Photographing Amelia & Alex's gorgeous Summer wedding at Sopley Mill meant fully embracing the sunshine, of which - spoiler alert - there has been a LOT this wedding season! When the skies are blue and that great fiery ball in the sky is blazing away, this is absolutely the place to be: the whole space just begs to have happy people with drinks in hand lounging around in the immaculate gardens, taking advantage of gentle breezes blowing along the river which runs literally right through it, and soaking up all those summery vibes on their own little private island for the day. Amelia & Alex's big day - with outdoor ceremony and magical golden hour light - hit every note. Have a little scroll through the photos below to see just how it all came together for this awesome couple...
Getting ready at Sopley Mill means having access to your own preparation room in the form of the Avon Suite - a cosy space with sofas and fridge alongside various spaces and tables to spread out the inevitable many things that come hand in hand with bridal hair and make-up. A fab bonus here is having windows on three sides of the room, which means that you can keep a sneaky eye on everything going on outside as your guests arrive, without needing to be spotted yourself before you're ready. It also means that there are some lovely corners available for taking advantage of the day's natural light conditions: MUAs very often favour the window on the south side looking out across the river and terrace.
While Amelia and bridesmaids got ready upstairs Alex was keeping himself occupied around the remainder of the venue, working on finishing touches to the set-up and decorations and greeting guests as they arrived, ready to take their seats for the outdoor ceremony. At this point in the day we still had a touch of the morning's early cloud cover remaining; very welcome as at this point in the year we were in the grip of one of the many heatwaves which swept across the country. That little bit of respite not only took the edge off the heat we'd been living with day to day, it also softens up the light a bit which is extremely welcome when you are taking outdoor portraits. Absolute dream conditions for an outdoor wedding ceremony down by the river.
It's been a while since I last photographed a duck race at Sopley Mill. They used to be a really frequent occurrence. Perhaps having a few photos of this one up on the blog will inspire some future couples: it's definitely a lot of fun. Admittedly they they work a little better when there's a tad more flow in the river: unfortunately the heatwave of the preceding weeks meant that the Avon was by this point a very gentle trickle rather than the raging torrent I've seen at other times of year. Good news though for the groomsman tasked with wading into the middle of the water armed with a net to capture any wayward rubber ducks as they tried to evade capture: less water to slosh up over the top of his waders and to fall into, and plenty of time to round them all up again!
As guests make their way upstairs to find their seats there are usually a few moments to hang back with the couple and capture a handful of portraits, making use of the grounds immediately around the Mill without the distraction of guests in the background. At this time of year I like when I can to take most of my bride and groom portraits later in the day, when the sun is lower and the light more directional, but it's always nice to get a few in the bag and also take advantage of these quiet little moments before the next part of the celebrations begins...
The wedding breakfast, catered by The Perfect Pig - a regular at Sopley Mill - was an absolute beast of a feast! The room was set up in a banqueting style which I always like to see - I think it works so well for a meal like this, especially when the food is served family-style and sharing platters and dishes can be passed up and down the tables. And just check out those dessert platters; that's a sugar rush which is going to get you fully over the line when it comes to evening partying!
As the evening light softened I took Amelia and Alex across the old iron bridge which spans the river to the rear of the Mill, and down to one of my favourite spots for couple portraits. At this time of day the last of the day's sunshine washes over the water meadows, and the couple get to enjoy a few quiet moments away from all the wedding day crazy to reflect on everything that's happened so far. There are so many different angles and backdrops here that it's possible to capture a huge range of photographs, wide and close-up, in a really short amount of time, which means that no-one really even needs to notice that they've nipped away for a bit. Back over the river and into the evening party in no time.
And finally, as the sunlight to dusk we stepped back out to capture a final few low-light shots as the lights strung across the river are fired up. It takes a little effort to hack my way through the grasses to the perfect little view point looking back up the river towards the mill, now glowing from the inside, but it's so so worth it to take those final few moments before heading back inside to party the rest of the night away.
Every time I return to Sopley Mill I manage to find a new way to photograph it, and there's always something different to work with as this wonderful venue changes through the seasons. Huge respect to David and the team at Sopley this Summer for keeping everything looking so lush and vibrant in the midst of the longest, hottest and driest wedding season I can remember in many, many years of taking wedding photos. Hopefully you can see in the images above just how much love and care they put into keeping this awesome New Forest venue in absolutely tip-top condition.
Such a gorgeous Summer wedding with an absolutely lovely couple, on a quintessentially English Summer's day. One to remember for a long, long time for sure! I hope you've enjoyed looking through what is just the tiniest taster of the full gallery that the bride and groom received. Friends and family can of course see the full set, but you'll need to ask Amelia and Alex for the link and password first.
Making it happen:
Venue: Sopley Mill
Hair & Makeup: Bournemouth Bridal
Dress: The Bridal Gallery London
Flowers: DIY
Bar & Drinks: Thirsty Willow
Catering: The Perfect Pig
If you are currently planning your New Forest wedding and would like to know more about my wedding photography availability, packages and prices please do drop me a line - button below.
