Gemma and Matt had such a stunning Jacks Barn wedding, which was set within the gorgeous Kent countryside. A day that had been forecast to rain and was almost certainly going to be overcast, turned into a beautiful and sunny September day! Gemma and Matt were just so awesome to be around and a lot of fun. Two of the most kindest and fun-loving people you’re likely to meet. Plus with Back To The Future their favourite film and part of their table decor, it has to be said they have exceptional taste in movies. Check it all out below.

First names: Gemma and Matt
Ages: 30 and 31
Wedding date: Saturday 25th September 2021
Venue: Jacks Barn, Aldington

How did you guys meet, tell me all?
We actually met through online dating, Plenty of Fish to be precise! I (Gemma) was about to give up entirely with online dating. We’d been talking for a while but I accidentally ghosted Matt. He decided to try one last message and it reignited our chats. Our first date was in The Star in Gillingham and was hijacked and third wheeled by a very drunk friend of Matt’s – asking us how long we’d been together and hot seating us both about the progress of the date in front of each other. Luckily, we both saw the funny side and the rest is history!

How did you get engaged, is there a cool story?
Matt had been planning to propose for a while and had been researching some places to pop the question. As luck would have it, we went to visit my (Gemma’s) friends Sian and Stuart in Oxfordshire. It was Matt’s very first time meeting them. Since he got on so well with them both, Matt decided (without telling anyone!) that he would find a good spot to propose. We decided to take a walk in Wallingford Castle Gardens and we found a nice archway to stand in, which just so happened to be one of the spots Matt had seen online! So he knew it was meant to happen there and then. Matt asked Sian to take a photo and I was being awkward and didn’t want one but Matt insisted. Then he suddenly got down on one knee and everyone was shocked and crying! Stuart was shouting at Sian to take the photo as she was flapping around!

What made you choose your wedding venue, did you look at many?
We really wanted a rustic wedding venue that we could make our own. We looked at Chilham Village Hall and fell in love immediately. We didn’t look at any other venues at all! Everything was booked and paid for but unfortunately Covid got in the way and we lost the venue. We were in a mad panic trying to get a whole new venue especially as so many couples had to move their date. We called upon the lovely Debbie Green (Chives Catering) who was our hero of the hour and lined us up with two beautiful venues to choose from. We chose Jacks Barn as we loved the history behind it (part of a working farm and the barn had recently been refurbed for weddings). The gardens are beautiful and you can see France on a good day over the fields! We were even more in love with our new venue, everything happens for a reason!

What was the inspiration/theme of your wedding?
We wanted something to represent us as a couple, which isn’t really too structured at all. We don’t really have a theme, but we wanted bright and colourful with a rustic vibe. The pandemic meant we got a lot more time to make some of our decorations. Gemma’s Mum sewed all of the bunting and Gemma’s Dad made our wedding arch.

What is your first song and why?
Our first song is Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley (Pianoforte version). It’s not a standard first dance song by any means but we didn’t want something too gushy as it doesn’t really represent us as a couple. We also thought it would be quite funny to Rick Roll everyone on our wedding day too – as you’d never guess it was the classic until the lyrics kick in!

What would be your number one tip to other couples planning their wedding?
Wedding planning can feel overwhelming at times with how much needs doing. But breaking it down into smaller tasks keeps it much more manageable. Getting married is supposed to be fun, so enjoy the little things!

Check out Gemma and Matt’s Jacks Barn Wedding below.

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The photography: All images captured with two Fujifilm X-T3 cameras.
Lenses: Fujinon XF 16mm f1.4 R WR, Fujinon XF 23mm f1.4 R, Fujinon XF 35mm f1.4 R and Fujinon XF 56mm f1.2.