Ellie & Charlie’s Bredenbury Court Barns Wedding
Ellie and Charlie got married at Bredenbury Court Barns, and I was especially looking forward to this one. I knew the energy Ellie and Charlie would bring to the day was exactly the kind of energy that motivates me at weddings, love and energy.
Bredenbury Court Barns was a lovely venue, and from the moment I arrived, it was obvious this was going to be one of those weddings where something was always happening.
Ellie and her tribe, which looked like hundreds of people, had the whole place locked down and were getting ready together. Ellie was, as you can see from the pictures, having the absolute best day. Her smile was beaming from the moment I arrived.
Charlie and his crew, on the other hand, couldn't quite afford to be messing around. They had some serious responsibilities to take care of, including decorating the venue and putting out all the chairs.
Leaving three men to do this job was probably not the best idea.
After a little straightening, rearranging and general discussion about how chairs actually work, they were done, and it was time to figure out the buttonholes and, of course, somehow fit in a quick drink.
With everyone ready and an emotional dad reveal complete, it was time for even more emotion.
Ellie and her children made their way down the aisle, and it was now Charlie's turn to get emotional. He tried his best to hold back the tears but, unfortunately for him, failed.
Ellie, meanwhile, was just beaming with happiness.
After exchanging some incredibly personal vows and navigating the confetti exit, it was time for everyone to head outside for the drinks reception.
One VERY hot wedding day
Now, I haven't mentioned this yet, but this was probably the hottest wedding day I have photographed in my 14 years as a wedding photographer.
It was seriously hot.
But us Brits are hugely resourceful, and everyone soon discovered the huge tree that provided some much needed shade. The drinks reception quickly became a combination of drinking, chatting and trying not to melt.
The kids, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected by the heat and were running around like kids do.
With the temperature reaching crazy levels, it was eventually time to head inside for the wedding breakfast.
The enjoyment the air conditioning brought to everyone was immense. Bredenbury Court Barns really was the perfect place to get some respite from the heat.
But Ellie and Charlie weren't going to let the temperature stop the party.
They had arranged a surprise singing waitress, something I absolutely love at weddings.
It didn't take long before the surprise was revealed and suddenly everyone was up dancing, waving their arms around and joining in.
It was a brilliant way to get everyone warmed up, although, given the temperature, I'm not sure anyone needed warming up!
Sunset wedding portraits
By now the sun was starting to drop, and it was time to take advantage of what was shaping up to be a stunning sunset.
I whisked Ellie and Charlie away for some relaxed couple portraits while the light was at its best.
They had also been practising the famous dip pose, so obviously we had to get that shot too.
With the sunset doing most of the hard work, we captured some beautiful portraits of the two of them away from the madness of the wedding.
Cigars and blue hour
With the portraits done, it was time for the more official formalities, the first dance.
But actually, there was one more bit of fun to squeeze in first.
Charlie had bought cigars for himself and his groomsmen, so we decided to take advantage of blue hour and grab some cool cigar photos.
It was the perfect way to finish the portraits and gave Charlie and the boys a chance to enjoy a proper groom and groomsmen moment before the evening celebrations really got going.
Ellie and Charlie, what a day. Love, laughter, ridiculous heat, surprise singers, cigars, sunsets and a whole lot of energy. Exactly the kind of wedding I love photographing.
