A beautiful Suffolk Wedding at Abbey Hall

A summer outdoor wedding is a celebration of love, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the warmth of the sun. From the serene setting to the classic decor every element comes together to create a day filled with love and joy. So, say "I do" under the summer sky and embark on your journey of togetherness.

Sam and Ciara planned their day to absolute perfection. Choosing a Saturday in July we all prayed for nice weather and considering the July we had, it could not have been more perfect. They chose a beautiful, rustic brick barn for their venue. Abbey Hall in Eye, Suffolk is a dry hire venue, so it is a wonderful blank canvas to create whatever you want.

Their courtyard was the perfect setting for an outdoor ceremony and with space a plenty, it is ideal for a large gathering on a summers day.

Beautiful details at prep with Ciara. Her morning was so calm and organised and stress free. Ciara was getting ready with her closest friends at her home.

Make up artist, Hayley Clarke created a luxe, soft glam look which suited Ciara and went so well with her half up do and soft curls which was styled by Tegan from Crackers and Chaps.

Her Madison James gown was from Adella Bridal and was elegant and timeless with a beautiful long train and with a classic veil.

Her bouquet and all her florals were created by the talented Blooming Brilliance. Made up of English garden roses, tea roses, British stocks, cosmos, Achillia and corn cockle and it softly bounced as she walked.

Marrying outside under the July sun and surrounded by their friends and family, Sam and Ciara stood in front of a deconstructed arch with meadows at the base - also created by Blooming Brilliance. Such a beautiful way to frame their hand written vows to each other. The brick barn was the perfect contrast of a backdrop with their pink and pastel blooms.

Pretty and pale coloured petal confetti created some beautiful photos and as always, I advised them to stop in the middle for a little smooch!

Bubbles

and Pimms for after ceremony drinks. Perfect for a summers afternoon mingling on the grounds of the beautiful Abbey.

Nags Head Bar

Was on hand for refreshments. A converted horsebox bar and was well stocked with all the favourites.

Traditional ice cream cart

What more could you ask for on a hot day? And yes of course I had one - Strawberry sorbet and it was bloomin' delicious.

Group shots have always been a big part of a wedding day and still is for a lot of weddings. While this is an area that has been stripped back at most weddings, they still remain and there is a reason for that - they are IMPORTANT. Not just for the couple but for their parents, their grandparents and their siblings. My advice is keep your formal group shots to just family and you can get any with your friends later on. If you bare in mind that each group shot takes 3 minutes [by the time we call people over and they have given you both a kiss and a hug and congratulated you], so 10 group shots will take approx. 30 minutes. I love doing group shots and I can usually rattle through them quite quick so you can get on with your day and mingle with your favourite people.

But there's nothing to say your group shots can't be fun and include lots of laughter.

The décor blew my mind. And even more so when Sam told me later on that they did it all themselves the night before. With Abbey Hall being a dry hire venue, this means unless you hire someone to do your décor you are doing it yourself. Sam and Ciara absolutely outdid themselves. Elegant, classy and simply chic table scapes with white linens, tulip neck vases with simple floral stems and bunny tails. Clear and green glassware to pull through the sage green of the bridesmaid dresses which were from Davids Bridal. 3 long parallel trestle tables, enough to seat all their favourite people. Candelabras set back in the brick alcoves holding long stem candles were lit and just set the tone for their wedding meal.

The barn has an upstairs and is a gallery style so it was perfect for getting photos with a birds eye view.

Speeches are actually one of my favourite parts of a wedding. Not only to get great photos of the couple but catching all the reactions of their loved ones in the room. It is great to hear the closest people in their lives talking about them and telling stories. I always feel like I know them more after the speeches. Some of their guests reactions are among my favourite speech images ever. So much smiling and joy and you can just see how happy everyone is for them and to be there and to be part of their day.

Sam and Ciara were so natural on camera and I could have snapped away for hours. I always try really hard to not keep couples away from their guests for a long period of time. After all, you have paid all that money to celebrate with your loved ones. So it is all about balancing getting great photos for you to treasure and letting you enjoy your day and mingle so I can also document the day as it unfolds. Right after group shots we headed off for just 15 minutes and grabbed a few couples portraits. Then later in the evening my second shooter Beth took them out across the meadow for a few more. The evening portraits are always a little more casual. Note no jackets, ties loosened and veil taken out. But they are no less beautiful.

When evening hits and you've all had a few drinks and some delicious food it's definitely time for some casual group shots with your wedding party. I particularly love the photo of Sam as he realises he paid all this money to have his pals come up with the most ridiculous pose ideas and pick him up.