Eeeeeeek I have such a pretty wedding to share with you today!!! Beautiful weather, luscious venue, outdoor ceremony (my first time in the romantic Secret Garden here at this exquisite venue) and of course a stunning couple who were an absolute joy to spend this day with and who had the most awesome crowd as their guests creating a brilliant atmosphere! Not to mention the fact that I had my EXCEPTIONAL second shooter Tim back at the barns with me for this pretty wedding, and I’d like to just say, as always Tim, you nailed it 🙂

Jo and Clive’s Wedding Day

While Tim enjoyed a relaxed morning with our lovely Groom, Clive, and his men, at the Blacksmiths for some natural photos, I spent the morning covering bridal prep with our elegant bride, Jo, and her maid of honour Helen. Usually it’s not so relaxing for me, like it is Tim, but this was such a nice, relaxing morning and not what I’m used to pre-ceremony. Jo had the lovely and talented Katie Scarlett MUA doing make-up and Chantelle Abbott styling her hair and anyone who follows me knows these are always some of my favourite shots.
After trying only ten dresses, Jo said yes to the beautiful Camille Gown by Grace Loves Lace and the prettiest hairband from Anthropolgie, and WOW, you can see why, she looks absolutely divine and Clive’s face as she walked up the aisle of the secret garden at Southend Barns said it all. As mentioned above this was my first time photographed an outdoor ceremony at this venue, they opened the Secret Garden last summer so I was really excited when Jo and Clive said they’d opted for this over the Dairy Barn – don’t get me wrong their indoor option is exquisite but for me, it was lovely to have a change and try something new. The huge rustic doors were opened and in entered Helen in a classy Phase Eight dress, followed by Jo and her Dad, everything looked so very gorgeous making the most perfect setting for such a pretty wedding, and I loved that they had this all being captured from both angles.

Two things that were really noticeable at this wedding was the incredible floristry by Bohotanical, literally adorning the Threshing Barn and looking spectacular and the other was the atmosphere, everyone smiling and laughing, the sun shining and real outdoor summer wedding vibes! It was so great to be a part of and be there to capture it all!
This lovely couple and their guests enjoyed fantastic daytime music by the acoustic trio, City Lights, which makes such a difference to have in the background too during the formal photos. Taking Jo and Clive away for some intimate romantic portraits in the garden was really special, the newlyweds looked so happy and excited and really managed to step back and be in the moment together. There was also just the right amount of sun and cloud to create perfectly soft light.

The food was delicious, I loved the canapés and made sure we captured these for you all to see as made by the barns new in-house caterers, Roots, and what a wonderful team they are. Clive and his best man gave hilarious and touching speeches in between courses, keeping guests highly entertained and causing a few tears to be shed.

As always I kept an eye out for that sunset, and yep, despite much cloud in the day, they cleared up and the full sun shone down low for some superb and magical evening portraits in the crop field which I dragged this awesome couple through!

City Light transformed into an awesome band to kick off the evening with some fabulous tunes to get the party started and I made sure to stay and capture some of the fun before I headed off into the distance.

Jo and Clive your day was aww-inspiring, we loved every minute and this is just a taster of what you have yet to come VERY SOON, I literally can’t wait to finish the rest of your photos so you can reminisce on your amazing day, but for now, I hope you LOVE your second sneak peek. CONGRATULATIONS you lovely pair of newlyweds! xoxo

The Dream Team

Bride’s Dress: Grace Loves Lace Wedding dresses
Bride’s Hairband: Anthropolgie online store for clothes and accessories
Bride’sMake-up: Katie Scarlett MUA
Bride’s Hair: Chantelle Abbott
Bride’s Shoes: Boden clothing and shoes online store
Florist: Bohotanical florist in Sussex
Groom’s Suit: Dapper Formal wear in Surbiton
Groom’s Pocket Square and tie: Liberty Fabric and Print – TMLewin mens clothing store
Bridesmaid Dress: Phase Eight womens ocassion clothing
Band: City Lights live band for weddings and events
Photography: Nicci and Tim at Adôrlee wedding photographer in Chichester, West Sussex
Venue: Southend Barns wedding venue in West Sussex

If you’d like to see more photos from Southend Barns weddings and fill your head with inspiration galore, please visit my Southend Barns Venue Buddy page.