Getting married at The Barns Hotel, Bedford: what to know

• Where: Cardington Road, Bedford MK44 3SA. About 10 minutes from Bedford station and the town centre, and about 30 minutes from our HQ in Wolverton.
• The barn: a 13th-century tithe barn, timber framed with red brick, with its own private bar.
• Size: up to 90 guests for the ceremony and the meal, 120 in the evening, or 250 with the pavilion tent.
• Licensed: for civil ceremonies, so you can marry legally on site.
• Stay: bedrooms on site, including a bridal suite for getting ready.
• Food: in-house catering. Ask the venue about halal options when you book.
• Good for: registry weddings, Nikkahs, civil ceremonies and smaller receptions.

The ceremony itself takes place inside the heritage building. We work with the natural light coming into the barn, then outside and around the venue.

After the ceremony, the lawns by the river are where everyone gathers and mingles. A lot of the relaxed, candid moments happen there.

You don't need to leave the venue for the couple shoot. The buildings, the heritage look and the grounds give us more than enough to work with.

Drones are allowed here too, weather permitting, so we can show the barn and the river from above.

• One hour is ideal.
• 45 minutes works well.
• 30 minutes is the minimum.

Leave this time before the meal, not after. Once guests are seated, the day moves fast.

Not every wedding is a three-day event. Sian and Sunil had a registry wedding in the sunshine with close family and friends, and we filmed it with the same care as a 500-guest Walima.

The venue's listing says confetti is allowed, and drones are allowed too. For anything else, such as sparklers or smoke, check with the venue first. Then tell us what you'd like, and we'll plan the shots around it.

• Our guide to The Marquee Bedford, where we have filmed over 50 weddings.
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