Friern Manor Wedding Photography

I have received these lovely kind words from Kelly & Tom.

“Jeff, thank you so much for not only capturing our special day but also being part of it. We are so pleased to have found an incredible photographer and an amazing friend in the process. You have a truly fantastic eye and a great ability to think outside the box, capturing many beautiful moments. Thank you again for your contribution to our perfect day and your great professionalism. We would recommend your Essex Wedding Photographer services gladly.” Tom & Kelly.

Here’s Kelly & Tom’s Wedding

It was another beautiful sunny day when I went to photograph the wedding of Kelly and Tom, and there was plenty of excitement when I arrived to photograph the bride, the bridesmaids and the bride’s family all getting ready.

Time had really flown by as it was back in 2012 when I had my first meeting with the happy couple to discuss their wedding, and it was in the summer of last year when I had photographed their engagement portrait session.

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

Love was naturally the central theme to our wedding, aided by Shakespeare’s inspirational prose.

Where did you get married?

We chose to celebrate our marriage at Our Lady Help of Christians & St. Helen, our parish church and close to our hearts.

How did you decide on the venue you had your reception at?

Our evening venue was the romantic Friern Manor which we discovered on our search through Essex. When the brochure came through, it was obvious that attention to detail and a beautiful setting were attributes of this venue.

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

When the musicians began to play a piece composed by a dear friend, Kelly entered the church. As she walked up the aisle, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, and my excitement increased. I felt like the luckiest man alive.

The most important part of our day was when we were both stood at the altar saying our vows with our family and friends present. This was the moment that we had been waiting for where we would become husband and wife.

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

My wedding dress was called Nevaeh, which was a Mon Cheri design by David Tutera. The style was lace and tulle with a fitted Swarovski crystal-embellished bodice and button fastening along the back. The train was chapel length with lace appliqué detailing all along the bottom of the dress.

What cars did you choose to arrive and leave from the church? How did you make your choice?

We chose a 1939 Rolls Royce to arrive and depart in as we loved the elegance and style of the car.

Were there any meanings behind any aspects of your wedding day,” i.e. Theme, colour, food, seating arrangements, cake, venue?

Colour – our wedding colour was fuchsia pink as it is the Brides favourite and because we felt it would suit a summer wedding.

Seating – this was again on the theme of love. The table names reflected all of the different aspects of love, from unconditional love to friendship. We seated our guests according to this.

Cake – During a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France, we found our cake topper, which has an exceptional meaning to both of us. On the side of the bride’s dress is an inscription that we felt summed up our sentiments towards one another. ‘This day, I will marry my friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love.’

Venue – This was a beautiful setting with delicious food and a fairytale feels to it. The seating and table decorations reflected our colour theme of pink and the day’s romance, with the tall candelabras being the focus of each table.

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

We had two family traditions at our wedding, both of which were from the Brides side of the family.

The first tradition was the sugared almond wedding favours, all of which were made by the Bride. Each favour had 5 almonds which represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness.

The second tradition was the croquembouche wedding cake from the Brides Grandmother’s family, who originated from Tunis when it was a French Colony.

The Bride also wore something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue.

What was the title of your first dance song? Why did you choose that song?

Our first dance choice was Matt Cardle’s version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. We chose this as we felt the words reflected our feelings for one another perfectly.

Below are more photographs from Kelly and Tom’s wedding at Friern Manor.