katie + david
Filled with character, Leez Priory is a Tudor manor house wedding venue situated in the Chelmsford countryside, with a stand alone Great Tower set on 40 acres of private grounds.
One thing I like to do is to arrive a little earlier in the mornings, before my day officially starts, to take some time to walk around the grounds. It’s a great time to scout for photo locations to use later in the day when we go for the couple session. Upon arrival at the venue, I was welcomed by imposing double oak doors leading into a distinctive carriageway featuring a cartwheel chandelier. It was like taking a step back in time! I loved how Leez Priory has kept its olden day charm evident in so many corners of the venue.
The day started in the main house with Katie as she was getting her hair and make-up done, we gathered her accessories, shoes, perfume and invitation set to photograph. Not everyone chooses to get these details photographed but I absolutely love doing it and it adds such a lovely touch to the wedding story! After we had done that, we joined Katie and her entourage as they were almost finished with getting ready to take some morning preparation photos.
We then made our way out of the main house to the Granary, a small cottage close by, where David was getting ready with his groomsmen. Here, we captured them putting on the final touches, cufflinks, ties, jackets, shoes etc. We then stepped outside for a couple of group photos of the whole entourage. It was then time for us to make our way down to the Coach House barn, a short walk away, to get ready for the upcoming ceremony!
As David and his entourage waited at the top of the aisle, they greeted their nearest and dearest, family and friends started filling up the seats in the barn. I went back out to the main house to wait for Katie to start making her way down, not long now! A little while later, Katie, looking absolutely gorgeous in her white dress, appeared from behind the giant oak doors accompanied by her father and bridesmaids. Making our way to the ceremony, I could see the excitement in their faces as they neared the barn and as they waited outside for their cue.
The cue came and they were off! One by one, the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle, leading the way for Katie and her father, who were coming up behind them. Once Katie’s father had given her hand to David, the ceremony was truly under way. It all went off without a hitch, they gave their vows, exchanged rings and sealed it all with a kiss!
When the formalities were done with, the day guests all made their way to the inner courtyard to relax and enjoy the drinks and canapés. We used this time to do the group photos, this usually takes longer than couples might expect, as getting all the groups together is tedious work! (Quick tip: it runs much smoother when a list is made beforehand and a groomsman or bridesmaid is allocated to help with the gathering of the groups on the day.) The bridal party plus groomsmen decided to pop open a bottle of champagne, which made for a great photo opportunity! I really appreciated how much space we had to work with at Leez Priory, even with just the generous size of the courtyard, as there had been times in smaller venues, it was a struggle to carve out a big enough space for larger groups.
It was then time to take Katie and David away for their couple photos. Having scouted out a few quaint corners of the venue earlier, we revisited them with the newlywed couple for their own little photoshoot. This is always my favourite part of the day as it’s an absolute pleasure to capture the abundance of love between couples who have just made their vows to each other. It also gives them a bit of time to decompress away from their guests and the photos that come out of these sessions will always be my favourites in the wedding gallery! Katie and David were the sweetest couple, so easy to work with, and you could tell how in love they were by the way they spoke to and looked at each other, which was a joy to photograph.
By this time, everyone was hungry (me included!) and eager to take a seat. The couple made their entrance into the converted barn and the wedding breakfast was underway. Katie and David decided to do speeches before eating, and so the maid of honour, best man and newlywed couple all proceeded to deliver their speeches. Whilst they ate, as usual, I was also fuelling up to take on the evening activities.
A couple hours later, evening guests were beginning to trickle in and it was almost time for cake cutting and first dance, which was to take place outdoors. Customarily, these events happen indoors in the UK, so it was really quite special! Katie and David cut their gorgeous 3-tiered cake in front of the carriageway and then took to the beautifully maintained lawn for their first dance. After a few more songs, my time with the lovely couple and their guests came to an end. I was sad to go as I’d an amazing day with Katie and David at Leez Priory but as they say, all good things must come to an end!
I hope you enjoyed reading my recount of this gorgeous summer wedding and I’ve included some of personal favourites from their gallery below, so feel free to check them out. If you’d like to get in touch about your own wedding, you can find a contact form here, or alternatively, shoot me an email at hello@yllweddings.com!
