Flavia + Mikey | Lanwades Hall wedding
It’s hard to believe Flavia and Mikey’s wedding at beautiful Lanwades Hall in Newmarket is already three months ago, because I think I’ve only just recovered from it! It’s fair to say, when I first spoke with Flavia to hear more about their wedding plans I felt rather giddy with excitement, as she began to describe a day that comprised an outdoor ceremony, a pack of Irish wolfhounds, sparklers in the evening…..! As you can imagine, it was this wedding photographer’s dream.
After a wicked (but bloody cold) pre-wedding shoot with them both in Thaxted (which you can view HERE), I was super excited to capture Flavia and Mikey’s day, and despite an unseasonable amount of rain before and also forecast on the day, I knew it was going to be epic. I was with the girls in the morning as they got ready in one part of Lanwades Hall, and my second shooter Katie was with Mikey and the boys, who were also prepping a few rooms down. As guests arrived for the outdoor ceremony in Lanwades’ famous sunken garden, the early afternoon sun blazed down and everything looked hunky-dory. Fast-forward a few minutes to the ceremony commencing, the skies turned dark grey, and the heavens proceeded to open! Not to be deterred, these absolute troopers continued their ceremony outdoors, and they were rewarded when the clouds soon passed and they were able to finish their vows in the returning sunshine, just before finishing off the legal bit inside.
Despite the torrential rain for ten minutes (though it seemed a lot longer at the time), the rain kept away for the remainder of the day, and we were treated to dazzling sunshine into the afternoon, whereupon Flavia’s family’s pack of Irish wolfhounds stole the show as drinks were had on the lawn. If there’s one thing that has my guaranteed approval, it’s dogs at weddings!
We were treated to a great round of speeches by the maid of honour, father of the bride and the two best men, before the new Mr and Mrs gave a joint speech to round off dinner, and signalling the evening party was underway. I was so happy Flavia and Mikey took some minutes away from their guests to join me and Katie for some photographs after dinner during golden hour. Folks – never underestimate the power of golden hour!!
Just as we thought the cake was about to be cut, the familiar drum sound of Dhol players rang out, and it was great to see all the guests cutting some shapes to the Dhol beat! This was a fab complement to the details and flourishes of the day inspired by Flavia’s Indian heritage, and everyone dancing to the Dhol players was just wicked.
After an al fresco cake cut, Flavia and Mikey enjoyed a first dance also outside, down on a dancefloor within the venue’s sunken garden, and their guests weren’t shy in letting their hair down to get the party going! Finally, just as the sun was setting, Flavia and Mikey were toasted with a sparkler tunnel, which was the perfect way to round off a totally epic wedding day! These guys are two of the nicest, fun humans you could hope to meet, and they clearly adore one another. Their wedding really was the best of times – I never wanted it to end! Here’s what they said:
“I CANNOT RECOMMEND SALLY ENOUGH! 😍 She is incredibly friendly, warming, professional and fun from the first message you send her, interacting on her socials to receiving your final photographs….. Including the “pre wedding shoot” in her packages is such a fabulous idea, as not only do you become more comfortable in front of the lens, you get some quality bantering time with Sally. Photography is a passion of mine so finding the right photographer for my wedding day was so important! I can gladly say she exceeded my expectations; her choice of shots and editing is flawless. Please follow her work on her socials! Promise you’ll be interested from the word go. Thank you so much Sally – and Katie! – for such a fantastic journey with you. Much love to you both ❤️ F&M”
