“We absolutely love them! So so happy! Thank you so much!” - Bria, The Bride.

Greenwoods Hotel is an elegant wedding venue in Essex, with three dreamy function suites, charming accommodation for guests, an award-winning spa and stunning gardens – cue the most incredible outdoor ceremony space! It’s no wonder that childhood sweethearts, Bria and Aston, chose this as the setting to say, ‘I Do’. This gorgeous pair met in school and are hugely family-orientated – which showed in their nuptials, with Aston’s sisters stood by her side as bridesmaids.

The bride-to-be got ready at Greenwoods Hotel with her array of bridesmaids on the morning of the wedding (with a bottle of bubbly at hand, of course), where I was on hand to capture the very special bridal details. Bria was understandably very nervous getting ready, spending some time with just her mum in the final moments before she made her way to the ceremony. The wedding morning is always such a meaningful time to document – the excitement, the happy chaos, the pampering!

The sun shone for the duration of their outdoor ceremony, where the couple exchanged their vows under a wooden gazebo that had been delicately decorated with florals by Stock Floris. Small bunches of gypsophila were tied to chic white chairs with grey organza ribbon, setting the scene beautifully and tying their colour scheme together. The groom, his groomsmen and the bridesmaids all looked stylish in grey attire.

After the newlyweds had made it official, it was time for the confetti moment. As a wedding photographer, this really is one of my favourite moments. You never quite know how it’s going to turn out and you’ve really got to be ready to nail the petal throwing. But you can always guarantee that everyone will have radiant smiles plastered across their faces, the photographs will be filled with love and the moment itself will be remembered forever.

As guests mingled and enjoyed canapés in the grounds of Greenwoods Hotel, I took the happy couple away for their couple portraits. There are beautiful backdrops aplenty here, so this elegant wedding venue really is a photographer’s dream! It’s easy to see Bria and Aston’s love for one another and it was a pleasure to steal the couple away for a few special moments together during golden hour.

Their reception space was an utter vision, with tables adorned with raised centrepieces overflowing with statement flowers, modern metallic chairs and matching silver organza ribbon. I adored their four-tier semi-naked wedding cake, with a fabulous cake topper of the couple! It’s the personal touches that really do make a wedding day memorable and I’ll always be on hand to capture these details.

Bria and Aston’s day was full of thoughtful touches that their friends and family loved, from their sweetie cart (which went down an absolute treat with their younger guests), a touching photograph table displaying pictures of loved ones who sadly couldn’t attend their wedding day and incredible speeches – cue all the happy tears!

After a romantic first dance, guests joined Bria and Aston on the dancefloor where they danced the night away, with a fun photo-booth, a flower wall and props galore. It was one of the happiest days to document and it was a pleasure to be a part of it. Thank you to Bria and Aston for choosing me to capture your love story!