Bartholomew Barn Wedding | Sarah & Tom
Ouch! Like many of my couples and colleagues, I'm still reeling from another emotional rollercoaster of a month. Weddings from 6, to 15, to 30, back to 15 thanks to Government decisions around how best to curb Covid, plus the venues' interpretation of how they can legally and safely apply the rules. Simply impossible for anyone to plan for, and mentally completely draining for couples, venues and everyone in the wedding industry who work so hard to make every wedding special.
After being lucky enough to photograph six small weddings so far this Summer, with three more on the cards for Autumn/Winter 2020, I plan to share a little of my personal experience soon. Many couples are wondering whether to postpone (for the second or third time in many cases) or to go ahead with whatever hand they're dealt at the time. I hope that by giving a little insight into the small and micro weddings I've had the pleasure of capturing, the decision may become clearer. Watch this space!
In the meantime, here's a wonderful wedding from June 2019 at Bartholomew Barn in Kirdford, West Sussex. Regular readers will know I'm a huge fan of barn weddings. They're generally relaxed affairs, that work for weddings of all sizes, with beautiful and natural photographic backdrops inside and out. My photography style is unposed and documentary; for most of the day, I'm capturing moments as they happen. So when every moment that takes place is under rustic beams, in natural fields or a beautiful courtyard, then it's a win-win!
Sarah and Tom's wedding was no exception, a super relaxed day full of laughter, despite (and sometimes because of) Mother Nature unleashing a full force of constantly changing weather. Sun, strong winds, heavy rain, rainbows (including a fabulous double rainbow!) and finally a magical sunset. As often happens in natural outdoor settings, the weather becomes a huge part of the memories, captured through the bride's veil taking off in the wind, expressions on faces as guests run for cover, and romantic couple photos at sunset.
When it's windy, our cats (two much loved British Blue shorthairs for the feline fans amongst you) go a bit crazy and start running frantically from one end of the house to the other. If truth be told, I act a bit like that too, I love capturing movement and great expressions, which strong winds create in abundance! I have an oversized raincoat - borrowed from my husband at some stage and never returned - which is roomy enough to quickly cover the camera gear hanging off my person and keep the worst of the rain off. So if there's anything going on outside, I'll be running around in all weathers to capture it.
I'm still hoping for snow at a wedding, but having started my business whilst living as an ex-pat in Florida, and now based on the South coast of England, the opportunity hasn't yet presented itself. (Getting married in snowy climes? give me a shout!)
Back to Bartholomew Barn, kicking off with Sarah and Tom's lovely testimonial and a selection of images that tell the story of their fantastic wedding ceremony and celebrations:
"Thank you again for popping round the other night. We couldn’t wait to look at them all so spent the rest of the evening going through them, it really was like reliving the day!
We don’t even know how you got some of the shots, they’re so creative and we especially love how the emotion of the day is clear in every single picture.
We couldn’t be happier with our photos, you have done an absolutely incredible job and we’re so happy to have such special lasting memories of our day.
Thank you so so much."
Sarah & Tom
A huge thank you to Sarah and Tom for inviting me to capture and be a part of their day. As you can probably tell from the photos, I absoluted loved it!
If you're planning a Sussex wedding, just scroll through some of my recent blogs for inspiration. If it's barns you're after, Long Furlong Barn, Pangdean Old Barn, Fitzleroi Barn, Blackstock, Selden Barns and Brookfield Barn are all regulars of mine, and all beautiful Sussex venues. I'll be publishing new blogs of my most recent weddings from many of these venues over the coming months.
Think I could be the right photographer for you? Please do get in touch, I'd love to get to know you and find out about your day.
Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for my upcoming blog on small weddings!
Jenny xx
Sarah & Tom's wedding team:
Venue: Bartholomew Barn, Kirdford, West Sussex
Caterers & Bar: Anise Catering
Bride's dress designer: Ladybird
Bride's dress boutique: Eva Rose Bridal, Storrington, West Sussex
Make Up Artist: Philippa Foyle Make Up Artistry
Hair: Scott Palmer
Florist: Cabbage White Flowers
Decor: Not Your Average I Do
Cake: Calley's Cakes
Live Music in Day (Singer/Guitarist): Lenon
Live Music in Evening (Band): Victoriana
