Sweet as a peach & simply mint to be…
July 19, 2019
Abi & Jon's Spring Southend Barns Wedding
It was a crisp early May day and childhood sweethearts, Abi and Jon, were getting married at the picturesque venue of Southend Barns in Chichester. Boasting high ceilings and lofty beams, the rustic barn setting was abounding with copper hues, natural weathered wood and modern stone textures. With lush manicured garden hedges and perfectly mowed lawn-stripes to be seen in the courtyard, the barns were full to the brim with earthy textures and vibrant contrasting spring colours. The couple made the most of the fabulous spaces on offer, even having selected to marry outside in the Secret Garden ceremony area (despite the slight chill in the air)! As guests arrived, the sun shone through the scattering of clouds, revealing an azure blue sky and promoting a warm welcoming ambience.
A lovely visual feature at the barns is the rust-coloured panelling, embellished with modern laser-cut leaves and bird-in-flight designs. Found within the canopy-covered Collecting Yard, these made for a fantastic backdrop when photographing the groom, Jon, with his brother and father on the wedding morning. This groom looked dashing in an Astares blue suit, with a contrasting grey check waistcoat. Even the tan leather soles of his shoes tied in with the rusty-coloured venue details, altogether making for a very pleasing colour-coordinated palette!
Abi was dressing in the bridal suite known as the Milking Parlour, where her three bridesmaids helped her into her super-flattering lace-covered, fit and flare bridal gown. The dress boasted subtle cutout sides and a fully open back covered in sheer illusion lace. The sophisticated off-the-shoulder lace capped sleeves framed a classic sweetheart neckline, while a dramatic train was finished with an overlay of stunning embellished lace.
Abi’s colour theme was based around peaches and mint green which was showcased beautifully in the design of her bouquet. Rose Cottage Flowers had done an amazing job of combining peach peonies with dainty white florals and fresh minty eucalyptus which together, provided a spring colour scheme of dreams! As a redhead, Abi had chosen cleverly as the peachy hues worked perfectly together with her gorgeous vibrant hair colour, as did the contrasting subtle green shades within her bouquet. I loved that Abi’s details were so well represented by the venue choice, whose features fitted with her colour theme seamlessly. Even Abi's perfume looked like it was part of a professional fragrance advert, stylishly set amongst the cut logs with sunlight pooling through to create a pretty peachy puddle of light.
Standing in the light of the window, the semi-silhouette of this stunning bride ensured Abi looked model-esque, chic and full of radiance. With hair in an elegant up-do, flawless make up complete, dress on and bouquet in hand, Abi couldn't have looked more ready for her groom!
I watched as the bride and her Dad walked across the courtyard towards the Secret Garden along the Cornish slate path, my thoughts having already been occupied with the lovely rusty colour tones and contrasting greenery we'd seen that morning.
As they made their way past the expanse of restored barn buildings with their original Sussex flint-stone exteriors, it really pleased me to see even this backdrop tying in to Abi's theme! Copper coloured roof tiles, red brick details and even terracotta planters lined the short father-daughter stroll towards the aisle. With all that in mind, it couldn't really have been a more picture-perfect moment!
When brides and grooms reach the end of the vows during the formal part of the ceremony, I often note the huge smiles of relief on both their faces! In such highly charged situations, any nerves and fear simply dissipate and over a quick reconnecting look, you get to see the genuine joy between the couple. This naturally beautiful moment is one I like to capture because of its genuine authenticity; the emotions are at their strongest, and therefore, so are the memories.
The stylish wooden gazebo structure within the Secret Garden was decorated luxuriously with gorgeous flower garlands to match in with Abi’s bouquet of peaches, whites and greens. During the signing of the register the newly-weds were perfectly framed by the blooms, whilst a reflection of smiling faces were captured in the arched window mirrors to their sides, as happy guests looked on.
Utilising all shades of green on offer, we were keen to retain a modern perspective within the photography and so used the tranquil landscaped gardens to capture the bridal party together. Bridesmaids wore long mint gowns which complimented both the guy’s ties and the blends of soft green tones dotted throughout the bouquets and floral decorations.
Following a strong wedding trend for 2019, the couple chose to spell out their love to their guests using giant light-up letters! A great vintage-style design feature for the venue, these popular props worked really well in the space as an eye-catching backdrop during the wedding breakfast and on the dance floor later in the evening.
Abi and Jon were just fantastic on camera and, as you can see in this blog, the portraits kept on flowing! With the luxury of a stunning venue, offering a variety of incredibly creative spaces, we really were spoilt for choice for capturing beautiful moments between the newly-weds. The neighbouring barley field at sunset was our escape-to location before the kickoff of the evening reception and boy, what lovely peachy balmy light and sensational textures we had to work with.
Of course, the photographs didn’t finish there. Sidling away from the party for just a few more minutes, the bride and groom snuck away from their friends and family just one last time. The dark blue stillness of the evening invited a welcomed moment of reflection for this lovely pair, who locked eyes and exchanged happy smiles romantically in the gateway. A perfect end to a perfect day.
Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Moran! Your wedding day was a timeless, classic-modern combo with an inspiring peachy-toned colour palette. The themes perfectly suited your venue and overall style and you made it look effortless. Thank you for working the camera so beautifully and for making my job such a pleasure. It really was a peach of a day, so here’s wishing you both a mint life together!
Love Kelly x
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A