Having met with Annemarie and Stephen in advance of their wedding and chatted through logistics, timings and details, I knew this would be a wedding filled with love and laughter … and clogs. Annemarie tempted me by suggesting that she might get a pair of bespoke clogs for Stephen to wear for their first dance … I was hooked!
This was my first wedding at the Burlington Hotel (https://www.theburlingtonhotel.com/). It’s situated right by the seaside in Folkestone. It’s a Victorian building and has the most stunning honey coloured stone. The rooms are light and bright and, thank goodness, benefit from the sea breezes.
Annemarie and Stephen’s wedding was on a very warm day. Actually, I think the majority of my 2022 weddings were on very warm days … but this didn’t detract in any way from their celebrations. With guests coming from near and far, it was an eclectic mix of Dutch and English traditions. You might notice the tulips in the bouquet … Annemarie and Stephen’s wedding was in June. When I asked Karen, the florist, how she managed it, she winked and said “silk”.
The room where Annemarie was getting ready was filled with a beautiful diffused light. And also a strong breeze which meant that everyone could keep their cool.
Next door, Stephen was getting ready with his sons. The whole atmosphere was cool, calm and collected.
When both of the wedding couple are getting ready at the same location, it’s easy for me to flit in between and capture the moments as they happen. When a couple are getting ready at different locations, it might be worth considering booking a second photographer so that both sides of the story can be told.
Indeed, next door bridal prep was gathering pace. It was all hands on deck to put Annemarie into her bridal gown … and so much laughter along the way.
Meanwhile, Stephen was ready, decked out with his fabulous buttonhole from Black Iris Floristry (https://www.facebook.com/blackirisfloristry/).
And time for the ceremony. Guests were ready and waiting and Annemarie’s gorgeous ringbearer nearly stole the show!
Especially moving was the moment when Annemarie and Stephen lit their memorial candle. From my viewpoint, I could see how emotion this was for both the couple and their guests.
The Burlington Hotel has a small garden area next to it which luckily offered some shade. There was so much catching up to do as many of the families hadn’t seen each other for a long time and there were many introductions to be made. We organised formals in the shade of the tree and then moved on to confetti …
Because the hotel is so close to the sea front, we had a stroll through the gardens … it was very windy but I think it was worthwhile and we captured some fun images.
I absolutely adore this next image.
And now I can show you the clogs and windfarm … on an amazingly constructed cake made by a friend of the bride. The cake had to be kept in the cool room until the very last moment.
The reception room at the Burlington is large which meant that I could stroll around during speeches and get different angles. The room had been styled by the team at Thanetian Events (https://thanetianevents.co.uk/about-us/).
And yes, I did get one or two images with the windfarm sticking out of the top of Stephen’s head whilst he was giving his speech!
Annemarie and Stephen. It was truly an honour to photograph your celebrations and thank you to you and your families and friends for making me feel so incredibly welcome. And also to the wedding team at the Burlington Hotel who gave me the most magnificent meal and kept me topped up with iced water through the day.
Wishing you both many, many years of happiness, love and laughter together xx
P.S. If you are planning a wedding with unusual footwear, PLEASE get in touch: https://www.samanthajonesphotography.co.uk/contact/
P.P.S. Stephen didn’t wear clogs for the first dance!
