A CHILLED CEREMONY AND PICNIC LUNCH
This fabulous wedding started at Lewes Town Hall, only a short drive from Brighton on the Sussex coast, where my couple had their legal ceremony with a small contingency of family and friends for a slightly earlier ceremony at 1pm.
From there we all walked down the hill to Southover Grange Gardens where we had a picnic lunch that my bride and grooms parents had put together and had stashed in parked cars next to the gardens. We also shot their group photos and some portraits here too as it was so pretty, plus it also meant getting these formalities out of the way before the ‘real’ reception started.
My couple had hired a Green Vintage Bus to transport most of their guests from here to their reception at High Hurstwood Village hall – around a 20min drive north of Lewes in East Sussex.
PUB BREAK AND PORTRAITS
I, very excitingly rode with my couple in an awesome blue vintage Ford Granada car with theeeeeee coolest looking driver I ever did see!! The 4 of us stopped off at a Sussex pub called the Cock Inn on the way to the village hall. It was a pub that my couple had drunk together in during their younger years, they had called the landlord to check the pub would be open at this time – they actually opened just especially for my couple!! How amazing is that! So we stopped off there for around 30 or so mins to enjoy a drink and for my couple to chill a bit together before the madness of the rest of the day started. We also – of course did a few more portraits and my couple took the Ford for a quick spin.
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^^^^^ Coolest driver EVER right!!!?? ^^^^^
HOW TO MAKE AN ENTRANCE!
My couples guests who took the green bus earlier had been enjoying a drink at High Hurstwood Village Hall with the rest of my couples extended friends and family who had been invited directly to the reception for 4pm.
We pulled up in the car just along the lane from the Village Hall and I jumped out and ran to where the guests were all waiting in the car park for the arrival of the new Mr & Mrs ……… once I was in place the uber cool driver revved, roared, sped and screeched into the car park right up to their guests ……. I’m pretty sure all of our hearts stopped briefly, unsure if he would stop in time hahahaha – it was a lot of fun and quite an entrance!!
FISH & CHIPS and ICE CREAM !!
My couple had hired a chip van for their main meal so wedding guests were able to have Fish and Chips with mushy peas or gravy, or battered halloumi for the veggies (me – yum!).
Desert was an icecream van that arrived a little later in the evening once the chip van had moved.
Having food vans and ‘street food’ for your meals is really exciting for us photographers as they provide another layer and opportunity for some awesome and fun photos …. as you will see. Plus it probably means your guests will continue to mingle, play games, dance etc instead of being sat still for two hours or more. This kind of catering is much more relaxed and you don’t have to adhere to such strict time constraints. There are some gorgeous Sussex Village halls around which really allow you to have a blank canvas and a unique and relaxed wedding day.
