Down Hall Wedding Photography

Leanne and Jed had chosen Down Hall on the Essex and Hertfordshire borders for their amazing wedding day. I love Down Hall as a wedding venue for its wonderful gardens and magnificent architecture throughout.

Below, we hear from Leanne about how they met, their first date and all about their Down Hall winter wedding.

So Leanne, please tell us all a little about yourselves.

Jed and I met at B&Q 8 years ago when I was a Saturday girl and he worked on the Gardening department! Initially, we didn’t speak to each other at work. But as we were both single we were set-up by one of our colleagues for a date to the cinema. We didn’t say a word to each other on the first date and it was very awkward… Afterwards, we both decided to meet up again. This was when we started to fall for each other and find out we actually had a lot in common.

Examples of my Down Hall Wedding Photography

How did Jed propose?

Jed proposed to me after 4 years in London on new years eve. He said he was very nervous on the train ride up and kept checking his jacket pocket… not the most subtle!

How soon did you look for a wedding venue?

Our engagement was then 4 years long. We made all of our family and friends wait much to their disappointment. We were never too worried about getting married any time soon we were just happily being engaged. In July we then went to Down Hall for afternoon tea with my Mum and Dad and a wedding was on at the time – the rest is history, we booked our wedding there a week later (We didn’t even look at any other venues)

How would you describe the spirit of your day?

Our day was fun and chilled out, we wanted everyone to have a really good time and feel relaxed at the venue. After all, myself and Jed are SERIOUSLY laid back ourselves, in fact our wedding planner told us we were the most chilled out couple she has ever had!

Was there a theme to your wedding? If yes what was the theme and why?

We had a traditional theme, with pinks and blues. We just liked the colours – no other reason!

What was the best moment(s) of your wedding day?

The best moment was when we walked into our wedding breakfast and all of our guests were on their feet clapping and myself and Jed ‘high fiving’ them as we walked by. It was really fun and everyone was laughing (especially because Jed decided to high five every single guest while I was waiting at the top table for him!)

What style was your wedding dress and who was it by?

White A line dress, purchased from Grace and Lace in Ipswich

What did the groom and ushers wear?

Navy long tail jackets with White cravat/ waistcoats

Were there any meanings behind any of the aspects of your wedding?

Traditional, relaxed and fun!

What flowers did you choose for your bouquets?

Pale pink roses, my mum made all of the wedding bouquets. We also attached charms to my bouquet for Jed’s Grandma and Granddad and my Nan and Granddad who have passed away.

Did you follow any family wedding traditions? What do you do?

My Nan bought my wedding dress, and my Mums Nan bought her wedding dress when she got married – this is our family tradition.

What was the title of the song for your first dance?

James Morrison, You Make It Real

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to Florida for 14 days and explored the parks. We then went onto a cruise in the Caribbean for 7 days. We wanted to go somewhere fun, then after have a nice relaxed holiday.

What tips would you give to other couples when planning their wedding day?

RELAX! Don’t worry if little things don’t go quite as you planned no one ever notices! We also did a receiving line into the wedding breakfast which meant we made sure to speak to all the guests and didn’t miss anyone!