ROSS & KERI'S SWYNFORD MANOR WEDDING

Back in October, I returned to Cambridgeshire to photograph Ross and Keri’s Autumn wedding at Swynford Manor. The weather was a bit temperamental that day as it rained on and off, but that didn’t spoil a thing. They made the most of the day in the company of their close friends and family.

Once ready, Keri’s father walked her downstairs to the ceremony room where guests eagerly awaited her entrance. We did take the time to admire the stunning floristry skills of Feather and Ferns who are based in Cambridge.

The fabulous team at Swynford Manor helped me organise the guests on to the grand staircase so that we could pull off a fun confetti moment that involved everyone.

The reception room looked stunning, dressed in classic black and white with autumn florals creatively brought together by florist Feather and Ferns and luxury wedding stylist Lulabelles.

After dinner, we popped outside for a few night time portraits and sparklers.

After sparklers, all the guests headed back into the Manor to watch Ross and Keri cut the cake and for their first dance.

Thank you Keri and Ross for choosing me to capture your wedding day.

Ross and Keri’s Awesome Supplier List
Ceremony & Reception venue - Swynford Manor
Florist - Feather and Ferns
Venue decorator - Lulabelles
Makeup and Hair - Izzy Wild
Bridal Gown - Kate Joseph Bridal
Groom’s Suit - Hugo Boss
Cake baker - Karenanna Cakes
Caterers - Swynford Manor
Music - DJ Eli
Photography - Anesta Broad Photography

For more wedding inspiration, check out Emma and Mick’s Spring Wedding at Swynford Manor.

See more wedding inspiration on my Instagram feed and feel free to pin your favourites on to your Pinterest Board. If you are looking for a wedding photographer who is more about capturing your day in a natural, fun and unobtrusive way, then you are in the right place. Get in touch and tell me about your plans.

POSTPONING A WEDDING: JESSICA & PETER SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE

I had no immediate plans to talk about Coronavirus Covid-19 on here, because frankly, I can’t imagine that I want to be reminded of this unsettling time when I am scrolling through my website reviewing the past year. Rather unexpectedly, I had a change of heart. The last seven weeks have bought a strange blend of realism and optimism with a heavy splash of confusion thrown in for good measure.

I could never have foreseen just how 2020 was going to play out. The year started with the painful loss of my Dad. Just as I started to breath a little easier, visualising a different family norm, Covid-19 came and wiped out the plans that I had thoughtfully curated for the year in a bid to bring some positively and security into our household.

It’s been a whirlwind but strangely also feels like the longest 7 weeks of our lives! I refuse to use the term “new normal” as it suggests our current status is permanent and I remain hopeful that this is not the end of life as we know it. Life adjustment, yes. New normal, no.

The event and wedding industries, like many others, have been hit hard. For so many couples, who were due to get married during this pandemic, they are having to postpone or cancel their weddings. I completely understand that whilst we are in the same storm, we are not in the same boat. Every persons situation, priorities and concerns are different. I am invested in every single one of my couples and I endeavour to be as supportive as I can. As it stands, working closely with my couples, I have rescheduled 23 weddings so far!

What I really came here to talk about wasn’t my experiences, but actually provide some insight into how one of my couples have coped with postponing their wedding. Let me hand over to Jessica and Peter to share their experience of postponing their wedding. Their honest words are both inspiring and reassuring.

Big cheery hello to Jessica and Peter

1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR SITUATION

We had our wedding booked for April 18th, it was a short engagement as we've already been together for 5 years and neither of us wanted to wait any longer to get married! We planned a town hall wedding close to where we spent a lot of our early dates in Islington, with about 80 guests invited. Planning had mostly been stress free and we had everything sorted within about 6 weeks.

2. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START TO THINK THAT YOU MAY POSTPONE?

Probably around late February, but we were still naïvely hopeful that all of this would blow over by April. It wasn't until mid March, with only 4 weeks until the big day, that we informed all of our guests that we were postponing.

3. WHAT MADE THE DECISION CERTAIN FOR YOU IN THE END?

Aside from confirmation from the Town Hall that they would be closed until at least the end of May, we thought about how it was not worth risking anyone's health for our wedding. It's really important to both of us to have our grandparents there, and they would not be able to attend with any social distancing in place.

4. WHO DID YOU CONTACT FIRST TO TALK THROUGH POSTPONING YOUR WEDDING?

We sent emails to all our suppliers on the same day, the key ones being the town hall, reception venue and of course our photographer! We also contacted our wedding insurance to discuss what needed to be done and what conditions had to be met.

5. HOW DID YOUR SUPPLIERS REACT?

I think we've been exceptionally lucky, we had lovely responses from our suppliers and their flexibility and understanding has really taken a weight off our shoulders.

6. WHAT WAS THE REACTION FROM YOUR GUESTS?

We have had really kind responses from our guests, pretty much all of them had already guessed that we would have to postpone, and both of our families have been supportive of our decision. 

7. AS A COUPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER COUPLES THINKING OF POSTPONING THEIR WEDDING?

Don't be afraid to reach out to friends and family to support you, and make plans to do something fun together on the date that you originally planned to get married. We got dressed up and had a stay-at-home dinner date.

8. HAVE YOU SET ANOTHER DATE?

We have a date set for June 2021.

9. HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW THAT YOU HAVE POSTPONED?

Now that the original date has come and gone we're feeling a bit more relaxed and pragmatic about it. We would rather be staying safe and healthy. We were both fine on the day itself, which came as a surprise to both of us. We're pleased we didn't feel sad all day or spend it crying. We already have our outfits ready, now it's just a matter of staying safe (and in shape!) until the new big day!

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Wedding planning: Check out my top tips on how to get the best confetti photographs!

POSTPONING A WEDDING: LIZ & LUKE SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE

The topic of wedding postponement remains high on the agenda at the moment. The majority of my scheduled weddings for 2020 have been forced or have made the choice to postpone to late 2020 or 2021. The decision for many was complex and not easy.

There is currently no certainty on when weddings will be permitted in the UK. However, when the government does announce the guidelines specifically on weddings, myself and others across the wedding industry are preparing for the real likelihood that weddings will slowly return but with restrictions in place on both ceremonies and receptions. This is likely to include restrictions on guest numbers, social distancing measures and even the possibility of the need for wearing masks. For now, we can only wait.

In May, Jessica and Pete kindly shared their experience of rescheduling their wedding to 2021 which was originally due to take place in mid-April. Today Liz and Luke are sharing their experiences too and I extend a great thanks for taking the time to help other couples who are also grappling with wedding postponements at the moment.

Big cheery hello to Liz and Luke

1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR SITUATION

Planning for 6 months, we had a pretty short turnaround between engagement (Sept 2019) and the wedding (planned for 1st May). Roughly 100 people all at one venue.

2. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START TO THINK THAT YOU MAY POSTPONE?

Initially we were keen to have it regardless. We underestimated the severity of the situation. When the decision was made to limit numbers at social gatherings it became clear that it was going to be taken out of our hands. Our Hen and Stag dos were cancelled pretty much within the same couple of days. 

3. WHAT MADE THE DECISION CERTAIN FOR YOU IN THE END?

We felt there would have been worry in the air for everyone there and we would have hated for our wedding to be the cause of any of our loved ones getting ill. 

4. WHO DID YOU CONTACT FIRST TO TALK THROUGH POSTPONING YOUR WEDDING?

We contacted our venue about a week before the decision was made to postpone in mid March. At that time they assured us things were not likely to be moved/cancelled! 

5. HOW DID YOUR SUPPLIERS REACT?

All the suppliers were excellent, very understanding and we've been able to have everyone originally booked for our new wedding date.

6. WHAT WAS THE REACTION FROM YOUR GUESTS?

Similar to the suppliers, very positive and we think a lot of people recognised it was inevitable. One of the best things to come out of the postponement was that Luke's sister (and one of the bridesmaids) arranged for our guests to send video messages which she collated into one video. We were able to watch this on the day our wedding was due and it was incredible - such happy messages to receive which made us feel excited for the new date rather than sad we weren't getting married.

7. AS A COUPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER COUPLES THINKING OF POSTPONING THEIR WEDDING?

Try and focus on how short a few month's delay it is in the context of spending the rest of your lives together. 

8. HAVE YOU SET ANOTHER DATE?

Yes later in the year (Dec 2020)

9. HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW THAT YOU HAVE POSTPONED?

The season of our wedding has changed a lot but we've been so lucky in that nearly everything we had planned will still be relevant for December. We are, like everyone, excited for lockdown to be over and for some semblance of normality to resume. We know that there are people who have been affected a lot more by Coronavirus than we have and we are just feeling grateful that we will still be able to get married.

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Get inspired. Check out Ruth and Juan’s outdoor wedding.

See more wedding inspiration on my Instagram feed and feel free to pin your favourites on to your Pinterest Board. If you are looking for a wedding photographer who is more about capturing your day in a natural, fun and unobtrusive way, then you are in the right place. Get in touch and tell me about your plans.

EMMA & MICK'S SWYNFORD MANOR WEDDING

Emma and Mick's Swynford Manor Wedding was a very memorable day for me. I had been looking forward to photographing my first wedding at this recently renovated Cambridgeshire venue. It has a wonderful luxurious decor and feel to it. We were treated to some beautiful spring weather, sunset and sparklers after dark! Superb day!

Capturing your guests truly enjoying themselves on the dancefloor is something I love to do. Don't miss my forty perfect dance moments captured at weddings during my travels in the UK and Overseas!

Emma and Mick's Awesome Supplier List
Makeup artist - Dani Rose
Hairdresser - Angel Cox
Florist - Tollys Flowers
Bridal Gown - Essence of Australia
Bridesmaids dresses - Sorella Vita
Groom's Suit - Moss Bros
Wedding car - Bentley Spur (Wallis & Sons – Cambridge Wedding Cars)
Ceremony Venue - All Saints Church Cottenham
Reception Venue - Swynford Manor
Caterer - Swynford Manor
Band - Get Carter
Venue decorator - Covers By Gill
Videographer - White Dress Films