Pulborough Wedding Photographer | Two Woods Estate | West Sussex | Vicky & Tom
When Vicky contacted me at the beginning of June this year to shoot her (very short notice) August wedding at Two Woods Estate in Pulborough I jumped at the chance to be her Wedding Photographer. The date was good, I was free. It’s as if all the stars, planets and polo mints were perfectly aligned.
Vicky and Tom live in Southsea on the South Coast and are very much water lovers so we took the opportunity to meet there for their test shoot, check out their images from that session here and their back story. They had planned a festival style wedding at Two Woods Estate…a Wedfest! Being very much active on the camping and VW Club scene it was only fitting that this should be a more alternative wedding.
On a gloriously sunny and hot August morning Vicky was getting ready at her bridesmaids house in Chichester, her sister diligently applying make up…until her daughter took over Nanny’s application that is!
Vicky had a gorgeous dress, lace panels giving a cheeky peephole reveal effect on the hips while staying classy and elegant. With a colourful headpiece to complement the Wedfest vibe and bridesmaids in bold block colours, the scene was certainly set early on. I loved the light, airy rooms in the house, and the finer details and sculptures which I couldn’t resist including in some of the photos, especially with Vicky and Tom’s daughters cute little outfit!
One the girls had finished fitting Vicky into this most beautiful dress we had a few moments alone before her mother, Ann, got her first peek at her gorgeous daughter. Tears came, of course! I’m sure I would be the same with my own daughters….(to be fair, I’m already like this with each bride I shoot but we’ll keep that between us)
Vicky’s wedding convoy was made up of vintage VW vans and cars. It was fabulous hearing these old engines roaring along! We trundled along the route from Chichester to Pulborough to the wedding destination, the newly opened Two Woods Estate.
Jade from Two Woods is a fantastic organiser ensuring all aspects of the day are run smoothly. The decor is wonderful, from handcrafted wood sculptures to beautifully bespoke furniture, the venue fits the bespoke wedding, Wedfest festival vibe perfectly. With 42 acres of land, the towering Redwoods, plenty of meadow space to camp and party in…not to mention the lofty Bridal Suite (very jealous of this space!) and the converted barn indoor area. It really is perfect! They also have some fabulous vintage caravans on site which can also be used for guests. I’m pretty sure Mark was creating something new each time I visited! If you haven’t already checked out their website linked above, also have a nose at their Facebook page here.
While Vicky, her bridal party and VW convoy was trucking it’s way to Pulborough, Tom and his Best Men were busy ensuring everything was where it should be at Two Woods. Signs put up and facing the right direction, decorations laid out and the meadow ready for those setting up their tents. Tom and Vicky had chosen to get married in the stunning Redwoods. These ancient trees towered gracefully above a long aisle leading to the Wooden Pergola at the end providing the perfect frame and canopy for their ceremony.
In keeping with the Wedfest theme, Vicky and Tom had created Festival style lanyards detailing all the aspects of their day, including a well thought out map and menu. The Redwoods were delicately decorated with paper hearts, paper flowers, tree stumps and tea lights. Much of which hand crafted by Vicky. How she managed to do all this planning and preparationin 8-10 weeks is incredible!
Vicky and Tom had asked for an unplugged wedding, which is a fantastic idea. Not only does it mean your guests are truly engaging with you (rather than through their devices) during such a special ceremony, but I get to capture the emotion that is happening, not faces and people half obscured by someone’s iPad Pro! Here’s a selection of that special ceremony….
As it was such a hot, bright day with gallons of blue sky we decided to use the shaded canopy of the redwoods to create some family and newlywed portraits. I think you would agree, it really is the most photogenic setting for such a beautiful and happy looking couple.
While we were taking a moment to capture some portraits the rest of the guests were settling into the festival vibe, playing giant games, listening to some sweet sounds from Frankie & Louie, supping on Pimms and eating oodles of cheese, pate and biscuits. I had one final request from the newlyweds before they were released to party…They wanted a group shot with their Dirty Low Down Dubbers crew. Easy I hear you say?? I’ll just add that we needed to include the vehicles too!! The VW’s as vintage as they are, behaved with absolute decorum and class…their owners on the other hand….I leave you with our achievements before the crew got back to their Wedfest partying!
As the afternoon moved on, the party resettled into the barn area ready for stage 2 of the Wedfest. The BBQ…as food is always a central point to people’s day it was only befitting we captured the crowd hanging out, and getting into the grub….quite literally!! It was lovely to also see Vicky’s craft work and decoration in the barn too, as well as their quirky Star Wars take for their cake topers!
After all were fed and watered there was a brief interlude for the speeches. Lots of laughter ensued, especially as the best men regaled why Tom had his name legally changed (twice) to include that favourite Top Gun moniker, Maverick. A quick break upstairs to capture a couple more portraits before these guys got their party back on. It was great to capture a few more portraits of Tom too as the groom is often neglected photographically while the bride gets most of the preparatory attention.
Apparantly, no DLDD wedding is complete without the Dirty Low Down Dubbers traditional party piece, The Human Pyramid. No bananas were harmed in the making of that photograph.
Vicky and Tom had a fantastic fun and alternative wedding day, it was a real pleasure to be part of it. As they were planning a delayed honeymoon I was eager to get their images and album design finalised as soon as possible. It was a joy to hand deliver their albums to them this weekend. For me, although sad that my journey with them and their wedding is now complete, seeing a couple react and handle their images, reliving the day and those memories is the perfect end to my job. Here’s a peek at what their finished Graphistudio albums looked like. Vicky was excited to discover I was able to include their Wedfest Artwork into the box, as well as theme the colours to complement the artwork and the lanyard ribbon. Their designer, Mark at Storm Bird Design was incredibly helpful too, forwarding on the appropriately sized artwork and font download so I could match up the font on the album. I hope you agree, it looks fabulous. What a special box of memories to treasure forever.
I look forward to keeping up with your news Vicky and Tom, here’s cheers to the next chapter in your life!
Many thanks for choosing me,
Big love,
Fiona xx
