THE INSPIRATION BLOG

When planning a wedding, it’s easy to start with the details you can see - flowers, styling, dresses or décor. But before any of those decisions can truly take shape, there’s one choice that influences everything else: your wedding venue. From setting your date to shaping the atmosphere of your day, your venue is the foundation your entire celebration is built upon. That’s why, for most couples, it should be the very first thing you book. In this guide, we explore what to look for in a wedding venue and why early viewing is key to securing your dream wedding.

When couples begin planning their wedding, one decision often comes before all others: the location. For many, the answer isn’t a specific venue straight away, but a feeling - rolling countryside, honey-coloured stone, quiet lanes and villages that look as though they’ve been waiting centuries for a celebration. And that’s exactly why so many couples find themselves drawn to the Cotswolds...

The wedding flower trends for 2026 are shaping up to be some of the most imaginative, expressive, and heartfelt we’ve seen in years. From nostalgic cottage-garden romance to modern sculptural installations, couples are falling in love with arrangements that feel deeply personal, while embracing sustainable blooms and seasonally led floristry. We caught up with one of Lapstone Barn’s trusted floral experts, Sally from Sally Gill Flowers, to guide us through the key wedding flower trends for 2026, including the colours, styles, and bouquets that are set to define the year’s weddings. Here are her favourite floral fantasies for the year ahead.

From the first tasting to that magical moment when you slice into it together, your wedding cake is one of the sweetest parts of your celebrations – literally!

The world of weddings is ever evolving and couples planning their big day are already looking ahead to the top 2026 wedding trends. From loud colour palettes to quiet luxury, the wedding trends of 2026 are all about creating a wedding day that is totally unique to you. Whether you’re a follower or an influencer, here are the top 10 wedding trends for 2026 that we’re already seeing shape the year ahead.

Picture this: you’ve just said “yes” and you’re ready to start planning the wedding day of your dreams. But then reality sets in, and you need to figure out how much it’s all going to cost you. The good news is that a Cotswold barn wedding might actually be more attainable than you think. Today, we unpack everything you need to know about wedding venue prices, and explain how a Cotswold barn venue can actually offer the most incredible value…

When planning a wedding, choosing the right venue is one of the most important decisions you'll make. It sets the scene for your special day and affects everything - from the flow of proceedings to how relaxed you - and your guests - feel.  So what criteria do the best wedding venues in the Cotswolds have in common and how do you make your decision on where to tie the knot? At Lapstone Barn, we’ve hosted enough magical Cotswold weddings to know what makes the perfect day - here’s our guide on what to look for - and avoid - when comparing luxury wedding venues in the Cotswolds.

Did you know that 98% of couples consider sustainability as a key factor when planning their wedding? From the type of paper you use for your save the dates to the blooms you feature in your bouquet, there’s plenty of ways to make your wedding more eco-friendly this year. But with ‘greenwashing’ rife and trends evolving fast, what does a truly sustainable wedding actually look like in 2025? In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the latest sustainable wedding ideas, and share how you can bring them to life at our charming Cotswold stone barn wedding venue. 

Your wedding cake is more than just dessert - it’s a centrepiece, a conversation starter, and the final flourish of your celebration. At Lapstone Barn, we’re lucky to work with some of the most talented cake designers in the Cotswolds, and they’ve given us the inside scoop on their most requested wedding cake ideas of 2025.

We’ve hosted enough weddings at Lapstone Barn to know that for most couples, planning a wedding is about more than simply booking a venue and ceremony.

Here at Lapstone Barn, we’ve hosted hundreds of weddings (and loved every single one!), so we know a thing or two about why barn wedding venues are a dream come true for so many couples. There’s just something unique about that blend of rustic charm, picture-perfect surroundings, and relaxed elegance that makes tying the knot in the heart of the Cotswolds so special.

While it may seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of planning, choosing your wedding music can actually be one of the most emotional decisions you’ll make. After all, these songs will be the soundtrack to the best day of your life. From those first teary-eyed steps down the aisle to the final spin on the dancefloor, your playlist deserves just as much thought as your dress, décor, or menu.