Pelham House Wedding, Lewes | Amy and Lorenzo

FRENCH INSPIRED WEDDING AT PELHAM HOUSE, LEWES

GETTING READY WITH THEIR LOVED ONES

Amy and Lorenzo both chose their closest family to be with them as they got ready for their day. Amy was joined by her mum, and her sister was also her maid of honour, and Lorenzo was joined by his father, and his brother served as his his best man.

Amy’s dress, her mum’s red jumpsuit and sister’s navy gown gave a subtle nod to the colours of the French flag; Lorenzo’s home country.

LORENZO GETTING READY

With Lorenzo’s family based in France, it was really important for him to get some quality time with his dad and brother before the celebrations kicked off. They got ready together, tying bow ties, tidying hair, and let’s just say this super cool trio absolutely took ‘groom getting ready photos’ completely in their stride!

AN INTIMATE CEREMONY

Filled with beautiful natural light, the Goring Room at Pelham House is the perfect spot for an intimate and romantic ceremony. The neutral space is perfect for reflecting all that gorgeous, soft light from the large windows at the front of the room, giving a flattering effect even on the candid photos in this space.

Amy was accompanied down the aisle by her father,

Lorenzo’s suddenly relaxed when he saw Amy, both of them truly happy to be in each other’s company to finally say their vows and get married!

Amy and Lorenzo said their vows in front of all their loved ones, with green and white pedestal floral arrangements either side, with a reading by Amy’s sister, Emily. Joy absolutely erupted from both families as they said their vows and exchanged rings.

CONFETTI

A shot I love to capture is just before the confetti is thrown, as you leave the ceremony together and are greeted for the first time as newly weds! The anticipation of the confetti, the joy of finally being married, and the excitement of your guests is so palpable. As the summer sun shone down on them, all their loved ones cheering them on, they embraced that confetti well and truly.

AMY & LORENZO

Amy and Lorenzo chose Pelham House as they loved the attention to detail, neutral elegance and Georgian/French influence. With so many stunning backdrops for portraits, we wanted to reflect their portraits in all the different spaces the venue has to offer.

We started in the main building in the Honeymoon Suite, this might not be an obvious choice for portraits in the summer, but the intimate setting of the space allowed a special champagne toast for the couple, to relax together, and take a moment just for the two of them while their guests enjoyed the gardens.

WEDDING PORTRAITS TOP TIP:

While your guests are being seated for dinner is the best time to grab a quick five minutes outside in the gardens of your venue, especially if your venue is tight on space. Everyone tends to congregate in the garden or terrace for drinks, so while they are popping to the loo, grabbing a drink at the bar, and finding their seat, grab those spots for a cute and quick portrait session before you join them for dinner. It is the perfect time to grab some calm and romantic photos together in natural light.

SOAK UP THE ATMOSPHERE DURING YOUR DRINKS RECEPTION

Your drinks reception time is the perfect opportunity to relax with your guests, and make sure you have some of those truly important family photos. Give yourself a few minutes to take in the culmination of all your wedding planning, enjoy your venue and your carefully chosen drinks; soak it all in with your loved ones.

GROUP SHOTS TOP TIP:

I always encourage my couples to have a maximum of 8-10 group shots, as much as I love to give you plenty of relaxed and candid guest photos, you will thank yourselves in the years to come to prioritise 15 minutes of group shots. Your group shots don’t have to be stuffy, they can be relaxed, full of smiles and jokes with each other. Embrace them, you will not regret making sure you have beautiful portraits with your nearest and des

TIME FOR DINNER

Amy and Lorenzo carried through their theme of French elegance with white and green florals, plenty of candles and just a sprinkle of French lavender. Their dinner in the chic art deco Ballroom at Pelham House gave a warm, light and inviting space for their guests to relax over more drinks and speeches.

SPEECHES TOP TIP:

Don’t shy away from giving a speech! This is your wedding, if you want to give a speech, a joint speech, or even just some thank-you’s, go on ahead. Amy joined her dad and mum, and Lorenzo so sweetly helped his dad with his speech as English is not his first language, all truly heartfelt and special moments they had together. If you are feeling nervous about giving a speech, just remember that everyone in the room is there to support you and give you a massive round of applause!

GOLDEN HOUR

The gardens at Pelham House were the perfect spot for some golden evening portraits, with a gentle and romantic style. With the hazy, warm sunshine pouring in just before it set, the subtle glow against the trees, Lewes could have been mistaken for Southern France. The light of golden hour really is the best for soft and romantic portraits, I highly recommend a quick five minutes together to give yourselves a little more time together just for you two.

GOLDEN HOUR TOP TIP:

Golden hour is the time of day when the sunlight is most flattering, soft and warm, which is why it works so beautifully for couple photos. We get this light about an hour before sunset, and can depend on weather conditions and the position of sunset compared to your desired location. If it’s too cloudy, the light won’t be available, or if your venue is surrounded by tall buildings/trees etc, it can make it hard to find a space where that light will fall through. Don’t worry though, if I can make it happen, I will!

SPARKLER CAKE CUTTING!

How do you take your cake cutting to the next level? It can sometimes feel like a ‘tradition for the sake of it’, but how do you make it even ,more fun? Make it a moment for you and your guests! Amy and Lorenzo decided to bring their table outside and have loved ones hold sparklers as they cut their cake, this looked absolutely beautiful at twilight, leading perfectly into their sparkler exit.

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY

Welcome by their loves ones to the dance-floor, Amy and Lorenzo danced to Firestone by Kygo, as the tempo built their friends and family joined to dance with them. Completely priceless memories of two families from two different cultures and countries joining together in love for their Amy and Lorenzo.