A beautiful Butterfly & Bee themed Preston Court wedding
Today I’m thrilled to share Becky & Dave’s butterfly and bee themed Preston Court wedding. I first worked there last year photographing Sarah & Steve’s wedding and totally fell in love with the venue, so it was such a pleasure to return for this wedding.
Becky & Dave both live in London so for the preparations for their Preston Court wedding they had found houses to hire nearby, where all their closest family could stay with them. When I arrived Becky was in the middle of having her hair done, amidst a buzz of chatter and giggles.
The couple had chosen a really lovely theme of butterflies and bees, with lots of natural flowers and a quirky, relaxed feel to the styling of the day. The guys had ties with bees on, Dave’s cufflinks were bees, and the decorations included butterflies and hummingbirds. Becky’s bridesmaids wore gorgeous floral dresses from Vivien of Holloway, with big layered underskirts for that real 1950’s shape. Each of them had a slightly different shade of pink for their underskirt, to add a touch of uniqueness. While I spent the morning with the girls, my second shooter, Jesse, was with the boys. I always love the getting ready part of the day. There is so much nervous anticipation and a real-time for bonding between the bride and her family and bridesmaids. Being able to capture all the little details as well as the moment when the dress is put on and the last few preparations are done is really wonderful.
The morning had been a little rainy so the ceremony was held in the big barn, which had been beautifully decorated with flowers on every surface and big colourful lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The small barn had bunting, lanterns and flowers throughout too. Becky & Dave had a vintage typewriter to one side for guests to leave messages for them. Little decorative touches were everywhere, from the small peacock paper decorations to the scrabble tiles, that were left loose on a side table for guests to have a bit of fun with. The whole wedding was a riot of colour, with complementary and clashing tones working fabulously well to give a vibrant and fun feel to the day. A truly beautiful Preston Court wedding.
When it was time for the ceremony, the guests quietened and Dave stood up in front of the original Victorian organ at one end of the barn. A moment of looking rather serious and nervous soon gave way to silly grins when he saw Becky walking down the aisle. She had chosen the most beautiful figure-skimming dress from Teokath. The fabric had subtle flowers weaved into it, which perfectly fitted with the theme of the day. Dave looked very cool in his choice of a mid-blue suit, with a pale pink shirt and tan shoes. The ceremony was wonderful with more laughs, giggles and some poignant moments as each of the mums did readings. As Becky and Dave left the big barn the three-piece jazz band struck up and lead the guests to the lake and garden area for drinks and canapes. Congratulatory hugs followed and everyone relaxed as the weather cleared and started warming a little. We spent time mingling with the crowd to capture some of the more candid, documentary-style images before I scooted off with Becky & Dave on their own for some relaxed portraits. I always love this part of the day, it’s such a great chance for the Bride and Groom to have some time alone and I love capturing the giggles, loving cuddles, kisses and the moment it all sinks in that they are now husband and wife.
Everyone headed back to the big barn for the wedding meal, cake cutting and speeches. By this point, the sun had properly come out to play and the evening was wonderful. The guests spilt out to the courtyard to enjoy the warm spring evening. Drinks were drunk, outdoor games were played and the Victorian carousel was started up for anyone who wanted to jump on and enjoy a ride.
Becky chose to change into a shorter dress for the evening and had found a beautiful vintage wedding dress. As their guests relaxed into the evening Becky and Dave escaped into the little caravan to get changed, freshen up and have a few moments of quiet. We took a little wander back to the lake to make the most of the golden hour evening light and capture a few more photos as the sun went down. At this point, it would normally be time for the first dance, but there was a small interlude first for something a little different. Becky’s family is German and there is a tradition that the newly married couple must saw a log together to symbolise their unity and working as one. The crowds gathered as bride and groom grabbed the ends of a really big saw, one of the boys was sitting on the log as an anchor weight and they started cutting. A few false starts and stops and the momentum got going. Finally, the log was cut through amidst loud cheers and clapping and Becky & Dave then led their guests back into the barn for their first dance. The lept and swung around the dancefloor before everyone joined them and the party kicked off. These guys know how to dance and the place was jumping from the first track.
The final touch to the day was a fish and chip van, which was set up to provide a little extra sustenance to those in need.
This was a real corker of a wedding and one that I will remember for a long time. Huge thanks to Becky and Dave for asking me to be a part of their amazing day
It’s always such a joy to photograph a Preston Court wedding. Big thanks to Jesse for second shooting. Here are the other people involved in the big day.
Suppliers
Venue – Preston Court
Catering – Pumpkin Caterers
Hair & Makeup – Elena Thompson
Dress – From Teokath
Bridesmaids dresses – Vivien of Holloway
Brides shoes – Rachel Simpson
Suits – Richard James
Florist – flowers done by the groom’s mother
Cake – Crumbs & Doilies
Band – Festival Sons
Stationery – Card Lab
Fish & Chip van – Flo’s Fryer
Hope you have enjoyed this wedding. If you are planning a Kent wedding or a Barn wedding take a look at Flo & Ross’s pretty Barn wedding at Frasers Farm.
Thanks for popping by
Fiona x
Looks pretty fun and unique. Would definitely try.