Cripps Barn – The Wedding House

Cripps Barn is an 18th-century Cotswold stone barn venue, located in the Coln Valley near Bibury, Gloucestershire.

The barn retains flagstone floors, rustic exposed wooden beams, and a roaring open fireplace, which together give it a rich, atmospheric and historic character.

Located in a rustic countryside setting with rolling meadows, ancient woodlands and a large terrace which opens from the barn onto the gardens

Cripps Barn offers a truly splendid canvas: historic stone and timber, countryside views, indoor and outdoor ceremony options, and strong catering and event logistics.

Choose décor that complements the rustic elegance, plan for smooth transitions across ceremony, dining and dancing, and use lighting and texture to create warmth, intimacy and spectacle as the day becomes evening.

Styling & Décor by The Wedding House — Bringing Your Vision to Life

At The Wedding House, we love working in venues like Mill Barns, where the bones are beautiful and the storyline is yours to write. Our goal is to layer your personality, style, and preferred colour palette onto the venue in a seamless, cohesive way using our floral ranges, lighting, and curated decor pieces.

Here’s how we typically approach a Mill Barns styling:

Ceremony Styling

Arch / Statement Feature
We place a floral arch or custom structure at the focal point of the altar or front of the barn. Depending on your chosen floral range (e.g. Victoria, Nina, Jasmine, etc.), this could be lush roses, cascading foliage, pampas features, or something more whimsical.

Aisle Decor & Chair Dressing
Coordinated elements such as petals, lanterns, floral urns, plinths, or chair sashes/drapes run down the aisle, guiding guests toward your moment.

Signing Table & Accent Florals
We’ll style the signing table to match the arch, and place smaller florals on side tables, windowsills, or other ceremony focal points.

Outdoor Ceremony Options
If you choose to marry outdoors on the terrace overlooking the pond, we’ll translate the aesthetic — perhaps with freestanding urns, florals lining the aisle, petal work, or soft fabric backdrops to echo the indoor styling.

Reception / Wedding Breakfast

Table Centerpieces & Runner Styling
For each table, we design centrepieces that complement your floral range — tall arrangements, low and lush compositions, mixed textures, or more minimalist designs. We also include table runners, candles or votives, and coordinating styling touches (e.g. charger plates, vignette pieces).

Chair Styling
Whether chiavari chairs, wooden barn chairs, or other seating, we add drapes, sashes, greenery, floral touches, or bespoke covers to tie everything together.

Backdrop, Feature Walls & Photo Zones
We can install floral walls, draped fabric backdrops, custom signage, and feature areas (e.g. neon signs, mirrored frames) for guests to gather and photograph.

Lighting & Ambiance
Ambient lighting is essential. We enhance the elegant barn interior with fairy lights, uplighters, draping, soft washes of colour, and feature lighting on key decor pieces.

Colour Flexibility
One of the advantages of working in the Barns’ neutral, timber & glass environment is that your chosen colour palette can shine. We’re not constrained by a venue colour scheme — whether soft pastels, rich jewel tones, moody darks, or neutrals, we can adapt.

Evening Enhancements

LED White Sparkle / Starlit Dancefloor
As day turns into evening, we install a striking LED white sparkle dancefloor to bring a wow factor to your first dance and encourage guests to hit the floor.

Light-Up Letters / Illuminated Features
We offer illuminated letters (“LOVE,” your initials, or custom words) to add drama, romance, and a focal photo element in the evening.

Dynamic Lighting & Transformations
In the evening, we shift the mood using lighting — uplights, gobos, pin-spotting floral focal points — so the space evolves seamlessly from ceremony to dinner to party.

Complete Styling Package

For couples who prefer to hand over every décor detail, we offer a Complete Styling Package tailored to Mill Barns. This covers:

All ceremony décor (arch, aisle, signing table, chair & floral elements)

Welcome area signage, décor, and floral touches

Full reception styling (tables, chairs, backdrops, lighting, florals)

Evening enhancements (dancefloor, illuminated letters, ambient lighting)

Full setup, on-day styling, and takedown

Coordination with Mill Barns’ layout and flow

Why Choose The Wedding House at Cripps Barn

Local, Experienced, Trusted
We love working with new venues and will always visit the venue and meet the team in advance of your wedding at Cripps Barn
Floral Ranges and Decor Options Tables: Long banquet-style trestle tables or round tables depending on guest numbers. Use natural linens (linen drapes, muted tones), rustic chargers, foliage garlands, and simple pillar candles or tapered candles
Centerpieces: Low and lush is lovely here so as not to cover the beams’ sight lines. Incorporate flowers, lots of greenery, maybe touches of metallic (rose gold or brushed gold) to elevate.

Lighting: The barn already has strong structural character — enhance it with fairy lights or festoons across the ceiling, and candles on each table. Use the fireplace as a focal feature, perhaps with additional candles or floral around the hearth.
Seamless Venue IntegrationIndoor ceremony: Use the barn’s main chamber under the chandelier and fireplace. A décor suggestion: a floral arch at the altar, soft aisle lighting and some petals
Outdoor ceremony: In the Oak Pavilion woodland glade, use natural wooden benches or chairs, scattered loose petals, shepherd hooks with hanging lanterns.
Colour FreedomWarm rustic elegance: deep greens, soft creams, gold highlights. Use natural foliage, candles, warm lighting to enhance the barn’s fireplace and beams.
Woodland romance: play up the outside spaces and oak pavilion — think moss, ferns, lanterns, fairy lights, wooden signage.

Elegant neutral: Whites, creams, taupe, with metallic touches (brass or gold) — lets the building’s architecture be the star.
Bespoke Styling
From individual hire items to full décor options, we adapt to whatever level of service you need for Cripps Barn
Attention to Detail & Stress-Free Execution
Our team handles every detail, so you can enjoy your day — from planning to walking into your beautifully styled space, we set up the day before and can provide as little or as much as you need