Allington Castle is quite simply Kent’s best kept secret. The castle is nestled in 42 acres next to the Medway river it is surrounded by a moat and fronted by two lakes which are split by a causeway leading you the the castle gates. The extensive gardens are a photographic dream set out in a Medieval style with Italian gardens,Lavender walk, Parterre, Courtyard and formal ponds.

The ceremony room was stunning, with its old stone walls and magnificent hanging tapestries, made for such a stunning back drop.  After the ceremony there was a down pouring of rain, which meant we were confined to taking pictures under an archway, but this worked out fine and with the correct camera settings was able to highlight the group and incorporate the wonderful pond backdrop and trees.  The sun then smiled down and we spent 20 minutes together taking the romantic shots, then we were back inside the majestic castle for the wedding breakfast and speeches. Fantastic Magician Chris Harding was there to mystify the guests and surprise them beyond belief with his fantastic array of magic tricks!

The time now is 7pm and we all headed over to Chilston Manor Park Hotel for the Reception.  The guests travelled in a pillar box red quirky styled wedding celebration bus, this of course was all captured on camera with great humour. 30 minute drive and we have returned to the Chilston for cake cutting and the first dance.   There was a little twist to the reception arrival of the Bride, Groom and Bridesmaids  …. this being that they had an entourage of Drummers, beating their drums, whilst the bridal party chanted and clapped their hands, it was fantastic and something which was new to me. The pathway was lit with garden border lamps and they danced their way along the path and onto the Dance Floor where they danced in a circle with the drummer in the centre, clapping and singing together with great energy and joy.

I left Claire and Metin at 9pm dancing the night away with their family and friends, but just before leaving I took a picture of the Chilston Flood Lit with golden lights, it looked amazing and summed up the wonderful wonderful day.

Pictures will be following soon.

The Swan, West Malling is located in Kent close to Sevenoaks, Maidstone and just 30 miles from London. Two bars, a restaurant, library and three private dining rooms feature over three floors serving cocktails, breakfast, lunch, a la carte meals and Sunday roasts. In warmer months the Secret Garden opens, a Mediterranean inspired outdoor lounge. The menus reflect our signature British style with seasonal produce grown and reared by local farmers.

Rich Expresso Coffee with a delectable selection of Shorbread Biscuits

Rabbit and Leek Terrine with Piccalli

Hereford Sirloin Steak, plum tomato, watercress & Café de Paris Butter

Cold Chocolate & Mint Fondant

Rhubarb Fool with Ginger Biscuits

Raspberry Daiquiri Cocktail

Donnalee has been so anxious all week about the weather, with all their preparations, seemingly hanging in the balance of those golden rays of light.  As a wedding photographer, I know that there are great captures to be made whatever the weather, and that is my job!  But for the bride and groom, sunshine makes them feel extra special.  Rain was predicted for today and so the tension grew, but at 6am, as the curtains were quickly drawn, it was clear that we were going to be blessed with blue skies and sunshine.

Mother and Father of the bride have been so meticulously involved in the entire journey, with Maureen drying rose petals, literally for 3 years in anticipation of her gorgeous daughter marrying the man of her dreams, and today was the day, so you can imagine the emotion which was present.

There were tears from the family and exuberant laughter coming from the bride and groom, who constantly teased and jibed each-other, which was heartwarming to see and of course to photograph.

The ceremony was lovely and after the customary group shots (all 27 of them!) I had 30 minutes left to whisk the newlywed’s away for their romantic shots.  Kent Life is so vast, with so much choice for wonderful backdrops, we visited the aromatic herb garden, they sat in the well known kissing chair, walked the wooden steps of the old oast house,  and then as they meandered their way along the pathway back to Ulcombe Hall, I snapped away, whilst they spoke and laughed together, capturing some wonderful natural shots.

Ulcombe Hall had been dressed beautifully for the wedding breakfast.  I loved the country theme and attention to tiny details, like the purple ribbon tied lavender and centerpiece baskets filled with little purple flowers.  The delicious food by Zest Creative Catering was being applauded by so many of the wedding guests and once everyone’s tummies were full the wedding speeches commenced, which were both sentimental with well wishes and incredibly funny with the best man’s life before and after the arrival of his now beautiful bride.

The day was drawing to a close with the cutting of the cake, followed by warm celebratory moments with family and friends before they left to return home.

A truly gorgeous day was had by all!   Please check back as pictures from today will be added very soon!

The Bridal party was busying around The Star room, having their make-up and hair dressed and of course not forgetting the copious amounts of champagne being sipped by everyone.  The room is large, which coped easily with the bride, the four adult bridesmaid, mum and other family members, everyone had there own corner, where they were preparing. I also loved the way there was a ‘guest’s belongings’ labeled clothes rail!  The Chilston dates all the way back to the 1600s and has the most stunning grand wooden staircase, fireplaces and antiques, a photographer’s dream of an interior backdrop.

Tracey’s wedding dress was so beautiful, a real princess gown and the bridesmaids looked so very elegant in their clover green dresses.

Dan arrived with the groomsmen, in amazing style, with a magnificent helicopter which of course made for great photography!

After the ceremony, confetti and group photos I took the newlywed couple around the gardens, the historical interior and around the lake. There were countless places for me to capture the romance and those intimate moments.

At almost 10pm, the bride, groom and guests will be partying away and continuing to enjoy the celebratory day.

A wonderful 3 week honeymoon will follow and then, waiting for them upon their return,  will be their wedding photos, enabling them to re-live their wedding all over again!

For a snapshot of their day please check back soon.

The day was beautiful and the bride’s dress was absolutely stunning.  The day commenced with the bridal preparation, one of my favourite times of day.  The bridal room was in Quince Cottage, one of Eastwell’s quaint cottages.  Photographing weddings at Eastwell Manor is bliss, however it is set within a 3000 acre estate with perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful grounds, and as a photographer you NEED TO KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND!  I have photographed here on many occassions and know the best places to take the best wedding photographs.  The lighting is also quite tricky especially inside with the dark wooden interiors and enourmous windows, so again the photographer needs to have experience and understand how to achieve the best shots with this type of low lighting.  The ceremony was held in the outdoor gazebo, which has a little wooden bridge leading to the wedding service area.

There are many many opportunities for romantic pictures, it really depends on how long you would like to spend, I had about 20 minutues with Kelly and Phil and in that time we captured some lovely moments against the elegant and pretty eastwell manor backdrop.

Here is a selection of images from the wedding ….

IT’S NOT EASY BEING BEAUTIFUL

The bride steps into her wedding gown. Her mother and a coterie of bridesmaids assist her with the final touches on her hair and makeup. They primp and preen at her gown, perhaps contributing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

Today, the vast majority of brides invite their photographer to document the “getting ready” period, and for good reason.

Getting ready can be a monumental task for the bride and her entourage, and an event in itself. It’s a time not only during which the women share their excitement and happiness, but also one in which they can smooth out any bumps in the road that may arise, from mending an ill-fitting wedding gown to soothing an overwhelmed bride. The application of cosmetic agents, hair, skin, nail, and other treatments, final tuning of clothing and accessories; this seemingly endless array of beauty products and treatments makes for a very hectic and intense prep session.

Not until recent years has it become de rigueur for the wedding photographer to be present while the bride gets ready for the ceremony. Yet the outflow of elation, anxiety, nostalgia and hope that accompany these activities create an ideal time for your wedding photojournalist to capture those timeless moments.

Through the many weddings that I have photographed it has been an acquired skill to observe and document exactly what happens behind the dressing room doors—from the trials and tribulations, to the triumphs. This experience makes me aware of and sensitive towards the rituals and emotions of bridal party preparation, and well-prepared to capture wonderful images without getting in the way.

THE RINGLEADER AND HER CREW

The time spent getting ready is filled with a wealth of emotions. Precisely what type of emotions, from good to bad to downright ugly, is entirely dependent on the bride. She sets the tone in the room. There are those brides who are in the zone and it’s the perfect moment of their life. They’re sitting on a cloud enjoying everything.  The majority of brides are in this “zone.” They’re in control and having a wonderful time as they prepare for their wedding. The photographer moves about the room capturing the bride talking and laughing with her bridesmaids and close relatives. She’s natural and jubilant, and that comes across in the pictures.

On the other hand, there are those brides who are overwhelmed by emotion and close to having a panic attack. I am well aquainted with this too. It is not unusal to find myself stepping out of the photographer role, and into that of confidant, as I try to comfort a nervous bride.

Some bridesmaids also play an integral role in keeping everything running smoothly. Therefore, brides usually have the bridesmaids present during the getting ready period. The three or four of her closest friends are there to take care of the bride and that helps me a lot. The mood in the room stays positive and I am able to get those emblematic photos.

THE DRESS

It’s all about the gown…with the bridesmaids attending to her and helping her get the dress ready. It’s not easy putting on that glorious dress as many brides spend months prior to the wedding focused on the solitary goal of losing weight. They want to look their best for their big day, and often that means fitting into a dress that may be smaller than what they typically wear. So it is usually an anxious moment discovering just how tight the dress really is, but whatever happens the bridesmaids come to the rescue to ensure the bride is the belle of the ball.

UNEXPECTED MOMENTS

On one occasion I was photographing a wedding in Dover, first stop was the hairdressers, where the bride was threading her fascinator to encorporate some extra feathers she had purchased the day before.  The next stop was with the boys and it wasnt long before they realised they had left the champaign behind, so I caught the groomsmen red handed and feeling both embarrased and victorious, with bottle in hand, running back to the house.  Created a great shot!

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE

It’s always important for the bride to stay relaxed and at ease during the final moments before she walks down the aisle. A good way to do so is to have people around who make you feel calm. I suggest having helpers to do things you don’t necessarily need to do yourself in order to keep from feeling over-scheduled. It’s much more interesting to have that unscheduled time to focus in on what’s happening—on those feelings of anticipation, nervousness, ecstasy, panic!

As with much of the day, time is of the essence. There should be a fair amount of time, ideally at least an hour during this period. Too little time can create a stressed-out mood.

Ultimately, it’s about the bride enjoying herself. It’s important for the brides to let her friends and loved ones take care of her. If she is good humored about whatever comes up, she can get through anything, save the groom running away!

Indeed. A little perspective can go a long way during the early hours of the big day, as well as help complete the larger story. When the bridal march is blaring through the speakers and the bride is walking down the aisle, the gasps and wide smiles across the room will attest to her beauty. Thanks to the great wedding photojournalist backstage, everyone (including the groom, who may have been far from that scene) can have an idea as to what took place to bring her to that radiant moment.

There were many photos in this collection, but I have selected just a few to show, I hope you enjoy viewing the pics as much as we did in creating them.  The baby bump pics took place at Perry woods, Faversham, Kent which is really glorious all year round.

Here are some shots taken, from the bridal preparation to the first dance.

Here are a few of the pics from the wedding