Barn transformation a true family affair

When young Sam Spence was playing over at her schoolfriend’s house just down the road, little did she know that one day in the future she would be swapping vows with her pal’s older brother, Rob Munby.

“We grew up around the corner from each other, I was the same age as his sister and used to spend time at their house,” Sam, now 29, explained. “But then we didn’t see each other for years. We ended up making contact on social media in 2013 then I took the plunge and just asked him out.”

And so, many years after they first met as kids, romance began to blossom. But there was a big hitch – Rob had already planned a full year out exploring Australia and was about to jet off into the horizon. Sam said: “We arranged that I would fly out there to visit him at Christmas, which was great, but we were really missing each other.” So much so that Rob cut short his plans and returned home after six months Down Under, and the lovestruck pair were able to resume their relationship.

Up in the air

Two years later, in 2016, Rob planned an elaborate proposal which almost didn’t come off! He gave Sam the thrilling birthday gift of a flying session at Leven airfield and when they were up in the air, she almost didn’t spot something very special in a field down below – a set of hay bales had been very carefully arranged to spell out the words ‘Marry me’. Sam laughed: “My vision isn’t great and I wasn’t wearing my glasses so I didn’t notice the bales at first, Rob had to point them out. Even then, I thought the bales were sheep!”

Finally the penny dropped and, still flying high above the ground, an overwhelmed Sam accepted Rob’s romantic proposal. The bales and field belonged to Sam’s dad, who owns Thistledown Farm not far from Driffield, and he’d conspired with Rob to create the surprise for Sam. Sam’s parents had only been running the farm for a short time, but the newly engaged couple knew this would be the ideal spot for their big day.

Sam said: “We were dead set on using one of the barns but had a real job to convince Dad to do it. It was just a shell without even a proper floor so he knew it would involve masses of graft to get it ready but we managed to twist his arm.”

The project was indeed huge, and the whole family threw themselves into it for the next 18 months, with old walls being removed, a new floor and doors built, as well as a Yorkshire-boarded and cladded exterior. The wedding date was set for July 28 2018, so everyone was keenly aware of their deadline. Sam and 36-year-old Rob both work full-time in the education sector, and had just bought their own new home in Driffield.

“It was maybe a bit foolish but Rob and I took on our own home renovation project at the same time so there really was a lot of hard work going on,” Sam added. “It wasn’t just the barn, the whole outdoor area around Mum and Dad’s home was transformed. It’s an amazing space and they’re now considering making it available for hire as a wedding and party venue.”

Working up the wow factor

In terms of the barn’s look and feel, the couple shared a vision of ‘a rustic theme with the wow factor’, and their search began for a partner to bring this vision to life. Sam said: “We looked at various companies. Village Farm Marquees had been recommended to us and they were the clear winner.

“It was lovely because Chrysta and Tony came out to see us and they had lots of suggestions which helped us consolidate our own ideas. They were clearly very knowledgeable and they helped us bring everything to fruition.”

The plan was to keep the barn true to itself using drapes rather than a full lining to accentuate its high roof, and understated décor including fairy lights and home-made bunting to set off the exposed walls. “We kept things simple and just used a few injections of bright colours, it looked amazing,” Sam added.

Sam, who had four bridesmaids in attendance, wore a stunning backless dress which tied around the waist, with a plunging neckline, floaty skirt, and crochet fringing. The couple were married at St Mary’s Church in Kirkburn, and there was a surprise in store for the happy bride as she emerged from the church.

“My mum had arranged for my childhood white pony to be waiting outside,” Sam said. “He was very special to me and we kept in touch with his new owners when I outgrew him. I’d planned every single aspect of our wedding day and this was the one thing I had no idea about, it was such a lovely moment.”

A grand total of 180 guests enjoyed a wonderful celebration in the barn, where The Friday Street Band from Scarborough made sure the dancefloor was packed all night long. Sam said: “We finally went to bed about 2.30am, we slept in a bell tent at the farm. A lot of people camped overnight and the next morning Dad got the barbecue out and made everyone bacon sandwiches. It was an unforgettable day and definitely worth all the hard work!

“Village Farm were second to none. Nothing was ever too big an ask, Chrysta was so responsive to all my emails, and Tony and the guys were all brilliant too. Their service was fantastic.”

Chrysta Newman, Co-director of Village Farm Marquees, said: “It was a pleasure to be a part of Sam and Rob’s special day, the family worked so hard to create such a fantastic space and the fully dressed barn looked absolutely breathtaking.”

Top image courtesy of M & G Photographic, http://www.mandgphotographic.com

To talk to Village Farm Marquees about your marquee or interior lining needs, email info@villagfarmmarquees.co.uk or ring 01262 468160.