As it’s the Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells Wedding Fayre this weekend (I’ll be there as usual, come and say Hi!) I thought it would only be fitting to blog some Hotel du Vin wedding photography from last summer – Eve and Chris’s stunning wedding!
This was a great wedding – lovely summer weather and a few things a bit different. This was my first Anglo-Dutch wedding (and funnily enough I have another on this year) so things were extremely relaxed (as Dutch weddings are apparently) with a few surprise elements later on….
As usual, I started the day with detail shots. As Eve was between rooms, I took her shoes on a little tour of the hotel! Bridal preps were slightly different as Eve was ready so I’d just be capturing the dress going on; this allowed me a bit more time to roam the hotel capturing other parts of the story.
Eve and Chris’s children were to play a big part in the day so it was great that they were up front and central during the ceremony, although their son made the quickest entrance down the aisle I’ve ever seen – a very cute moment!
After the ceremony I took the happy couple off for some quick shots around the hotel, before we re-joined the guests in the lovely garden at Hotel du Vin for drinks, canapes and games in the sun – all extremely happy and laid back! The group shots were dispatched in my usual way – done as quickly (and correctly, of course!) as possible so that the bride and groom get to spend as much time as possible with their guests, and I can maximise the time I have for candid shooting!
Soon it was time for everyone to make their way into the hotel for the wedding breakfast – the Ruinart room looked absolutely stunning as always, with some great details and beautiful flowers and candles from Nancy at Blooming Perfect Flower Design.
In a suitable break during the meal, I whisked the bride and groom out for a few more pictures down in the vineyard – the late afternoon summer sun made a great back light.
We then enjoyed some lovely, touching speeches – it’s great when the bride and groom show a bit of emotion, so I captured some lovely, tender moments.
As the weather was still lovely, the guests enjoyed coffee out on the lawn while the room was turned round – expertly, efficiently and quickly as per usual from the HdV team – for the evening reception. When the time was right, we all made our way back in for the cake cutting (nice and traditional) and for what I thought would be the first dance. This is where the surprises started coming in! Apparently at weddings in the Netherlands, a big tradition is singing, poems and readings at weddings. Some of the English guests looked a little bemused as song sheets were handed out to everyone, and an impromptu song about Eve and Chris was sung, to the tune of ‘Que Sera Sera’ – with quite a few verses (seemed like about 20!!).
After the singing, bride and groom enjoyed a quick first dance, then…the music stopped. Eve’s family then made a speech, including props from her childhood years. A bit of a surprise (to most people!) but great fun never the less. Then the extended family came up for another song… I was somewhat shocked that we just went back to dancing – I kept expecting something else to happen!
All in all, a fantastic, relaxed, fun-filled, family day! Congratulations to Eve and Chris!
If you’re getting married at Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells, please contact me to discuss your wedding photography.
All photographs copyright David Burke Photography 2016