Two amazing bridal looks. A gorgeous groom and stunning bride. Hundreds of really squeezy hugs, smiles and happy tears. Fabulous florals and a packed out, riotous dance floor. Incredible images to remember it all by… today’s wedding is perfection.
If there’s a dream team in weddings, it’s got to be York Place Studios and Stone Barn. I’ve admired York Place as the gold standard in documentary wedding photography since the very early days of English Wedding: they’re a huge part of the reason I love this photography style more than any other. Stone Barn too, is one of the very best: part of the fabulous Cripps & Co’s portfolio of wedding venues. Experts in everything about modern weddings, they’ve blazed a trail to turn barns into beautiful spaces for celebrations since the 90s. Safe to say Ellie & Alex made the BEST choices in their wedding supplier team and their day was out of this world.
It’s impossible to describe what a wedding means in one sentence. It’s the end result of months of planning, it’s the highest point in your relationship ever – so far! It’s wondering if your parents will cry, or if you will. It’s a lifetime of friendships all joining together, a commitment to your dreams of forever. So, with all that in mind, how should you choose your wedding photographer?
With care, of course. Together, definitely. And with a super clear idea of what you want from your wedding photographers on the day, and from your wedding photographs in the future.
Like so many couples, Alex and Ellie weren’t looking for photographers who’d set up posed shots, take them away from the party or interrupt a single second of their day. They wanted photos to last a lifetime, to capture the “humour, emotion and real moments that can’t be scripted or planned for.” When they reached out to York Place Studios they knew just what was important to them: “Ultimately, we want to capture a candid side of all the people there. So in years to come we can look back and immediately feel the personality of everyone there.”
And that’s everything. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer right now, and you’re thinking what those images will mean to you in twenty years’ time, you’re on to something special. If you’re looking for wedding images that will capture the sparkle in your parents’ eyes so their personalities sing from the page when your grandchildren leaf through your wedding album, you already know exactly what’s important in wedding photography. Ellie and Alex did, and as you scroll through their images you’ll see just how authentic and exceptional they are!
As ever, I’ve saved some of my favourite images from Ellie and Alex’s wedding to share on instagram over the next couple of days. Follow @englishweddingblog so you don’t miss them!
It’s ok to share a Christmas wedding in May, right? We’re about to fill your screens with oodles of sparkly joy from Georgia & Sean’s romantic Christmas wedding in Kent. The lovely pair were wed in December. Their wedding was elegant and romantic with natural styling touches. This one’s been sent in by our friends at The Ferry House. All of the fabulous images are by Chris Blackledge Photography. (As always, there’ll be more of our top favourites on instagram – @englishweddingblog)
“Working with Sean & Georgia was a pleasure. They chose an elegant look with heaps of fairylights and candlelight. We balanced the soft pink table cloths and napkins with a mix of candle or floral table centres. Under the canopy of fairy lights and foliage garlands felt intimate and inviting for their guests. Finished with green votives and the cutest crackers that Georgia sourced, the final look was romantic, elegant and stylish. Setting the tone for their beautiful wedding which Chris Blackledge captured perfectly.” ~ The Ferry House
Photographer – Chris Blackledge Photography
Venue – The Ferry House
Dress – Isabella Grace Bridal in Tunbridge Wells
Suit – Hawes and Curtis
Groomsmen suits – Slaters
Hire & styling – Idyllic & Co
Hair – Bridal Hair by Suzy
Make up – Helen Lee MUA
Flowers – The Flower Company
Our wedding photographer: Chris Blackledge Photography
Chris is an amazing photographer. It was important for us to find someone that had worked at the venue before and Chris is a recommended supplier at The Ferry House. He is very friendly and was always on hand to answer any questions during the lead up to our wedding. On the day he made both Sean & I feel so at ease when being in front of a camera seemed a little daunting.
We are so happy with the photos and Chris captured the Christmas feel of our wedding perfectly. We couldn’t recommend Chris highly enough.
The venue: The Ferry House
We always knew we wanted a winter wedding, we loved the idea of combining a Christmas celebration with our special day. However, finding a venue with enough indoor space proved more difficult than we thought! I came across The Ferry House on Instagram. I loved the fact that they had three separate large indoor areas for the ceremony, drinks reception and meal/evening reception.
We fell in love with the venue on our first visit. The bar area felt so warm and inviting with the fireplaces. The barn for the ceremony is rustic and looks beautiful without having to add anything to it. The event suite was big enough to seat all our guests and provided a blank space for us to make it everything we wanted & more with the help of Sophie at Idyllic.
The staff at the Ferry House are incredible. We had a number of face-to-face meetings during the build-up and the regular communications always made sure we were on track with the planning process. On the day we had a dedicated member of staff, Maxine, who could not have done enough to make sure everything ran smoothly. The bar stuff were great, they even had a special Christmas cocktail menu which our guests loved! The food was incredible and so many people have complimented us on everything they ate throughout the day. The Ferry House is fantastic, we are so lucky that we got to have our wedding at such an amazing venue.
A special review for Idyllic & Co
We were so happy with everything you did for our wedding. The venue looked better than we ever could have imagined and we really appreciated all the hard work you put in, especially coming the day before to set everything up! It was just so lovely knowing that we didn’t need to worry about anything and we trusted that you knew the exact vibe we were wanting and you completely nailed it!
Doesn’t it feel like we’re halfway into summer already? The sunshine always makes me happy, and having Holly and Thomas’s wedding on my screen today is taking summer vibes and my smile to a whole other level! This gorgeous pair married in August and chose lovely Isle of Wight wedding photographer SJ Jones Photography to capture their day at East Afton Farmhouse. They’ve written some fabulous reviews for their favourite suppliers so keep reading, and as always, more of my favourite photos on instagram @englishweddingblog – look out for the table plan, it’s amazing!
Wedding photographer’s website
Steve Jones Photography https://www.sjjonesphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
We are so happy we picked Steve to do our wedding photography – as two people that are a little camera shy, he did such a great job of blending into the background whilst snapping the perfect candids! We are so happy with our experience with Steve.
Your best wedding moment or memory
The groomsmen running people to and from different barns with picnic table parasols to shelter everyone from the rain!
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
Rented potted plants centrepieces! We tried to consider sustainability at every opportunity, and every vendor was great in helping us try to achieve this. (All of the cut flowers were preserved)
Videographer name + review
Grace – captured videography.
Grace had such a similar style to Steve, they worked so well together whilst making sure we were comfortable the whole day. We are so happy with everything we received from Grace, particularly the highlights video – she captured our day perfectly.
Venue name + review
East Afton Farmhouse.
Through the support we received from the first day we booked, to the wedding coordinator on the day, East Afton was the perfect choice for us. Set in the beautiful countryside of the Isle of Wight, it was full of such lovely photo opportunities, and a bonus that we had the venue for the whole weekend! Meant we could spend longer with our guests.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Holly: White wedding dress, strapless with lace
Thomas: 3 piece pink suit
Dress or suit shop name + review
The dress and accessories were from Gems, a bridal shop on the Isle of Wight.
They were so lovely, and with an in house alterations service they made the whole process seamless – the dress was a Maggie Sottero
The suit was from Moss, who provided a really quick turn around with the made to order suits, and a lot of flexibility for the rentals (dads and groomsmen!)
Bridesmaids dresses
La Closet de Chanel
They were made to measure at a really reasonable price, and were multiway which meant the bridesmaids could all pick a style they were comfortable in, whilst not having to shop around to find matching colours!
Florist name + review
Sarah Matthews florist
The team at the florist were so lovely, and helped us to achieve our vision. We were so happy with the bouquets, and they nailed the brief!
Cake maker name + review
Ems bakes cakes @_emsbakescakes
Emily is our best friend, and she did SUCH a good job baking our cake. It tasted beautiful, looked gorgeous, and helped us through design choices. (We are biased, but have a look at her instagram – it tastes even better than it looks too!)
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
We designed and printed our own stationery.
All of our tables were named after our family pets!! A lovely lady we found online is very crafty, and she did a perfect little painting of each pet on a wood slice for each table for us. @storminateacupgifts
Wedding readings?
Grooms mum and one of our best friends did a lovely poem each!
Wedding planner name + review
All done in house by East Afton – another bonus of booking with them! They crushed it.
Hair + makeup name + review
Lyndsey-Marie MUA.
Lyndsey and her team were such a nice group to start off our day with! We are so happy with the hair and makeup results which lasted all day.
An epic sunset for a stunning couple on their Northamptonshire wedding day. James and Harriet incorporated some really thoughtful and heartwarming touches into their day, and it’s wonderful to be sharing these with you. The groom and bride have shared warm reviews and recommendations for their Dodford Manor suppliers with us, and it’s been a treat scrolling through all of their images as I write this blog! Top tip: keep reading all the way to the end… the last few shots are simply out of this world!
Wedding photographer’s website
James and Harriet chose Dodford Manor wedding photographer Sky Photography (https://www.skyphotography.co.uk) and gave them a fantastic review – keep scrolling to read what they said!
Wedding photographer review
Simon and Karla at Sky Photography were absolutely incredible at capturing our Dodford Manor wedding day perfectly. They found the perfect balance between candid and posed shots – ensuring all parts of our day were pictured with all the little details too. Their calm, approachable manner made us feel at ease throughout the day.
Your best wedding moment or memory
It is extremely hard to choose one favourite memory from our day but if we were to pick we would have to say the ceremony. This surprised us alot as we expected the ‘party’ to be our highlight. However, being able to share the very moment we were married with all our favourite people was just incredible.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
Our wedding favours were shots in little bottles (which I believe isn’t too uncommon) however during the Groom’s speech we used these shots to remember loved ones who couldn’t be there with us on our special day.
Venue name + review
Dodford Manor – a truly beautiful venue.
This venue really have perfected every aspect – from how it looks to how your day runs. This modernised barn is set amongst beautiful fields creating the perfect photos and serene feel to the day. The food is amazing and they really do cater to exactly what you are looking for. Staff were attentive and friendly throughout the day.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
I (the bride) wore a simple, classic a line dress by Maggie Sottero from Shades of White – St Ives.
The Groom wore a beige tweed suit from Moss Bros.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Shade of White created a beautiful, relaxed experience while shopping for my perfect dress. They offered tips but allowed you to explore and try on a range of dresses without becoming to overwhelmed. The shop is stunning and has a really lovely feel to it.
Wedding florist name + review
Jack Haddon – this florist really understood the venue and listened really carefully to what I wanted in order to make the flowers exactly what I wanted on the day (and completely stress free).
Wedding readings?
We had two readings during our ceremony – one from the grooms dad and the other a friend. They found readings online which when reading reminded them of us. They then made slight changes to these to make them personal to us – this made both readings very special.
Hair + makeup name + review
Make up – Amy Rose Make Up Artist (Cotswold based).
Amy creates a very fresh, simple look which was exactly what I was after. My make up looked perfect and lasted all day. Amy asked lots of questions and listened carefully to everyone to create the perfect look for each person.
Hair – Katrina Kelly Wedding Hair.
Katrina creates the most stunning Hollywood waves which was exactly the look I wanted. She styled my hair so effortlessly and it felt comfortable and lasted all day and night! She was also able to tie in my bridesmaid hair styles to suit mine perfectly with a low ponytail with Hollywood waves.
Evening entertainment
For our evening music we had a band – The Modcons. They were brilliant! They atmosphere they created was amazing and they always had people up on the dance floor. An absolutely excellent band!
A beautiful summer wedding with amazing images by Kent wedding photographer Benjamin Toms. Joe and Dilini are utterly gorgeous, elegant and relaxed and wonderful together. I adore natural wedding photography like this: Ben’s photography style has always been timeless, authentic and with a focus on the moments that matter more than anything in the world. I’ve saved some favourites of my own to share on instagram – watch out for a collection of hugs on @englishweddingblog which brought a tear to my eye!
The venue: The Old Kent Barn
The photographer: Benjamin Toms Photography (Kent based, but Ben travels worldwide)
Dilini’s ceremony dress: Allegra by Justin Alexander, from London Bride UK
Evening dress: Unona on Etsy
Joe’s suit: Frencheye
“Ben was absolutely incredible; he captured all of our special moments so beautifully. He was a joy to work with—funny, personable, and incredibly patient. Both Joe and I are not typically comfortable in front of the camera, but with Ben’s guidance, everything felt natural. He made us feel at ease and ensured we never felt awkward during the photos.” ~ Dilini and Joe
“Trends come and go, but your wedding photos should stand the test of time. My images are designed to be classic and elegant, ensuring they’ll remain as meaningful on your 50th anniversary as they were the day you first saw them. No gimmicks, just genuine artistry that celebrates your love.” ~ Benjamin Toms, Dilini & Joe’s Old Kent Barn wedding photographer
Ben Toms is a Hitched Wedding Awards 2025 winner, recognised as one of the very best wedding photographers in Kent
Dilini’s first dress is a breathtaking and fabulously detailed strapless sweetheart slim ball gown. It suits her perfectly, with contemporary leafy beaded appliqués that cascade down the tulle skirt, modern exposed boning to the bodice, and a Chantilly underlay. This dress is Allegra, by Justin Alexander.
I absolutely adore the dress Dilini changed into for the evening: a romantic A-line corset dress with a heart-shaped neckline, beautifully draped sleeves and a full, asymmetrical skirt. It’s by Unona, based in Kyiv, who ship worldwide from their Etsy shop and have fabulous reviews from customers!
