A TOUCH OF CLASS
June 15, 2023
Nikki & Stuart’s Spring Southend Barns Wedding
We knew from the start that Nikki and Stuart’s wedding day at the gorgeous Southend Barns was going to be a day full of love and laughter.
Their choice of formal black tie dinner jacket style balanced with some more informal touches such as the naturally hand tied bouquets, full of seasonal spring flowers, made for a classy yet relaxed affair all set on a gloriously sunny day.
Knowing Southend Barns so well helped us make full use of its wide range of locations to showcase Nikki and Stuart’s dream venue throughout their album. So, following their beautiful ceremony in the Dairy Barn, we headed for the surrounding gardens in which to showcase the newlyweds and capture the essence of their creative vision for the day.
This wall’s shapes along with its simplicity of colour worked beautifully with their choice of black and white outfits whilst Nikki’s bouquet and the warmth of their skin added subtle accents of colour. The natural wild flowers adorning the arches framing their embrace elegantly echo the free form of the bouquet and the delicate petals in the exquisitely embroidered lace detail of Nikki’s dress.
Dress by Martina Liana Bridal from Minster Bridal Boutique
BRINGING THE COLOUR
The greens and warm tones of the bouquet also tied beautifully with the sun drenched luscious crops in the surrounding fields at sunset, creating a harmoniously dreamy portrait of the bride and groom together towards the end of their day.
And while the couple styled it out in monochrome the bridesmaids rocked a pleasing blend of two shades of green in dresses which had both an evening feel complementing Stuart’s formal tux and a natural flowing feel complementing the style of Nikki’s dress. This clever and stylish ‘day to evening’ look further portrayed the classy yet relaxed vibe.
This gorgeous girl gang have been friends for years so we just had to capture their dynamic in a fun way as together they embraced the celebratory joy of the day.
The warm tones of the Milking Parlour bridal suite made for a great backdrop for this image with the hues of the dresses standing out against the warmth of the brick wall which coordinated beautifully with the floral tones.
Bridesmaid dresses by @prettylavishuk Makeup @charlottehairandmakeup Hair by Sam Langley Hair
In contrast we photographed Stuart with his groomsmen in their black and white tuxedos against the monochromatic backdrop of the ceremony room’s entrance. This interior complemented their attire whilst their relaxed poses gave the formality of their appearance a casual feel to bring out their personalities.
Suits by Moss Bros
KEEPING IT PERSONAL
The Barber’s vision was to make each and every guest feel like a VIP and personalising their day was high on their priorities. This thoughtful couple even went to the effort of creating individual polaroid photos complete with a handwritten shared memory to welcome every friend and family member as they took their place at the wedding breakfast.
Flowers by Tawny Flower Studio
The detail that Nikki and Stuart put into creating a beautiful look incorporating their personal theme shone through at every moment and we worked hard to capture as many of the personal touches as possible to tell the story in their album.
It was the job of these two talented bridesmaids to add their love, creativity and attention when crafting this tempting semi-nude wedding cake for their friends and here they are with their fabulous creation!
Guests were invited to put their own personal stamp on the day by leaving Nikki and Stuart a message on the telephone guest book - we bet they loved listening back to them all and had a few laughs! Such a brilliant idea and the choice of pink retro handset looked awesome against the floral arrangement it sat next to.
The wedding breakfast tables in the Threshing Barn further brought both a formal and informal theme with their long banquet style layout encouraging a chatty atmosphere to the room topped with a magical glow of the candles and twinkling lights above. The whole place was glowing with warmth and love.
EVERLASTING LOVE
A very personal love and emotion flowed throughout the day and when it came to the speeches the room was full of happiness, tears and cheers.
Speeches on a wedding day are perfect to capture all of the feelings there are for a couple brought to life through personal stories and anecdotes. Pictures really do paint a thousand words when capturing reactions on faces of guests during this time.
As the night drew on Nikki and Stuart left the party behind to steal a moment together alone. The water garden made for the perfect location for a peaceful loving embrace with the darkness of the night sky against the white wall and its glossy reflection sitting strikingly with Nikki and Stuart’s black and white outfits once more.
Nikki and Stuart, it was a complete joy to be part of your big day and so lovely to witness all the care and attention that you put in come alive as you celebrated your love for each other and for all of your guests. You were certainly the hosts with the most!
Kelly x
Kelly Hearn A.B.I.P.P - A.M.P.A