Pumpkins, true love, and Elton John – this wedding had it all
In October, I was invited to capture Polly and Jack’s pumpkin themed wedding at Vaulty Manor, a restored barn wedding venue in Essex. And it was the setting for one of my favourite weddings EVER! Exquisite styling combined with quirky retro details, a beautiful venue and immaculate attention to every detail. And above all, a couple who were absolutely besotted with each other. I just know you’ll love this wedding as much as I did.
Vaulty Manor is now my new favourite wedding venue in Essex!
As a Kent wedding photographer, I’m blessed to have all the amazing wedding venues of both Kent and Essex right on my doorstep. And Vaulty Manor is definitely worth the trip across the Thames!
The beautifully restored 17th Century barn is surrounded by blissful countryside, with sweeping views across the grounds and a gorgeous rustic aesthetic. Combine this with Polly and Jack’s flawless styling and we were onto a winner!
Barn wedding venues have become really popular over the last couple of years. If you’re looking for a relaxed, laid back wedding venue with limitless styling possibilities, barn venues like Vaulty Manor are a great choice.
How to get the best wedding photos
We photographers LOVE it when the stage is set for epic photos! Polly and Jack really valued their photography, and so they made sure I had every opportunity to capture their day in the most beautiful way.
From the bridal prep to the dance floor, everything was visually perfect and considered. The bridal prep room was free of clutter, and the dress hung up on a beautiful hanger against a clear wall. And Polly and her bridesmaids all had matching dressing gowns to get ready in, that matched the colour scheme of the wedding!
If you approach your wedding planning with this kind of forethought for photography, it’ll help make sure every shot looks like it belongs in a magazine. You can read more of my Bridal Prep Photo Tips here!
Give yourself time to enjoy the experience
But most importantly of all, we had time! There wasn’t that panicked look at the clock, followed by the usual mad, stressful rush to the church. And it meant we could take our time. I could capture the incredibly emotional ‘first look’ with Polly and her dad. We could capture the bridesmaids and Polly getting into their retro VW wedding cars. We even had time for Prosecco! And I still got to the church in plenty of time to speak to the vicar and capture Polly arriving.
But photography aside, it meant we could all enjoy the experience. Polly will never have another wedding day, and these moments with her father and her bridesmaids were precious, never-to-be repeated memories. I just loved that they were savouring every second of them. And as a storytelling photographer, it was perfect! Because I wasn’t trying to selectively shoot in order to tell the tale of a calm and blissfully happy bride. I really had a calm and blissfully happy bride! And I was just telling her story.
So my advice for getting the best wedding photos would be to follow Polly’s lead. Make sure everything is set up, ready for knockout photos. And ensure you give yourself enough time to have a relaxed day, so you can take the time to really enjoy it.
Pumpkin themed wedding
A pumpkin-themed wedding is a rare and beautiful thing! And Polly and Jack succeeded in taking this very niche theme and making it cool, fun and beautiful all at the same time!
Pumpkin illustrations decorated the seating plan, Baby Boos and Jack Be Littles adorned the tables. And every item of stationery by Design by Emily gave a little nod to the pumpkin theme.
But it didn’t stop there! The orange and peach flashes of roses and dahlia in the stunning bouquet, as well as the groomsmen’s toffee rose pinholes, all by Blume Lifestyle. The amber table runner draped over the head table, Jack and his groomsmen’s orange bow ties. All the details were subtly, perfectly in-sync with the overarching pumpkin theme. Polly and Jack nailed it!
An Essence of Australia dress and a veil with (you guessed it!) more pumpkins!
Polly looked absolutely stunning with a low sleek chignon bun and an Essence of Australia dress. With a deep neckline, flowing train and illusion mesh sleeves, it’s easy to see why Essence of Australia have become one of the most admired dress designers of this year.
Her veil was hand-embroidered by Lauren Mizon Bespoke Veils. Pumpkins, Polly and Jack’s initials, and a quote from their first dance – ‘Your Song’ by Elton John – combined to make the veil a beautiful little summary of the day. Don’t you just LOVE their attention to detail?! Polly’s ‘Something Blue’ was her pair of heels from the Rainbow Club. And later in the evening, she changed into sparkly flats from ASOS, decorated with ‘Just married’ clips from Etsy. Pumpkin themed, of course!
Quirky retro details
Polly and Jack managed to keep their wedding absolutely beautiful, and fun at the same time. And they did this by balancing the beautiful details with loads of quirky ones!
From the convertible VW Beetle wedding car, to the vintage flower scooter used as a cake table (and adorned with more pumpkins!) Everywhere you looked were little details that had so much thought put into them, and that visually set the wedding apart.
It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside
As I look through the gallery again, the way Polly and Jack looked at each other still melts my heart. You can tell they were just absolutely besotted with each other. So much so, I ended up doing multiple couple portrait sessions!
And there were so many moments that made the day memorable. When Polly’s wedding car broke down over the road from the church, and her dad had to stop traffic so she could run across! When Jack quoted Polly’s favourite film, Moulin Rouge during his speech and her face lit up. Their loved-up first dance to Elton John’s ‘Your Song’. That completely emotional first look that brought tears to her father’s eyes. It was a day full of love and emotion, and one I will never forget.
Love my work? Get in touch!
I’m a natural, documentary photographer based in Kent, but I travel worldwide capturing people’s love stories. I aim to photograph your wedding in the most beautiful, natural way possible, with a mixture of candid, emotional moments, and stunning portraits. I’m passionate about making sure you have the best day of your lives, and delivering a wedding gallery you’ll cherish forever.
If you love my work and would love to have me part of your wedding day, please get in touch today.
