Champagne, confetti and making an entrance...
September 15, 2015
Susie & Ben's Upwaltham Barns June wedding
My first experience of photographing Ben and Susie was when we ventured to the woods for their engagement shoot back in the spring of this year. Surrounded by the beautiful warm and earthy tones of the woodland, it was a great opportunity for us to all get to know each other and for the couple to get used to being in front of the camera. Ben, very naturally, was feeling a bit shy of the camera at first, but he overcame his fears amazingly and it was such a valuable time to prepare for what was to come with being photographed on their beautiful wedding day.
In June at Upwaltham Barns near Petworth, Susie and Ben were reunited with me (and my camera!) for their all-important wedding photography! When meeting Ben at the start of the day at the countryside venue, his relaxed and happy demeanor straight away gave me confidence that the pictures were going to reflect him and his bride at their very best. Seeing him clutching a glass of champagne and casually chilling out on the bench I just knew we were all going to have a really fun and easy time capturing lots of special moments that day.
I later found Susie in Jasmine Cottage - Upwaltham’s romantic bridal suite, equally relaxed and happy. Although not yet dressed in her wedding gown, she sat back with her feet up just like her groom. Unlike her groom however, as she reclined on the elegant french settee, in this bride’s hand wasn’t an elegant glass of champagne, but a whole bottle! Straight away I liked her style!
Soon dressed, ready and with lots of time to spare, Susie looked gorgeous in her chic fitted gown with delicate lace bolero. She was definitely a cool, calm bride, enjoying each moment and at ease with all the preparations around her. Susie’s chosen colour palette for the wedding included muted pale pinks, dusky lilacs and subtle blues which were all reflected in her stunning bouquet put together by bespoke floral designers Rose Cottage. The bouquet was a perfect fit with the rustic nature of the Barn and taking inspiration from the beautiful surrounding countryside.
As the moment arrived that everyone had been waiting for with the bride arriving at the ceremony, I loved seeing the emotions on Ben’s face as he caught sight of his new wife-to-be from a distance, gliding through the courtyard towards him. The East Barn was set up with guests positioned in a lovely inclusive and intimate horse-shoe configuration, enabling Susie to enter through the tall impressive glass framed doorway with her proud father, and towards a beaming Ben and all their guests.
The ceremony was beautiful and very moving, (very unprofessionally I think I even teared up a little, which isn’t too helpful when you’re behind a lens!) Emotions in check, I continued to photograph the heart-warming service and really picked up a sense of how close these friends and family were to the couple. It was lovely to witness the genuine happiness of all those who surrounded them.
As the new Mr and Mrs exited back into the courtyard for their drinks reception they were showered with some very special confetti of lavender which I was told had been grown in Ben’s mother’s garden in France! The blueish-indigo shades of the highly scented lavender grains tied in perfectly with the colour tones seen in Susie’s bouquet. It left a wonderful fragrance lingering in the air and looked really effective as it peppered over the couple, (despite being a little tricky to shake off afterwards)!
Next up, the bridal party took their positions for some group pictures and I was surprised to notice some very colourful stripey socks amongst the groomsmen! Details like this should never be missed in my view so they became a bit of a feature of this next photograph!
Stealing the couple aside for a portrait opportunity, we found the ideal spot just outside Jasmine Cottage, the natural wooden slats offering the perfect rustic feel and contrasting background to the classy and polished looking bride and groom. We had a bit of fun trying out a few different compositions and this next one turned out to be a favourite of all of ours.
Before long it was time for the guests to sit down for a lovely reception meal, each table themed with the name of michelin starred or high-end London restaurant - which I assumed must have been sampled by Ben and Susie at some point in their time together! A lovely consideration of Susie and Ben’s that I noticed was how there was no top table as such, but how the couple had integrated into the room to be surrounded by their loved ones and fully involved at the heart of the gathering. Although this day was all about about them, Susie and Ben made it about everyone, which I thought was a really lovely thing.
Some fantastic speeches were delivered and the whole room was alive and animated, helped along by a few Jägerbomb fuelled toasts as encouraged by the ushers and not forgetting, Susie’s dad!
Before the evening party, Susie and Ben, along with their groomsmen and bridesmaids, had a bit of time to sneak off and venture up to the top of the hill behind the barns for a little more champagne, some star-jumps and lots of laughter. It was great making a little event of this part of the day and I’m sure was a precious time for friends and siblings to be together for a few memory-making moments.
It wasn’t long before this bunch were keen to get back to the party so we all headed back down the hill as the sun was starting to set.
Some incredible moves were thrown that evening on the dancefloor and I was really impressed to see both Susie and Ben fully involved and making the most of letting their hair down. It had been a brilliant day and this couple's warm, lively and fun-loving personalities were reflected in so many ways, but mostly in that it seemed that every guest present had loved the day and had had a ball.
Thank you Mr & Mrs Stephen for allowing me to photograph you on this very important and beautiful occasion. I am excited that your album will be one full to the brim of amazing moments, just as your wedding day was!
Love Kelly x
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A