Stennack Farm was the venue for Lucy & Jack’s relaxed, boho style wedding where family was a huge part of the couple’s nuptials.
From the moment I met Lucy and Jack and their little one, Freddie, at a coffee shop just a week or so ahead of their wedding, I knew that this wedding was as much about officially becoming a family as it was for the couple becoming husband and wife. Freddie, the most gorgeous blue-eyed, blond haired two year old, stole the show from the outset.
Stennack is the perfect setting for a wedding including small children. The adjoining guest house means that everyone is situated within close proximity of each other, allowing little ones to free roam between the different parties getting ready. The main window of the barn looks down over part of the venue’s exterior. This is always a favourite pastime of brides in the make up chair; watching the to-ing and fro-ing of those arriving and setting up various parts of the day ahead. The natural light from this Juliette style window is also every make up artists dream!
It is so common with little ones on the morning of a wedding that they feel a little out of sorts. They’ve usually been uprooted the night before, had a late night and slept in a strange bed. The morning routine is anything but a routine that they are used to and suddenly mum and dad are surrounded by people, some familiar; others not so much, and being puled from pillar to post and being questioned by this person and that. Not only that but for some strange reason, mummy and daddy aren’t even allowed in the same building!
My advice would be to take a leaf out of Lucy and Jack’s book. It was beautifully spontaneous but when Lucy realised that the overwhelm was real for Freddie, she sent all her bridesmaids off to get dressed and just sat with him for a moment, just the two of them. They just cuddled and rocked, and sat there building the reassurance that despite all of the beautiful chaos of the day, it was going to be ok.
One of my aims when children of the couple are at a wedding is to always get some family photos. This needn’t take a minute, and often I am told that I’ll be lucky if we get them to comply and look at the camera. My response is always the same. We don’t need them to stand and look at me or the camera! Let’s find a space where we can play a little, have some fun and just let the little ones be themselves with you! I’m much happier capturing shots of you having fun with your little ones, a walk holding both of your hands and swinging them up high or a game of ‘catch me if you can’ is always a welcome break for little ones and a chance for them to have a bit of quality time with you both amongst the business of the day.
And of course, if they are still awake of an evening, having your small people join in on your first dance is just the perfect ends to the day! Unless of course, you’re like Jack and you are banished from the dance floor by Freddie who at this point just wanted mum all to himself. Once again, another moment that was just too cute and just summed up how this day was all about the union of this beautiful little family.
