Becky + Aria | Home marquee wedding in Kent
There’s weddings and then there’s weddings and then there’s weddings at home and I am a *sucker* for DIY weddings at the family home! I’m so delighted to showcase this wonderful wedding in Kent at groom Aria’s family estate, I knew all year this was one of the ones in my calendar that was going to be epic. Here’s some of the ingredients that made Becky and Aria’s Kent wedding so good - wedding photographer edition!
First up: one couldn’t be anything other than wowed by the location, which was Aria’s family home. Opposite the house was the ceremony area, where Natalie of Rose and Grace Ceremonies would conduct the celebration. And far, far away nestled in the grounds was their giant marquee ready to house everyone for the party. I actually drove between the two locations on site, to give you an idea of scale.
I know when you book a July wedding you are probably rightly anticipating a hot, sunny summer’s day. But this is 2024 we’re talking about, and the sun was reluctant to appear until juuuuust before the outdoor ceremony commenced. The rain stopped, and several towels and microfibre cloths later, we were in business. Becky and Aria enjoyed their outdoor ceremony in the sun before hopping on four wheels and being transported over to the marquee, all coordinated beautifully by The Wedding Dolls. It made for some great pics and me and Mike of Mac videography clung on for dear life as we were driven around by the newlyweds to grab some quick couple shots back at the house.
Now it would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that England were in a Euro 2024 penalty shoot-out with a spot in the semi-final at stake, and the match was taking place just as dinner was being served in the marquee, so we did what anyone would do, and a large television was wheeled out, and guests could choose to watch the footy (on mute) should they wish. Max drama as England and Switzerland went to penalties just as dessert was served, and I dragged the bride and groom up to the front as their guests gathered around for the nailbiting finish…. Pickford made a save and Trent scored the winner….cue pandemonium in the marquee!! I’m sure Becky and Aria didn’t anticipate that would be one of the outstanding memories of their wedding day, but it made for wonderful scenes.
After a quick blast of Skinner and Baddiel’s Three Lions, shots were being dished out and the party started accompanied by a brass band and plenty of dancing. I headed back over the bridge to Essex, the sound of a riotous day ringing in my ears. It was that or tinnitus.
What they said:
“Sally was the perfect choice to capture our wedding day and we feel beyond lucky to have stumbled across her instagram account well over a year ago now. It was clear from the very first call we had with Sally that she really knows what she is doing and that we were in great hands. Through the chaos of peak wedding season, Sally kept us up to date about when we could expect to receive our photos, which really wasn’t long when you consider the quality and number of photos. When we received our incredible 900+ album, it's an understatement to say that we were over the moon. There were tears! We love them so, so much and will treasure them forever.
Aside from her fantastic photography skills, Sally really looked after us on the day, even running to make sure we had an Aperol spritz before we ran out at our drinks reception. Sally is very down to earth and was a lovely, calm presence to have around on the day (even despite getting stuck in the mud in our waterlogged parking area on arrival - sorry Sally!). We were initially worried about feeling awkward for our couple photos, but Sally disarmed us with her jokes which helped us feel much more relaxed. We’re so happy with how natural the photos came out. Sally also made sure to get the shots quickly so we didn’t feel like we were missing out on any of the action. My family, bridal party and guests made a point to separately mention how lovely she was and how at ease she made them feel in front of the camera. This is reflected in our photos, which feel truly authentic and capture the energy of the day perfectly.
Thank you again for being the best photographer we could have hoped for, Sally!”
Suppliers:
Venue - Family home
Dress - Savin via The Wedding Shop, Colchester
Suits - Suit Supply
Flowers - Groom’s mum / Moody Blooms
Cake - Friend
Hair and makeup- Holly Ann Bridal
Videographer - Mac Videography
Celebrant - Rose & Grace Bespoke Celebrations
Marquee - LPM Bohemia
Catering - Emma’s Table
Drinks - The Dawdling Duck
Coordination - Wedding Dolls
I absolutely love capturing home marquee weddings or just marquee weddings in general, so if you like the look of my photos and would like to see if I can capture your day, please contact me to see if I’m available on your date HERE