I’ve always wanted to shoot a ‘Countryside’ wedding, and on May 4th I got to do just that! Amy & David got married at Pimhill Barn at Lea Hall near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, a fantastic old barn dating back to 1584, architecturally stunning with original high oak beams, exposed brick work and rustic wooden flooring with surrounding farm buildings and amazing views of our green and pleasant land!
The style throughout the day was ‘country side and hand made’ with Amy’s original 70’s wedding dress from ‘Glory Days’ vintage shop in York (www.glorydaysvintage.co.uk), and with Amy’s sisters Katie and Felicity in gorgeous spring yellow – each holding hand tied wild flowers by Hobo Floral Design (www.hoboflorist.co.uk) all made to set the tone.
I started out with the morning prep shots at the girls family home (an amazing old farm house building with picture perfect original Dutch barn to the side, several old sheds and little sectioned off gardens……so much to look at! How lucky to grow up here!
I was also made to to feel very welcome by joining the family for lunch – home made soup made by Amy’s mum!
So….after the hair, make up, gifts, hugs, crying and laughter it was time for some shots outside with mum and dad and both sisters before I headed off to Pimhill Barn.
I hadn’t been able to do a pre-visit to the barn so this was my first ever viewing, it really was beautiful and to see peoples faces as they arrived, I knew this was going to be really special!
I managed to find David with his best man and usher milling around, I told them to pull their socks up and start getting prepared for the Brides arrival!
We took a walk up the very long lane and headed back to the barn to greet their guests and make sure everyone was seated inside.
The morning swept by so fast, I was now waiting outside the barn doors with Amy, knowing that the next time she would be standing here, it would be as Davids wife!
I love this picture of the barn doors because behind these doors is the boy Amy is about to marry! Behind these doors are all their friends and family, rooting for them. Behind these doors awaits the next part of Amy and Davids life together, pretty cool really.
The service was an emotional one, starting off with a song…’Bring me sunshine’, with lots of happy tears and laughter followed by 2 readings, (one of them a Pam Ayres favourite of mine – ‘He never leaves the seat up’).
With the barn all set up for guests to be seated during the ceremony, Amy & David planned to be outside for the group shots while a massive turn around went on inside, converting the barn now into a dining area – AMAZING delegation and team work by the bridesmaids & ushers here and a huge thanks to Katy for shouting out the line ups for me, it pays to be loud!
Now for my favourite part of the day where I get to take the new Mr & Mrs for a walk so they can have some time together away from the guests and the party and capture some really special moments in the surrounding area, this time in the wonderful gardens of the barn owners house next door which is equally if not more stunning!
The rest of the day goes by in a haze of bubbles and laughter until we get to the speeches. OK.., so I’ve been to a few weddings by now and I can say that these speeches were the funniest I’ve ever heard, I had to stop taking photos at one point as I was shaking with giggles so much. The musical talent oozed from David and his brother as they sang their was through their own speeches with their own songs written especially for the occasion, however David got his wedding guests to write the words for him during the meal. Genius!
Each table also had wedding favours hand made for the guests by David and Amy, I had some jam! – lovely!
After some lovely food, we all went outside again while the barn was turned around once more to become the dance floor complete with a stage for the open mic sessions the guests were invited to perform on for Amy & David, again setting president for how much talent there was in the room. I was blown away by some of the wonderful songs, poems and performances given, including a fantastic shadow puppet light show, I stayed throughout the first dance until the near end.
A few words that sum the day up for me.
Daisies, spring, yellow, countryside, bunting, hand-made, wooden sign, Pam Ayres, Vintage, Owl & the Pussycat, Jam, Music, Laughing, Violins, Singing Quartet, Dicky Bows, Polaroids, Crying, Barn, Jumping for Joy, Love, Bells, Family, Sunshine.
All thats left to say is Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Bell, an awesome talented couple!
