Wedding photographer’s website

Peak District wedding photographer Tom Hodgson – https://www.tomhodgson.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

From the moment we met Tom, he provided us with such a personalised experience. He even invited us over to his house for a cup of tea! We felt like he was really invested in our wedding from the get go. We really loved the way he tells stories through photos, by documenting real rather than staged moments. He managed to capture all of the emotion of our wedding.

Your best moment or memory

All of the tear jerking speeches from the best man, the brothers and father of the bride and the groom.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We did a Yam-Sing ceremony, which is a tradition in Malaysia/Singapore. Every table had to down a shot and yell Yam-Sing at the top of their voice, with a prize for the table that shouted the loudest.

Venue name + review

Losehill House. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting in a secluded part of the Peak District with magnificent views over Win Hill. The weather was amazing as well, so everything sparkled.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Sarah wore a vintage style dress that was entirely covered in gold glitter (although the glitter is difficult to see in the photos). In the evening she wore a red fifties style dress as a nod to the Chinese side of her family. The bridesmaids wore white. Will wore a kilt in honour of his late father who was from Scotland. The groomsmen (including Will’s young nephews) also wore a kilt and our friend played the bag pipes.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Sarah bought her dress from Fairy Godmother in South East London. They provided beautiful dresses, excellent service and were very good value for money. Sarah got two dresses for about half the price of what she was quoted in other shops.

Cake maker name + review

Sarah’s cousin made the cake.

Stationery maker’s name + review

We made our own invites.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Helen, Will’s sister in law, made beautiful shot bottles and little wooden hearts with our initials on it. We also made our own programmes and invites from scratch.

Wedding readings?

We had an extract from Everything I Know About Love and also Bruce Springsteen’s “If I Should Fall Behind”.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Prince – I wanna be your lover. We had amazing music throughout the day (ceremony, canapes and reception) from The Rockets Collective. Everyone commented on how amazing they were. As Will used to be a professional bass player, they also let him play a few tunes.

Hair + makeup name + review

Alla Moda in Belper. They did an amazing job and drove to a remote part of the Peak District at the height of summer, Louise was heavily pregnant but she pulled out the stops to be there.

The post Sarah & Will’s wonderfully unique Peak District wedding, with Tom Hodgson appeared first on English Wedding.

We wanted the day to feel very personal so included lots of friends and family in the whole day. We had a family friend, Nigel, carry out the service at St Clement’s Church in Sandwich, which made it really special for us. The church itself was also significant to us as Iona’s parents also got married there and Iona was christened there.

Wedding photographer’s website

Benjamin Toms – https://benjamintomsphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Ben did an amazing job capturing not only the fun of the day but all the special moments too. Ben put us and our guests at ease and worked around us to the point we weren’t aware he was there half the time! The photos he sent over are beautiful and we couldn’t be happier with them.

Your best moment or memory

Iona – My favourite memory is singing to The Greatest Showman on my husband’s shoulders with absolutely everyone on the dance floor! It was such an amazing atmosphere. Oh, and also watching my husband climb up one of the poles of the marquee being assisted by the vicar of our service.

Ed – riding in with Iona on my Vespa, Giovanni. Our guests weren’t expecting it and it added another element of fun to the day whilst summing us up well.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We drove from the church to the reception in a 4×4 Jeep that needed a step ladder to get into! We definitely got some interesting looks driving down the country lanes. When introduced into the marquee by our MC, we rode in on Ed’s vespa. It went down very well! One of Iona’s best friends Tabitha sung a slow version of I’ll be there for you (Friends edition) during the signing of the names at the wedding service – there were many tears!

Venue name + review

The venue was a marquee in a farm belonging to a friend of Iona’s Dad. It had never been used as a venue before but it worked perfectly. It was a beautiful summer’s day and the views look over the countryside of East Kent and to the sea.

Our marquee was provided by Maypole Marquees. They were brilliant at answering all our questions in the lead up to the wedding. The marquee was set up a few days before the wedding so we had time to decorate it. It was a stunning marquee which was opened up down one side. It also came with a luxury toilet block, a vintage bar, tables and chairs, lighting and flooring! We would highly recommend them for big events.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Iona – It was important to me that I either bought a second hand dress or a dress made from recycled materials. I ended up buying a three piece dress all made from recycled materials from Bridal Boutique of Jules in Deal, Kent. All three parts were Catherine Deane and I loved the modern style with a twist. The skirt was so soft and comfortable and I loved how it floated (although I forgot there would be so much straw on the farm so the end of the skirt definitely suffered a little!) The bandeau and lace top were perfect. I felt relaxed and comfortable yet also like a boho bride! Having an extra lace layer on top meant that I could take that off for the dancing later!

Ed – A navy three-piece Hugo Boss suit from Moss Bros. I’m not quirky enough to pull off anything out there and anything more formal wasn’t “us” (and plus, I can use it again!) They were really helpful with suggesting options for me to try on in my style. The whole process was incredible quick and easy!

Florist name + review

Jane’s Country Roses – We got our flowers from one of my best friend’s mum, Jane. I absolutely loved our flowers! We went for dried wild flowers which were pastel colours so complimented the bridesmaid dresses perfectly. Jane did an incredible job and creating such beautiful bouquets as well as button holes, centre pieces and hair clips! The most amazing part is that they last forever so we still have my bouquet and many of the centre pieces in our house (looking as incredible as they did on the day!)

Cake maker name + review

We went for a bit of an alternative option for this. Two of Iona’s closest friends (Izzy and Lauren) made a cake each for our wedding. We weren’t interested in having a big three tiered cake and actually, these went down a treat!

Our caterer was Tim Wilson, a friend of my Dad’s. The food was simple yet delicious and we made sure we had extra canapés as we know how much everyone loves them! We were very impressed with all the food and Tim and his team did such an excellent job.

Stationery maker’s name + review

Iona’s sister Kirsty made our wedding invites and we did the rest!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We created our own table names using photos of us from places we’ve visited together as well as our table plan and a palette with the order of the day!

Ed’s mum created our menus and Iona’s sister produced some lovely drinks menus for our vintage bar.

A close friend of Ed’s (who is a blackboard artist) made a Welcome to Iona and Ed’s wedding sign.

Wedding readings?

Corinthians 13 v 1-13 I’ll Be There For You – Louise Cuddon Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

The luckiest – Ben Folds

Wedding planner name + review

Iona – the bride! Highly recommend

Hair + makeup name + review

Natasha Quinton Bridal – http://www.natashaquinton.com/ Tasha is a good friend of Iona’s and is incredibly friendly and professional.

She did my hair and makeup and also styled all my bridesmaid’s and my mum’s hair. She was amazing at keeping everyone calm on the wedding morning and adapted when anyone wanted slight changes to their hair do’s.

I am someone who doesn’t feel comfortable wearing too much makeup and I was so pleased that Tasha made me feel natural (but better!) I loved my relaxed hair look which made me feel confident on the day.

The post Iona & Ed’s beautiful marquee wedding in Kent, with Benjamin Toms Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

VENUE – Kelham Island Museum
PLANNING – Francesca Cliffe Events
DESIGN + FLOWERS – Fantail Designer Florist
PHOTOGRAPHY – Captured Life Photography
STATIONERY – Sheaf Design Works
MODELS – David + Richard
STYLING + NEON SIGN – Keith Woods Weddings & Events
SUITS – Master Debonair
CAKE + TREATS – The Snowdrop Cakery
HAIR – Hair by Paige Wild
PROPS + LIGHTING – Wild Wedding Days
CROWNS – Glorious by Heidi

A natural and rustic wedding breakfast table setting on long trestles, peacock chairs and benches. Beautiful swagged velvet cloth sweeping through the middle of the table added texture and a focal point for the flowers and stunning square wedding cake with floral moulding to the edges.

Raffia placemats wrapped with gold and an elaborate dessert table filled of doughnuts, iced shortbread, brownies and mini cakes entice guests to be seated.
Wedding invites and menu cards are watermarked in emerald and gold leaf while beautiful stone name places create keepsakes for guests.

Photographed by the talented Charlotte from Captured Life Photography. We knew she would be perfect and was a master of creating a story. A staged ceremony backdrop of swagging drapes really softened the fabulous blank canvas the venue has to offer.

David’s crown was the showstopper of the shoot. Designed and made my Glorious by Heidi. Why shouldn’t men wear head accessories for their wedding day? We absolutely love this styling. Flowers for David include a floral shoulder corsage of regimented petals, leaves and berries. Flowers were created simple and elegant for Richard – a compact hand tied bouquet of Veronica framed with Fern and a buttonhole of Thistle, Hypericum Berries and Veronica compliment this against his check navy blue Master Debonair suit.

The love story….. They met through best friends who worked at David’s local pub (years later they went on to take over the very same pub). David was 21 when he met Richard and they’d been together for eight years before getting married. They love spending time outdoors, holidaying and gardening. Their favourite place visited was Prague and they hope to visit the Maldives and New Orleans! They have 2 dogs, a cat and parrot!

Wedding advice? David says “RUN….. No only joking!! I would say just to remember the day is about the both of you and try to enjoy the run up to it and not stress too much. Planning is key to ensure a smooth running of the day. Delegate tasks to anyone helping you with the wedding. Create a WhatsApp group to keep information central with people helping. Make a free website to put on your invitations so guests can check for any changes to times, directions or menu choices.”

The post Crowning Glory – styled wedding inspiration from Kelham Island Museum appeared first on English Wedding.

Whether you’re planning a full scale 100 person ‘do’ for next summer, or an intimate micro wedding this year, York Place Studios will capture the life and soul of your wedding. As you scroll through the images you’ll understand their style: it’s documentary wedding photography with a huge dose of authenticity: these guys look for the things people do which will make you smile in 10, 20, 50 years to come.

GUYS!!!!!! YOU ABSOLUTE LEGENDS!
Honestly, We are both over the moon with the pictures! We absolutely LOVE them.
Thank you so so so so so so so much! We have watched the slideshow hundreds of times and gone through the pictures multiple times by now as well as shown to a lot of friends and family…. And not just Jamie and myself but everyone else is absolutely amazed by how well you guys have captured our day and how wonderful the pictures are. You guys are truly talented and Jamie and I will be forever grateful for such wonderful photos to remember this very important day for us! You captured the moments how they were with all the emotions without people being aware!

I will leave you to scroll through this glorious wedding and enjoy the little moments for what they are: glimpses of human connection which are so wonderfully precious right now. It’s what York Place Studios are all about, and we love them for it!

The post Hannah & Jamie’s glorious village hall wedding, with York Place Studios appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

https://ellenj.co.uk/

How did you choose your photographer?

We met Ellen at an event by Coastal Tents. We loved the creative and nature style of her work. However mostly we liked Ellen, neither Dicky or I like having our photographs taken but Ellen was so relaxed and easy to be with – it was an easy decision to choose her.

Were you pleased with your wedding photographer? Do tell… we love a brilliant review!

Absolutely. Ellen was easy going and good to be around but also experienced with a brilliant eye. She also rallied the troops – even with the copious amount of fizz consumed by the wedding party!

Tell us about your venue – what made this place special for you?

Charisworth Farm – https://www.dorsetfarmparty.co.uk/ Again the relaxed atmosphere and Richard (farm owners) laid back approach, along with the beautiful view and having the option for a legal ceremony onsite. Nothing was too much trouble and we had free reign in how we wanted our day to go.

Coastal Tents made the field a wedding venue!

Did you love wearing your outfits? How was the dress / suit shopping experience?

I was happy with my dress as felt comfortable. I chose my dress quickly and on my own; with hindsight not sure I had the experience I wanted and I would have experimented a bit more. Even if I ended up with the same dress I think I could have had a bit more fun trying on others.

Did you hire a florist? Tell us about any floral amazingness

No, a family friend made the bouquets from flowers we bought at the supermarket and we used jam jars, plant pots and steel buckets for the table decor.

As cake lovers here at English Wedding we’d LOVE to know who made your cake, and how delicious it was?

We had a dessert table and guests (who were up for it) brought homemade cakes and sweet treats as a wedding gift. The selection was incredible and involved friends and family in the day.

Tell us about any special personal touches, or creative projects you made yourselves

My mother in law made a ridiculous amount of wool Pom Poms which we hung as bunting, along with several hundred paper cranes (lovingly made by me) hung over the dance floor. For table names we used photographs of family Let dogs over the years – with our dog (Lilly) being the top table.

Did you personalise your vows or have any wedding readings? What were they?

Yes we personalised our vows and had family and friends complete a reading of their choice.

What was your first dance song? Why did you choose it?

Deeply Dippy by Right Said Fred… not a standard choice(!) but was a joke between friends from a holiday in Ibiza several years ago. We always promised we would have it at our wedding. The band did a brilliant rendition – making it sound much better than it is!

Favourite wedding suppliers

Coastal Tents – https://www.coastaltents.co.uk/ arranged the tipis, toilets and lighting. They were superb from the first moment. It’s quite scary planning a wedding in a field, with no electric or facilities. Their vision, competence and professionalism made it so much easier. They also knew a lot of the other suppliers / venue which also helped things to run smoothly. Couldn’t recommend them enough.

Hungry Mule catering https://hungrymule.co.uk/
Lovely people who were a joy to work with and ensured everyone was well fed with great quality food – even in the middle of a field.

Band – Royal T’s https://theroyalts.co.uk/ coped with a slightly rowdy / merry wedding party and kept the dance floor busy – along with doing a Special rendition for our first dance.

The post Laura & Dicky’s amazingly creative tipi wedding, with Ellen J Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

If styling your wedding matters – if you’re having your reception in a venue which looks elegant or is beautifully styled then your wedding photo booth needs to fit in – and the booths from Absolute Booth are just stunning.

Choose from the luxury solid oak photo booth which is Absolute Booth’s flagship London wedding photo booth – or the Ultra booth: sleek and stylish and perfect for any modern wedding. I love them both!

Luxury wedding photo booth hire review

Celebrity couple Laura Wright and Harry Rowland chose the luxury booth (aka Bertha!) for their wedding at Bruisyard Hall – you can see some of their fun photos on AbsoluteBooth.co.uk. The gorgeous shimmer backdrop they used is one of a selection from Absolute Booth, who also provide a unique selection of props for your guests’ entertainment!

“We LOVED having Absolute Photo Booth as part of our wedding…it was something fun and relaxed for the guests to do and a great way for new friends to get to know each other. it helped to create so many lovely memories that we’ll never forget and the team were so helpful, professional and made sure everyone got involved! Thank you so much for making our day even more special, I would highly recommend these guys if you’re looking for a Photo Booth with extra!” Laura and Harry xx

Sussex photo booth hire review

“Couldn’t have asked for a better photo booth for my wedding! It fitted our style perfectly and the guests loved using it! The guest book that was provided alongside it was the perfect touch we didn’t even know we needed!!! What a lovely, lovely way to remember the beautiful (if a little tipsy) loved ones that came to our wedding. I would recommend Absolute Booth a hundred times over!!!!! Thank you so much for everything!!! It was just such a beautiful looking photo booth!” – Emma and Luke (photo booth hire at Five Oaks Events in Sussex)

Find out all about Absolute Booth at https://absolutebooth.co.uk

See which venues are covered by Absolute Booth’s photo booth hire in London / Kent / Surrey

Instagram: @absolutebooth

Facebook: @AbsoluteBooth

The post New sponsor welcome – luxury photo booths by Absolute Booth appeared first on English Wedding.

Becky and Liam described their big day as like a big, summer children’s birthday party, with cricket! They included all the best things about summer: the outdoors, sunshine, cricket, Pimms, barbecued food, ice cream, children running around in the grass… and you know what? When a wedding is all about family and children it becomes SO much FUN!

“The pavilion and marquee at Shenley were quite large spaces so needed a fair bit of decoration to make them look complete. The giant balloons we had as table centres really helped create impact in the marquee, and I was really pleased with our ‘The Butlers’ light up letters (from The Word is Love: thewordislove.co.uk) which turned out to be a real talking point. The venue decoration was by Dress It Yourself, a combination of items hired directly from DIY and bits and pieces I sourced myself.

The wedding favours were heart shaped chocolate cookies (gingerbread man shaped for the children) which I made with my son and daughter, and which they helped me decorate. Each had a little ‘Made with love by James & Alice’ tag on them. They were a lot of work and a lot of stress in the days leading up the wedding as I wanted them to be fresh, but worth it in the end. I also had a lot of fun making individual party bags for each of the children coming to the wedding. I wanted it to really be a day to remember for them.

Wedding photographer’s website:

www.nicolanortonphotography.co.uk

We researched online for Hertfordshire wedding photographers. We really liked Nicola’s natural, relaxed but romantic style of photography from the start.

Nicola was fantastic. She was totally laid back and happy to go with the flow on the day. We weren’t really into formal wedding pictures so Nicola was very happy to just capture the day as it unfolded. Nicola’s ideas on the day were brilliant and she used the giant balloons we had as table centres and the beautiful natural backdrop of the venue brilliantly.

We were very excited to see our photos and we were all smiles as we looked through them. It was lovely to relive some of the highlights of the day, but also to see some of the moments we hadn’t experienced first hand. The pictures Nicola captured of everyone’s reactions while they were listening to the speeches were some of my favourites, as well as the pictures of all the children who were at the wedding enjoying themselves (there were about 30!)

Contact & Bookings: Nicola Norton Photography

www.nicolanortonphotography.co.uk

Facebook: Nicola Norton Photography
Instagram: @nicolanortonphotography
Twitter: @nicolanorton1

Where did you find your suppliers? (Blogs, magazines, recommendations?)

Mostly A LOT of searching online

What’s your top tip for saving money?

The barbecue style and ice cream van for dessert meant that the food was great value – and we didn’t have to worry about whether or not people liked our menu choices as there was something for everyone. The barbecue was provided by the venue and the ice creams by Elsie’s Ices: elsies-ices.co.uk

… and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

I never thought I would go for ‘the big’ wedding dress but I was very glad that I did. That, and Nicola as our photographer who made the dress (and everything else) look amazing on the day.

Where did you buy or source your wedding stationery – or was making it a labour of love?

The stationery came from Creationery on Etsy. It looked beautiful and Katy was very patient with my many changes: etsy.com/uk/shop/Creationery

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

Yes, 100%. Still love looking at pictures of it.

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

It was a Maggie Sottero dress, bought from Morgan Davies Bridal in Hitchin: morgandaviesbridal.co.uk

Tell us about your accessories: jewellery, shoes and anything else!

I had a headdress made bespoke by Lila which was beautiful: lila-lila.com
My shoes were Bohemian Wedding Sandals (I can’t wear heels) by Bella Belle from Etsy: etsy.com/uk/shop/BellaBelleShoe

And what did the groom wear?

The groom and best man both wore bespoke, dark blue Ben Sherman suits.

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

I had three bridesmaids. My sister wore a ‘Heather’ coloured Multiway Maxi Dress from In One Clothing: inoneclothing.com. My niece (her daughter) and my own daughter both wore peach coloured ‘Emma’ flower girl dresses from Wild & Gorgeous: wildandgorgeous.co.uk, with Ivory Rose flower crowns from Flashfloozy on Etsy: etsy.com/uk/shop/Flashfloozy

Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?

My hair was by Ashleigh Stephenson at Inspired Hair Ltd. She was awesome and knew exactly what I wanted. I found Ashleigh via Facebook: facebook.com/ashleighstephensonhairdesign/
My make up – which was beautifully natural – was by Lucy Russell at Lockets: facebook.com/LucyRussellMakeUpArtist/
I had lash extensions, manicure and pedicure, and a spray tan prior to the wedding by Rosie Keen at Beauty By Rosie: facebook.com/rosiekeen.beauty1/

Describe your wedding flowers. Who arranged them for you? (florist details would be lovely please)

Flowers were by Jan Harrison: janharrisonflowers.co.uk, on recommendation from a friend. They were designed to match the pastel, country wedding theme with jars on each table and a gorgeous bouquet for me and for each of my bridesmaids. Having not seen the flowers until I arrived at the venue, they were one of the best surprises of the day – absolutely beautiful.

The wedding cake: what kind of cake did you choose and why?

We chose a tiered cake covered in pastel confetti to tie in with the theme and add to the birthday party feel. The cake toppers were my daughter’s Happyland bride and groom to make it really personal. We chose four tiers in chocolate, vanilla, lemon and carrot – again to make sure there was something for everyone. The cake was made by Deb’s Dream Cakes: facebook.com/DebsDreamCake/

Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?

We had children’s entertainers from Sharky & George: sharkyandgeorge.com at the wedding all afternoon. They played a range of old-fashioned party games to help keep the children busy and make sure the adults had plenty of time to enjoy themselves too. That was a big hit all round.
In the evening we had a good old fashioned wedding disco: sweetvibeevents.co.uk

Words of wisdom: share your best piece of advice for other couples:

Have a joint hen and stag do! Being a more mature bride and groom we’d both seen our fair share of hen and stag parties and wanted something a bit different, so we invited around 30 of our friends to come and join us for a weekend at a country house a couple of months before the wedding. It was a great warm up to the big day and a brilliant way to spend quality time with our favourite people in a way you don’t get to in the whirlwind of the wedding itself. We went to Stretton House in Derbyshire: strettonhousederbys.co.uk

What’s the best thing about being married?

Finally having the same name as my children and being officially part of the same team.

Favourite supplier web links for other brides and grooms:

http://www.nicolanortonphotography.co.uk
http://www.shenleycricketcentre.co.uk
http://www.elsies-ices.co.uk
http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Creationery
http://www.morgandaviesbridal.co.uk
http://www.lila-lila.com
http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BellaBelleShoe
http://www.inoneclothing.com
http://www.wildandgorgeous.co.uk
http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Flashfloozy
http://www.facebook.com/ashleighstephensonhairdesign/
http://www.facebook.com/LucyRussellMakeUpArtist/
http://www.facebook.com/rosiekeen.beauty1/
http://www.janharrisonflowers.co.uk
http://www.thewordislove.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/dressityourselfltd/
http://www.facebook.com/DebsDreamCake/
http://www.sharkyandgeorge.com
http://www.sweetvibeevents.co.uk
http://www.strettonhousederbys.co.uk

The post Becky and Liam’s beautiful summer wedding at Shenley, with Nicola Norton Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photography should never be all about the details. Don’t let wedding blogs fool you – planning can be detail-focused, that’s fine. But on the day all that matters is the people, the love, the laughter, the party. And when your memories arrive through the post box a few weeks after your wedding (because that, my lovelies, is what your wedding photos are: memories to keep forever) – it’s the moments of joy and connection and pure happiness which are important. You can find out more about York Place Studios’ documentary wedding photography style here.

York Place Studios weddings always remind me that weddings are about stories: your love story, your family’s story, the stories of your lives told through your friends and everyone around you. Today there’s also a strong flower girl story running through the narrative which I hope you will love as much as I do! Lucie and Tom – congratulations from everyone at English Wedding. You are SUCH a gorgeous couple and your big day really was one of the very best we’ve seen.

Contact & Bookings: York Place Studios

www.yorkplacestudios.co.uk
Instagram.com/yorkplacestudios
Facebook.com/yorkplacestudios
Twitter.com/yorkplacestudio

Lucie & Tom’s Hampshire wedding suppliers

Photography – York Place Studios
Venue – Hambledon Vineyard
Styling – The Wedding Stylist
Flowers – Floribunda Rose
Furniture hire – Wedhead
Videographer – Pedro Portela

The post Lucie and Tom’s wonderfully unique Hambledon Vineyard wedding, with York Place Studios appeared first on English Wedding.