LAUREN AND ALESSANDRO’S MANOR HOUSE WEDDING

Orchardleigh House Wedding Photographer

Been waiting to share this wedding for a long time and i’ve finally managed to sit down and get it done! This was such a great day and a real treat for me. It was one of the first big ones of the year for me and what a beauty to get involved in!! Lauren and Alessandro’s wedding at Orchardleigh House was a new venue for me, and one I’d been looking forward to as I’d heard so much about it! The whole day had a great vibe to it! No stress, no rushing about, just a really calm build-up into a brilliant celebration. Orchardleigh is one of those venues that does a lot of the heavy lifting and work for you! It’s a beautiful house set in some of the most gorgeous grounds. If you’re planning something similar, this is exactly the kind of day I love photographing as a Somerset wedding photographer and its why I’m so happy to be lucky enough to photograph at gorgeous venues like this all over the South West.

Lauren got ready in the Lord Byron’s Room at Orchardleigh House with just two bridesmaids, which kept everything really relaxed. I love weddings and I love all the trends and traditions that come with them, but often, when tradition gets broken, it makes for some of the most amazing moments in my eyes. I love it when couples decide to do their own thing! So for me one of the nicest parts of the morning was knowing they were doing a first look on the staircase once they were ready. It gave the whole build-up a really lovely purpose and it made for the most amazing pre-wedding moment. Big fan of this!!!

The ceremony took place in the Ballroom at Orchardleigh (it was still March so weather couldn’t really be trusted for an outdoor ceremony!) and was led by celebrant Polly Miller. I’ve never worked with Polly before but it was one of the best and most personal wedding ceremonies I’ve done in a really long time. Polly is absolutely great if you haven’t had the please of seeing her before!

Lauren and Alessandro walked in together, again, breaking all the traditions and instantly setting the tone for the ceremony and the whole day. It felt modern, relaxed and very them! The rings moment was brilliant. One of the bridesmaids suddenly realising there was something taped under her chair and pulling out the rings had everyone laughing, and Alessandro watching it all unfold was great. At the end of the ceremony, the best man popped champagne bottles and everyone raised a glass in their seats, which made for such a fun ending. Straight after that it was outside for confetti and a lot of hugs!!

We stayed around Orchardleigh for photos, making the most of the house and the grounds. Lauren and Alessandro didn’t want that awkwardness or to be away from guests for a really long time, which I completely get! I wouldn’t want it either!! So we just went for relaxed and natural, and that suited them perfectly! We walked, we chatted and we head for the good light (which in March is EVERYWHERE!). L&A are super lovely and super cute together, so by me just letting things happen rather than forcing them, we got the best of shots!

During the reception there were loads of candid moments too, especially around the puzzle boxes on the tables. Watching guests trying to work out how to open them, helping each other, laughing when they got it wrong, and finally finding the favours inside was such a nice little touch and made for great photos!

Speeches followed in the Ballroom and they were absolutely brilliant, some great moments. Making for some amazing shots. Plenty of laughs and some really lovely moments too. It felt very personal, which is always my favourite kind of wedding. The evening kicked off with cake cutting, then straight into the first dance at 8pm. The band Locomove were brilliant and filled the dance floor straight away. There was such a good energy in the room, and when the DJ took over later on, it didn’t slow down at all.

Lauren and Alessandro’s wedding at Orchardleigh House was so beautiful. One of my favourites for a long time and just honestly such a lovely day to be a part of. Calm, stylish, and lots and lots of fun. Beautiful venue, a great group of people, and a day not to be forgotten!

Lauren and Alessandro, thank you so much for having me along. It was SUCH a joy to photograph your day!!!