Jess & Matt’s Beautiful Summer Wedding at Michelham Priory
Jess and Matt’s wedding at Michelham Priory in early August was a beautiful, relaxed summer celebration. It was a hot and sunny day, and the historic Priory, beautiful gardens and medieval buildings provided the perfect setting for their fun and romantic wedding.
Both Jess and Matt got ready at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne. The guys finished first, grabbed themselves a beer and headed over to Michelham Priory, while I stayed with Jess until her hair and makeup were finished. I then made my way to the venue, where everyone was already waiting for the ceremony.
The ceremony took place outside, just behind the Great Barn, surrounded by family and friends. Jess’s sister played a beautiful song on the violin, adding a lovely personal touch to the ceremony. We finished with a fun confetti moment before everyone headed into the drinks reception.
During the reception, we captured some family group photographs and some fun bridal party photos while everyone enjoyed a drink and relaxed in the sunshine. There were lawn games for the guests, and plenty of chatting and laughter while the hog roast was being prepared.
The wedding breakfast took place inside the Great Barn, and as soon as everyone had finished eating, it was time for the speeches. There was also a lovely twist to the dessert — instead of a separate dessert, the wedding cake was served, with Jess and Matt cutting it before the wedding breakfast.
One of the things I loved about Jess and Matt’s wedding was how relaxed the whole day felt. We did two shorter couple portrait sessions. The first was around 6pm after the wedding breakfast, giving us some beautiful evening light without taking the couple away from their guests for too long. We then went out again closer to sunset for some more romantic photographs.
Michelham Priory is such a beautiful wedding venue for this style of celebration. The gardens, historic buildings, Great Barn and the impressive medieval gate tower at the entrance give you so many different backdrops for wedding photography. It really is a fantastic setting for a relaxed, romantic and fun wedding.
After the first dance, the dance floor quickly filled up as family and friends joined in. Later in the evening, there was pizza and plenty of time for everyone to relax outside in the garden, enjoying a beautiful summer evening together.
Jess and Matt’s Michelham Priory wedding was full of sunshine, laughter, family, friendship and some wonderful personal touches. It was a real pleasure to photograph their day and capture the atmosphere as it naturally unfolded.
If you are planning your own Michelham Priory wedding and are looking for a relaxed, documentary-style Michelham Priory wedding photographer, I would love to hear from you.
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