With the wedding gods smiling upon the village of Pitminster in Somerset, and Bank Holiday weather you only dream about, the stage was set for Sarah and Tom's perfect wedding day.
Sarah's preparations were held at her father's house, which was also the setting for the reception later on. The bustle of morning activity is always interesting: there is excitement in the air, things are all coming together with everyone helping out left, right and centre. I also caught up with groom Tom and the boys at the Queen's Arms down the road. The laid-back atmosphere and banter was great to capture. However, there were a few nerves from our main man Tom as he only managed to eat the one scotch egg. Nevertheless, he was all ready for the biggest moment of his life and I left them to finish their platters and ale to catch Sarah having the final adjustments made to her dress.
The arrival of a splendid horse and carriage signalled the commencement of the church ceremony and a very happy Mr and Mrs V emerged into the sunlight after rousing hymns, heartfelt readings and life-joining vows. After a marvellous confetti line they clambered aboard the magnificent carriage and Rocky the shirehorse trotted off amongst cheers and whoops to meet us back at the reception.
Sun, champagne and croquet: good ingredients indeed. The reception was delightful, very chilled and gave plenty of time for guests to relax and enjoy themselves after their stroll.
I took Sarah and Tom off for 15 minutes to get some cool location photographs around the garden. It was great to see the two of them together and just so happy to be in each others' arms. Strong sunlight can sometimes be a photographer's biggest nightmare, but finding the right angles and being careful, it can be used to your advantage. I was delighted to see the blossom had started to emerge and used it as background where I could.
Inside the beautifully decorated marquee, bird cages exploding with gorgeous flowers from Wendy Symes, wine glasses filled with chocolates and individual cupcakes welcomed guests. What was wonderful was the amount of natural light which poured through the end of the marquee which was a real treat.
When everyone was settled the speeches began. All of which were delivered with great oratory skill, no mean feat with 140 people hanging on your every word, trust me!
With just a few minutes before the sun disappeared, Rupert the videographer and I stole the Bride and Groom away to get a few more portraits. The light at this time of day is sublime and wraps softly. The best time to get a few romantic shots!
A magnificent wedding breakfast followed with the crack team at Amanda Williams Catering professional and courteous throughout. The food, I can testify, was as fantastic tasting as it looks!
Tom and Sarah showed they're not just compatible in life, but also on the dance floor and gave us all a lesson in how to rock your first dance!
As darkness closed in we had a fantastic display of fireworks by Heritage Fireworks before Funkty Dumpty kicked on with more booty-shaking live music.
There were so many lovely shots from the day, I hope you've enjoyed this small sample. Sarah and Tom, thank you, it was magnificent :)
The people who helped made Sarah and Tom's day rock:
Dress: Tilly Mint
Earrings: Annoushka
Shoes: Dune
Make-Up: Amy Elizabeth
Hair: Rachel-Louise
Suits: Stephen Bishop
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jane Jordan
Florist: Floral Designs by Wendy Symes
Videographer: Rupert Ward-Lewis
Marquee: Abbas
Catering: Amanda Williams (01823 331431)
Cheese Cake: Longman Cheese Ltd
Horse and Carriage: North Curry Carriages
Band: Funkty Dumpty
Fireworks: Heritage Fireworks
And not forgetting me! The one and only Simon Biffen, your creative Somerset wedding photographer
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