Spring wedding at Eastington Park

One of my favourite things about being a wedding photographer is getting to meet couples whose story has taken them all over the world. Michelle and Ben now live in Australia, but Ben originally grew up here in the UK, so they chose to bring all of their favourite people together at Eastington Park for a relaxed summer wedding. It was such a lovely way to celebrate with family and friends from both sides of the world, and after travelling all that way, the British weather even decided to cooperate with beautiful sunshine all day long.

Bridal Prep

The morning began in Eastington Park’s gorgeous wedding suite where Michelle got ready alongside her two best friends. There was such a calm, relaxed atmosphere all morning. Lots of laughter, a few happy tears and plenty of excitement as everyone realised the day they’d all travelled so far for had finally arrived.

One of my favourite moments happened just before we headed downstairs. As I was fluffing Michelle’s dress ready for her bridal portraits, I noticed both of her bridesmaids quietly becoming emotional watching their best friend all dressed and ready to get married. I spun around just in time to capture those tears before anyone noticed. Those are exactly the moments I love most – the genuine, unscripted reactions that become some of the most treasured photographs from a wedding day.

Wedding ceremony

Michelle chose to walk herself down the aisle, which made for such a powerful and personal entrance. Their wedding ceremony was also outside which meant there was so much light and colour. I was also able to easily move about and capture all the guest reactions too.

Before the ceremony, Michelle also shared a really lovely first look with her son. It was such a sweet, emotional moment between the two of them and one that perfectly set the tone for the rest of the day. Family was at the heart of everything, and it was clear just how important it was to have everyone together to celebrate.

A Relaxed Summer Celebration

With the sunshine making the most of Eastington Park’s beautiful grounds, guests spent cocktail hour catching up, enjoying drinks outside and making the most of the chance to spend time together. Having family travelling from both the UK and Australia meant the day felt even more special, with so many reunions happening throughout the afternoon.

The whole wedding had such a wonderfully relaxed feel. There was no rushing from one thing to the next, just lots of time for conversations, hugs, children running around the gardens and everyone soaking up the atmosphere. These are always my favourite kinds of weddings to photograph because the real moments naturally unfold without anyone needing to think about the camera.

Couple Portraits

We were incredibly lucky with the weather, so we wandered through Eastington Park’s grounds for a short portrait session while guests were moved inside for wedding breakfast. I always recommend this to my couples because it means you have privacy for those couple moments but also you’re not missing out on chatting with guests because they’re all being seated for your arrival anyway – so win win! Michelle and Ben wanted their photographs to feel natural and relaxed, focusing more on genuine interactions than lots of posing, which suited the whole feel of their wedding perfectly.

The beautiful grounds gave us plenty of variety without needing to disappear for long, meaning the couple could quickly get back to spending time with the people they’d travelled across the world to celebrate with. We also did a second batch after their wedding breakfast for golden hour photos which were so gorgeous!

Wedding speeches in ballroom

I LOVED this part of the wedding day. It was so intimate and personal and honestly, that’s how you create a memorable wedding speech. By speaking from the heart. I also love that the bride Michelle also spoke with her groom which was really lovely. More women are partaking in speeches and we love to see it!

When it comes to wedding speeches I love to look around the room and capture real emotion to what’s being said. You could really see just how much everyone there cared for the couple.

The Dancefloor

I actually really like summer dancefloors. Sure they’re not dark and there’s a lot of sunlight coming through but it means you have that beautiful warm light coming through and people can dance, or they can nurse a glass of wine outside in the cooler summer air. Ben and Michelle were amazing at getting the memo of be the dancefloor you want to see. They were right up front and centre just living their best lives and it was so lovely to see the pure joy there.

SIDE NOTE: How cute are the gorgeous star lights used for first dance?!

Eastington Park Wedding Photography

Eastington Park really is one of those venues that works beautifully for relaxed weddings and it creates the perfect backdrop for natural, storytelling wedding photography.

If you’re planning your own wedding at Eastington Park and you’re looking for relaxed photography that captures all the real moments alongside beautiful portraits, I’d love to hear all about your plans.

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