Sunshine, saxophone and a garden party feel..
If ever there was a wedding that captured the feeling of an English summer garden party, this was it!
Set within the beautiful surroundings of Tapeley Park in Instow, North Devon, Abby and Sam’s intimate celebration took place in a heatwave.
With around 40 guests, the saxophone playing, guests mingling in the gardens and grazing boards to enjoy throughout the afternoon, the whole day had that lovely, laid-back garden party atmosphere
From Barnstaple to Tapeley Park
Our day began in Barnstaple, where the bridal preparations were taking place at a local hotel before everyone made their way to Tapeley Park.
And what better way to transport your wedding guests than aboard a traditional Taw and Torridge bus?
Not only was it a lovely way for everyone to travel together, but the bus also stayed around until after the ceremony, giving us the perfect opportunity to include it in some photographs.
A Little Wedding with a Lot of Heart
With around 40 guests, there was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere throughout the day. Nothing felt rushed, and there was plenty of time for everyone to enjoy themselves.
Our bride and groom were such a sweet couple, although both a little shy when it came to being in front of the camera.
But that's something I absolutely love about photographing weddings. You don't need to be outgoing or particularly confident in front of a lens to have beautiful photographs. Sometimes the quietest couples give you the loveliest, most genuine moments.
And with a smaller guest list, we had the luxury of time.
Rather than rushing through a long list of formal photographs, we were able to capture plenty of relaxed portraits, including some lovely photographs of the guests as couples.
It's not often you get the opportunity to photograph almost everyone individually at a wedding, but that's one of the real joys of a smaller celebration.
Making Memories as a Family
Another particularly lovely part of the day was capturing our newlyweds with their little daughter.
Family photographs are always important, but there's something extra special about including your children in your wedding memories.
Alongside the couple portraits, we made sure to capture some lovely photographs of the three of them together.
A Dress Change and an Evening Celebration
As the day moved into evening, the celebrations continued with a hog roast, a perfect choice for a relaxed summer wedding.
Abby had a little surprise up her sleeve and that was a change of dress for the evening, just in time for the first dance. In fact it was her hen party dress so had sentiment to it too.
Proof That Small Weddings Can Be Something Special
If there's one thing this wedding reminded me of, it's that you don't need hundreds of guests to have an incredible wedding day.
There's more time to chat, more time to enjoy the little moments and often more opportunities for photographs that might otherwise get missed in the busyness of a larger celebration.
This was a beautiful example of exactly that.
Sometimes, keeping things simple really is the loveliest way to celebrate.
