Spring Blooms and the Smiliest bride I’ve ever met at The Tithe Barn Bolton Abbey!
The Tithe Barn Bolton Abbey. The end of May saw me back at my favourite venue, The Tithe Barn. I first met Amy and Sam the year before when Amy was bridesmaid for one of her bridesmaids, Elle. So it was lovely to see them all again and to catch up with Elle and Harry. Amy is one of the smiliest brides I’ve ever met; her joy was absolutely infectious!
Getting ready.
I joined her and the girls at the Devonshire Arms where they were getting ready under the expert hand of Anna Stephenson – one of my favourite makeup artists. The suite they were in was absolutely ringing with laughter; these guys were just making the most of every second and having so much fun. I especially loved when they broke into a choreographed dance to Sound of the Underground which was clearly their theme tune!
Meanwhile the lovely Matt Sim caught up with Sam and the guys whilst they were getting ready in another room. He got some great shots of them sorting ties and jackets, and then in the camper van before heading over to The Tithe Barn for the ceremony.
Once Amy was dressed we brought her dad and sister in to see her finished look. Her dad is such a sweetheart and was clearly very overwhelmed by the sight of her all ready for her wedding. I made my way to The Tithe Barn then, and waited for Amy and the girls to arrive.
Ceremony.
I love ceremonies at The Tithe Barn because they have huge glass doors that let lots of lovely natural light shine onto bride and groom throughout the ceremony. It was great to have Matt there as well, getting some shots from the back. I love having two different angles during the ceremony, and Matt managed to catch Sam’s reaction to seeing Amy walk down the aisle towards him. The ceremony was so full of joy and laughter; Amy just couldn’t contain her happiness which is just as it should be! Then it was back up the aisle, and Amy & Sam had some time together at the front of the barn whilst we ushered everybody else outside for a confetti lineup.
Reception.
Amy and Sam had organised plenty of fresh petals for confetti and they were pelted with those as we walked them through 2 lines of guests across the courtyard, and then it was time for drinks and canapés. I always like to let a bride and groom say some hello’s at the start of the drink perception because everyone is so desperate to give them a hug and say congratulations, and it’s a lovely time for more informal candid shots of your guests. Then we rounded people up for some group photos with the abbey in the background and also some with the camper at the front of the barn. I kept Amy and Sam outside for a few shots of the two of them but they were so keen to get back to enjoying their drinks reception that we decided to leave most of that for after dinner. I got some photos of the barn set up for the wedding breakfast (which they do so efficiently at The Tithe Barn, I’m always very impressed!), and soon everyone was asked to take their seats.
Speeches.
Amy & Sam danced through the tables whilst everyone waived their napkins in the air and cheered. They know how to help you make an entrance at The Tithe Barn! Then they took their seats at the top table ready for food and speeches. Speeches were up first and it was really nice to see the bridesmaids all give a speech together; I hardly ever see a bridesmaid speech and I love to hear plenty of embarrassing stories about the bride as well as the groom!
Party.
After the wedding breakfast Amy & Sam had arranged a cocktail hour for everyone to relax in the lead up to the first dance. The sun started to set so I took my chance to take them back outside for some more shots of the two of them now that we had a bit more time. We headed to the field at the front of the barn where we managed to catch the sun before it dipped behind the hills in the distance. This is always my favourite kind of light for photographs. Up next it was time for Amy & Sam to cut their cake and for the party to kick off. They started their first dance and then had arranged for Back Chat Brass to make a surprise entrance! I love Back Chat Brass; they’re amazing musicians but they’re also fantastic entertainers and really keep a dance floor full. I got LOADS of fab photos of everyone enjoying the band before leaving them in peace.
Suppliers:
Venue: The Tithe Barn
Second Photographer: Matt Sim
Florist: Vanessa Wildflowers
Make up & hair: Anna Stephenson
Dress: Bee Bridal
Cake: Cakery Bay
Band: Back Chat Brass