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Thursday 21 August 2008

Jenny and Dave's Wedding In Hellingly and Birling Manor

Sticking with the winter theme was Jenny and Dave's Wedding in Hellingly and Birling Manor, Bartolphs Hall, East Dean.

Another cold day, but at least it started sunny and stayed that way all day. Jenny got ready at home and when we arrived Donna from Crowning Glory hairdressing based in Eastbourne had just got started.


So it was straight into shooting anything I could find hanging around.



Jenny takes a few quiet moments to reflect alone... or so she thinks! Little did she know that I was hiding in the wardrobe, awaiting just such a moment.


Then the finishing touches are put in place before heading off to the wedding.



The wedding ceremony took place at St Peter and St Paul Church in Hellingly, which dates back to about 1200AD and is apparently built on an old Saxon mound. It was quite a shock to see that Richard Attenborough was planning on conducting the service. I didn't realise he did vicaring on the side. I was tempted to tell him my favourite joke - "What do you call a one-eyed dinosaur... a doyouthinkhesaurus", but he's probably had enough of that whole Jurassic park thing by now.


OK, I was kidding (you had guessed hadn't you?), he is a very nice and enormously helpful chap named Charlie Hill.




We actually wondered whether it was going to snow or not, which would have looked pretty cool, but in the end the only thing that fell was confetti. It's just as well really as it would have made the drive to Birling Manor a bit too interesting.


So without snow we arrived at Birling Manor in the late afternoon. Having done the group shots at the church there was just enough time to get Jenny and Dave on their own before losing the light completely.



This photo give an idea of how cold it was, the bridesmaid's reflection in ice on the swimming pool. Yes, I know it's upside down, but I like it that way.


And here is a shot of Birling Manor at sunset.


St Peter and St Paul Church is lovely at any time of year, a great place if you are looking for a traditional village wedding and you can find out more information here.

Receptions at Birling Manor take place in a large (and very warm) stone barn called Bartolphs Hall rather than in the house itself (don't get the wrong idea, it's a great barn) and it is ideally placed for photographs around Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters, if you have the weather. More information can be found on their website here