A Hall Farm wedding in Wordwell
I recently photographed the Hall Farm wedding of Laura and Dan at the stunning St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds. The glittering (quite literally) reception was then held at Hall Farm in Wordwell – a wonderful relatively new venue in the stunning Suffolk countryside which I was very excited to photograph at. This gorgeous rustic barn, owned and run by the very lovely Sarah and Mike, offers a fabulous space and great photo opportunities with beautiful backdrops.
My day started at St Mary’s church where I met Dan and his groomsmen. The church looked absolutely stunning with breathtaking stained glass windows and grand arches. I photographed Dan and the guests arriving until Laura arrived in an open-sided land rover with her dad, allowing a full view of her beautiful dress.
The ceremony was lovely and very personal. I was able to catch some really natural shots showing how relaxed and happy the couple were as they exchanged vows.
After the ceremony, I headed out of the church side door where all the guests had lined up to shower the newlyweds with confetti. The heavens opened briefly but luckily umbrellas were ready in preparation for all weather. These worked really well in the group shots and proof that whatever the weather – embrace it! I took a handful of group shots and some photos of the absolutely beautiful bouquets, bursting with colourful blooms.
It was then off to the beautifully decorated barn at Hall Farm for the reception. Laura has such a creative eye and these skills certainly shone through in both the barn and marquee. She is truly super talented! The barn is great as it’s a real blank canvas and Laura and Dan had completely put their own stamp on it. The flowers and decor were all amazing. Laura swapped her veil for a flower crown which was made by Sarah from Amity Flowers. Sarah did all of the bouquets too – and they were just beautiful.
As the guests arrived, they were treated to Prosecco, an open bar and canapés to start the celebrations. I was so impressed by all of the entertainment the couple had planned for their guests – they’d thought of everything! There was a glitter bar, courtesy of Luxury Glitter Bar, to bling themselves up, a photo booth to capture candid hilarious moments, even blankets to keep the chill away. There was also wonderful singer Jo, a friend of Laura and Dan’s, and even Hammerschlagen, which was hilarious to watch and capture. The couple had played it on many a skiing holiday, so were keen for their guests to have as much fun from it as they had.
Laura and Dan’s day was all about making sure their friends and family had so much fun which I loved. I don’t think I ever saw an empty glass! Everyone was so well looked after and you can clearly see just how much these two are loved and adored by all their friends and families.
Later on, the rain started to die down, so we headed out into the grounds of the farm to get some couple shots. The grounds are just stunning with lots of open spaces set in the beautiful Suffolk Countryside. It’s also blessed with lots of trees, a little lake, old farm buildings and quirky little spots to capture great pictures. A photographers dream! The light was pretty special too, with the sun making an appearance to brighten the setting.
We then headed back inside for the speeches. First up was Laura’s Dad, who had everyone laughing about stories of Laura growing up. Next it was Dan’s turn – again a hilarious speech which had everyone in stitches. Finally, Dan’s brother and best man gave his speech, which was also very funny. All in all some of the best I’ve heard, and my face was certainly aching from laughing – not easy when trying to capture the moment on camera!
The venue features a marquee to the side of the barn where the guests enjoyed food – and later on dancing. Again it was decorated beautifully and Laura’s eye for detail shone through once again. Hops, pretty floral bunting, wild flowers and succulents to take home – it was all amazing and wowed their guests. It was a laid back set-up with guests sitting where they chose on trestle tables which was another lovely touch. Pie, mash and mushy peas were served which was a welcome treat on a slightly chilly evening. I was treated to the most yummy steak and ale pie. It was truly delicious and gave me a huge energy boost to take me into the evening celebrations.
After food, we popped outside to take a few more couple shots. The most amazing magical mist appeared over one of the fields just as the sun was setting. It was breathtaking – as you can see from the photos. We had to work very quickly as the mist was lifting quickly, but I was so pleased we were able to get some photos of Laura and Dan with that as a backdrop.
We then headed back inside for the couple to have their first dance. I left a short while after this, leaving the glittered guests to dance into the night.
It was such a huge privilege to be part of this special couple’s day. I say it all the time, but I do truly get to work with the most genuinely lovely couples and Laura and Dan are up there amongst my absolute favourites. Thank you to you both for allowing me to share and capture one of the most special days of your life and for being such an amazing couple – you made my job very easy.
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