Okay. So, it's been a little while since I blogged, and an even longer little while since I blogged a wedding. I mean one minute I was diving head first into the season surrounded by bluebells in May, and then I swear FIVE minutes later it's OCTOBER tomorrow. But I'm determined to do all the beautiful weddings I was lucky enough to shoot this summer justice and share these stories.
Julie and Mike chose to get married at the gorgeous Elmers Court Hotel in the New Forest, and I arrived around the time that the clouds were just finishing a small temper tantrum. Someone dashed into the room where Julie and her bridesmaids were getting ready and said "we have to decide now so they can sort out the chairs! Inside or out?" It was about 1 hour before the ceremony. It was still spitting. There was a few moments of risk-assessment (and me softly piping up in the background that it would be 'totally fine!' because I shot a wedding outdoors the day before and it was glorious), and then it was final. We'd be outside, and there was no turning back now.
You'll be glad to hear that it was the right decision, and the sky only became clearer. It was a real treat for me to be able to capture the guests from all angles with lovely even daylight, and it was just beautiful with the stunning gardens in the background running all the way down to the Lymington River. I had some time with Julie and Mike to get some shots in the bluebells as well which were another highlight.
After the ceremony, there were lots of outdoors games to entertain the children and adults (mostly the adults) and provide me with a few excellent photo opportunities involving giant Jenga and a bride and groom doing a space-hopper race. As you do. And let's not forget the groomsmen encouraging the Mother of the Bride to try a shot of jäger either...
The whole wedding was bags of fun actually, and aside from a particularly moving speech from Julie where I think almost everyone had a tear in their eye, there were smiles all around all day.
JNP