A "Keen" eye for design
August 10, 2016
Rose & Andrew's Bright & Wild Farbridge Wedding
As a graphic designer it would have been almost impossible for creative groom Andrew Keen to not have come up with some fantastic branding to represent him and wife-to-be Rose on the most important day of their lives! If ever there's a reason deserving a good logo, it's two people, so in love that they are prepared to publicly celebrate this fact by getting hitched! I will talk more of Andrew's brilliant branding later in the blog, but I suppose what struck me the most about this couple's wedding day was that they had understood its significance, not just to them but to their valued guests who were thrilled to share the day with them. This was an event to bring together those young and old, to uphold the seriousness of ceremony, to shed tears of happiness and emotion, to enjoy the sharing of delicious food, to sense the nervousness of speeches delivered, to giggle with laughter at histories told, to feel joy in the music and abandonment in dancing. It was to be surrounded by bright colour in the celebration of two diverse personalities combining, who's value of detail through little thoughtful touches would offer so much meaning to many. This event required creativity, and Rose and Andrew clearly had this awareness - not missing a trick, designing and creating all the elements to provide that seamless and beautiful backdrop by which to celebrate their marriage.
It was a hot and sunny morning in May and very conveniently for me, both bride and groom were getting ready at the same location, the one exclusive venue for the day, Farbridge. Nestled in the heart of the South Downs, these beautifully restored barns have everything a wedding party require and fortunately there was plenty of space for the couple to prepare without the potential of accidentally bumping into each other before the ceremony!
My first port of call was to meet Andrew who I discovered had been very hands-on with preparing the venue; busy hanging up lanterns and various other items of decor - bringing some additional 'wow' factor to the already breathtaking barns. I was impressed to learn of his effort and input as the aesthetic 'look' of a wedding day often does naturally default mainly to the bride I find, so it was great to see a groom taking ownership of some of these details! Andrew and the groomsmen were dressed smartly but with a casual twist - no ties, but popping some bright colour through some funky paisley pocket hankies.
Andrew chose to wear a tweed waistcoat which bought a touch more importance to his own outfit, offering a hint at the countryside and a nod to the beautiful rural surroundings. Andrew's eye for style really became apparent when the lads hitched up their trouser legs to reveal bright (understatement), leopard print socks! (This is the point when you know a decision has been made probably without bride consultation, (or perhaps despite it?!))! This part of Andrew's personality shone through in various subtle but significant ways through the bits of design work that he had obviously incorporated throughout the day.
After photographing the guys (and letting my eyes recover from the socks), I met bride Rose in the calm serenity of the Bridal Suite / Preparation Room, situated in it's own private bridal courtyard. She sat wearing a robe that groom-to-be Andrew had bought for her when they had first got together, having her hair and makeup done by the lovely Lauren from ID Hair, Makeup & Beauty. Needless to say, Rose was looking gorgeous from top to toe and was beaming with radiance and readiness. Extra confidence had come from having hair styled by a professional who's own curly hair-type (notorious for often being more challenging to manage), was similar to the bride's. (It's always reassuring when you can take one look at someone and be completely confident that they will just know exactly what to do with you)!
Rose's delicate french lace gown was a soft and romantic contrast to the strong vibrant wild flowers in her bridal bouquet that consisted of various blooms in bright purples, pinks, corals and peaches. The fabulously striking flowers were designed by Kerry at Rose Cottage, who had created a number of displays throughout the venue. They looked really powerful against many of the old rustic features of the barns, a contrast which I loved. If you look carefully at this next image you'll see the bridal bouquet beautifully displaying some very special earrings to be worn by Rose that day.
The array of attractive wild flowers continued to mark different elements of the day in key eye-catching positions around barns, where guests were bound to catch sight and admire. In the ceremony room known as the 'Meadow Barn', little posies sat in dainty jars which dangled from the sides of the chairs, lining the aisle with tiny bursts of colour. On the seats themselves sat miniature pots of real fragrant rose petals for guests to throw as confetti after the service. From the old original oak beams above hung a wreath crafted in the matching tones. (I later learnt that wreaths are usually made of evergreens and are often used to symbolise strength and community, a fitting decoration to be had a wedding celebration I vouch)! Also tying into the floral mix and making a great impact was a large garland which adorned the top table in the Main Barn where the reception was held. The colours of the wild blooms which replicated the bridal bouquet again, really were dazzling and outstanding.
It was quickly time to photograph the bride and groom at their most nervous, meeting at the end of the aisle! What a moment for Rose to be given away, for her father to give her away and of course for Andrew who was receiving his beautiful bride! As you can see, the emotions were written all over their faces! I loved this very real moment and capturing these microexpressions!
At the signing of the register, the whole bridal party got involved and bared witness to the event! It was a bonus that the shape of the room leant itself to seating several people at a time who could feature in this shot, the official bit of cementing of promises made!
Having a love of Polo, the just married couple walked through a symbolic arch of mallets upheld by close friends on the lawns in the courtyard.
There's always a slight sense of relief as the newly married's vows and formalities are done and dusted and they are free to go and sip (or down!) a glass of bubbly and take a breath having reached the 'no turning back' part of the day! The chance to mingle and catch up with friends and family was really important to this couple who had allowed plenty of time to chat to their guests before being whisked aside by me for some bridal party pictures. The atmosphere was a relaxed and happy one, with a string duo playing gently in the background and with drinks a flowing. This part of a wedding day is an opportunity for some 'fly-on-the-wall' photography, stealing some of those lovely unexpected yet real moments of guests in conversation, being natural and often beneficially unaware of the camera.
We ventured a little away from the wedding venue as the area surrounding Farbridge is a working farm and I was able to capture the bridal party against a lovely weathered fence. I always like to discover new backdrops of interest, colour and texture, especially those which you may not classically associate with the polished perfection of a wedding scene!
Similarly, I don't always think it's necessary to be serious in every photograph either! We had fun shooting this one and I always see these kind of compositions as a small window of opportunity for some personalities to shine out a little!
Lest we forget that romance should be at the heart of a wedding day and on our short trek back to the wedding venue we found ourselves to be bathed in wonderfully perfect light with most idyllic backdrop. The flint stone barns in the distance looked to be melting in soft glow of the the warm summer haze and this was definitely an opportunity to capture a peaceful, just-married moment.
Back at the reception, the Main Barn was decorated with such style and flair, showing off Andrew and Rose's creative talents to the full. The lanterns hung dreamily from the high rustic beams almost giving the effect of little white clouds hovering above. The talented designer of a groom had created a brightly coloured bespoke table plan around a fitting countryside theme, which considered the choices of flower colours from Rose's bouquet and other displays that decorated the venue throughout. Other stationery such as the table menus were also consistent with Andrew's brilliant branding and everything tied together seamlessly. I love the couple's idea for the name places which consisted of little individual gold bottles of champagne, labelled personally and doubling up as beautiful drinkable favours for each guest. The attention to detail was exquisite and looked very classy scattered amongst the shiny wine glasses and tableware.
Not only were Rose and Andrew looking amazing, but even their food was beautifully designed! The vegetarian menu offered a starter of Golden Halloumi with Rose's balsamic tomatoes. This dish was a recreation of one of Rose's childhood favourites which was a lovely personal touch! The main course was Wild Mushroom Pithivier with roast garlic, baby courgettes, celery and almonds with mushroom cream sauce and chive oil and to finish was dark chocolate dollop with salted peanut caramel and frozen yoghurt. I was lucky enough to sample some of the delicious food made with love by the Farbridge in-house catering team, and I have to say the food looked and tasted absolutely amazing!
Being lovers of wine and cheese, Andrew and Rose strayed from having a traditional wedding cake and instead opted for a cake (or should I say tower?!) made entirely out of different cheeses!
I've never seen such an impressive display of cheese, appetisingly adorned with all sorts of fruits including grapes and berries and more pretty flowers, all once again complimenting the chosen bright colour palette of the day.
Overall this warm and bubbly couple provided a day of celebration that reflected the bright, bold and beautiful parts of their personalities. Their teamwork and passion for creating a gorgeous setting in which to relax and have fun was evident in all the details of the day and in how they relished time with their guests, hosting them so considerately. There is no doubt in my mind and Andrew and Rose will go on to be fantastic hosts in their married life, providing more enjoyable times for their most treasured friends and family.
I am so pleased to have had these lovely creative minds helping me with my job! Without knowing it Rose and Andrew assisted in making the photographs work together beautifully simply by the having such brilliant attention to detail when planning their wedding! Congratulations to a super couple! Thank you for having me, it was so much fun working with you and I wish you all the best for your future together!
Love Kelly x
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A