Sarah-Louise and Sam’s big day was a relaxed, country affair at Marks Hall Estate in Essex. I fell in love with their images, which perfectly capture the spirit of their celebrations and love. The brick walls and twinkling fairy lights are a beautiful backdrop for the reception; the gardens are breathtaking for portrait shots.

We were really lucky that our venue didn’t need a lot of styling. The venue spoke for itself really, it’s a beautiful coach house, exposed red brick inside with a really high ceiling and exposed beems. Lisa our wedding coordinator had organised fairy lights all over the ceiling. We had our table flowers done by Sophie Kim. I did a sweet table for the kids that were there too!

Try not to leave yourself too much to do on the day. Be happy to ask for help so you can just enjoy yourselves. Make sure you take a few minutes on your own as a couple to look around and really take it all in!

Images are by Essex wedding photographer Craig Williams Photography. Craig shoots weddings all over the UK and abroad, and specialises in alternative wedding photography. Discover him here:

http://craigwilliams.net
Instagram.com/craigowilliams
Facebook.com/craigwilliamsphoto
Twitter.com/craigowilliams

My husband is obsessed with photography and spent months trawling through photographers websites, we found Craig and Kate’s webpage and loved their work, simple and beautiful and quirky at the same time!

We were very happy. Craig and Kate are a fabulous pair. From the moment we walked into their house, we knew they were the people for us. Neither my husband or myself are huge fans of having our photos taken but Craig and kate made it feel like being photographed by old friends. Craig had gone out to the venue before hand to scout the location and this really paid off as we were in a post “I do” blur.

We received a small selection of shots shortly after the wedding and then recieved a beautifully presented USB stick filled with stunning photos telling the story of our wedding. Couldn’t fault them from start to finish.

We were sent a link to a website to view our photos and a slide show. We sat down with a glass of wine and watched the slideshow. Craig had added some lovely songs to the slides and it really blew us away. The photos told our wedding story beautifully and makes us smile every time we look at them.

http://craigwilliams.net

Wedding venue:

Marks hall, Coggeshall. Essex

Wedding month:

July

Can you describe your wedding in fewer than 10 words?

Chilled out garden party with family and friends.

Your wedding style or theme:

Summer garden party

Where did you find your suppliers? (Blogs, magazines, recommendations?)

Our venue provided food and wedding decorations which took away a lot of the stress.
Most of the suppliers we used, we googled.

What’s your top tip for saving money?

We made our own invites and found a flyer printer rather than a wedding specialist.

… and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

We splashed out on a photobooth which was great and always get a great photographer.

Where did you buy or source your wedding stationery – or was making it a labour of love?

We actually had fun making it, even if we over ordered by 150 invites (who knew couples only required one invite)

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

Absolutely, I bought it back in ireland with my grandmother and then had a bridesmaid escort it over to the uk.

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

Serenity brides,
Arklow
County Wicklow. (Now closed)

Tell us about your accessories: jewellery, shoes and anything else!

I bought earings from not on the high street and my aunt gave me her hand made hair clip from her wedding( that was my something borrowed and old) And I mustn’t forgot my Jimmy Choo shoes.

And what did the groom wear?

A handmade bespoke suit from the Grooms Room, at Abigail’s in colchester.

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

Dresses were bought from Dessy.com. I went to look at them in Hillary B in Essex.

Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?

Hair and make up was by Blowers in colchester and they were fantastic, we all went down the morning of the wedding, Naoimi who owns the salon had opened up early so we could all be done on time. She had prosecco for all of us to celebrate. It was such a lovely way to start the day.

Describe your wedding flowers. Who arranged them for you? (florist details would be lovely please)

Sophie Kim, she was great and delivered the bouquets to our house and then set up at the venue.

Crafts and makes – tell us about any homemade elements of your wedding… did you enjoy them?

We named each table after an area of London that had meaning for us, my husband took photos of each area to be displayed on each table.

The wedding cake: what kind of cake did you choose and why?

We had an actual cheese cake made by Guntons in colchester.

Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?

To keep the cost down we just used the Dj provided by the venue.

What’s the best thing about being married?

The cheesy stuff is true, being able to spend the rest of your life with the person you love!