A soft, romantic summer glasshouse wedding at the Gooseberry House, Spring Garden’s Nursery in Sussex
Victoria & DanielPackage: 8 hours coverage with Sarah
Mix of Digital & 35mm film photography
It’s not often we get to make the journey to Sussex but when Victoria & Dan got in touch about their whimsical plans for a wedding at a little church in the middle of the woods followed by a reception in the bright & airy glasshouse of Spring Gardens Nursery there was no way we could pass up the opportunity.
Victoria & Dan love all things analogue - film, records, taking things slow and intentionally. Victoria designed her own wedding gown and had it made to her vision by a seamstress - it was the sweetest frock consisting of a silk slip with an organza overlay with beautiful ruffle sleeves and big bow on the back that evoked such whimsy & softness. Paired with her Miu Miu T-bar patent shoes and gentle posy of fresh summer flowers by Whimsy Floral Design, her bridal style was summery & sweet and perfect for frolicking in the Sussex countryside.
Victoria got ready with just her mother at the Pump Station nestled in the countryside. It was a quiet and calm morning with beautiful views over the fields. It was a sweet & serene morning and so special that it was just the two of them. I love that the mother of the bride and groom each got their own bridesmaid flowers too! A big yes to Mother-in-law bridesmaids.
‘Natural and whimsical photography with a splash of film’
My love of the countryside and quintessential English scenes really brought my imagination alive for this commission. When people ask me ‘what is my favourite type of wedding to capture?’ my answer is always going to be ‘a joyful one’ but one that has a lot of flowers, charm, a romantic countryside location and colourful dress code doesn’t go amiss either.
I’ve always loved when couples hire a vintage bus to transport their guests - it adds such an element of fun to the day and makes for some great photo opportunities so imagine my delight when I saw the big classic London bus turn up at The Gooseberry House.
Getting ready at the Pump HouseCaptured on 35mm
Victoria designed her own wedding gown and had it handmade by a seamstress to her specifications. The couple even made their own rings too. The day was planned by Ellie of Bower events who coordinated everything to perfection with some of the best wedding food I’ve ever sampled served up by Field Food,
A glasshouse wedding reception venue in Sussex
Perhaps because I myself opted for a greenhouse wedding but I just can’t get enough of a hodge podge of beautiful little tables covered in flowers surrounded by draping vines. The light is so dreamy, the interiors couldn’t be more summery for this intimate wedding in Sussex. With guests travelling in from all over the world, it really showed off the English countryside in the summer at its best.
ALL SAINTS CHURCH, WATER LANE, STEYNING
The couple hired an iconic Red London bus to transport the guests from Spring Gardens nursery where the reception would take place over to the pathway that led to the secret church nestled in the woods. The guests followed a pathway of posies over a little brook all the way up to the beautiful ancient church.
In Cornwall, I’m quite used to dark granite churches so it was quite a treat to enjoy the flattering sandstone of the Sussex churches. Sandstone always reflects light so beautifully and there were so many beautiful little secret features showing the centuries of the churches story.
This wedding was all about the experiences of the day, and the walk through the woodland itself was really one of them, setting the guests up for enchantment as they crossed a babbling brook over a bridge and eventually found the secret church hiding in the trees.
The Church in the woods
I’ll admit, I’ve not seen all that much of this part of England (being from the most westerly depths of Cornwall) but I bet this must be one of the prettiest churches in Sussex. I’d love to go back there some day, just look at all those details and eras of history recorded in the stone and its features.
THE GOOSEBERRY HOUSE, SPRING GARDENS NURSERY, SUSSEX
What a special wedding this was. Once the sun went down, the guests went on into town to continue the celebrations at local bars which I thought was such a great idea. Some of the guests with early bedtimes made their goodbyes as the sun set, myself included but this was a day I’ll always remember so fondly, not just discovering a new part of the island and meeting such wonderful people, but for all the warmth and joy that came with this day. I hope I’ll make it back to Spring Gardens Nursery again sometime, it was well worth the journey from Cornwall! A girl could get used to playing at being a Sussex wedding photographer for the day.
Until next time, Sarah x