A Rustic Lavender Summer wedding at Elmhay Park – Orchardleigh Estate

Weddings

April 23, 2022

” Rebecca did our Wedding in August 2021 she was professional and so helpful on both, the day and in the pre-wedding meetings. Rebecca has a very professional but also friendly approach and no idea from us was too much for her. Our photos are beautiful and both myself and my wife are over the moon by how they have turned out, with some even better than we could have imagined when going through our ideas. We would 100% recommend Rebecca to anyone that we know and if you choose her to you will not be distinct am sure. Thank you Rebecca for our memories you have helped capture. “

– Aaron Pettersen

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I met Sammy & Aaron for their initial consultation at their home where I was greeted by their fur babies Willow & Buddy! We chatted all about their plans for their wedding photos and I was told that Buddy & Willow would also be making an appearance on the day! I was so excited to shoot Sammy & Aaron’s wedding back in August 2021, it was my first time shooting at Elmhay Park, Orchardleigh Estate, a stunning local venue that I couldn’t wait to shoot at! Elmhay Park with its walled Garden and golf course meant for some gorgeous backdrops for their couples portraits.

On the day I met Sammy at the castle at Orchardleigh Estate where getting ready preparations had begun! Shortly after we all headed down to the cottages to finish the final getting ready prep and I then met Aaron eagerly waiting for Sammy in the Italian Garden for their Ceremony. It was the most gorgeous Summer’s day with plenty of mixing and mingling with their guests. Willow and Buddy made an appearance during couples portraits, space hoppers, garden games, a caricaturist and singer Dan Reynard kept guests entertained all throughout cocktail hour, we ended the afternoon with a beautiful golden hour. Dan then sang their first dance and continued into the evening before finishing with sparklers!

It is always so lovely to work alongside videographers on a wedding day and I was thrilled when I found out Sammy & Aaron had booked Nigel at Ever After Films! Nigel was my videographer for my own wedding back in August 2019 so it was a pleasure to shoot alongside him, this time being the other side of the camera!

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FEATURED

Sammy & Aaron’s wedding has been published over in Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding Magazine in their April/May 2022 issue! You can read the full 4 page feature by clicking here

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HOW DID YOU MEET?

We met when we were working together and after losing touch rekindled and then began our relationship.

YOUR PROPOSAL STORY

We travelled to Marrakesh for a holiday and on a day trip to a local waterfall whilst at the base I asked a couple to take our photo and dropped to one knee and asked the most important question and got the best answer as well as some slight tears.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING DATE?

We wanted a summer wedding for the school holidays and we were lucky due to our date being the first Monday that weddings returned to normality

HOW & WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING VENUE?

We visited many venues and Elmhay Park ticked all the boxes of having space for us to make our wedding our own but a beautiful venue to give us the best start.

DID YOU HAVE A WEDDING THEME?

We went with a rustic theme and colour of lavender.

WERE THERE ANY PERSONAL OR MEANINGFUL TOUCHES?

Sammy made the majority of the decorations we had for the day from a hand made wood burnt order of the day sign right down to the individual wedding favours. As well as this we both gave each other gifts in the morning which both contained photos of our time together and also with Sammy’s we followed the something old…something new.. rhyme.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE DAY?

We loved having our dogs at the wedding in their personalise outfits for photos and to have a play with all the children. We have different favourite parts of the day, Sammy’s was the ceremony and mine was dancing as husband and wife but not our first dance a little later on after a few drinks as we had never before our wedding danced together

ANY MEMORABLE OR FUNNY MOMENTS ON THE DAY?

The groomsmen on the space hoppers for photos, Aaron saying “I Do” too early and being able to bring our friends and family together for the first time in years

YOUR FIRST DANCE SONG?

Justin Bieber – Lifetime

YOUR HONEYMOON

We had planned to go to Dominican Republic but due to restrictions we chose to re arrange and went to Tenerife. Dominican Republic is still somewhere we would love to go and we hope to go for an anniversary instead.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ME AS YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?

We had been searching and your photos suited what we wanted from our photographer, but when we met for our consultation we loved your personality and your method of working on the day and these were all amazing on our wedding day, we loved the friendly relationship, the professionalism, the fact that when we wanted something or wanted a break it was easy to arrange, but still got our beautiful photos and memories. We are both so thankful for your involvement in the day.

ANY ADVICE OR TIPS FOR OTHER COUPLES CURRENTLY PLANNING THEIR WEDDING?

The number one piece of advice for any couple would be to make sure you run away throughout the day and have moments just the two of you! You are pulled pillar to post with trying to spend time with everyone there and the structure of the day. We had been told this by so many couples and we were so grateful we listened as without this we would have not shared the moments together. We made sure to take a few moments throughout the day to sit and reflect and just spend time together.

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SUPPLIERS

Venue – Elmhay Park

Videographer – Ever After Films

Dress – Jennifer Wren Bridal via Belle of the Ball Bridals

Bridesmaid Dresses – Ever Pretty

Flower Girl Dresses – Monsoon

HMUA – Leanne Jane

Stylist – I Do Weddings

Singer – Dan Reynard / KiD RAiN

Cake – Petals Bakehouse

Caricaturist – Demonpen Caricatures

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