Ricky and Danielle’s Bassmead Manor Barns wedding had it all: magic, friends, a dessert table, and a beautiful cake for beautiful people (if I do say so myself!)
Like so many others, they had had to postpone their wedding due to the C word - but when their day finally came around, it was worth the wait. I’d actually gotten to know them virtually during Covid - they joined me on my Bake At Home course in 2020, cheered me on for my Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas win on instagram stories, and were generally just the loveliest people imaginable.
We finally met for a contactless cake delivery in the summer of 2021, when I made a gender reveal cake to announce that they were having a baby girl! So when their Bassmead Manor Barns wedding finally came around, it was such a joy to finally give them a proper, big ol’ squeeze. They say never meet your heroes, but I say: definitely do meet your instagram buddies…because then, you can make magic like this (pun intended!)
The beauty of a Bassmead Manor Barns wedding
The wedding didn’t have a theme, as such. Instead, Ricky and Danielle chose a palette of grey, white and gold, accented with lots of green foliage, which was luxurious but intentionally simple: “We felt the venue was pretty enough!” they explain.
And they’re right. Bassmead Manor Barns really is a stunning setting for a Cambridgeshire wedding. I mean, how many other venues can claim they have unique moated status?! The Grade II listed manor house and barn buildings sit on an estate of over 1600 acres, and have been lovingly restored by the family who’ve lived there for over seven generations. What this means in practice is that The Rickety Barn and The Thatched Barn, the two main Bassmead Manor Barns wedding spaces, have all of the old-school charm that belies their grand history, whilst also feeling cool, contemporary, and like the perfect space for a modern celebration.
Semi naked cake with fresh flowers
Ricky and Danielle chose a semi naked cake design to sit centre stage on their dessert table (more on that below). I arrived to some plates, a log slice, a bucket of flowers and an armful of foliage from their brilliant florist Lily Jayne; so I got to work!
Ricky and Danielle chose some delicious, crowd pleasing flavours – Zesty Lemon, Classic Victoria Sponge and Salted Caramel - with a contemporary semi-naked cake design to go with the rustic-but-refined vibe of their Bassmead Manor Barns wedding. To achieve the artfully asymmetrical decoration, I placed tall fresh stems up the left hand side, made up of large and mini roses blooming alongside flowering mint and foliage. The decoration was completed with their rustic wooden calligraphy cake topper, reading “Our adventure continues”.
A full dessert table
Ricky and Danielle went all out for their wedding, opting for not only a cake, but an accompanying dessert table too.
After adding the stunning flowers to the cake, it was time to arrange the dessert table items. Ricky and Danielle had chosen a delicious assortment to top their dessert table, including triple chocolate brownies, marbled mini donuts, chocolate truffle bites and gold splattered sugar cookies. I piled these high on the plates, then added more foliage, flowers and some autumnal-toned fruits like figs, cherries and blackberries for a decadent feel. For the finishing touches, I draped a light chiffon fabric around the large wooden log slice and across the table. This softened the setup, and brought all of the elements together perfectly.
I was lucky enough to see both bride and groom during the setup, but I didn’t get to see the both of them with the cake until the photos from Lee Daniels came through. It was such a treat to see their happy faces as they sliced into it.
It’s a kind of magic
Now, the eagle-eyed among you will notice that I promised magic in the introduction to this Bassmead Manor Barns wedding - and I didn’t just mean my cake.
Ricky is actually a professional magician – you can find him over at RickyLocke – so of course, the day had a few tricks up its sleeve. One of these was Sam Fitton, a magician whom Danielle had booked three years ago – and who she’d managed to keep secret that long! As well as doing magic, he organised bingo on the day too.
As a super stylish nod to Ricky’s profession, they also added a CAKE sign to the dessert table made from a clear photo frame and some alphabet playing cards.
Planning a Bassmead Manor Barns wedding?
Ricky, Danielle - thank you for not only having me as part of your Bassmead Manor Barns wedding, but as part of your wonderful pregnancy journey, and just generally as part of your life these past few years. It’s been a huge honour, and I’m so glad I could be a part of the day of your dreams!
If you’re planning your own Bassmead Manor Barns wedding and are looking for a delicious, artful cake for the day, I’d love to chat! Or perhaps you’re planning a wedding elsewhere, but want to include magic, friends, and a dessert table – I can help you with at least one of those. Get in touch here to tell me all about your plans so far; I can’t wait to hear from you!
Sweet talk
And look, you don’t have to take my word for it - here’s what Ricky and Danielle had to say about working with me:
“We can not express how amazing & wonderful Imogen is! We had been following Imogen on her socials for some time & her work was truly impressive with a very high reputation in the wedding industry. From our initial enquiry, to cake tasting in the post (due to covid) & providing us with our masterpiece on our special day, Imogen has gone well above & beyond our expectations and her cake & dessert table was a HUGE highlight & talking point on our wedding day.”
With thanks to:
Venue: Bassmead Manor Barns https://bassmeadmanorbarns-weddings.co.uk/
Flowers: Lily Jayne Florist https://www.lilyjayneflorist.co.uk/
Magician & Host: Sam Fitton https://www.samfitton.com/
Photographer: Lee Daniels Photography https://leedanielsphotography.com/
Signage, platters and plates: Synched Events https://synchedevents.com/
Cake topper: Laurel House Designs https://www.laurelhousedesigns.co.uk/
Decor - Pretty Quirky Hire https://www.prettyquirkyhire.co.uk/
Stationery: Jasmine Barnes Design http://jasmine-barnes.com/
Catering: Galloping Gourmet
Dress: White Leaf Boutique https://whiteleafbridal.com/
Hair: Katrina Kelly https://www.katrinakellyweddinghair.com/
Make-up: Luxe Beauty
Suits: Vow Bridal https://vowbridal.co.uk/