Yesterday I returned to the beautiful venue that is Friern Manor for the first time since 2019 (thanks Covid!) for the wedding of Dawn and Steven.
What a day. What a couple.
It rained on and off all day, just like it has pretty much for the past two weeks, but like all the best couples, Dawn and Steven shrugged it off and just got on with enjoying their big day.
Dawn got ready at Friern Manor and around 30 minutes before show time, her Dad came up to her room to prepare to escort her down the aisle.
One of the many great things about getting married at Friern Manor is that the best way to get the bride to the ceremony, is to exit the main manor house via the front door - which gives me a brief opportunity to grab a shot of the bridal party while they await their big entrance.
And they weren’t the only ones awaiting the big entrance. A very nervous Steven was keen to see his beautiful bride.
He didn’t need to wait too long though. Before he knew it, Dawn appeared to ooohs and awwes from their guests and was escorted by her very proud Dad.
Look at that smile!
The ceremony was lovely, lots of smiles and laughter and then it was sealed with a kiss…. And a shot!
Now, anyone that reads this section of my website will know by now that I love a good confetti shot and these two were totally up for that!
We dodged the rain for a brief 10 minute walk around the beautiful gardens, sticking to the paths because the grass was too soggy for heels!
You’d be forgiven for reading this and thinking ‘he keeps going on about the rain, but it looks okay to me!’
That is the power of good timing, keeping a constant look out and the Accu Weather app, but if you wanted evidence of how showery it was, check out these little guys!
And while on the subject of these two little legends, have you ever heard the phrase ‘living your best life’?
I’ve never really understood what that meant until I met these two dudes. One moment they are splashing in the puddles and the next, well, take a look for yourselves!
If those little guys aren’t living their best lives, then no-one is!
The first dance was greeted by whoops and cheers from Dawn and Steven’s guests and then the party got going nicely.
But before I knew it, it was time for me to leave these two and their guests to it, but not before I stole them away for 10 more minutes for one of those nigh time shots that I always love to do. And hey, if the trees at the venue offer up a natural (almost-if-you-look-hard-enough) heart shaped frame, you’d be a fool not to use it!
That’s all for this little sneak peek, folks. I’ll add one or two more pictures from this wedding to the Facebook and Instagram pages as I edit them, so feel free to follow along over there.
Big thanks as always to all at Friern Manor for being amazing and making sure everything ran smoothly.
Thanks too to all of Dawn and Steven’s guests for being amazing and extremely photogenic.
Lastly, a thousand thanks to Dawn and Steven for choosing me to capture your special day. You guys are wonderful. Massive congratulations to the both of you!
This wedding was a particularly special one for me, because how often do you get to photograph one of your very best friend’s weddings?
Alex and I have been the best of pals for years and it has been wonderful seeing him and Emma fall in love and build a life together.
It was an absolute privilege to photograph their wedding at Langtons House in Hornchurch.
Emma got ready in a nice little Air BnB just along the road from Langtons House and she’d arranged for Danielle from Final Checks to take care of hair and make-up.
After a nice relaxing morning before we knew, it was almost showtime!
There was just enough time for a little pep-talk with their daughter and beautiful flower girl Florence.
And then it was time.
Emma’s niece Olivia and Florence were first down the aisle…
Followed by Emma, who was proudly escorted by her Brother Lloyd.
The moment Alex first saw his beautiful bride appear.
It was a beautiful ceremony full of smiles and laughter… and sealed with a kiss!
The weather was just starting to look a little dicey after the ceremony, but luckily I had these two on weather watch to keep me updated…
And as soon as they gave me the thumbs up, we headed outside for some photos. How’s this for a family shot?
While their guests mingled and chatted, I took the two newlyweds on a walk around the gorgeous gardens at Langtons House.
Aaaaannnd it seems that they were keen to show off their new bling!
And of course, we couldn’t leave Langtons without the confetti shot!
That’s all for this little sneak peek, folks, but I have soooo many more great shots from this beautiful wedding.
I’ll add one or two more pictures from this wedding to the Facebook and Instagram pages as I edit them, so feel free to follow along over there.
Thanks to all at Langtons House for being so great.
Big congratulations to Emma and Alex - I love you guys!
Lily first contacted me just over a year ago to discuss highlight videos. She and Tom had already booked their wedding photographer but she had seen my highlight videos and decided to book me for video only.
In April though, their photographer cancelled and so after a little chat on the phone, they added photo coverage to their booking too. I’m extremely pleased that they did, because yesterday was their big day and it was a joy to photograph.
They chose the beautiful Southdowns Manor as their venue (excellent choice) and it was looking great.
Lily spent a relaxing morning with Bridesmaids and her Mum getting all made up by Adele at Rosie Blush.
There was breakfast, presents and lots of excitement - just about the perfect wedding morning.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the manor, Tom and his Best Man, Kieran, were sprucing up and making themselves look super sharp!
Before long, it was very nearly show time. Lily put on her dress and it looked amazing!
And then a very proud (and slightly emotional) Dad came to collect her.
Tom was waiting for her downstairs in the ceremony room. He had been a little nervous beforehand but by this point he seemed more excited than he was nervous.
He didn’t have to wait long though. An emotional Lily soon appeared.
The ceremony was lovely, there were a few laughs and a few tears and then before we knew it, a newly married couple were smooching right in front of us to whoops and applause!
After some bubbly and some canapes, I took a little photo walk with the happy couple around the Southdowns Manor grounds.
One of the unique things about Southdowns Manor is that they do the confetti indoors. Confetti is still confetti though, and I love a good confetti shot!
After a good feed it was party time! Lily and Tom had the wonderful band Spoils there and ready to go! They played the first dance song which ended in a big romantic dance for anyone and everyone that wanted to join.
The party went on long into the night and the band had everyone up and dancing. I have lots of party pictures, but I can only post so many shots on these little sneak peeks, so this will have to do for now.
As always, before l left, I asked Lily and Tom if they were up for a few night time shots. One of the many great things about getting married at Southdowns Manor is that it looks AMAZING after dark. I mean, how about this for a farewell shot!?
That’s all for this little sneak peek, folks. I’ll add one or two more pictures from this wedding to the Facebook and Instagram pages as I edit them, so feel free to follow along over there.
Big thanks to all at Southdowns Manor for being so great. Particularly Lia for making sure everything came together and ran smoothly, and for taking such good care of me all day.
Thanks too to all of Lily and Tom’s guests for being amazing (especially the nice chap that came to find me during the dinner just to say that he thought I’d been excellent all day and was ‘way better and more relaxed than any other wedding photographer I’ve seen’).
I love hearing things like that!
Lastly, a MASSIVE thanks to Lily and Tom for having me capture your special day. You guys are wonderful. Big congratulations to the both of you!
