Fun, natural and relaxed photographs at Preston Court
Looking for some awesome Preston Court wedding photography? Well, look no further than Elaine & Nick’s super fun and relaxed wedding!
For a while now, Preston Court has been at the top of our ‘wedding venues we most want to photograph at’ list. So, we were super excited when Nick & Elaine got in touch and invited us down to Canterbury to photograph their big day!
Just to give you an idea of why we were so excited to be photographing at Preston Court – I’m talking farmyards, beautiful wooden barns, an ancient Saxon church, steam engines, organs and a fully functioning carousel! The scene was well and truly set for some awesome photos and we couldn’t wait!
The day got off to a fantastic start – Jaye met up with Elaine for prep at a hotel just off the beach while I (Matt) met up with an excited and nervous Nick who was just a short walk away in one of the beachside houses. Some extremely large gins (poured by Nick’s mum) soon took the edge of Nick’s nerves and while Jaye was getting some really cool photos of Elaine in front of the higgledy-piggledy seaside houses (I just love that pink wall) Nick and I made our way over to Preston Court.
The ceremony in the Kent Barn has to be one of the most beautiful we’ve ever attended. The ceiling of the barn was decorated with the most incredible collection of paper lanterns and fans. In a ceremony filled with loads of laughter and joy, Nick & Elaine made their vows to each other. Then, one of my favorite moments from a day filled with amazing moments, happened – instead of walking straight back down the aisle after signing the register, Elaine & Nick spontaneously decided to greet their guests as a married couple. For a while, it was nothing but hugs, kisses and everyone just sharing in the happiness. This was everything I’d imagined for an awesome Preston Court wedding and a really beautiful moment.
After they walked up the aisle there were even more hugs and kisses outside and some really cool alternative confetti. I just love how creative our couples can be with the confetti, and swizzle sticks with ribbons was a first and a new favorite (and a fabulous Preston Court wedding photography moment). Afterwards, we popped Nick & Elaine off for a few photos in the onsite gypsy-style caravan. Did I mention, Preston Court has it all? Yes, this even includes a beautiful caravan filled with awesome murals and a bunk style bed – perfect for Nick & Elaine to jump up on for a few fun and relaxed photos!
The Kent Barn has two Dutch dance hall organs. One organ is in a romantic Victorian style, while the other is a super stylish art deco design. The organs make for a fabulous photography backdrop and we couldn’t resist popping Nick & Elaine back into the barn for some really cool photos. Later in the day, the most beautiful cake table was set up in front of the Victorian organ!
Preston Court has a Victorian carousel that sits 3-abreast. This is awesome fun for all the guests and makes for some really cool Preston Court wedding photography. After a few group photographs, which were promptly photobombed by a peacock (Preston Court has loads of peacocks, guinea fowl, etc that roam the grounds and occasionally fancy a good photography session) it was back into the barn for the wedding breakfast and speeches.
Elaine’s dad had me laughing all day and his speech didn’t disappoint – delivering one of the funniest father of the bride speeches we’ve heard all year! Then it was Nick’s turn and his brother soon had him squirming in his seat with some hilarious memories of their childhood. It’s really cool when a sibling is the best man – they always have all the best ammunition for the speeches!
The evening got off to a literal ‘bang’ with some amazing confetti cannons adding a lot of awesome to Nick and Elaine’s first dance! A packed dance floor with plenty of sing-along tunes had the guests partying hard.
We even got to sneak Nick & Elaine off for one last nighttime photo in front of the carousel – the perfect end to the perfect day!
