“We LOVE the pictures! And our family and friends do too. We watched slideshow about 17 times! We liked you instantly and knew we’d chosen the right photographer. You were really polite and friendly and gave us great advice. Most importantly, the pictures you took really reflected what an amazing, amazing day it was for us.” – Mel & Jez
A Quirky East Sussex Wedding Venue
A wedding at The Bell pub in Ticehurst was always going to be a fun one to photograph. So I was really pleased when Mel and Jez chose me to photograph their winter wedding at the East Sussex pub earlier this year.
The Bell often appears in lists of the UK’s top pubs, and you can see why. It has so many nooks and crannies you could play a never-ending game of hide and seek. And it feels properly old – you can almost imagine a ruddy-faced Dick Turpin bursting to sink a few ales 300 years ago.
The pub dates back to the 16th century and is a genuinely fascinating building, stuffed full of amazing rooms. The most attractive is the ‘Big Room’ where wedding ceremonies take place against the backdrop of its dazzling wallpaper and chandeliers. The bride and groom even get to walk across a 10m long table through ‘The Stables’ room to the sound of guests cheering them on.
Winter Weddings at The Bell
I love shooting winter weddings and the challenge of working with low light. It can make for some very beautiful documentary wedding photography, especially in places like The Bell.
Mel got ready in one of the lovely, softly lit rooms looking down on the historic High Street in Ticehurst. I love this part of the day. It can be so atmospheric and you can feel the excitement and nerves, and not just for the bride and groom. I popped over to the Jez’s room and, as you can see from the pictures below, he wasn’t quite ready to let me in!
In the end, photographing a wedding is about the people in the pictures, and Mel and Jez, and their family and friends, were so much fun to be around and so welcoming.
If you’re looking for a documentary wedding photographer to tell the story of your wedding at The Bell, or any other location, I’d love you to get in touch.
