On Sunday I joined Sophie & Craig to photograph their big day at the wonderful Crab Manor / Crab & Lobster hotel & lodgings!

I love boutique hotels and this is arguably my favourite in all the land, and not only because they’ve got dogs outside wearing bow ties.

More because every room is decorated differently, and out in the grounds are ski chalet lodges (complete with Skis) or a thatched barn, while in the manor house, the place is bursting with antiques & random brick-a-brac… oh, and a 8ft yeti.

…that changes his outfits every time I visit!

Also, anyone checking in gets a passport & an empty glass, because hidden in the Manor is a secret beer pump (discovered behind the above!). If you can find it, you can drink as much as you like!

My kinda place (but probably unwise to take advantage of while shooting a wedding…)

I hope you enjoy this story of a very special day!

I joined the soon to be Mrs Bevan (ace coat hanger eh?!) in what might as well have been called the Cath Kidston suite with this wall paper!

Here’s our lovely bride & mum having their hair & faces fixed up

Sophie had bought & customised several pretty dried flowers for her bouquet, and cut the others up and fashioned them into buttonholes!Loving her pretty knee-length dress!A special wedding card from a special someone addressed to “Sophie Bevan (to be…)”Craig’s gifts to Sophie came in handmade wordsearch paper!With the silk dressing gown, vintage stylings and & background it all feels very 1920s!

Meanwhile, upstairs in an altogether differently decorated room…

We have a groom to be!

One of his gifts from Sophie was a pair of sock with a note saying “In case of cold feet”

The details were everywhere!

Even the ring cushion was customised!

Here’s the man who’ll be bearing those rings!

And lending assistance on the tie tying

It’d be rude not to pose with this chap

(though it’s presumptuous of me to guess the gender of this Yeti)These guys were well up for a bit of fun outside before guests arrived
It only took a matter of moments for Sophie to be in her dress!

And radiant she looks indeedDad joined the partyAnd the conservatory outside was set and ready

Again, it wasn’t short on fun details adorning the roof and walls!

Wedding guests assembleDeep breathHere comes the brideAwww.

A few tears were shed

(Mainly by Craig!)The kiss!

Sealed with a cuddle

The official one!And back down the aisle as man & wife!Out for a mingle in the sunshine

And a big heart of bubbles!After a quick everyone shot it was time for…

CONFETTI BOMB!

We whistled through the family groups

Team Wedding Party!

Sophie & EmmaThe boysThe lowest lean competition

…and off we headed for a quick round of portraits around the beautiful grounds!Aww

We’d had a fun time doing some practice pictures around Crab Manor a few weeks back (check out the blog images here)

It makes all the difference, to get relaxed & fun images of a couple when they’ve been through it before their big day!

It also helps when you’ve an asexual yetiTheir afternoon reception was just through the grounds of Crab Manor at the…

Crab & Lobster!  An equally boutiquey gastro eatery!

Guests mingled outside…

And out front there were even random ukey recorder nutbars entertaining wedding guests and punters.

Check out the wedding breakfast room!

Nautically-themed, literally from top to bottom.

Introducing Mr & Mrs Bevan!

Speeches were much fun

especially considering Craig & his best man met at acting college!Dinner was a beautifully gourmet BBQ!

Check out this awesome wedding cake!

Apparently, dolly mixtures now don’t use artificial dye, so the colours aren’t as vibrant, so Claire from ‘Just Darling cakes’ painted them individually with edible food dye!  That’s just darling.

Cutting the cake!And as dusk set in over the Crab & Lobster…

We set up and ran our fun photobooth!

Sophie & Craig had brought props to bolster ours, but it was all about their mental actor buddies who made it so much fun!

The first dance!

And a final snap of a love heart drawn with a sparkler!

♥

We certainly had fun hanging out with these guys for their big day & with them a long and lovely life together, as well as a cracking honeymoon!

x

Barns & Clare

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