Now, this is a little complicated so pay attention! Jesica (the lovely Bride) is from the USA, Dominic (the Groom) is from the UK. Jeisca and Dominic both live in the USA, but they decided to get married in the UK at the lovely Ston Easton Park in Somerset. This meant a lot of planning from distance so everything had to be spot on. Mind you with Jesica at the helm it wasn’t going to be anything else but just perfect. Jesica had employed a team of people to help make her day run according to plan. A top wedding planner from London Mark Niemierko make-up artist Maggie Hunt , flowers by McQueens, oh and us Courtenay Photographic of course, to name but a few on the list of top wedding professionals.
The wedding day itself, the sun was out and the birds singing, just perfect for a wedding. I arrived at Ston Easton early; a lot to cover today. First port of call to catch up with Mark the wedding planner and then off to meet up with Jesica. The main Bridal suite was next, to photograph Jesica’s dress before she and her entourage moved over to the cottage in the grounds to continue with their preparations, this would also allow Dominic the Groom and the boys to use the Bridal suite for their getting ready rituals.
Over to the cottage to capture the girls getting ready and to photograph those important details like the wedding rings, bride’s shoes etc. I left Maggie working her wonders with the make-up and went back over to the main house and out onto the front lawns to find the boys playing an impromptu game of football. Then to capture the flower details etc where the humanist ceremony was to take place in the formal yew hedge gardens. Back to the cottage again and the dressing of the Bride. Now it was time to accompany the chief Bridesmaid to the main house and to the bridal suite to hand over the Grooms gift, this duly done we then did the same in reverse.
Back to the gardens now and the guests are starting to take their places for the ceremony, I wait for the arrival of Jesica, and soon she comes, looking absolutely lovely. The procession down the garden aisle preceded by the littlest Bridesmaids scattering yellow rose petals was simply charming, and soon Jesica and Dominic were face to face and sharing their touching vows. A string quartet provided that extra touch to the atmosphere and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house – er garden! An exit down the garden aisle, showered with more yellow rose petals from well placed baskets, Jesica and Dominic emerged triumphant. One more thing to do…those pesky legal bits, so over to the main house and to the library to the waiting registrar, quick legal vows, signing of the register and there, done, it’s official!
Outdoors again into the warm early autumn sunshine, Pimms, canapes in the gardens, a few family formal photographs and then something a little different for me. Jesica being from the USA had wanted to add some more American wedding traditions into her day, and had asked me if I wouldn’t mind shooting some more stylised types of pictures. She had some particular ones in mind and had provided me with the kind of ideas she was looking for, with my own bent on it of course. I was more than happy to oblige, different is always good even if it is outside my normal realms. So, running shots, jumping shots, pictures of feet, shoes and socks and a diorama were some of the images we then set out to capture. Then back to what I do naturally, capturing the day… naturally!
Jesica, Dominic and I then slipped away for a few quite pictures and a chance for them to catch their breath and have a little ‘me’ time. Back to the party now, and time to come inside for the formal sit down meal. Entertainment provided whilst guests were eating was from the very funny and talented pianist Danny Mills. The meal at an end, speeches and then outside into the night air? The cutting of the wedding cake, the knife touched the crisp white icing and BOOM fireworks exploded into the night sky, now that’s what I call a cake cut!
Display over, back into Ston Easton House and to the Yellow room where the DJ was ready and waiting. Jesica and Dominic took to the dance floor for their first dance as man and wife. Soon the DJ stepped up the tempo and the dance floor began to really move. Now, this is often where I will be expected to leave, but not today! As I mentioned earlier, Jesica wanted to incorporate some American traditions and we had arranged together for something a bit different for us UK’ers a Photo Booth! I had been given the library at Ston Easton to set up my Photo Booth and Jesica had provided a large box of weird and wonderful dressing up items. For the next hour, Jesica and Dominic’s guests casually drifted into the Library, donned peculiar outfits and took on completely new persona’s. Jesica and Dominic also took their turn, in fact some guests seem to enjoy it so much they came back time and time again to try different outfits and have yet another picture taken, even Mark our lovely wedding planner couldn’t resist! Great fun!
Photo Booth packed away, my next and last job of the night was to capture the leaving of the Bride and Groom. This was to be a sort of respite leave, a chance for Jesica and Dominic to have a break and change into their proper going away clothes in the quiet of the cottage. Also a chance for the older members of the wedding party to say their good-night’s to leave the younger members to party the night away. Jesica and Dominic left through an arch of Croquet mallets to loud cheers and away in Ston Easton‘s Bentley to the cottage.
Now, my time to leave, what a fantastic day!