Love in Lights
November 18, 2016
Claire & Luke's Summer Wedding at Southend Barns
For gaming fan Luke and romantic-at-heart Claire, August was to be the month to top all months with the celebration of their love and commitment at Southend Barns in Sussex.
Starting the day in Waterlooville at the couple's home, I met Luke and his three best men(!) who were ready in their smart attire to venture up a very large hill for some pre-wedding shots. Capturing the details involved in the 'getting ready' preparations is always an eye-opener, revealing little glimpses of the bride and groom's unique personalities and helping me to build up the bigger, more colourful picture of the couple and their story. Here, Luke's cufflinks were unexpected and quirky little game controllers which was a brilliant personalised detail revealing the gaming enthusiast in the groom!
Having made it to the top of Portsdown Hill (phew!), what we saw stretched out before us was an unbeatable vista and view of the magnificent solent. It was a perfect spot for taking a deep breath in anticipation of this 'big day', and for the naturally beautiful backdrop it presented for the photographs to follow, with deep blue skies and white fluffy clouds making for a very atmospheric scene and a welcome change to the usual hotel backgrounds I am often working with.
In great spirits the boys revealed a hint of their humour to me, promptly presenting me with a bouquet of flowers which, in true end-of-wedding bridal style, Luke had decided to throw overhead to his Best Men! Tossing the bouquet is obviously a very english tradition whereby whoever receives it gains a bit of the bride's luck, and well, the lucky guy who caught Luke's flowers happened to be already engaged! (We all took it as great confirmation that he should go ahead and marry the girl!)
Having poked some fun at english wedding traditions and having had a good giggle, I left the boys and ventured over towards Chichester to meet Claire and her bridesmaids getting ready at the beautifully restored rustic Barns. Claire had makeup applied by Charlotte and was looking radiant and bursting with happiness! Her elegant gown was lace covered with a sweetheart neckline and a clever cut-out heart-shaped sheer detail in the collar. Tying in with her romantic theme, Claire's dainty bouquets included classic pale pink roses surrounded by delicate white gypsophila and were designed by bespoke wedding flower specialist Full Bloom.
We made our way over to St George's Church, Donnington in Chichester, a traditional little village church just one mile from the couple's chosen reception venue, Southend Barns.
Claire arrived with her father at the pretty countryside setting in all it's summer's glory and entered the picturesque stone church, her Dad by her side.
It was lovely throughout the day to see how involved the couple's family were, especially in various key moments. Claire's Mum did a reading during the service and both mothers were witnesses at the poignant moment of signing the register, so it seemed the couple had really honoured those important to them in delegating these duties.
Having arrived with her Dad, been given away, made vows, exchanged rings and signed the register, Claire then exited the quaint parish church with her brand new husband and together they got totally covered in confetti!
After the ceremony Mr & Mrs Pearson and their guests enjoyed celebration drinks and some very delicious looking on-trend 'naked' wedding cake out on the lawns back at the Barns. The unfrosted cake, decorated in pretty flowers to match the bouquets, looked truly stunning; romantic and delightfully tasty all in one! Lawn games, including space hoppers(!), were enjoyed and the large 'LOVE' letters featuring in the gardens in the background summed up the theme for the day and helped caption a few of the images that were taken whilst friends and family sipped their bubbly and caught up!
Here's the beautiful bride with her bridesmaids looking chic in their long gowns. Claire chose timeless floor-length dresses in aqua for her bridesmaids to wear (a very popular colour choice for 2016).
Amongst the group photos were some family shots which the couple had empathised the importance of, highlighting again their appreciation for their loved ones. The gratitude Claire and Luke had towards their families and the close bond between them was very evident and it was a privilege to capture this in photographs, knowing that these shots would be treasured in their wedding album for years to come.
The reception tables were laid out beautifully and in theme, with clever origami handcrafted name place hearts made painstakingly by Claire! The meal was enjoyed by all and Claire's Mum even did a surprise poem during the speeches!
Before kicking into party-mode Claire, Luke and I escaped the busy reception room outside to the golden cornfield as the sun was setting, to capture some all important romantic images in those first hours of wedded-ness! The warm August evening was idyllic with it's golden light tones, gentle breeze and fading wispy clouds. The couple really loved the symbolism of the sun blazing through their hand-made heart, which effortlessly and perfectly tied in with Claire's love/heart theme!
In haste to get back to the party and greet evening guests, Claire naturally hitched up her skirt to make her way back through the long tufts of golden corn. In a spontaneous moment I turned to take a shot, capturing Luke giving her a husbandly helping hand! With that pretty sky in the background, this made for a lovely shot of togetherness.
Claire and Luke had chosen a vocal harmony trio called 'Timeless' for their evening reception who performed a selection of 1950's melodies from their 'Jump, Jive & Wail' set. The wedding guests certainly had a whale of a time as the girls rocked around the clock through the closing hours.
With the sky turning a deep shade of blue I whisked the couple outside one more time to do some sparkler writing in the sky. It was essential for Claire's theme that we created love in lights and this next shot perfectly concludes their whole day as LOVE is literally shining between the perfectly formed hearts! Claire and Luke did an amazing job with creating these amazing hearts and I just love how you can see their glowing faces through the centre of each one! How symbolic!
Thank you both for allowing me to photograph your special day full of love, warmth and romance. Wishing you so much happiness as you embark on a lifetime of adventures together!
Love Kelly x
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A