Helena and David - Bridal Barn Wedding Photography

Helena and David got married at the end of September at the Bridal Barn, a picturesque wedding venue in Shropshire, near Bridgnorth. What a stunning venue! I’m so excited to share these pictures with you.

There were nearly no pictures at all – like many couples getting married at the moment, Helena and David had to change the date of their wedding several times. So many times, in fact, that when I had my final skype meeting with them, we realized that I hadn’t got the memo about the most recent date change, and a bit of frantic diary checking ensued…fortunately, all was well, and it was a delight to see them tie the knot at this gorgeous Shropshire venue.

I’d met Helena when she was a bridesmaid at a wedding I’d photographed a couple of years before, and the bride from that wedding was one of Helena’s bridesmaids, too. I love it when this happens, not only because it always feels lovely to get a personal recommendation, but also because it means I get to catch up with the couples I’ve worked with, and often people already feel relaxed and comfortable around me, which always makes for the best pictures.

As well as photography, Helena and David had opted to use my Vlog My Wedding service, which has proved to be really popular over the last year or so. This means that the bridal party get furnished with their own cameras to take candid footage of all the special moments of the day, and I cut it together into a lovely vlog afterwards. That way, those people who haven’t been able to make it get to see a video that captures the real atmosphere and excitement of the wedding day, rather than just all the formalities.

I could see why Helena and David had chosen the Bridal Barn for their wedding day. The barn itself is situated at the base of a valley, with the wooded hills rising up on either side. It’s truly stunning, and they’d decided to make the most of it by getting married outdoors amongst the trees. 

This meant that the ‘down the aisle’ walk took Helena and her bridesmaid through a picturesque little dell and up a hill to the ceremony location. When I say ‘hill’, I really mean it – it was particularly steep, and when I first saw it I had visions of Helena and the bridal party struggling in their heels and very probably someone ending up flat on their face. But I should never have doubted them – their heel-walking skills were second to none and they managed to make their way to the ceremony without incident, looking glamorous and composed every step of the way – I honestly don’t know how they did it!

Despite it feeling lovely and warm down at the bottom of the valley where the barn was, up on the hill was a pretty breezy location for the ceremony, which added to the drama of the setting and the feeling of wildness in this gorgeous location. The views were absolutely stunning – as far as you could see, hills and woodland. I can think of few more romantic settings.

After the ceremony itself, Helena and David led their guests back down to the barn for the wedding breakfast, where the temperature was much more friendly! September is always a winner weather-wise, and the wedding guests were able to stand outside and bask in the sun while they enjoyed beers, fizz, and a whole variety of make-your-own cocktails. I’m not sure some of the drinks I saw being concocted would pass muster in any self-respecting cocktail bar…but Helena and David’s guests certainly seemed to be having fun, and that’s the most important thing!

David’s best man, in particular, was in need of a couple of strong ones to prepare himself for his speech. I often find that the more closely bonded a groom and his best man are, the more the best man feels license to really dig into the groom during his speech, so David’s best man must have really been one of his biggest fans on the planet, because he certainly left no stone unturned in his quest to embarrass the groom! I love a good reaction shot, and this speech definitely gave me the opportunity to capture plenty of those from Helena and David’s family and friends!

Once we’d all recovered from the speeches, the sun was going down, so Helena, David and I traipsed back up the hill for some sunset photos. It was certainly worth the walk, because if I thought the valley had looked beautiful in the sunshine – well, it looked other-worldly in the evening, and it made the perfect backdrop for some happy images of the newlyweds. Back at the barn, it was time for a live band to get everyone moving, and Helena and David had chosen some brilliant funk musicians who filled the dancefloor.

I can’t overstate what a beautiful place the Bridal Barn is, and I felt really lucky to be shooting Helena and David there on their special day.

IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A BRIDAL BARN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER , THEN CONTACT ME TODAY TO DISCUSS.