Fiona and Callum married in September at Wrenhurst Barn, with 170 guests for the ceremony and dinner. They wanted a ceilidh, a caller who could teach the dances, and food outside in the Dairy Yard once the evening began.

September in the barn

The Tithe Barn seats 180 at round tables and 250 standing. At 170 guests, the tables filled the floor without blocking the doors, and the band had space at the end of the room. The barn is oak framed and weatherboarded outside, with red pantiles and a high roof. In September the light through the doors is long and low, and the room does not need much decoration.

They used the barn for the ceremony and dinner. The aisle ran between the tables, with chairs in rows for the vows and the same chairs moved to the tables afterwards. The house team did the move in 40 minutes while guests had drinks in the yard.

A caller and a band

The band was a four piece with a caller. The caller taught the first two dances slowly, then let the floor fill as people understood the steps. Fiona and Callum had been to ceilidhs before, but many of their guests had not, and the teaching was the reason the evening worked. Nobody needed to know what they were doing before they arrived.

The music ran until midnight under the barn's late licence. The band played two sets with a break for the evening food, and the caller kept the last dance short so the room was clear by the time the bar closed.

Evening food in the Dairy Yard

The Dairy Yard is outdoors and licensed for drinks and evening food from 2pm to midnight. It holds 200 standing. At 170 guests, it was busy without being cramped, with three food stands along the wall and a table for the cake. The yard is step-free from the barn, so guests could move between the two without a step or a gravel path.

September is a good month for an outdoor evening, but the plan still had a wet weather option. The barn doors stayed open, and the food could move inside if the rain came. It did not, but the decision was made before the day rather than in the moment.

• 170 guests for the ceremony, dinner and ceilidh
• September at Wrenhurst Barn
• A four piece band with a caller
• Evening food in the Dairy Yard, which holds 200 standing
• Music until midnight under the barn's late licence
• A wet weather plan agreed before the day

What made it work

The numbers were right for the room. A barn that holds 250 standing can swallow 100 guests, but 170 filled the tables and the dance floor without turning the evening into a crush. The caller gave the room a shared activity, which is useful when families meet for the first time.

Fiona and Callum would change one thing: they would put the food stands further apart. The queue at the pie stand was long, and the other two stands were quiet for the first 20 minutes. Their planner has since moved the layout for other weddings, with the stands in a triangle rather than a line. It is a small change that made a difference to the pace of the evening.