I absolutely love shooting weddings at Northbrook Park. It’s an absolute dream of a space to shoot in as a photographer because all of the event spaces are full of gorgeous natural light thanks to large windows and the glass ceiling in the orangery. So I was super excited when this lovely couple got in touch about their June wedding at Northbrook. And as they told me more about their plans for the decor and the details I got more and more excited. Hot pink and orange colour scheme, details including fruit centrepieces and glitter balls! It was all just blummin’ fabulous, oh and the bride also had a surprise haircut half way through the day. Allow me to walk you through it, this one is really quite something!

Getting Ready

The honeymoon suite is a great space for bridal prep and Eliza chose the brilliant Frances Moore on my recommendation for her hair and make up. Frances created the perfect Hollywood waves for Eliza’s stunning long blonde locks. I also popped over the to accommodation area at Northbrook Park to photograph Julian and his groomsmen as they tied the perfect bow tie (it took more than one go!)

Eliza got dressed in the beautiful big bathroom in the honeymoon suite, which is a really perfect location for getting into your wedding dress as it’s such a big space with a large window providing natural light. She wore an amazing sequinned dress with an overskirt during the day which was removed to change the look for the evening. Before I left for the ceremony we finished with a first look, with Eliza’s Dad seeing her in her as a bride for the first time. It was a really special, emotional moment. These are the kind of moments I just love to capture for you on your wedding day.

An Outdoor Ceremony in The Walled Garden at Northbrook Park

The walled gardens at Northbrook Park are so beautiful. I love the sunken garden, bordered by hedges and the outdoor terrace which was a beautiful space for the wedding ceremony. The asymmetric flower pillars looked fabulous and of course the white carpet aisle finished it all off beautifully. Before the ceremony I shot a few photos of the groom and his groomsmen to capture both the details of his fashion choices (hello pink suit and Gucci loafers!) as well as ticking off a few group shots before the ceremony, saving precious time in the drinks reception. One thing I love about outdoor ceremonies is the opportunity for your guests to throw. the confetti as you walk back down the aisle, which means it all happens really naturally. The confetti shots from this day are just beautiful and show all the joy, and the sunshine of the day!

Fun, Creative Group Photos at Northbrook Park

During the drinks reception we shot some really fun group photos. I like to shoot most of the family shots where the drinks reception is happening, to keep things easy when gathering your guests. Saving every minute is important to me as a wedding photographer because I’d rather your spent most of your time with your friends and family relaxing, rather with me in front of the camera! But, I do like to do a few creative shots at Northbrook in front of those beautiful big white doors in the driveway. They’re such an excellent backdrop! I was super excited when the bride and groom suggested a champagne spray and getting your friends involved really is the best way to make this shot super fun! PRO TIP: Take out the champagne cork first, before holding your thumb over it and shaking it before you release the spray, this just makes it much easier to control! They also had heart shaped sunglasses on standby for everyone which added to the fun!

Wedding Photography at Northbrook Park

After the groups we took some photographs of this beautiful couple together in the area around the main house. One of the things that works so well about this venue is the privacy that this area gives us while your drinks reception is happening in the walled garden. There’s nothing worse than having the prying eyes of friends and family on you while you snuggle up for photos – not relaxing at all! Having some time out for photos is a really lovely time for you to get a breather and reflect together. I love really natural photographs so I there’s no icky posing, just a relaxed walk around the grounds.

A reception & speeches in the walled garden

During the reception I like to ensure I have plenty of time to capture candid portraits of your guests. The relaxed, natural photos are always the best ones and really capture the atmosphere of the day. Speeches in the garden during your reception is a really lovely idea especially on warm days, just make sure you add a little bit more time to the reception to accomadate this so you’re not rushing through the rest of it!

Incredible, colourful, details featuring fruit and glitter balls!

I think this wedding had some of my favourite ever decor. The fun colours were absolutely ‘them’ and worked perfectly. I have found wedding guests always respond so well to colourful decor as it feels vibrant and fun and a little different to more traditional soft tones often chosen for wedding flowers. The centrepieces featuring grapefruits, oranges and peaches were perfectly styled by Coco from Bluebird Creative who provided on the day co-ordination. Having an on the day co-ordinator is a really great idea at Northbrook Park as the venue staff keep their distance during the day – which can be great, but if there’s a lot to set up and style, unless you want to do it yourself this is a good option. Often florists will do a lot of styling but not always, so just check what your service includes.

A surprise haircut

While the guests were ushered into the Vine Room for dinner the bride headed back up the honeymoon suite for an evening transformation, which – for the first time I’ve ever seen – included a hair cut. That’s right, not just a re-style, a full blown cut! Eliza’s sister was coached by Frances Moore on the best way to take her long golden locks to a short bob. That’s right her sister isn’t a hairdresser! The bride’s mum was sceptical at first but as you can see the short chop really suits her and her groom was pretty surprised too!

Dinner in the elegant Vine Room

Caper and Berry expertly catered for this beautiful wedding and as always their team absolutely nailed it with this beautiful rack of lamb main course. There were more speeches between the courses too, full of emotion. I absolutely love the speeches and capturing all the joy and tears.

Partying in the Orangery

After dinner the guests headed back into the cool of the air conditioned Orangery which was welcome on this hot June day when the temperature soared above thirty degrees. These two met at a hip hop brunch and you can tell music is important to them, as it was perfectly reflected by the packed dance floor! They had an amazing mash up first dance of ‘So Into You’ by Tamia and Finesse by Bruno Mars which is one of my personal faves. It really kicked off the party perfectly!

Northbrook Park Wedding Photography

Are you getting married at Northbrook Park? I’d love to capture your day! Check my availability over on my contact page, or learn more about my wedding photography service at this venue on my Northbrook Park wedding photography page.