Being a Wedding photographer in Tunbridge Wells affords certain benefits in terms of there being lots of beautiful wedding venues in the immediate area. A massive variety of surely some of the best venues in the country are within just an hours drive. For the wedding of Mustafa and Natalie though, their chosen venue was extra special and exclusive. In fact, there was lots of specialness about their whole day. I’ve known them for years and loved photographing their wedding for them.
I joined Natalie in the morning for the bridal preparation at The Tunbridge Wells hotel. This was renovated only a few years ago and the rooms ooze style and character. It was the perfect location with lots of interesting props and backdrops for the bridal preparation photos. Plus, plentiful gorgeous soft natural light spilling in through large windows makes a very happy photographer.
Her chariot of choice to take her to the wedding venue was a beautifully classic VW camper van – a choice that always brightens up a wedding and makes the passengers smile. I love classic cars Rolls as well, but there is something about a VW Camper that just says, this will be a fun wedding. I left a short while before the bridal party to give me some time to photograph the ceremony venue before her arrival and being just 5 miles from Tunbridge Wells, I was there in a matter of minutes.
Their chosen venue was the beautiful gardens of a private house near Goudhurst. Natalie’s mum had worked at this house for many years so there was a lovely personal element to it, with Natalie herself, having spent lots of time here when growing up. This personal touch was very evident throughout the whole day.
The ceremony was conducted by my wife, who worked with Natalie many years ago, and was written by Mus and Nat. All the members of the bridal party had parts to say and Natalie’s mum gave a tear prompted reading. It was so refreshing to see a ceremony conducted in this way with every sentence carefully thought about and personal to the couple. As you’d expect, the vows were particularly special with a lovely mix of sentiment and humour for both the bride and groom’s parts.
You never can tell what the weather will be like in England, regardless of the time of year. It had been scorchingly sunny the day before the wedding, but for better or worse, it was mainly cloudy on their day. In all honestly, I think this worked out for the best considering the outdoor ceremony, and the fact everyone would have been roasting in the sun.
I am pleased to see gardens weddings becoming more and more popular again. They are so relaxed and have a more laid back feel to them. They feel so intimate and including by their nature. Granted that for this wedding, those feelings stem from my knowing the Bride and Groom, but I’ve noticed it at other garden weddings too, where I haven’t previously known the couple.
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