St Mary Kippington | Katherine & David's wedding pt 1

Here’s the first part of Katherine and David’s wedding photography from their wedding at The Church of St Mary, Kippington, with a reception at the stunning Riverhill Himalayan Gardens in Underhill, near Sevenoaks, Kent. If you’re getting married at The Church of St Mary, Kippington or having your reception at Riverhill Gardens and want timeless, natural, candid photography then please contact me to discuss your wedding photography.

This was my first time photographing at this lovely Kent wedding venue, but I hope to get back their many more times, as it’s stunning!

As per the seeming theme of summer 2016, the weather was somewhat ‘changeable’ during the day – lovely sunshine, pouring rain, mist as the sun dried everything up, pouring rain (with everyone sheltering in a Yurt), then glorious late evening sunshine. Great wedding photography is all about adaptability and working with the conditions, so we got there in the end!

I joined Katherine and the girls for bridal prep as usual – Katherine’s two little nieces were adorable and great fun to photograph, once they’d got used to me being there – hiding behind the TV seemed to work!

The same as at the last wedding I blogged (Julia and Andrew at Chiddingstone), a close eye was being kept on the weather – sunny, but very windy. I warned Katherine that she’d need to keep a close eye (and hand) on her cathedral-length veil with the wind as it was (the veil was still safely hanging at that stage – in the loo!).

Hair and makeup done, it was time for Katherine to get into her stunning dress, complete with beautiful waist sash, which really set off the dress and accentuated her figure. we then moved back to the lounge so that Katherine could get her veil on, and then I was on my way to join Tash at The Church of St Mary.

Arriving in beautiful sunshine, I joined Tash inside with David and the boys. We photographed the buttonholes being put on – always easiest if they do each others, but usually still a bit of confusion so always good to photograph – before moving outside for some groomsmen shots – and then promptly moving straight back in again as the heavens opened. Groomsmen shots postponed….

Guests were by now arriving, under whatever cover they could find. But just as quickly as it started, the blazing sunshine returned for the arrival of the bridal cars (thankfully!) so that Katherine could make a dry entrance into the church and service.

And then onto the lovely service in this stunning church.

After the service – including a vicar who couldn’t care less than I carried on photographing during the signing of the register (as opposed to the common myth that it’s ‘against the law’ but I never push it) – the bride and groom processed to the back of the church and to the door…at which point, the heavens opened again! Cue a lot of people sheltering in the porch while we waited for the rain to disappear – again!

Luckily, with the strong wind, it wasn’t long before we had beautiful sunshine again, so we quickly made our way outside to photograph a confetti shot and then into the cars and off – Katherine decided that getting to Riverhill in the dry was a priority!