I have a lot of love for Jake and Mary! Jake and Mary are both awesome, and I had an absolute ball photographing their day. Getting ready was such good fun, and I really felt like part of the crowd - we had a good couple of hours to cover this part of the day at a relaxed pace and it makes such a difference because all your loved ones are so used to me before we even leave for the ceremony that the documentary images just roll so naturally and with such joy in them that they have an extra layer of intimacy and fun. Some of my favourite moments from getting ready may or may not have included Mary having Malteasers thrown into her mouth from a height so as not to ruin her lipstick, and when the dog decided that actually, Mary’s veil was the most comfortable place to sit and could just glide along on it... Well, the dog was ready to go! She’d had her hair done and everything! (Mary is a dog groomer, she has the best groomed dogs in town.)
Mary’s family and bridesmaids got ready with her at her Nan’s home in Essex, and then everyone made their way across to the Alexandra Suite in Swanley, Kent. As Jake and Mary were having an afternoon ceremony late in December, it was golden hour as guests were starting to arrive and the light was beautifully glory and the air crisp. They chose the date for their wedding to be between Christmas and New Year because not only does it help the budget to have a winter wedding (wise decision!) but everyone had time off and were in the area anyway that it just made so much sense. And everyone is ready to party!
Jake waited for Mary to walk down the aisle with her brother, and he was absolutely beaming - straight in for a kiss as soon as he was allowed! It was then out onto the field for a proper showering of confetti and some group photos in the last of the light, before Mary and Jake went for a little ride together in the campervan to soak it all in and enjoy their champagne. We headed just up the road to one of the parks they used to visit when they were little just as the sun slipped away and the sky turned blue. Then it was back to the Alexandra Suite for the Wedding Breakfast and plenty of partying!
Mary and Jake Had opted for subtle touches of celestial inspiration such as table centrepieces named after constellations, stars on Mary’s custom Crown and Glory veil and little glittery and iridescent touches on the stationary, Jake’s Converse shoes (very cool, keep an eye out for those!), his bow tie, and even the cake. The favours were celestial lollies made by one of their friends - both cute, personal and delicious! A particularly nice touch is that they both opted for alternative wedding rings, handcrafted by an independent designer, and they each had an iridescent enamel inlay in them so they could carry the spirit of their day throughout their married lives together - just gorgeous. If you’re considering adding in personal touches or tweaking things to make them a bit more alternative or true to you I would always encourage you to do it.
All in all, it was a beautiful, relaxed and happy day surrounded by loved ones. Thank you Mary and Jake for having me along To have the honour of capturing your wedding day.
Lots of love, Cx.
PS: See if you can spot the very enthusiastic dog who visited in the evening!
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