Emily & Bruce | A winter Pennard House wedding

A crisp, wintery late December in Somerset was a world away (quite literally) from where I’d first met bride Emily, as following her initial enquiry we spoke on a video chat across timezones - Emily from the Cayman Islands, me in Essex.

She’d described a romance that had spanned several years and contintents, as Emily and her partner Bruce had gone on many adventures around the world, deciding to return to their beloved London, Bruce popping the question on holiday in New York somewhere along the way.

It’s fair to say the weather forecast was looking a bit bleak for their December wedding at Pennard House, but we were not to be defeated, as the forecasted rain held off until the evening, by which time we’d already had quite the day!

Bride Emily had spied another wedding I’d done at Pennard House (see J+A’s spring wedding at Pennard HERE) and so I was happy to return to Somerset for my final wedding of 2025. And what a wedding it was! An absolute banger. I think it was my biggest gallery I’d delivered all year, as there really wasn’t anything I could leave out, it had everything and the kitchen sink.

With use of the house and estate for the weekend, the week before Christmas, Emily and her girls got ready upstairs in Pennard’s beaut suite, and Bruce and the chaps put the finishing touches on before some japes in one of the sitting rooms for some alternative groom prep portraits. I already knew groom Bruce was someone who enjoyed having a bit of fun and I saw that in spades throughout their day, along with both families who just wanted to have a good time from start to finish!

Bruce’s family provided rousing hymns in the church, before providing the musical entertainment during the reception, both well-received by the 120+ guests as the winter sun began to set and started to turn chilly outside. Mulled cider was served on Pennard House’s drive as guests received the newlyweds, and in among everything else, Bruce joined the band for a singalong after their late cocktail hour was underway.

Winter weddings aren’t for the faint-hearted wedding photographer; with limited sunshine, the weather a lottery, and guests who usually aren’t keen to spend too much time outside, sometimes it’s hard to feel satisfied with our photos, but on this occasion, I drove the 3.5 hours back to Essex that night, knowing I’d done a good job. Was my job made easier by a fun-loving, easygoing, super smiley couple and their crowd? Absolutely. Take a look below and see how this was reflected in their photos. Boom:

What they said:

“Where to begin with Sally... I was fortunate enough to discover Sally's phenomenal portfolio on Instagram a few weeks into wedding planning after booking our venue, and it was the easiest decision I made. From our first call, Sally instantly made me feel at ease and excited for our big day. I knew from the offset she was somebody I would like around if we were feeling stressed or nervous as she has a very calm and professional manner but can also have a laugh!

Our one request to Sally was for the photos to have a candid feel and not feel too rigid, in which she delivered and so much more. It was no easy feat gathering our two extraordinarily large families for group shots but Sally managed perfectly, knowing the best exact moments for daylight and "golden hour" for our Christmas winter wedding. We got lucky weather-wise but Sally had multiple plan Bs ready to go just in case.

One thing we did, and I am so grateful for, was add a second photographer (the lovely Ruby) to our all day package so we could capture both the bridal and groom's prep, guests arriving to the church, first looks, and photos of our guests dressed to the nines! A great recommendation from Sally - especially as we had 120+ guests and multiple locations throughout the day.

I'll never forget the feeling of receiving our "sneak peak" pictures the night after our wedding from Sally, and seeing just how perfectly she captured the best day of our lives. The joy, laughter, intimacy, and pure love shared is there for us to look back on forever - and we were lucky enough to receive the full album only weeks later. We are beyond happy with them and continue to receive all kind of compliments to how amazing they are.

Sally - you have been pure class throughout the whole process and we can never thank you enough. You made us Bruce and I feel comfortable, confident and so special in those private moments, making memories for life. Thank you for being patient with us! We cannot wait to keep championing all that you do. All our love, Emily and Bruce (E&B). The new Abrahams Jones'! xxx”

Scroll below to see a flavour of their day - it was right up my street and I loved all of it. More weddings like this please!

Suppliers:

Venue - Pennard House

Dress - Love Story London via Perfect Day Bride, Bath

Bridesmaid dresses - Sisterhood Bridesmaids

Suits - Walker Slater and Moss Bros.

Flowers - Wren and May Flowers

Cake - Love My Cake Somerset

Coordination - Beth of Daughter Bloom Weddings

Content Creator - Ford and Frame

Hair - Devon Wedding Hair

Makeup - Amy Elizabeth Makeup