Well, where do I begin?
What a special day it was when Molly and John asked me to photograph their special day, at the gorgeous Canterbury Catherdral. I started the day off as I normally do by exploring the grounds and taking some scenic shots.
The ceremony was held in the cathedral’s crypt – a truly sensational venue. The architecture is simply stunning, and the candlelight and low vaulted ceilings created an intimate place within the context of the immense cathedral. The soft glow from the candles bounced from the contours of the arches, providing beautiful interplays of light and shadow, which were a joy to capture.
Molly and her bridal party turned up in these gorgeous old-fashioned Rolls Royce wedding cars, Molly was early. I’ve never seen a bride arrive so early. It meant she had to stand on the cathedral porch for quite some time, with well-wishers passing by and even some requesting photographs with her.
It was then the walk along the side of the nave, to the Crypt below, for the beautiful ceremony. This is when Molly and John’s friends from Music school started to sing, it sounded so magical to my ears. What a beautiful ceremony it was, especially the readings given by Molly’s Parents, lets’s just say it created a truly emotional moment.
With the ceremony finished, we all started to head off to the stunning reception venue Goodnestone Park. When I arrived at Goodnestone Park, I gathered all the guests together to wave to the newlyweds, as they arrived, along with a musical introduction by the marvelous Swing ninjas, whose music was so much fun to listen to.
Before heading down to the grounds, I found my prime opportunity to take my favourite shot of all the confetti shots. Who doesn’t love a confetti shot?
The grounds at Goodnestone Park are a real showstopper and being such a glorious day Molly & John were able to take advantage of having the wedding reception in a marquee, whilst using the beautifully manicured lawns to enjoy some cocktails and canapés, pre the main event. It also allowed some of the children time to enjoy a game of swingball.
After drinking the cocktails and allowing me some great opportunities for candid shots, the guests headed inside to the marquee for the wedding breakfast. The table plan had my seal of approval, countries that the couple had traveled to together (what a cute idea this was).
Unusually Molly & John decided not to have any speeches or first dance, but instead, decided to let the party begin, so everyone could have a fantastic night.
I look back on this day and think how privileged I am to photograph a service at the beautiful Canterbury cathedral and follow this at such an amazing venue, such as Goodnestone Park. Added to this, to be able to do this, for such a wonderful couple and all their family & friends