Hannah and Ash - Curradine Barns Wedding Photography

I’m sharing with you today a rather unexpected but very welcome blog about Hannah and Ash’s gorgeous wedding at Curradine Barns, near Worcester.

Hannah and Ash came to me under unusual circumstances when the wedding photographer they’d booked came down with covid and was unable to photograph their wedding. With 24 hours to go they had to find a replacement, and luckily for them I was looking forward to a rare day off. When I heard about their predicament, though, I selflessly wrenched myself away from Homes Under the Hammer and hotfooted it over to Worcester to the gorgeous Curradine Barns.

As you’ll know if you’ve read my blog before, I’m used to building up a relationship with a couple before their wedding day, through engagement shoots or other meetings, or more recently through zoom and skype calls in the months leading up to the big day.

However for Hannah and Ash, that wasn’t an option, and we had to make do with a quick phone call the day before the wedding so that we could get a sense of each other and I could find out what they wanted from their wedding pictures.

I knew as soon as I picked up the phone that we were going to get along just fine, as Hannah and Ash’s accents told me that they hail from Dudley – a part of the West Midlands that’s home to some of the most warm and friendly people I’ve ever met! True to form, Hannah and Ash (and three-month-old baby Jack) were cheerful and pragmatic and welcomed me into their special day with open arms.

I’d shot at Curradine Barns before – it’s a lovely Worcestershire venue with heaps of rural charm and a brilliant set-up for weddings. When I arrived on the morning of the wedding, Ash was already there setting up, unpacking boxes of decorations, and helping the venue staff get everything ready.

This is a pretty unusual sight! Often, grooms are pretty chilled out, enjoying a lie-in or even a trip to the pub while brides are up bright and early to start preparing, but Ash was right in the thick of the action and it gave us a good opportunity to chat some more and get to know each other before Hannah and the wedding guests started to appear.

Hannah’s dad was the next one to arrive, and as we chatted I was reminded once again just how important occasions like weddings have been after the topsy turvy couple of years we’ve had. Talking to him really brought home the importance of marriage celebrations and the impact that delaying events like this has had on us all. He was so excited to see his daughter in her wedding dress, to walk her down the aisle, and to spend the day being a proud dad. I could tell that this was a long-awaited day and that there were going to be some really special, moving moments.

Hannah had opted to have her hair and make up done not at the venue but elsewhere, so when she arrived with plenty of time to spare she had the opportunity to take everything in without the frantic rush that can sometimes accompany bridal prep. In fact, it was a beautifully relaxed morning, and Hannah shared some special moments feeding and playing Jack, her newborn son, before the ceremony began. One of the lovely things about Curradine Barns is that from the bridal suite you can watch the guests arrive – so Hannah and Jack could observe from their secret spot and feel the excitement start to build.

Curradine Barns has a gorgeous traditional atmosphere and the inside of the ceremony room is all rustic brick – perfectly offset by some of the biggest L O V E letters that I’ve ever seen. At over 6 foot, they were towering over me about the exact same height as me.

These huge letters had attracted some of the younger wedding guests who were enjoying exploring their surroundings, and Ash sauntered in before long, looking incredibly relaxed for someone who was shortly about to say ‘I do’.

Luck was on the happy couple’s side and the autumn sun made an appearance, so after the wedding ceremony Hannah and Ash’s guests enjoyed drinks and canapes outside, in Curradine Barn’s gardens. The live band they’d arranged to play synergy added to a warm and joyful atmosphere and you could almost be forgiven for forgetting that it was actually a November day in the Worcestershire !

Following dinner, it was time for speeches, which in my experience, tend to go one of two ways – either touching and sentimental or explosively hilarious. Ash’s best man clearly got the memo and went full throttle for the latter – he didn’t hold back! As a photographer, I love capturing reactions, and you could certainly tell from the faces of the guests that Ash’s best man was revealing some closely guarded secrets that he’d been keeping in his back pocket for about 20 years!

As the sun set early that evening, Curradine Barns started to get cosy and log fires were lit, providing a gorgeous warm glow and a chance for Hannah and Ash to sit with their friends and family, catch up, introduce baby Jack to everyone, and share stories of the last crazy 18 months.

What a gorgeous day filled with togetherness and love – thanks Hannah and Ash for inviting me to be a part of it. Definitely beats daytime TV.