A village hall wedding in Essex

Katie and Simon were so head over heels in love, that from the first time I met them I knew their wedding would be great.

They are one of those couples that you meet and think, ‘wow, they have something truly special’.   Their ceremony was amazing, they had a full live band in the church, as well as singers and the whole atmosphere was awesome.  It really stood out in terms of a church ceremony. I found out later that they are Christian and regularly go to church, so it makes sense that that part of the day felt so genuine.

I’m really passionate about weddings that reflect you, as a couple..  Whether that’s a 3-day messy festival, or a small elopement with just your closest family and friends. It’s those personal details that always make the best weddings.  There’s nothing worse than a wedding that feels like it’s just going through the motions, but nothing better than a wedding that feels just right for the couple getting married.  They are the weddings that always bring a tear to my eye, because they are just so full of meaning.

Katie had done loads of little details herself for this wedding.  I was completely in awe!  She created all the headpieces, the decor for the venue and the flowers, all of which looked fantastic. They also chose a great little venue for their reception, a beautiful village hall.  It was mostly held outside, but the hall was a good back-up plan in case it rained. I love that they had a food van serving up mezze to all the guests eating on the lawn, lots of garden games for the kids and a bar made from re-purposed pallets.  There’s some beautiful village halls dotted round the Essex and Suffolk countryside and they make great wedding venues if you don’t mind a bit of a DIY approach.

Food: The Wandering Yak

Make-up: Polly Mann

Hair: Joanna Swanwick

Venue: Berden Village Hall

Read what Katie had to say about their photos at the end of this post.

What Katie had to say about their photos:

“Jess was so sweet and relaxed we knew we’d picked the right photographer from when we first met! She let the day flow and captured so beautifully the fun and happiness of it! We didn’t just want pictures of us, but beautiful photographs that captured us. Ones that we could cherish, that’s exactly what we have. “