Katrina and Alistair are good friends of mine and I was honoured to be the photographer at their Vintage inspired wedding at Brighton’s Pub du Vin. When I arrived at their house, Katrina already looked gorgeous having been made up by Alison Smith and was keeping her nerves in check by doing chores and getting ready with her two sisters. It was going to be an emotional day as sadly Katrina’s lovely Mum had been ill and passed away last year. Before she died she had planted a rose bush in Katrina’s front garden which hadn’t yet bloomed. A couple of days before the wedding, a delicate rose budded and blossomed despite the November frost. The girls knew it was their Mum’s way of being at the wedding so they added it to Katrina’s lovely bouquet of hand-tied roses and herbs from the amazing Miss Mole’s Flower Emporium. It fitted in perfectly and Katrina kept calm by looking at her flowers as she walked by herself down the aisle. I absolutely loved the wedding dress from the amazing Joanne Fleming and the whole day was just so perfect. There were a few tears but really it was a happy and fun celebration of the love between a couple who started as friends and ended up as a family.
Archive for the ‘Weddings in Brighton’ Category
Vintage Brighton Wedding / Katrina & Alistair
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
Chic Brighton Wedding / Lucy & Joaquin
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010On a beautiful warm autumnal day, Amy and I started coverage at the couple’s house where Lucy was getting ready. Their house is amazing and very photogenic so we had some fun playing around with the dress and shoes. Lucy helped to design her pretty delicate dress from White Leaf in Brighton and we loved her jewelery. The wedding was at the very chic Hotel du Vin in Brighton with great readings from Lucy’s sons and her chief bridesmaid and daughter, Zoë. Joaquin was a very hands on groom and was doing the table settings as we were photographing the room. Meantime, the guests were treated to wine tasting sessions from the hotel’s sommelier and after dinner there was a fun Mr & Mrs quiz hosted by their sons. Before we left, we had a taste of the yummy Croque en Bouche cake from the Real Patisserie.
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Funky Sussex Wedding / Shirley & Stuart
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010This was such a fun wedding, it is hard to find an image where the bride and groom are not giggling or beaming with happiness. Amy and I started coverage at Drakes Hotel in Brighton where Shirley was sipping champagne and getting ready. As seems the norm for us, we did a slight rearranging of the furniture so there was a good shot of the dress hanging up. Shirley’s shoes were phenomenal so after a bit of thought, we put them in the bath and I love this shot. I don’t think I have ever seen such blue flowers at a wedding but thought her bouquet was very funky. The vintage Bentley soon picked the bride up for her short journey over to Lewes for the ceremony at Anne of Cleves house. We planned to do some photography by the beach huts and the great advantage of the weather being a bit naff was that nobody else was around. Their lovely chauffeur drove the car onto the promenade for these dramatic shots. Again lots of laughing, they must have had face ache the next day! A vintage double-decker bus took all the guests back to Brighton for the reception at the very fabulous Ginger Pig in Hove. The food was of course amazing so feeling inspired by ingredients we had a chat with the very talented chef who donated a couple of figs for the rings shot.
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Pub du Vin Wedding in Brighton / Kit & Carly
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010The very lovely bride, Kit is a friend so I was delighted when she asked me to do her wedding photography. Carly might have taken his time with the proposal (they have been together for thirteen years) but it was worth the wait. Kit was so beautiful, that I have cried more than once whilst doing the editing. Her look was full on vintage glamour and I loved the make up, so wanted to get some evocative beauty shots. The ceremony at the Pub du Vin in Brighton was just perfect with their handsome son, Fraser as the ring bearer. It was crazy windy down on the beach so we didn’t spend much time there. I had spotted a bright pink door that matched their colours and made a great background, we also found a fabulous little pool of light in the nearby alley. I think Kit looks just breathtaking and I adore the contrast with the urban setting. The husband and I went back to the hotel in the evening as guests and had so much fun with all their fantastic family and friends. Would love to do it all again.
That stunning dress is from the O Zone in Brighton and Carly’s gorgeous suit was tailored by Hugo Morris, also in Brighton
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Stanmer Park Sussex Wedding / Sian & Richard
Monday, June 21st, 2010What a treat! I am forever thinking that it must be so lovely to be a guest at a wedding so for only the second time ever, on Saturday I was. So me and the husband donned our bestest outfits (a new maxi dress for me and his wedding suit for him) and set off for the glory that is Brighton’s Stanmer park. My gorgeous sister-in-law Sian and her intended Richard are lucky enough to live in the old farm house and the ceremony was in the orchard behind it. Theirs truly was a backyard, bring a dish wedding that was joyous and magical. A natural aisle had been created through the apple trees that were decorated with white bunting and little ceramic hearts. Sian looked so beautiful, it took my breath away as she walked in with Uncle Hugh V and her bridesmaids carrying pretty posies of wildflowers. The ceremony was all about friends, love, life and family in whatever form that takes. It was so heartfelt and beautiful that even the husband shed a tear. We then had a wedding parade through the park led by fantastic musicians and the kids just loved it. I did, of course bring a camera but without the pressure of work I just took a few shots as memories of a truly amazing day. It reminded me that wedding days are about filling a place with the people you love and celebrating the best that life brings us. We laughed, we cried, we ate a very delicious dinner, we caught up with family old and new, we danced, we drank far too much and we loved it all. Thanks to my magnificent sister and her soul mate Richard. x
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Brighton Wedding/ Becky & Jon
Friday, June 11th, 2010This was a truly laid back affair. Becky and Jon just wanted to be married and have a lovely meal. They even needed some convincing to have some pictures taken on their own! Becky looked simply stunning in her David Fieldman dress despite not intending to wear a wedding gown. They didn’t want a big fuss, so only invited close friends and family to Brighton Town Hall. The ceremony was simple but lovely with their beautiful children having starring roles. After saying their vows and having the first kiss Becky and Jon had a proper hug, which was enough to set me and Amy off. Becky didn’t want intrusive photography but we got some lovely shots of the family walking through the lanes. Then we met up with them again on Hove seafront for some beach shots before heading to the Ginger Pig for the reception. The restaurant looked fabulous and we sneaked a few of the rather delicious canapés including fresh oysters. Pamela from the Ginger Pig treated us to a glass of champagne before we left but it was a very lovely way to spend the day.
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Brighton Wedding Photographer / Lucy & Paul
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010I love a bride with short hair! I have known girls who have planned their weddings to allow plenty of time to grow their hair, just so they can have it up – this is what they think is the done thing. Lucy looked fresh and funky and just couldn’t stop smiling. This is how she feels about the day, now it is all over and the story of her girlie dress.
“The dress was a Cymbeline Paris design, I’d looked in loads of shops but the trend seemed to be for voluminous dresses with tons of beading which wore me rather than the other way round. The lady in the shop gave me 4 tags to identify 4 dresses to try on, she said I wouldn’t need more than 4 as I would just ‘know’. The one I choose first was the first one tried on and the other 3 just couldn’t match up as so there it was!
A make up artist is a must I reckon – despite my fears of looking drag – Sylvi du Sauzay left me with flawless skin and a great look for the photos
The Flowers were by Pollen, Donal did an amazing job for our budget and I just loved them.
Imagine the Beatles where a brilliant find, I heard a busker play I Feel Fine outside the Pavilion and didn’t even know it was a Beatles track, I found out who it was and then trawled the net for cover bands – got some samples to listen to and these guys were the best plus they had their own dj who was happy to play a Motown heavy set to keep my Beatles phobic mum happy! I took our parents to see them play and my Mum got tipsy and told the head of the band she thought the Beatles were crap which he found hilarious.
Big tips:
Enjoy the planning and accept you can’t have everything you want!
Nude seamless underwear is best, keep the lacy basque type stuff for the honeymoon!
Get a good photographer! There is nothing nicer than looking back over your photos to give you a lift and remind you of the important commitment you made. The day goes by in a bit of a blur so its good to remember. My family wanted lots of staged group shots which I found a bit stressful so make sure you delegate someone with a loud voice to call people to order!
Being the centre of attention isn’t for everyone and at times I wanted to put my fingers in my ears and pretend my name wasn’t Lucy, take time out when you can to enjoy a kiss from your Husband or quick breather with your mates. It’s natural people want to talk to you but it can be tough.”
Brighton Wedding / Sarah & Andrew
Sunday, May 30th, 2010Sarah readily admits that she ‘Has a thing for Gingers!’ Not only is the groom a redhead, but so were each of the four bridesmaids. Their colouring looked gorgeous against the soft blue fabric of their dresses. Since they first met just over a year ago, the couple has kept every cork from the bottles of champagne that they have drunk and this set the theme for the wedding day. They used the corks for place names and named the tables after brands of champagne, with the kids sitting on the Babycham table! The ceremony was in the very beautiful St Mary de Haura which is just around the corner from their flat. Despite a mix up with the wedding cars causing a delay to the proceedings, it was a very lovely service with an amazing rendition of Ave Maria by bridesmaid Kay. We had just enough time to make the most of the sunshine and go to the beach for some photos before the reception at the Royal York in Brighton.
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Brighton Wedding / Liz and Chris’s New Year’s Eve wedding at Pangdean Barn
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Liz and Chris finally got married on New Year’s Eve after a few changes to previous plans thanks to the arrival of their beautiful baby son Wilbur. We joined Liz at her friend’s fabulous mews house in Hove where she was getting ready. Everything was going well until we spotted a clamp going on one of the wedding cars, which luckily could be removed after payment of a hefty fine. Liz looked gorgeous in a gown from Ian Stuart that she bought from the Ozone in Brighton. Although we left quite late, we managed to grab a couple of shots in the cobbled street before rushing to Ditchling Church. After abandoning our car in a muddy lane, Amy and I ran uphill and got there just before the bride walked in but it was one of the closest near misses for me as a wedding photographer! The ceremony included a baptism for Wilbur who must be the most chilled out baby ever. He smiled all day and didn’t even mind the water on his head.
The reception was held at the very lovely Pangdean Barn, 
just outside Brighton which is a great Sussex winter venue. It felt very festive and cosy and the food was amazing. Nicky and her staff are very warm and relaxed which helps to create a friendly atmosphere. We used our lights to do all the formal photography by the huge Christmas tree, finishing with five month old Wilbur posing with his many Godparents! After the speeches, the couple cut their stunning wedding cake which had been made by the Groom’s very talented Dad. www.devlinphotos.co.uk
Joanne & Mark’s Queensberry Album
Friday, November 6th, 2009We have just finished working on Joanne & Mark’s Seaside themed Queensberry Duo album.
Their wedding at the Pub Du Vin in Brighton was lively and fun which is reflected in the images in the album. The editor at Wedding Magazine has requested a CD of the images so they are thinking of doing a spread in their real weddings section. I think the album is rather funky!