COUNTRY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SURREY HILLS
When I met Grace to talk about her plans for their day, her words were; “It’s a really low key wedding at our local church and then a small marquee in my parents’ garden.” She was totally relaxed about the whole thing and while I knew it would be beautiful, I was expecting low key, no frills, just as she’d said.
So when I arrived at her parents’ beautiful cottage down a country lane in Leith Hill (where, despite walking in the area many times, I didn’t even realise there were houses), I was blown away by the gorgeousness of it all. The marquee was huge, adorned with ivy and bunting made from the bride’s pjs, and set with big round tables cloaked in white with individually wrapped chocolate brownies for favours. The attention to detail was remarkable. A small but very cool bar was in the corner for guests to help themselves (later on, it was mainly used for the concoction of ‘jaegerbombs’...!) and just outside were the most stylish set of ‘portaloos’ I’ve ever seen!
One of my favourite parts of photographing a wedding is the first bit; the bridal prep. It’s when you meet the bridal party and when the day really starts - it’s not just ‘getting ready’, it’s a big part of the day for the bride and her girls. The room where Grace and her bridesmaids were camped out had beautiful exposed brick walls and cosy furniture and had been completely overtaken by all things bridal. Here the bride had pulled out the big guns by hiring the likes of Sharon Roberts for hair and Tania Stephenson-Oliver for make up. I love meeting other suppliers and especially love all the chit chat and banter. It’s our job to help create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for (often very nervous) brides while of course doing our respective jobs. But it’s also nice to talk to other more experienced wedding suppliers, and learn from them.
I was relatively new to the industry at this point and I will always remember the fellow suppliers at this wedding. The videographer, Mathew Lloyd, had me laughing out loud and was also very happy to share tips, talk about lenses and work together. He also had me laughing at some techy jokes - so it’s official; I have turned into a total camera geek.
The wedding itself was beautiful - a lovely village church surrounded by countryside. The bride looked stunning and almost as a tribute to her wanting it to be relaxed and laid back, she teamed her stunning dress with a pair of flat ballet pumps. Perfect for heading into the country for the newlywed shots! And I’m so pleased we did, despite me stepping in dog poo (lesson learned: look before you leap…!), as the backdrop was just beautiful.
Once we’d finished with the newlywed and group shots, and having made a half decent attempt at ridding my pale pink suede ‘wedding’ work shoes of poo (I now carry wet wipes in my kit), we made our way back to the marquee for the wedding breakfast and party.
More group photos followed with beloved family dogs involved which really made it a country wedding. Then before we knew it, it was time for eating, drinking, speeches, cake cutting and dancing! As the band kicked things off, the marquee went into evening mode as did the guests who I have no doubt partied hard into the night. Just as they should.
Dress: May and Grace Bridal
The beautiful flowers: The Surrey Hills Florist
Hair: Sharon Roberts
Make up: Tania Stephenson-Oliver
Videography: Mathew Lloyd Videography
