With this ring I thy wed

On the hottest day of the year.

Tamsin and Ash had chosen the Church in Ingatestone, Essex, for their Wedding.

We have some beautiful churches in Essex. St Edmund and St Mary’s Church stands in the centre of Ingatestone High Road surrounded by a lawned garden.

St Edmund and St Mary's Church stand in the centre of Ingatestone High Street surrounded by a well kept garden with trees and rose beds, the war memorial also stands in the churches garden

St Edmund and St Mary’s Church

It was the hottest day of the year with the temperature reaching up to 30 degrees, the temperature inside the Church was nice and cool.

My day started with the Bride at her family home in Ingatestone, where I capture the buzz and the excitement of everyone getting ready, the little flower girls were happily playing in the conservatory.

I take photographs of the Bride and Bridesmaids having their hair and make-up done. Tamsin’s Make up artist was Kayleigh Whiting MUA (linked to her Facebook page).

The Brides bouquet with her wedding shoes are arranged in the marble hearth next to the bouquet is a framed photograph of the Brides Mother who past away some years ago along with a bottle of Mums favourite wine and three candles that burn in her memory

The Brides bouquet with her wedding shoes

The Tamsin and Ash had spent a long time planning every little detail of their Wedding day. I capture all those little things for them, as they will hold great memories in years to come.

Time for me to leave the house and take the short drive to St Edmund and St Mary’s church in the High Street. To photograph the guest arriving and to photograph the flowers in the church and other details.

With the guests in the church and the flower photographed I go outside and wait for the Groom with the Groomsmen to arrive in a vintage bus and the horse and carriage with the Bridesmaid and Flower girls.

A little late.

The Groom Arrives in style stepping off a 1949 vintage cream and blue bus wearing a grey tailed morning suit.

The Groom Arrives in style on a vintage bus

The Groom and Groomsmen arrived in style in a 1949 OB Bedford  Duple Vista Vintage blue bus hired from Lodge Coaches, which had been slowed down by the carnival but still arrived in plenty of time. Remembering this was the hottest day of the year the Groom and the Groomsmen wore grey morning suits.

Bridesmaids and Flower Girls arrived by horse and carriage, two magnificent white Shire horses pulled the white Landau carriage. The Carriage then returned the short drive back to the family home to collect Tamsin and her Father Tom.

With this ring I thy wed, the view down the isle of the church to the couple standing with the reverend, exchanging wedding bands. Family sit in pews to the left and right.

With this ring

An abundance of confetti was thrown at the couple, Ash was smiling so much, he ended up with confetti in his mouth.

As the Bride and Groom walk from the church their guest stans along the path and throw confetti over the couple

Don’t eat the confetti

After the ceremony, the new Mr & Mrs Harwoth went by horse and carriage to the majestic Ingatestone Hall.  Where their guests eagerly awaiter their arrival. Ingatestone Hall makes the most amazing background for wedding photography with its gravel drive and formal gardens.

The Bride and Groom arrive at Ingatestone Hall in a carriage pulled by two white shire horses with the clock tower in the background and the marquee on the lawn to the right

The Bride and Groom arrive at Ingatestone Hall

The wedding breakfast was to take place later in the day in a large marquee. It was very hot so the sides were removed from the marque to allow the breeze to pass through.

Inside the marque which is all set up and awaiting the wedding party, round table set for ten guests with blue swags on the chairs and blue and white flower arrangements on each table.

The marque all set awaiting the wedding party

A stroll in the formal gardens.

Before meeting their guests Tamsin and Ash wanted to have a quiet stroll in the formal gardens of Ingatestone Hall.
They wanted a little time to their selves, accompanied by only Me to capture these intermate memories. These photographs are for the couple only.

The gardens have a sloping lawn which leads down to a large pond covered with waterlilies. What an amazing background that Ingatestone Hall makes to wedding photographs.

The Bride and Groom stand in the middle of a large lawn in front of Ingatestone Hall. In the gardens, there is a large pond covered with water lilies there are large trees in the garden too.

The formal gardens of Ingatestone Hall

The Bride and Groom strolling in the cool woodland at Ingatestone Hall, with the mottled afternoon sun streaming through the trees

Strolling in the cool woodland at Ingatestone Hall

After their cooling stroll and photographs in the formal gardens and woodlands, we returned to the front of Ingatestone Hall where the dove release was planned. White Doves Experience had been getting the birds in place and keeping them cool too.

In a corner of the courtyard of Ingatestone Hall, two white doves are placed in the shade in their ornate cage to keep them coolIn a corner of the court yard of Ingatestone Hall
Dove being kept cool in the shade
When the doves are moved into the centre of the court-yard at Ingatestone Hall before the release two family members, two adult bridesmaids and the little flower girl take a closer look.
Dove release
The wedding party are handed a dove each to release, the white doves fly into the air and sore above the wedding party

Wedding Dove Release

Let the fun begin.

All afternoon a Steel Band has been playing, Tamsin and Ash had to have a go on the Steel drums before dancing and chatting with their evening guests.

The Bride and Groom playing the steel drums with on of the band members
Playing the steel drums
The Bride and Groom are joined by a guest dancing to the steel drum band
Dancing to the steel drums
The Bride chatting and mixing with the guests
Mixing with the guests

As the afternoon moved on it was time for everyone to move into the marquee for the Wedding breakfast, the theme for the table was cornflower blue.

The view from inside the marquee to show the sides removed to let the air circulate,
Wedding Marquee
Guest take the seats in the Wedding Marquee, With the naked Wedding cake in the foreground
Guest take the seats in the Wedding Marquee

The wedding breakfast was finished off with speeches and gifts for the key people involved in their wedding day, cake cutting and first dance then party, party, partying into the night to the DJ sounds of Fox and Braces but its goodnight from me.

Best Wishes and thank you for choosing me to capture your memories.
Shiralee
www.shiraleeswan.co.uk

The Bride and Groom putting their requests to Fox and Braces DJs
Fox and Braces DJs
Ingatestone Hall Wedding
iIngatestone Hall
The view from the clock tower looking down to the Great Hall with the wedding marquee on the right
Ingatestone Hall Wedding
Naked Wedding Cake decorated with blue flowers

Naked Wedding Cake

Wedding Tips from Tamsin.

It’s your day, plan it how you want it, try not to stress although it’s super hard, as it’ll all be ok in the end.

Be selfish on the day if you have to and limit your time with guest so you enjoy the day as much yourself  as people will undersand.

Posted in Wedding Blog