A storybook wedding at a magnificent Georgian country manor
This was my first time at Mulberry House down in Essex and I’d been looking forward to it for ages. I’d seen some gorgeous photos from other photographers and had heard really good things. Safe to say, it didn’t disappoint. It’s a beautiful venue, complete with a lakey pond-type thing and enough fairytale charm to make you weak at the knees.
Both Jen and George were getting ready at the venue, which meant I could flit between them depending on what was going on. The lads, in true fashion, were ready in what felt like five minutes flat, with the usual chaos around buttonholes and ties. I actually ended up doing a few of the buttonholes myself (shoutout to Jasmine from The Fleur Girl for giving me the skills a while back, it’s made me feel like a hero on a number of occasions).
Meanwhile, Jen’s bridal party were getting ready upstairs in one of the bedrooms – a beautifully decorated space that made the whole thing feel effortlessly expensive, like some kind of millionaire’s retreat. They all did their own makeup, and their hair was done by Gail Gardner and looked fantastic. Jen slipped off with her maid of honour and mum to get into her dress. Once she was ready, her grandmother came in for a first look, which is not something I get to witness very often and she also gave Jen a ring to borrow. Properly touching. Jen’s dad appeared shortly after and beamed like he’d just won the lottery.
Then came the bridal party, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was one of the most dramatic and joyful reactions I’ve ever seen. Tears, gasping, actual real-life screaming. There’s one photo in particular where someone’s jaw looks like it might actually unhinge. It was electric.
The ceremony was outside, underneath a massive redwood and in front of what I think we’re probably calling a bandstand(?). Throw in rows of white chairs on an impeccably kept lawn and it honestly looked like a film set. There was even a black swan floating around just to hammer home the dreamlike atmosphere. It was, however – and I say this with real first-hand experience – not a friendly creature.
For the most part, everything went off without a hitch, although Jen and George did wander off down the aisle before the registrar had quite finished. They got nearly the whole way down before being called back to finish up and then had to do their exit all over again, which I kind of loved. I genuinely have no idea how the videographer (Andy from Full Focus, who was absolutely lovely to work with) kept his camera still through laughing.
Welcome drinks followed, served in the back gardens with some very tasty canapés courtesy of Mulberry House. Andy and I had a little romantic media team dinner outside on the patio, and Mulberry House were kind enough to sneak us some puddings – a rare treat, so we were very grateful. Speeches followed with plenty of emotion, lots of heartfelt stuff, and a few leaking faces.
After dinner, Jen and George took a little walk around the back where the sun was just starting to dip, and I got a few frames of them having a quiet moment together. I don’t pose my couples, so they just wandered around chatting and, if I remember right, found some donkeys, which I was absolutely not expecting from a respectable manor house hotel.
The evening kicked off in the marquee with the first dance and, for once in my life, I didn’t have to fight the lack of light as Andy brought his own. My usual style on the dance floor is sneaking around trying not to get noticed, and I feel letting off a flash every few seconds kind of undermines that, so having fixed lights to make everything look delicious was a very welcome treat. Once the formalities were out of the way, it all went off. Grandparents throwing shapes, a bridesman and another guest grinding together like it was a club night, and me silently observing from a safe distance like the non-dancing introvert I am.
Oh, and instead of a cake, they had a towering stack of Krispy Kreme doughnuts from Devoted Events – who also handled the disco. Why they do both doughnuts and DJing, I’m not entirely sure, but I absolutely respect it.
Overall, Mulberry House is an absolute winner, although the swan has a vibe I’m not overly sure about. The bridal party reactions were elite, and I had a cracking time. Full marks – I’d go back and do it all again in a heartbeat.
