Photographing Weddings at Llyn Gwynant Barns
I absolutely love photographing weddings at Llyn Gwynant Barns. The tall oak windows of the big barn let in a load of natural light. The impressive high roof and the large stone fireplace are also gorgeous features… But I think my favourite has to be the stage! Getting married on stage means that you can see all of your guests faces, and your guests can all see you too. Plus it (literally) elevates your evening entertainment and when combined with their professional sound system and stage lighting a party at Llyn Gwynant Barns it’s like being at your private gig!
And then there’s the outside. Anyone who gets married at Llyn Gwynant Barns has to appreciate it’s glorious setting. There aren’t many places in the UK that you can get married under a tree surrounded by mountains, over looking a gorgeous lake and the beautiful valley beyond. It really is the most stunning backdrop for your wedding photos. Oh and if you want to plant a tree to commemorate your wedding day – you can do that too!
All of this is backed up by a great team who are not only lovely people, but also do everything they can to make sure your wedding day runs smoothly and exactly how you want it to.
Kate & MJ’s wedding was an awesome day, filled with love, great food, amazing company and finished off with an epic party. I had a lot of fun hanging out with these two. But let’s crack on and find out how they planned it…
Planning a wedding at Llyn Gwynant Barns – Kate & MJ
- Can you tell everyone a little about yourself?
We have been together for almost 12 years, and have known each other for for 17 years! We met in high school in drama club, and had lots of lessons together over the years. Kate works as a speech and language therapist with adults, MJ works as a University post-graduate research coordinator. - What about the proposal?
We were in Barcelona celebrating our 10 year anniversary. MJ proposed to me on the balcony of where we were staying – a random local started playing the piano somewhere in the distance and I got up to listen, I turned around and MJ was down on one knee, I thought he had fallen over at first! MJ had been carrying the ring around in his pocket all day waiting for the right moment. It was perfect!
- How long were you engaged?
We were engaged for 2 years, we had booked the Llyn Gwynant Barns in May 2023 and slowly planned things over the following year! - What were you most looking forward to about your wedding?
We were most looking forward to having all of our family and friends together in one place to celebrate us. (And looking forward to a good boogie together!) - If you were to describe your wedding in two or three words, what would they be?
Wholesome, hilarious, glonky. - Where did you find inspiration when planning your wedding?
I (Kate) made a few Pinterest boards to get ideas for decorations, I also looked at other weddings couples had had at Llyn Gwynant Barns. In terms of the entertainment side, we knew we wanted it to feel like a massive party, so tried to have a big mix of music that we love and that everyone else would enjoy too! - Did you do anything to make your wedding day unique to you or your story as a couple?
We love going to a rave, so wanted to have our own mini rave at the end of the night! We had lots of help from friends and family – MJ’s family helped a lot with the logistics and giving lots of ideas for making things run smoothly. Our friend Lydia made the delicious cakes that we had post ceremony, and our friends Flower and Max did some funky DJing for us. - Knowing what you know now, is there anything you wish knew while planning your wedding?Doing things bit by bit over a year helped eased the stress, but the last month before the wedding was quite stressful! We wouldn’t have done anything differently, but would just say to make sure you keep a note of everything you’re doing so you don’t forget anything!
- How did you choose your wedding venue(s)?
We knew we wanted to get married at home in North Wales. We visited 4 other venues before visiting Llyn Gwynant Barns. We knew as soon as we arrived that it was the one. Llyn Gwynant is the most beautiful location you could want, Steve and Danielle were so helpful and absolutely our type of people – we knew could have our relaxed and fun wedding there! We also love that we can return to Llyn Gwynant Campsite every year for our anniversary, and pop our head up to the barns to reminisce. - What advice would you give to couples looking for a wedding venue?
Think about the overall vibe of your wedding and how much work you’re willing to do yourself – there’s all sorts of venues out there that you can customise to reflect you as a couple. - What was your biggest worry or concern when choosing a photographer?
MJ had some concerns about having to do lots of posed photos as he isn’t quite as relaxed in front of the camera as me (Kate)! Obviously you want some posed photos, but being able to just forget your having photos taken throughout the day is really nice too. We wanted really relaxed, candid and fun party shots – which is why we picked Chris! - What advice would you give to couples who are looking for a photographer?
Think about the style of photos you want – do you like more posed shots, artsy, candid, vintage style? You spend a lot of time with your photographer so make sure you pick someone who you mesh well with! Doing an engagement/pre wedding shoot was also lovely as we got to know Chris before the day, and got some practice in! - What was the best thing you spent money on for your wedding?
Food and photography we think are the most important things to spend money on – you want your guests to be well fed, and your photos are your lasting memories! - Would you like to give a shout out to anyone in particular?
Steve at Llyn Gwynant Barns is an absolute legend and kept us both sane over the weekend! Our cake & cupcakes by the lovely Cheryl at Jammy Jam cakes were delicious. Elen and the catering crew from Cae Gwyn catering were so lovely and the food was a hit! Aimee Paddock did a lovely job of mine and my bridal squads make up, and helped with the chill vibes we needed in the morning. And Chris made us feel so comfortable having photos taken all day!
- Where did you get ready?
Kate – I got ready in the tall barn with my bridal squad and Mum. I felt very relaxed all morning until about an hour before when I didn’t know what to do with myself! MJ – I got ready in the cottage where my family was staying. My sister braided my hair whilst my whole family stared at me which was an interesting experience to say the least! - How did you feel when you saw each other for the first time?
Kate – I felt relief when I saw MJ and the nerves melted away! MJ – in love! - Was there any part of the day you were particularly nervous about?
We were both nervous about saying our vows in front of everyone, especially because we didn’t know exactly what we were saying beforehand It felt amazing walking back down the aisle with everyone cheering! - Did you break any wedding “traditions” or go against the norm?
We stayed together in our bell tent at Llyn Gwynant the night before – it was nice spending a bit of time together in the morning beforehand! - What was your favourite part of your day?
Kate – the speeches were a standout, my dad’s was perfect chaos, and MJ’s was so unbelievably sweet. Dancing the night away with my family and friends and screaming Welcome to the Black Parade at the end of the night (and I wondered why I had no voice the day after!) MJ – Kate coming down the aisle, hearing my best man Joel’s hilarious speech, and getting litty after my speech!
- And finally… Any words of wedding planning wisdom?
Enjoy the chaos! The stress is absolutely worth it!
Congratulations & Thank Yous!
I’d like to say a massive congratulations to Kate & MJ. As well as a huge thank you for choosing me to photograph their wedding and sharing their story with us. There’s a lot of great advice in there! I also have to give a virtual high five to all the other suppliers involved in making their whole day so perfect
Venue: Llyn Gwynant Barns,
Nant Gwynant,
Caernarfon,
Gwynedd
LL55 4NW
07429 840142
https://gwynant.com
Makeup: @aimeepaddockmakeup // Wedding Dress: @cameobridesllandudno // Suits: @cavaniofchester // Catering: @arlwyocaegwyncatering // Cake: @jammy_jam_cakes
Seen something you like?
If you’re looking for a stunning wedding venue in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, then I can’t recommend Llyn Gwynant Barns enough. My relaxed, approach to wedding photography compliments Llyn Gwynant Barns perfectly so if you’re engaged why not get in touch and lets chat weddings!