A Timeless, Editorial Summer Wedding at Blake Hall
Blake Hall doesn’t need much dressing up. Three 17th-century barns, sixty acres of garden and woodland, and 230 years of the Capel Cure family’s history sitting quietly behind it all — it’s the kind of Essex venue that photographs like it’s been styled for a magazine, without anyone having tried. Which suited Tamzin and Kam perfectly, because a magazine-style shot list was exactly what they’d asked for.
Getting Ready — The Coach House & The Groom’s Room
We’d talked it all through a few weeks before — not just the running order, but the feel they wanted. Editorial group shots. A pic of the groomsmen walking with jackets slung . A magazine-cover moment for Kam.
Tamzin spent the morning getting ready in the Coach House with her five bridesmaids — dress, details, hair and make-up by Essex Wedding Hair & Make-up’s Vanessa Wheatley, and a first look with her dad and step-dad… before anything else got underway. Across the estate, Kam and his five groomsmen were doing the same in their own room, suits from Slaters, with close friend and my trusted second photographer for the day, Ash, keeping pace with the morning’s energy on his side. Gifts had been exchanged by Kam and Tamzin, courtesy of bridal party courtiers and the enormity of the day started to make its feelings known.
The Ceremony & Confetti
By two o’clock, eighty odd guests had filled the Hay Barn for the ceremony — Kam, walking with his mum and step mum down the aisle first ready to wait for Tamzin. The bridesmaids and Tamzin entering courtesy of the Camilli string quartet. Thirty minutes, no readings, nothing but the two of them getting on with it. Or so we thought… A mad moment settled any nerves with lots of laughter, when the rings were forgotten in the boys getting ready room. Ty, Kams brother making the mad dash to find them.
Confetti followed on the grass with the sun behind them, then group photos organised at pace so nobody spent the afternoon standing around: The bridal party having a crazy moment at the direction of myself (a bit of a signature shot of mine)… then the rest of the groups and a few shots with Rolo and Nigel, who behaved considerably better than most wedding dogs manage. Andy Jamieson the magician worked the crowd with unbelievable magic tricks while we shot candids.
The Editorial Portraits
Couple portraits followed in the gardens while the light was still doing the work for us, before everyone regrouped in the Essex Barn for the wedding breakfast.
Speeches & The Wedding Breakfast
Four sets of speeches ran through the afternoon and into the evening — Kam first, then a toast from each family, and a joint send-off from best men Ty and Joe that had the room in stitches before the evening crowd even arrived.
The Evening — Magic, Music & The Dancefloor
By seven, the barn had filled out further for the evening reception. Daryl Djones had well and truly taken over from wherethe Camilli String Quartet had left off… as the night shifted gear. The cake was cut just after half seven — bridal party gathered in with the guests, with another shot i love to do… so the shot tells the story of the whole party rather than just the two of them. First dance followed shortly after, and then Candy dropped and the floor properly filled — no choreographed routine, just two people and their guests enjoying the fact that the formal part of the day was finally, happily, over. I had to get that Wolf of Wall Street shot, Kam wanted and before we left, we grabbed some wonderful Golden Hour shots with them both before starting the packup and drive home.
Both Ash and I would also like to say how wonderful the venue staff had been. It was a sweltering day and they looked after the guests and myself, Ash and Scott from two3six.com admirably. We couldn’t of asked for better.
In Their Words
“We honestly cannot recommend Pele and Ash highly enough… they played a huge part in making our wedding day run so smoothly. They kept everything on track without ever making us feel rushed… Then there’s the photos… absolutely incredible. Every image perfectly captures the emotion, atmosphere, and joy of our wedding day.” — Tamzin & Kam
Getting married at Blake Hall, or another Essex barn wedding with a similar eye for detail? Iwould love to hear from you.
Suppliers: Venue — Blake Hall · Dress — Serena Bridal · Suit — Slaters · Bridesmaids’ dresses — JJ’s House · Hair & make-up — Essex Wedding Hair & Make-up (Vanessa Wheatley) · Catering — Waterhouse Catering · Cake — Fantasy Cake Company · DJ — Daryl Djones · String quartet — Camilli String Quartet · Magician — Andy Jamieson · Videography — two3six.com · Second photographer — Ash Morton Photograph
