High Elms Manor Wedding – Watford

Featuring the lovely Des and Nat, colourful wedding attire and the cutest flower girls and page boys ever!

Nat and Des met in a way that has become more popular in our busy modern times – they were matched online! Their first date was on Valentine’s Day, you really can’t get any more romantic than that. Two years after they had met and fell in love, a long weekend holiday was planned to celebrate their anniversary in the city of Berlin. On Valentine’s Day, they were strolling the city and Des stopped Nat in front of the Bradenburg Gate. An 18th-century neoclassical triumphal stone archway, Bradenburg Gate is always beautifully lit at night and a very romantic stop in the heart of the city. Much to Nat’s surprise, Des had a plan, and while standing in front of this luminously lit structure, he proposed. Nat accepted and they immediately went off to a swish cocktail bar to celebrate their engagement!

For the next eighteen months, they worked tirelessly to plan their amazing day. They envisioned a laid back day with a classic colour scheme. They chose a palette of cream and dusty pink with hints of gold. Also, choosing a venue that allowed them the ability to bring in their own caterer was very important as well because they wanted to serve classic African dishes as part of the menu. They decided on High Elms Manor in Watford. Refined yet not overly imposing, the manor conveyed a feeling of comfort, which is just what Nat and Des were looking for. The space was small and intimate, exactly the privacy they were looking for. And they could personalise the space any which way they chose!

The Ceremony – St Lukes in Pinner

The ceremony was held at St. Luke’s in Pinner. I was so happy to hear that Nat and Des had decided on an unplugged wedding! They wanted their guests to be “fully present” at their wedding, and deeply share and connect this very special day with them. Nat’s dad walked her down the aisle and her mum told them off for talking and laughing too much during the service (which I found hilarious)! After a touch of tomfoolery, the ceremony was very beautiful. Des looked handsome and Nat was gorgeous in her lace gown. For Des, the most memorable moment of the day by far was when he saw Nat walking down the aisle.

Reception at High Elms Manor

We moved onto the reception at High Elms Manor in Watford. I used the area around the manor – the lush meticulously maintained lawns, the large heavy branched trees. The trees especially worked to create a beautiful quality of light around the couple producing some truly stunning shots. We were even able to get Des to loosen up a bit and dance, which produced one of my favourite photographs – he is clearly feeling the music!

Des and Nat could not decide on just one wedding song for their first dance, and instead chose two where the DJ mashed up Audrey Hepburn “Moon River” and “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin. Two very different tunes, one romantic and the other more upbeat and fun. The Darin tune was a favourite of theirs to sing on long weekend car trips. The crowd was a colourful one, with a myriad of traditional African head wraps – really adding spice to the group.

So what sage advice can you learn from Des and Nat? Do not feel like you need to be everywhere at each moment! Remember its a party, so get in plenty of dancing time and let people come to you. The day goes by so fast, take moments to treasure it and make memories with your significant other. From start to finish, this was the most stressful, albeit wonderful eighteen months of their lives. Cherish each and every moment!