The one where a wedding planner gets married…
Bethany and Adam’s intention was for an effortlessly relaxed day that was totally them. And it was 100% both. Everything felt so right; everywhere you looked, there was a sea of smiles, and the day ran like a scoop of ice cream on sticky toffee pudding. And the styling was classic and chic – elegant black tie with a neutral colour palette.
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Ahh, a Rushton Hall wedding is always a breath of fresh air. Every time I make my way down the tree-lined driveway, my hunched shoulders drop. You might think shooting regularly at the same venue gets boring, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s the people and personal meaning that make a wedding, so it’s interesting to discover how each couple make the venue their own.
Speaking of which…
When a wedding planner gets married…
Bethany and Adam’s day was beautifully styled and impeccably planned from start to finish. And I’d expect nothing less from a bride who has her own wedding planning business, Bethany Rose Weddings. Bethany certainly used all her skills to make this a big hit!
The elegant tuxedos, neutral colour palette, and white flowers looked effortlessly chic in this grand venue.
Bethany and Adam called upon some stellar suppliers to bring their vision to life. And they struck the perfect balance of planning before the day and letting go on the day. Which meant they could relax and fully enjoy every minute of their day, which really comes across in the photos.
Two photographers… capturing all the love
Tom joined me to help capture the day, which meant we could photograph their story thoroughly in different locations and from multiple angles.
Before the ceremony, I was with Bethany and her bridesmaids, and Tom was with Adam, his groomsmen, and the guests.
For the ceremony, we were able to photograph Bethany and her bridal party’s big entrance from the back and the front of the room, which meant we could capture Adam’s reaction as well as the procession. And with plenty of space around the edge of the room, Tom was able to discreetly move to join me at the front to capture all the big grins, cheers, happy tears – and total ‘heart-eyes’ Adam gave Bethany from the moment he saw her.
And then it was four hands on deck to photograph the groups, portraits, drinks reception, and wedding breakfast set-up.
Which leads me nicely onto…
Relaxed and natural photos
The most important thing to Bethany and Adam was to spend as much time with their guests as possible.
So they kept the formalities for their day to a minimum, with just a few staged group shots of their VIPs. We also had a short photoshoot with Bethany and Adam as their guests found their seats for dinner. This is a great window for portraits, as you won’t miss anything. And then later in the evening, we went for a walk to the lake to make the most of the golden hour light. And if you think Bethany and Adam look at ease in front of the camera, they were! They’d already had time to embrace the experience of being photographed during their pre-wedding photoshoot. So they were ultra-relaxed and capturing such romantic portraits of them as they wandered hand-in-hand was a pretty magical experience for me too! And the wind blowing Bethany’s beautiful lace-edged veil in the breeze topped it off brilliantly!
For the rest of the day, we captured whatever unfolded in front of us, leaving everyone to relax and just be themselves. There’s nothing more magical than photos of the atmosphere and characters to bring back memories. And talking of characters, the flower girls and page boy provided plenty of photo opportunities!
Lovely words from Bethany & Adam
“Sarah is one of the most patient, kind, reliable and talented people we’ve ever met.
As soon as you meet Sarah you know you’re in professional hands… she went above and beyond to listen, guide and advise throughout the whole planning process to ensure when it came down to the day she knew exactly what we wanted to achieve.
We wanted timeless, romantic, candid photos which encapsulated all the emotions of our day without interrupting the flow and wow did we get that… and so much more!
Those special little moments between our guests were captured so beautifully. We barely even noticed Sarah & Tom throughout the day despite the ton of beautiful photos we received!
She made our wedding planning process a joy and our magical day simply effortless. We can’t thank her enough!”
Are you planning your wedding here?
If you’re getting married at Rushton Hall, I’d love to tag along! I’m on their recommended supplier list (oooh, fancy!) so you can be sure I know the venue well and have photographed weddings there in every season. But I’m still forever finding new spots and angles to help me create something unique for every couple. Also, can I Iive there now, please?
Creative team
Planner: Bethany Rose | Dress: ‘Tamela’ by Modeca at Icon Bridal | Dress customisation & veil: Lisa Carrington Couture | Florals: Helena, By Arrangement | Hair: Becky, Love Hair Boston | Makeup: Rachel Bray | Toastmaster: Alan Hodge | Cake: Carla Leclezio | Band: The Distractions | String Quartet: Ariella Strings | Stationery: Angelic Designs | Video: Momento Media
