheffield!
It’s been a year since Tom and Helen’s epic 2 day festival barn wedding so it felt about time I shared all the all of the fun and games that was Quiffest. When Tom and Helen decided they wanted to get married they knew they wanted to do it differently, and they succeeded and then some with their 2 day extravaganza. It was a super fun festival wedding, full of colour, with wildflowers everywhere and an epic DIY photobooth that was a car spray painted gold. YES.
Day 1 | Relaxed Ceremony at Sheffield Town Hall followed by the Pub
Quiffest started on Friday with a small relaxed ceremony at the marvy fab Sheffield Town Hall. Helen's brother Joe played "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles on guitar as Helen and Tom walked down the aisle together (can I get a HELLL YEAH for that untraditional entrance) Afterwards we all headed to the pub for some lovely food (and a few too many tequilas). As the evening drew on guests for the main shindig on Saturday filtered through, hugs and Jäger bombs aplenty.
Day 2 | Fun outdoor ceremony, tug of war, bar take over, photobooth antics, cheese, pizza, more cheese, dancing like it's hot
Ahhh this brought us the hottest day of the year, and the epicness that was Quiffest in a field in Sheffield. I don’t even know where to start. Who am I kidding, yes I do!!!
The Venue
Wanting to do things a little differently they found a field with a barn and transformed it like only they could. This was a DIY wedding in every aspect. DIY wedding venue, DIY decor! Everyone pitched in to help, Mum’s making bunting, spray painting jars, collecting pine cones, growing flowers, making table runners. Friends growing succulents, lending bunting and festoon lights. It looked AMAZING.
The Ceremony
They had a totally unique humanist style ceremony outside the barn in a field overlooking the beautiful view of the Peak District. The ceremony area was decked out in benches, hay bails and wooden chairs with bunches of rosemary and lavender for decoration (smelt pretty good too). Helen wore a funky two piece rose dress made by her Aunt and some epic glitter trainers. The ceremony was officianted by Helen’s sister in law, and Helen entered to The Circle of Life and everyone had a sing-a-long with pints in hand to Bill Withers "Lovely Day" and the Lighthouse Family "High". I did my fair share of singing and dancing too, and to this day I listen to "High" on the way to every wedding I shoot! Friends Charlie and Sophie did a reading and Tom's sister Stephanie read a poem, adapted for the couple "he never leaves the seat up".
The Reception
After the ceremony, all the guests made a beeline for the bar, scratch that, they made a beeline before the ceremony even began, now was just top up time. Some had food on the brain and headed straight for the snacks. I say snacks, it was platters of the most delicious food ever; meats, huge plates of cheese, nachos, more meats, bread, did I mention all of the cheese?! It was amaze. Between cheese's everyone played fun lawn games like Jenga and giant kerplunk, sadly it was a bit hot for sack racing but a few did give it a go! We all sat down at tables for some refreshing salads and fresh ham – perfect for a summers day. There were some hilarious speeches highlight of which was Helen’s mum who will forever go down in the history of best wedding speech, Carol you legend! The speeches finished with Jack, Tom’s best man showing a video with clips of those that could not make the wedding dancing to a rewritten version of "I gotta feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas!
Evening
After dinner and speeches it was time for more drinks and enjoying the evening fun. Oh and a game or two of tug of war, teams made up by what table you were sat on. And of course I joined in for my tables turn, can’t be letting the team down after all. I may have hit myself in my face with my camera several times getting in on the action, Tug of war is HARD!
As the sun set over the hills there was tasty stone baked pizza to be had. Then it was time for a change of trainers into some super cool LED ones for the first dance which was to Bloc Party "this modern love". Followed by a live band from Leeds, who kept everyone on the dance floor (and the tables) until the wee hours, including me. There may have been wild photo booth antics involving a fire extinguisher. So much for what happens in the photo booth stays in the photo booth.
If I could do it all over again, I would. Helen said ‘it's a celebration of your relationship, so party hard’, they did and then some. Happy 1 Year Anniversary you beautiful pair!!!
festival wedding IN sheffield SUPPLIER SHOUT OUT
Bride Shoes Carvela At Kurt Geiger
Brides Two Piece Dress Wendy (brides aunt! DIY Masterpiece)
Hair Karen at Shine
Flowers Petalis
Catering PJ Taste
Evening Pizzas Proove
Entertainment Groove Anatomy
Groom Suit Bicester
Furniture Hire The Poppy Trading Company
Bar The Itchy Pig Ale House
Planning a DIY Festival Wedding of your own in Sheffield? I'd love to hear from you!
I'm a super fun wedding photographer based in Birmingham, photographing all over the UK, like London, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool. Sometimes I get to travel outside of the UK for destination weddings too! If you are looking for a documentary photographer that feels more like a friend than a supplier then I'd love to chat to you about your day.