A WEDDING THAT MADE SPACE FOR THE QUIET MOMENTS | ORCHARDLEIGH ESTATE, SOMERSET
- carla2122
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
THE DETAILS
VENUE / Orchardleigh Estate, Frome, Somerset
PHOTOGRAPHY / The Unbridled
BRIDAL GOWN / Adriana Madrid Bridal
BRIDAL BOUTIQUE / Lovely Bride London
GROOM / Boglioli Milano
FLOWERS / Golden Valley Meadows
SHOES / Miu Miu
SOME WEDDINGS ARE REMEMBERED FOR THE SPECTACLE.
OTHERS ARE REMEMBERED FOR THE SPACES BETWEEN IT ALL.
ZOE AND DANIEL'S WEDDING AT ORCHARDLEIGH ESTATE WASN'T BUILT AROUND A TIMELINE TO COMPLETE. IT WAS BUILT AROUND MAKING ROOM.
ROOM FOR CONVERSATIONS.
ROOM FOR FAMILY.
ROOM FOR THEIR SON.
ROOM FOR WORDS THEY ONLY WANTED EACH OTHER TO HEAR.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY THERE WAS A QUIET CONFIDENCE THAT NOTHING NEEDED TO BE RUSHED. THE CELEBRATIONS UNFOLDED NATURALLY, BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS SPACE FOR STILLNESS IN BETWEEN.
LOOKING BACK, THOSE QUIETER MOMENTS BECAME THE ONES I REMEMBER MOST.
wedding guests outside on lawn at wedding. mother helping bride get in to her wedding dress on wedding day bride, groom and baby in private wedding ceremony under a tree. bride and groom walking up steps of wedding venue bride and groom sitting on bed
BEFORE ZOE HAD EVEN STARTED GETTING READY, THERE WAS A KNOCK AT THE BEDROOM DOOR.
ONE OF DANIEL'S GROOMSMEN ARRIVED CARRYING A JOURNAL.
IT WASN'T A GIFT.
IT WAS DANIEL'S.
YEARS EARLIER, DANIEL HAD GIVEN ZOE A JOURNAL WHEN THEY FIRST MET, AND WRITING IN ONE ANOTHER'S BOOKS HAD QUIETLY BECOME PART OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
ON THE MORNING OF THEIR WEDDING THEY EXCHANGED THEM ONCE AGAIN.
RATHER THAN WRITING THEIR PERSONAL VOWS IN THEIR OWN JOURNALS, THEY WROTE THEM IN EACH OTHER'S.
IT FELT LIKE THE PERFECT BEGINNING TO A DAY THAT WAS NEVER REALLY ABOUT PERFORMANCE.
PRIVATE WEDDING VOWS AT ORCHARDLEIGH ESTATE
THEIR CEREMONY TOOK PLACE ON THE TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE GARDENS, WEAVING TOGETHER TRADITIONAL VOWS WITH RITUALS INCLUDING THE EXCHANGING OF ROSES.
AFTERWARDS CAME CONFETTI, CONGRATULATIONS AND EMBRACES.
BUT BEFORE RETURNING TO EVERYONE WAITING FOR THEM, ZOE AND DANIEL DISAPPEARED INTO THE LONG GRASS BENEATH A TREE WITH THEIR SON.
HERE THEY READ THE WORDS THEY HAD WRITTEN IN EACH OTHER'S JOURNALS.
NO AUDIENCE.
NO MICROPHONES.
JUST THE THREE OF THEM.
I OFTEN ENCOURAGE COUPLES TO BUILD MOMENTS LIKE THIS INTO THE DAY.
NOT BECAUSE THEY CREATE PHOTOGRAPHS.
BUT BECAUSE WEDDINGS MOVE QUICKLY, AND SOMETIMES THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING YOU CAN DO IS PAUSE LONG ENOUGH TO FEEL WHERE YOU ARE BEFORE STEPPING BACK INTO THE CELEBRATION.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, THERE WAS NOWHERE ANYONE NEEDED TO BE.
THE GARDENS BECAME THE HEART OF THE DAY.
DRINKS WERE SHARED ON THE LAWN.
MUSICIANS PLAYED IN THE BACKGROUND.
CHILDREN WANDERED BETWEEN CONVERSATIONS.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOUND MOMENTS TOGETHER THAT WEREN'T PLANNED OR DIRECTED.
THERE WAS NO HURRY TO MOVE EVERYONE INSIDE.
JUST TIME.
TIME TO TALK.
TIME TO LAUGH.
TIME TO NOTICE THE PEOPLE THEY HAD GATHERED THERE.
FOR ME, THESE HOURS ARE OFTEN THE TRUE HEART OF A WEDDING.
NOT BECAUSE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENS.
BUT BECAUSE ORDINARY MOMENTS ARE ALLOWED THE SPACE TO BECOME EXTRAORDINARY.
BEFORE THE EVENING CELEBRATIONS GATHERED PACE, WE SLIPPED AWAY TO THE BRIDAL SUITE.
OUTFIT CHANGES CAN EASILY BECOME SOMETHING PRACTICAL.
I LIKE TO THINK OF THEM AS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
A TRANSITION.
THE CALM BEFORE THE EVENING BEGINS.
ONE FINAL QUIET CHAPTER BEFORE THE ATMOSPHERE SHIFTS AGAIN.
WITHOUT PROMPTING, ZOE REACHED OVER AND HELPED DANIEL INTO HIS JACKET.
IT LASTED ONLY A FEW SECONDS.
IT REMAINS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE ENTIRE DAY.
LOOKING BACK THROUGH THESE PHOTOGRAPHS NOW, I DON'T THINK I'LL REMEMBER THE SCHEDULE.
I'LL REMEMBER THE JOURNALS.
THE GRANDMOTHER QUIETLY INVITED INTO THE ROOM.
A MOTHER DRESSING HER SON BEFORE DRESSING HERSELF.
PRIVATE WORDS SHARED BENEATH A TREE.
A JACKET STRAIGHTENED BEFORE WALKING BACK DOWNSTAIRS.
THEY'RE SMALL MOMENTS.
BUT THEY'RE OFTEN THE ONES THAT STAY WITH US LONGEST.
ZOE AND DANIEL'S OUTDOOR WEDDING AT ORCHARDLEIGH ESTATE IN SOMERSET WAS A CELEBRATION BUILT AROUND FAMILY, INTENTION AND PRESENCE. FROM THEIR PRIVATE VOWS BENEATH THE TREE TO A RELAXED AFTERNOON ON THE LAWNS WITH THEIR SON, EVERY PART OF THE DAY FELT THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDERED.
IF YOU'RE PLANNING A WEDDING AT ORCHARDLEIGH ESTATE OR ARE LOOKING FOR A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER WHO VALUES ATMOSPHERE AND THE MOMENTS IN BETWEEN, I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR PLANS.
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