Octagon Barn Wedding Photographer | Beth & Jon, Norfolk
A relaxed sunny-day Norfolk barn wedding at The Octagon Barn, Little Plumstead — documentary wedding photography by Matt Dartford.
As a Norfolk-based wedding photographer, the Octagon Barn has it all!
The Octagon Barn is situated in the pretty Norfolk village of Little Plumstead. It’s a stunning 17th-century red brick barn in an unusual (you guessed it) octagonal shape. In fact, it’s uniquely the only barn of this type in England, with the feature octagonal vaulted roof providing a natural atrium to host the wedding celebration beneath.
Historically used for many different farming uses, it has today been reimagined as a truly unique Norfolk wedding venue.
Another reason why it’s a favourite with us Norfolkwedding photographers, is that it sits in lucious parkland that offer endlessly beautiful backdrops for creative portrait photos.On the day, I headed to Hall Farm Cottages, to catch up with Beth and her bridal party whowere getting ready there. The light and spacious cottage was perfect for capturing those all-important bridal preparation photos. I found Beth in the capable hands of her hair stylist andher bridal party. The girls were really chilled and in great spirits.
Beth & Jon's Summer Wedding at The Octagon Barn
Morning Prep
The day kicked off bright and early with Beth and her bridal party getting ready. The light was on our side from the start — proper big summer light through every window — which makes a huge difference for the kind of natural, candid morning frames I love. There were laughs, there were nerves, there was prosecco. Standard, in the best way.
The Ceremony
Beth looked amazing in a lace detailed dress with a traditional A-line skirt. She complemented it with an elegant bouquet of white flowers with green foliage. Her bridesmaids looked elegant in navy dresses.
I got some great images before we headed off to the ceremony, including a sweet father seeing the bride moment. With Beth’s Dad in full Scottish attire (who doesn’t love kilts at weddings!).
Beth and Jon chose a church wedding and it was held at St Mary’s Church in the village of Salhouse. An idyllic location on the Norfolk Broads, this 14 th century thatched roof church was utterly photogenic. Beth arrived in style in a gorgeous convertible cream Morris Minor. On arrival at the church, I got my first glimpse of Jon and his grooms party who were all looking very smart in dark blue suits with light blue waistcoats. A delightful detail about Beth and Jon’s last names is that Beth’s is (was) ‘Young’ and Jon’s is ‘Love.’ So, they could have combined them to create a new line of ‘Young Love’s’ But they just went with ‘Love’.
There followed an emotional and joyful ceremony that culminated in Beth and Jon walking back down the aisle a married couple to applause from all of their guests. Afterwards there was time for a couple of images outside the church before everybody headed to The Octagon Barn for the reception. With Beth, Jon and their guests partaking in a fun confetti moment on arrival.
Group Shots & Couple Portraits
The church itself was so nice it would be a shame not to take advantage. So we opted to take many of the group photos while we were there!
Norfolk Barn Wedding Photography
As it was a beautiful sunny day, everybody enjoyed a drinks reception outside. There were some lawn games to entertain the young and the not so young. And I took a great mix of group images of the wedding party alongside candid images of Beth and Jon’s guests chatting, mingling and taking refreshments.
The Octagon Barn looked amazing all dressed and ready for the reception with strings of fairy lights draped across the impressive vaulted ceiling. Guests were seated first so that Beth and Jon could be welcomed rapturously.
After a delicious wedding breakfast, there were some fun and very well receives speeches that went down really well with everybody.
Speeches & Reception
Back inside, the wedding breakfast was set out beautifully and the speeches landed exactly the way you want them to: heartfelt, funny, occasionally inappropriate, never long. The Octagon Barn’s interior takes a stunning rustic-table styling treatment really well — the team know what they’re doing.
First Dance & Evening Party
Evening celebrations started with a romantic first dance for Beth and Jon. Not that they were on the dancefloor alone for long. Their guests were really up for a party so no coaxing was required. Someone had arranged a medley of songs with the word ‘Love’ in them, and it was fun watching everybody pointing at Jon every time the word came up in the songs. This led to Jon being lifted onto his groomsmen’s shoulders, producing one of my favourite images of the day.
Here, take a look!
About The Octagon Barn — A Norfolk Barn Wedding Venue Near Norwich
Where is The Octagon Barn?
The Octagon Barn sits in Little Plumstead, Norfolk just east of Norwich. From the city centre, it’s a 15-minute drive — which makes it a brilliant venue for couples who want the rural-barn aesthetic without dragging guests into the middle of nowhere. There’s plenty of on-site parking and good options for guest accommodation in Norwich.
Capacity, Ceremony Spaces & Reception Layout
The Octagon Barn licenses civil ceremonies in its main octagonal barn, which scales beautifully from intimate ~50-guest weddings up to bigger 100+ guest celebrations. Long banquet tables, round tables, and informal layouts all work — and there’s enough room to keep the ceremony, dining and dancing zones distinct without anyone feeling shuffled around.
Wrapping Up — A Properly Joyful Norfolk Barn Wedding
With the sunset and the dancefloor full it was time for me to take my leave.
It was a fun filled wedding for a lovely couple at a gorgeous Norfolk barn wedding venue. Congratulations to Beth and Jon for getting married and creating such an amazing day for yourselves, your family and your friends to remember. I hope my images will allow you to relive it again and again for many years to come.
Beth and Jon’s day was a textbook example of why people fall in love with Norfolk barn weddings: a stunning rural-but-accessible venue, a couple completely at ease with each other and with their guests, summer light from morning till evening, and a barn full of people who genuinely wanted to dance. Loved every minute of photographing it.
If, like Beth and Jon, you’re planning your wedding at The Octagon Barn (or any of the other beautiful Norfolk and Suffolk barn venues) and you want a relaxed documentary-style wedding photographer who can get out of the way and just capture it as it happens, head over to contact page and drop me a line.