Naturally Sublime
August 07, 2019
Lorna & Ryan's Southend Barns Spring Wedding
As established locals close to Chichester, Lorna and Ryan would have been no strangers to the abundance of beauty spots surrounding their coastal home; Chichester harbour, the glorious rolling hills of the Southdowns, and of course, the natural and unspoilt sandy beaches of West Wittering. Thus, a no-brainer choice of wedding venue for the couple was Southend Barns. This perfect countryside location close to Chichester Marina is only a short 10-minute drive from the couple’s home and boasts the convenience of being close to the historic city, also with some lovely accommodation options on the doorstep for wedding guests. One of the joys of Lorna and Ryan’s wedding day for me, was having the opportunity to capture a mixture of composed portraits and natural shots of the couple, both in the barn’s lush green manicured gardens and also whilst walking through the surrounding fields at sunset, where the light was golden and truly magical.
In the Bridal Suite on the wedding morning, Lorna was receiving a naturally beautiful makeup look at the skilful hands of professional makeup artists, ID Makeup, Hair & Beauty. The ID team helped to enhance Lorna’s naturally beautiful features and created a feminine and elegant half-up hairstyle which complimented her soft delicate wedding dress perfectly. Amongst Lorna’s details were her bridal shoes made by Portsmouth-born shoe designer Emma Hope. The shoes encompassed sentimental meaning for Lorna, a keepsake gift that had been passed on to her and originally worn by her Aunty back when she was a bride and when Lorna was her young bridesmaid. To be wearing her Aunt’s shoes as a bride herself was a very special and nostalgic moment for Lorna and very much an important part of her wedding apparel!
Currently, a popular bridal trend is making sure that all the bridesmaids feel like part of a squad - a team that is in full support of each other and the bride from the beginning to the end of the wedding day. As part of the getting-ready fun, this is achieved through the wearing of matching robes or in this case satin PJ’s! Leaving Lorna and her sister a little bit of space to continue their preparations, the bridesmaids embraced their coordinated outfits and ventured outside to enjoy the warm May sunshine (whilst rocking a bit of English croquet out on the lawns... And why not!).
Lorna slipped into a stunning Jenny Packham gown, a delicate silk chiffon number with lace bodice which was absolutely fit for a princess. This bride looked stunning. Lorna’s hand-tied bouquet of pure white peonies, roses and gypsophila was the perfect accompaniment to her classic bridal look; simple, sophisticated and with a hint of vintage chic. Designed and assembled by talented family members Louise and Fiona, all the flower arrangements throughout the day were beautiful and bountiful. From aisle flowers to table displays, the venue was dressed from top to bottom in sheer floral decadence, all credit to Morphew Designs.
Groom Ryan was ready and waiting for his bride at the end of the aisle, looking sharp in a light grey suit. If you know your trends then you will be aware that a pale coloured suit is now a ‘thing’ and so Ryan was certainly paving the way for modern grooms by sporting this dashing pale two-piece.
The couple were delighted to be exiting the ceremony in the Dairy Barn with their new-found status as newly-weds. The confetti shower was perhaps a bit overwhelming for Lorna who had to dodge what felt like bucketfuls of petals, but she glided and giggled her way through the tunnel of zealous and happy guests (without getting any confetti stuck on her teeth, which is always a bonus!). I loved the joy captured in this natural moment and the somewhat professional and carefree way the couple managed the celebratory confetti onslaught! Good work!
It was time for the bridal party to receive a bit of air-time and so all six bridesmaids, dressed in elegant long mink gowns, plus seven groomsmen in dashing grey, assembled on the lawns for their group photo moment. I thought they did an amazing job at creating a lighthearted and interesting composition which was certainly a line-up inspired by some of the personalities and humour within the group!
The new Mr & Mrs looked happy and relaxed as they let me capture their portraits. The gardens were blooming with bright pretty poppies and other colourful wildflowers and the vibrant array of colours against the dark wooden-clad barn made for a picturesque canvas, against which to highlight the couple.
Giving licence to the use of unusual angles and perspectives, we also made the most of the pleasing textures, colours and shapes found in the landscaped gardens whilst capturing Lorna and Ryan’s pictures. There is so much interest in an image when using all these varying dimensions, with the sun highlighting different areas of the shot and with so many ways to show off the couple in their own best light.
The wedding breakfast was hosted inside the Threshing Barn, a room full of old oak beams and intrinsic rustic charm. Decorated by ‘Hire Your Day’ with reams of elegant white draping and with the stunning tall flower displays topping each table, the room looked really amazing.
The modern copper flower stands were really successful, allowing for trailing foliage to create almost an ‘waterfall’ effect from the raised up central floral arrangements. The stands were also clever for allowing guests to be able to converse ‘through’ and across the tables without their view being totally blocked out, a common misgiving of the classic table arrangement! Even the chair backs were enhanced with mini posies, all which coordinated with Lorna’s classic white and green colour theme which was implemented consistently throughout the day.
Capturing the theming seamlessly was also the tiered wedding cake which coordinated in perfect harmony with the decor; finished with flecks of silver leaf, white macarons and a little cherub topper!
After the wedding breakfast, we left the bustling venue allowing space to prepare for the evening celebration, for guests to mingle and for additional guests to arrive. Adventuring off into the fields surrounding the barns, the bride, groom and bridal party came along in search of the idyllic and much-hoped-for golden sunset. Our luck was in as the glowing sun was just perching on the horizon and so, knee-deep in barley, we captured the last of the sun, some lovely contemporary group shots and also some fun memories together.
Lorna and Ryan shared an embrace as the coppery sunburst between them lit up their happy faces in a warm glow.
Heading back to the party the couple walked through the crop rows which gave me a lovely opportunity to capture the back of Lorna’s beautiful dress with its elegant sheer lace back. Groom Ryan looked on admiringly at his bride, taking in the moments on that balmy evening, before returning to hit the dance floor for that all-important first dance.
The night came to an end with an impressive display of fireworks professionally coordinated by SelStar making for a magical finale to a beautiful day. Guests were surprised and wowed with the lasting impression being one full of joy and celebration for the newly-weds.
Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Lendrum on your stand-out wedding day full of buzzy lively atmosphere and gorgeous styling! With the countryside’s natural treasures embellishing and enhancing your big day, it was certainly a picture-perfect one, full of fun, laughter and togetherness!
Wishing you all the best for your future together.
Love Kelly x
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A