Relaxed, pub garden, vintage aesthetics and rustic barn? Yes please!
I’ve known Jen for a while, she besties with my friend Fish so our circles occasionally merge (usually when we were younger, usually at the pub, core memories of the Smack in Leigh-on-Sea) anyway… she contacted me after booking their wedding at The Plough & Barn at Leigh, near Tonbridge, Kent. About 6 months prior I had said to myself, I’m not doing back-to-back weddings, and definitely not across different counties. Well, I lied!
I left my Thursday wedding in Suffolk at about 9pm, checked the route and all was fine, ETA to my Premier Inn: 11pm, with one slight diversion on the A12 (standard post-wedding A-road malarky). Sailed through the A12, no diversion, happy days. Until we hit the M25… Diversion at Dartford, M25 closed, but not on Google Maps so my sat nav kept sending me round in circles and the diversions signs were… well useless. Pulled over, made my own route up using back roads and finally made it to my purple palace at midnight. Slight wired at this point I cracked open a tin of gin (classy girl) and loaded my files. Bed at 1am.
Luckily, Jen & Will’s wedding was so soooo relaxed, I went straight to The Plough & Barn for a cuppa, some ‘grounding’ shots (venue, details, setting-the-scene kind of stuff) and waited for Will and guests to arrive. Jen arrived a short while later in her Dad’s blue Sunbeam Rapier.
The ceremony was lit by one massive window so my lighting was just fabulous (you should be able to see what I mean in the full length shot of the ceremony – the window light (and shadow) on the floor give it away. And I don’t say this often enough – shout out to the registrars that don’t wear bright colours <3 Particularly a shout out to the KENTISH registrars that let me pinch their A KENTISH CEREMONY signage for a cheeky photo (it’s my name, it’s MINE lol). J&W chose to add subtle hints of geek, my favourite being the exit music – Jurassic Park theme played on the harp!
Drinks reception and a good mingle in the sunshine (or shade, hiding from the heat…) followed by some groups. I don’t often include group shots in blogs because I assume they are boring to look at, unless you know the people in them – then they’re probably already printed out and on your mantlepiece by now. I wanted to include the big group of everyone here, I moved a couple of benches into a curve, some people seated, some standing to create layers, then stood on a pub table to take the shot and make stupid noises… even the couple’s son Jim was looking (briefly!)
It was that week in early September where it was ridiculously hot! I always have a spare pair of clothes with me anyway and I changed into them during the wedding breakfast (campervan = moveable changing room – the days of me awkwardly changing in toilets or the back seat of my car are over!) After food and speeches I stole Jen, Will & Jim for a couple of photos now that the heat of the middle of the day had, kind of, passed. Photos with the old plough (has to be done!) and the rather lovely big Willow tree.
It was still SO warm by the time we were planning to cut the cake, with all the guests already outside we decided to move the cake to them, and the party too. An outside first dance to Madness – It Must Be Love! Yay!
Venue: The Plough & Barn at Leigh
Jen’s Dress: Allure Romance from Essex Bridal Outlet
Suits: Marc Darcy
Rings: Ernest Jones
Harpist: Gwenllian Llyr
DJ: Gary Lucci
Clare Kentish Photography 