Sage & Andrea’s intimate outdoor autumn wedding at Deer Park country house in Devon
A minimalist, American-Italian sequel wedding in the autumn at the Enchanting & Fairytale Devon wedding venue, Deer Park country Park.
Have you heard of a sequel wedding?
If you haven’t don’t worry, the term is new to us too. We always referred to them as a two parter - they became an increasingly popular option after the Pandemic as people were restricted to having a smaller number of guests in attendance so followed up a legal ceremony at their local town hall with a bigger party later on down the line.
We even had our own ‘sequel wedding’ which we loved because it meant we got to get married twice, plus it gave us so much more flexibility on our ceremony and what we wanted to include (As legal registrar led ceremonies don’t permit any reference to spirituality.) Sage and Andrea, an American & Italian couple wanted a ceremony that was completely personal to them and their values. They wanted a sequel wedding so that they could have an elopement in Cornwall that was just about them, then share a celebration with their close family & friends and put on a party in a beautiful country house venue in Devon.
Devon & Cornwall Nostalgic Wedding Photography for Modern Lovers
Documentary, Editorial, People Focused
Portraits in the bridal suite before the ceremony
We always advise leaving a little time before the ceremony if you’d like some portraits of your hair, makeup and outfit at its most pristine. Of course if that doesn’t matter to you, forget what we’re talking about but we do think of it as another excuse for a grounding moment to take it all in and reflect on what’s happening. Wedding days pass by in such a blur, factoring in moments throughout the day to breathe and ground yourself will help you to centre and feel present.
An outdoor wedding blessing in a glade
The guests made their way to the beautiful summerhouse, a tiny thatched garden house located in a beautiful glade. We were so lucky that in spite of the poor weather forecast for the day, we had a window of bright and dry weather so the couple were able to have their celebrant led ceremony outside beneath the open sky. Surrounded by fragrant cottage garden flowers, the glade is such a beautiful and quaint space for a fairytale outdoor wedding in Devon.
The Summer House at Deer Park Country House, Devon
Sage & Andrea chose to enter the ceremony space together walking down the aisle arm in arm. We love seeing more and more couples finding ways to make their ceremonies unique and true to them and their personalities. Sage’s dear friend Brittany acted as celebrant for them having written a bespoke ceremony as Sage & Andrea had already had a legal ceremony at their elopement in Cornwall a few weeks prior.
Deer Park House, a relaxed wedding reception in Devon
We had enjoyed a beautiful, airy & dry morning and thankfully, Andrea & Sage were able to have their outdoor ceremony that they had hoped for but as afternoon rolled in, so did the rain. Luckily, DeerPark has such cosy and eclectic interiors, the guests were able to enjoy themselves indoors with boardgames and a grand piano to gather around. Myself and the couple popped outside between showers to make some use of the garden games and wander around the walled gardens for some couples portraits before the rain really set in for the day.
As it was a small gathering, they were able to use the glasshouse room for the dinner reception - a beautiful, light filled greenhouse reception room filled to the brim with plants. Speeches were kept informal and relaxed.
One of the highlights was their friends serenading them on the grand piano for their first dance in the lobby. It really was a romantic moment of what had been a really informal and relaxed day. Guests gathered on the stairs to watch and cheer them on.
They finished off the evening with casino style card games and a silent disco. It was a beautiful example of how much you can do with an intimate wedding to make it exactly the day you want. Cosy, personal, meaningful memories with people who’ve travelled far and wide to show their love for you and support you into married life, it was such a privilege to be a part of this deeply personal day.
