Kate and Lee wed at Firle Church on 20th July and walked to their reception at The Georgian Riding School at Firle Place.

As you’ll see, the emphasis was on having a really chilled day so that everyone could enjoy themselves, and that’s exactly what they did! From when I first arrived I could tell Kate’s wedding party were on good form and proved to be a barrel of laughs, right up to when they arrived at the Church when every wedding becomes a little more serious and emotional. Lee had enjoyed a relaxed morning, with some last minute preparations to do in the Riding School before greeting guests.

The ceremony was superb, led by one of the famous vicars in Sussex, Pete. Kate & Lee had asked for a second photographer, so Georgia documented the ceremony from the back of the Church. By having her in the Church you can see Lee’s reaction to seeing Kate, along with additional pictures during every stage of the wedding.

After hugs with all the guests, a few family photos and a confetti walkway everyone took the 200 yard stroll to the lawn at Firle Place and enjoyed a fantastic drinks reception with plenty of delicious canapes and space hopper races (along with other lawn games!).

Once the couple had been welcomed into the Riding School and the breakfast had begun I carried on photographing the guests chatting between courses, capturing everyone chatting away informally. I really enjoy getting these shots as it shows friendship groups and those who may not be big fans of being photographed unawares! The speeches were brilliant, blending between hilariously inappropriate stories and heartfelt messages.

After the desserts we made use of a spare half an hour to take some couple portraits in the herb garden. This walled garden also provided Kate and Lee with some time away from their guests, and is partly why I love to take these photos after the meal, as all couples need five minutes to go ‘wow, we’re married!!’ and ‘my, isn’t the day going fast’ and ‘you look fantastic!’. My eye was on the look out for some amazing settings and was blessed to spot the exiting doorway of the gardens which had a pool of light going through it. This provided me with a beautiful setting, especially with the purple flowers in the distance.

The party swiftly began and plenty of dancing was done in to the evening, with my eye occasionally looking out for the rising moon. It was the day of the 50th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon and I really wanted to capture the moon, milkway and couple in one shot. Thankfully just as I was about to leave the moon rose and I got my picture, which is now hanging as a 16 by 12 inch print on the couples wall!

Firle Place’s Website for Weddings: firle.com/weddings-events/

Bryony runs weddings at Firle Place and also runs the fantastic Blue Door Barns, where Kate got ready in the morning, bluedoorbarns.com/weddings

Please bear with the page, or reload it, if the first ten photos have not yet appeared below…