Bride and groom in front of their DIY wedding sign for rustic wedding at barn venue.

DIY Wedding Sign For Rustic Wedding

Photography by Irene Yap

This dreamy fairy-lit barn wedding with a cute and rustic DIY wedding sign is so fun! With a relaxed summery dress code, all the guests wore bright colours. From a fancy dress box for evening entertainment, Steph and Will's curated playlists blasting through a boombox, and bell tents for the wedding guests to camp, meant the relaxed festival vibes were definitely achieved! The wedding took place at Recommended venue, The Secret Barn who also took care of the flowers! Plus, the makeup was done by, Recommended supplier, Makeup By Becky Flynn.


The Secret Barn rustic wedding with DIY wedding sign

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Our favourite moments of the day were the speeches, which blew me away with a rollercoaster of emotions. Having the readings written by our loved ones, and a friend conducting the ceremony, made the whole day unique and I had a smile on my face all day. Also, it was the time after dinner when the sun started to go down, the speeches were done and there was a sense of calm. After the previous 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions, we were finally surrounded by all our favourite people and had nothing left to do but enjoy each other’s company and relax.

Steph & Will

Bride and bridesmaids in multi-coloured striped robes get ready for the day and have some breakfast
Bride's beaded wedding dress hangs from the ceiling
Bride in beaded wedding dress and groom in blue suit walk next to their DIY wedding sign decor
DIY wedding sign made from wooden pallet and hand painted
Bride and groom have their first kiss as a married couple for outdoor wedding ceremony
Bride in beaded wedding dress with bridesmaids in a variety of different colours and patterned dresses
Bride walks through brick archway with peacock seated above
Father of the bride walks the bride to the altar for outside wedding ceremony
Bride hugs her bridesmaids holding pink and white and red bouquets
Bride in beaded wedding dress and groom in deep blue suit stand on patterned rug for humanist wedding ceremony
Groom in blue suit and paisley patterned tie places the ring on the bride's finger
Wedding guests line up and applaud for the newlyweds
wedding guests laugh and wipe tears as they watch the wedding ceremony take place
Bride and groom stand together at the altar on a patterned rug and stare at each other for humanist ceremony
Father of the bride in blue ombre tie walks the bride in beaded wedding dress down the aisle
Bride and bridesmaids laugh together with pink, red and white bouquets and bridesmaids all in different colour and style dresses
Wedding party with groomsmen and bridesmaids in mismatching colour and style outfits for relaxed rustic barn wedding
Confetti exit for bride and groom's rustic barn wedding
Bride's white thick strap wedding shoes
Groom in blue suit with paisley patterned tie and patterned handkerchief smiles as he sees the bride of the first time

DIY Wedding Sign

Steph and Will are an interior designer and a carpenter, so they love a bit of craft and DIY. The couple wanted lots of colours and a relaxed festival feeling. They bought block-printed fabric as tablecloths for the banquet tables, which Steph is going to make into curtains for their flat! Steph and Will made the wedding sign from an old pallet and even made up a fancy dress box! The couple was meant to have 120 guests but due to Covid restrictions, they moved a lot of the day outside and got down to 44 guests. Steph and Will planned their humanist ceremony in the apple orchard with a good friend, Gabi, as their celebrant. Everyone camped in bell tents, so there was lots of chatting under the stars until sunrise! They had so many people saying how personal and fun the day was.

Personal Touches

Besides the DIY wedding sign, Steph had arranged her own bouquet including flowers from her own garden, her godmother’s garden, her granny’s garden, her late grandmother's favourite flower, stephanotis (a family nickname as a child), and a rose donated from the village where she grew up. Steph and Will wanted to use local suppliers. They set on an indoor/outdoor venue where everyone could be together, whether they're a dancing queen or the self-conscious type! All the flowers and food were homegrown or locally sourced. Their mum wrote a special poem and their friends adapted a reading, so they had a few surprises after all the planning! Steph and Will even made their own playlists for each part of the day and played them on a boombox!

Bride's ruffle v-neck back wedding dress for relaxed and rustic barn wedding
Fairylights and pink and white flowers along banquet tables for wedding reception at The Secret Barn wedding venue
Wedding guests enjoy a fun dance outside The Secret Barn wedding venue in Sussex
Groom high the bride as she laughs and her bridesmaids laugh around them too
Bride and groom dance outside together with guests dancing all around them for summer rustic barn wedding
Bride and groom have their first dance together as the guests gather round and look at the couple
Patterned tablecloth with green candles infold candleholders with bouquets of pink, red and white flowers
Bride in beaded wedding dress and groom in blue three piece suit put their hands in the air at reception
Bride in beaded wedding dress and groom in blue suit hold each other under twinkling fairy lights at The Secret Barn
Pink, red and white wedding flowers next to plates of yummy doughnuts for guests
Table setting with patterned tablecloth, green candles in gold candleholders and pink, red and white flowers
Wedding flower arrangement decor in silver and gold cup vase for rustic barn wedding
Chalkboard table plan seating chart sign with yellow and white font
Guests and bride and groom sit together on red benches outside to listen to the speeches
Groom gives a speech at his rustic wedding
Father of the bride gives a speech at outdoor DIY wedding
Bride in beaded wedding dress and groom in blue suit have their first dance together
Bride wears ruffle v style back wedding dress with white wine
Golden hour shot of the bride giving the groom a big hug
Wedding guests socialising and drinking on red benches outside the rustic barn venue
Groom in blue suit with colourful boutonnière with bride in beaded wedding dress
Bride and groom in sunglasses and guests all raise their glass in a toast for the couple

Having a summer wedding? Ask your guests to wear something bright & colourful!

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Try not to lose sleep over the small details. Have fun styling your wedding but don’t panic if you can’t find the perfect vase or candlestick. People remember the atmosphere and the unexpected moments, not the missing sprig of sage.

Steph & Will


Feeling creative and want to create your own DIY wedding sign for your wedding? We have some great DIY ideas for you on our podcast. Maybe you were feeling emotional about those personal readings? Check out our planning page for some wedding reading inspiration.


Photographer: Irene Yap Weddings |
Florist & Food: Petal and Feast |
Cake Maker: Glazed |
Hair Stylist: Bex Standing Smith |
Makeup Artist: Becky Flynn |
Bridal Outfit & Boutique: Eliza Jane Howell |
Bridesmaids Outfits: Rixo |
Real WeddingEnglandSouth EastSummerBarns and FarmsHumanistBohoRusticDIYFestivalBrights£10k - £15k