“Oh my gosh, Michael, the photos are incredible! You are soooooo clever! Thank you so much. You captured our day perfectly! I felt like I was laughing all day and the photos really capture that! We couldn’t have asked for any more. Eek! I LOVE these! ” – Ashleigh & Ali
Great Barn Wedding Photographer in Kent
Ashleigh and Ali were supposed to get married at Great Barn in Rolvenden a year earlier. Although they’d had to postpone it until 2021 because of the pandemic and could only invite a few guests, they stuck with this laid-back, 18th century rustic venue in Kent. And it was perfect!
If you’re looking for a documentary-style photographer for your Great Barn wedding, or anywhere else, I’d love you get in touch.
A Beautiful Rustic Wedding
This was my first time shooting a wedding at Great and it’s just right for a DIY wedding. The venue, about a mile outside Rolvenden, is about as bucolic as you can get. The Great Barn itself has real charm displaying the most amazing wooden beams and huge barn doors.
Ashleigh got ready with family and friends at her house in Bexhill-on-Sea. It was an emotional morning, especially when her dad arrived and saw her for the first time in her wedding dress. We then all drove the 20 miles north into deepest Kent and across the meandering Rother Valley to Rolvenden, a few miles west of Tenterden.
There’s something very relaxed about holding your marriage ceremony and reception in a big old barn. Ashleigh and Ali also decided to give their wedding breakfast a very English twist. The guests were served a traditional tea of perfectly cut sandwiches and cakes prepared by Sarah and her team at the Pretty Little Tea Company. As you can see from the shot of the reception tables, the place settings looked very pretty indeed!
The fact there could only be a few close friends and family at the big day seemed to make the wedding speeches even more emotional than usual. Tears were shed during the father of the bride speech and were properly flowing by the time Ali, the groom, had finished.
Ashleigh and Ali’s big day was rounded off with a first dance and a slightly impromptu, and socially distanced, wedding knees up.
Relaxed documentary photography
This chilled-out type of venue fits perfectly with my candid, documentary-style wedding photos. The whole place seemed to put everyone at ease. I was able to capture some natural moments and Ashleigh and Ali ended up with reportage pictures that told the story of what it really felt like to be there. Much better than a whole bunch of staged shots.
If you’re looking for a relaxed, documentary-style photographer for your Great Barn wedding, or anywhere else, I’d love you get in touch.
