The Sky’s the Limit! Rachael Talks Ceilings at Larchfield

Here is Rachael writing on the Larchfield blog this summer……

What an honour it is to contribute to Larchfield’s Blog, I am Rachael from Blue Moon Event Design and we have been styling weddings and special events at Larchfield Estate since it first opened its fabulous barn doors in 2007.

I can honestly say the Blue Moon Crew could work here blindfolded because we know every nook and cranny of the place. It would be easy to be complacent when you know somewhere so well but it is vitally important to me that every wedding is unique and so I am always exploring new ways to decorate the Barn, the Bar, the Orangery, the Stables and now the newly refurbished ‘The Old Piggery’.

Larchfield is a beautiful setting in its own right, it takes very little to make it look special, however, if you want to put your own stamp on it and create your own unique look then the ceiling is where I always head for first. You want to ensure there is plenty of space for your guests to mingle and relax, so rather than crowding the floor with props I prefer to charm guests by adding foliage to the trees along the walls and decorating the spectacular timber framed ceiling above their heads.

The options are endless but here are a few of Blue Moon’s favourites….

Our beloved French Lace Beam Runners draped between the iron cross-stays to dramatic effect: we create a floaty, romantic scene with ivory muslin or lace, through which, you can still ponder the impressive architecture of the ceiling.

Not just pretty, our display fabrics provide the added benefit of sound insulation, dampening echo from the wooden floor and creating an intimate ambience.

There is plenty for an event designer to work with; just as you would expect from an old barn, the ceiling is cavernous, delightfully atmospheric with huge wooden trusses, beams, black iron cross-stays and large chandeliers which are the perfect structures to hang your wildest dreams to and from.

I am usually a Less is More kinda gal, but in this case, it’s the More the Merrier because the ceiling height means you can go to town on, and between the beams with elegant swathes of delicate fabric, undulating wafts of fairylights or an abundance of wispy, trailing foliage to create impact.

The 5 wrought iron chandeliers are perfect for hosting long trails of ivy, ferns, blossom, flower stems, willow, twisted hazel branches and glass baubles with flickering tealights. Blue Moon aims for big, exuberant and full, or a lighter, wispy and whimsical look; either looks great!

The trails and stems should spread outwards and be tantalisingly long, just out of reach; your party needs to swing but you really don’t want your guests swinging from the chandeliers!

Oooooh and let’s talk specifically LIGHTING which is soooo important:

Larchfield have wired all their lights into dimmers which is great because the level of light instantly sets the mood and tone of your event.

As day fades to night, your lighting should follow suit; the softer, moodier and more twinkly for night time the better! Fairylit beam runners are a magical addition, so too are festoon lights strung across the ceiling in generous loopy swoops and LED uplighters positioned discreetly around the perimeter of the barn and set to soft, gentle pastel colours. Top tip lights on black cable work best as you don’t want to see the ugly cable and black disappears in the expanse of the ceiling whereas white sticks out like a sore thumb!

Now for some alternative ideas…….

The folding of paper cranes is said to bring luck but also is said to be representative of the time and patience it takes to sustain a happy marriage. I have white and colourful Origami paper cranes waiting to be hung in great swarms from the rafters, or what about some delightful little sail boats?

I love the idea of these single stem flowers and fluttery petal garlands suspended vertically from Larchfield’s chandeliers.

During Lockdown I have been making great sweeping vines of greenery to stretch across the barn ceiling. Made up on a base of ship’s rope, wrapped with hundreds of metres of trailing foliage and warm white fairylights, these are bang on trend and are going to look amazing in Larchfield.

In the past I have turned my designer nose up at balloons but these LED Light Up Balloons really are incredible. Available in warm white or multi-coloured versions, I really want one of our Blue Moon brides to go for them; LOADS of them!

LED light up clear bubbles are new on the event scene and like paper lanterns are a great example of how a single, relatively humble item can be used in great numbers to create a dramatic impact.