Hannah & james
The Barns at redcoats
hitchin
I found Hannah at her grandparent’s home in a sweet little village just outside Hitchin. Hannah's childhood bedroom was untouched, and there was something about the fact that the place where she'd made so many special memories with her family growing up was where she was now getting ready with her two closest friends and mum, ready to make a whole load more. It was the loveliest morning and for a split second I think we all forgot why we were there, too busy getting glammed by the brilliant Holly Sweeney Ferris and Helen from Alexander Wedding Belles! Every part of Hannah's look had been thought through, right down to her nails, which were a nod to their beloved cat Pickle, whose ashes were also in their rings. Her dress from La Creme Brides, featured the lace monograms the couple had bought in Bruges, where they got engaged. I love it when parts of a couple's story make their way into the wedding details like this. From the house, we could look out over the village green and watch guests making the very short walk to the church before it was Hannah’s turn.
After the ceremony, we headed out for confetti and hugs before Hannah and James popped back to the house for some photos in the garden, which was clearly her grandmother's pride and joy. Then it was off to The Barns at Redcoats, which had been dressed to perfection with flowers from Hire and Admire and all the stationery designed by Hannah herself…because apparently planning a wedding wasn't enough! I also loved all the mini point-and-shoot cameras they'd left on the tables for guests to play with. Such a fun idea handing over cameras to guests and hoping for the best is always going to produce some of the best shots of the night (apart from mine of course!!). The guests were also VERY invested in the crossword the couple had laid out. These people clearly know their couple because five tables came joint first! The winner was decided by who handed in their completed quiz first, the competitive spirit was alive and well.
Their cake by The Mad Batter was a real showstopper, and I loved that they'd topped it with a Polaroid picture we'd taken that day as their cake topper. It's a trend I've been seeing more and more this year and one I'm very much on board with…or cake board should I say?!
After dinner, we made the most of the evening light and went exploring around Redcoats for some photos before heading back to the dance floor and throwing some serious shapes. With GOAT DJ Paul from Jolly Boys on the decks, you know you're in for a good one!
Personal Highlight:
It had to simply be Hannah walking across the village green to the church, just as she'd probably done countless times before. Only this time, she was in her wedding dress, with her dad beside her, her besties following, the neighbours were watching and applauding from their doorways and a church full of people waiting for her at the other side.
“Getting married on the North London fringe, we had a huge range of photographers that we could have gone with. However, none felt right... until we found Sally. Her work was stunning, but crucially she felt like such a real, normal person. Rather than boasting about any awards, she let her work do the talking, and we were blown away with it. Just one phone call with her meant that we knew instantly she HAD to be our wedding photographer. I don't feel like we just booked a wedding photographer though, instantly she gave us the lowdown on some other suppliers we were considering and was on hand to give practical advice throughout; to be honest, on the day it felt like she was an invited guest, helping with the little things (including doing up my wife's dress and an emergency makeup fix at the church!) but crucially, took some stunning photos. The biggest compliment was that I was gutted when she had to leave towards the end of the night! We could not be happier with our choice. 10/10. ”
