The combination of beautiful Autumnal colours and amazing light at Wynyard Hall made Sarah and Chris’s October autumn wedding an absolute pleasure to photograph. Their relaxed yet enthusiastic approach to the day was infectious and allowed us to capture some wonderful shots in and around Wynyard.
A wonderful venue for an Autumn wedding
“Focal Point Photography are a dream to work with and David actually lives across the road from me, so it’s a very small world when you get talking to people at wedding fairs! We loved how they are local lads based in Sunderland like us and we knew from meeting them we would work really well together. They have a relaxed approach to photography but they really know their craft. We know how much they love shooting at Wynyard Hall and that was a big tick for us. They know the staff really well, the grounds and where the light is best – everything! Mostly, what we really wanted in our photographers was everything to be really natural, which Focal Point certainly deliver upon. We had a great laugh when we were doing our outside shots scrambling through the leaves, mud and trees to get the best light which was more than worth it and what more can you say to have two photographers who can be in two places at once!”
Why did you choose your venue?
The first time we went to Wynyard Hall was when we got an afternoon tea voucher as a present and ever since that day, we fell in love with the place. We have been back numerous times since for nights away, the Christmas fayre and more afternoon tea passing on vouchers to family and friends to let them experience the venue for themselves. We always knew Wynyard Hall was where we wanted to get married and everything in their wedding packages suited the type of wedding we wanted which was traditional and elegant.
Our favourite room at Wynyard Hall is the Mirror Room. Not only as it was the room we got married in, but every time we go in there, we notice something else beautiful about it and all its intricate details. The ceiling is a work of art and the mirrors in the room with the golden frames really capture how grand Wynyard Hall is. The golden frames and grandness of the room worked really well with our theme. The Mirror room now holds new precious memories as the place we said ‘I do!’. The staff are always so welcoming and they really do deliver an exceptional service.
Did you have a theme? What was the inspiration for your wedding?
Our theme was Autumnal as it is our favourite team of year. We had a lot of rustic oranges, berrys, creams, warm hues to match the time of year in October with the leaves falling, stunning grounds at Wynyard and it tied in really well with our love of woodland walks.
Tell us about your dress and grooms wear:
My dress was designed by Stella York and was from The Wedding Dress Company in Corbridge. It was a fitted vintage-style dress with a sweetheart neckline, v-neck back with delicate straps and covered in pearls, beads and lots of sparkle. It had a beautiful lace train and I finished off the look with a cathedral-length veil, flower hairclip and jewellery to balance out the sparkle of the dress.
Chris wore a dark blue suit with a rustic orange tie and a tweed waistcoat. The suit was from Master Debonair in East Boldon.
The first thing we bought was a wedding planner and we also kept track of payments and deposits in a spreadsheet which was a lifesaver! We are both very creative and our jobs revolve around marketing and event planning which came in very handy! We enjoyed scrapbooking ideas from magazines to stick in our planner as well as images we’d seen on social media.
It’s important to enjoy planning your wedding and try not to get stressed in the tiniest of details. Have a budget in mind and work out what elements you need. We’d also say to do your research and go to wedding fairs to get talking to the suppliers directly, that way you can get a sense of their work and how they set up on the day etc. We went to a Wynyard Wedding Showcase early on in the planning and met their recommended suppliers who know the venue really well and that was an instant win for us to book them up early.
Who did your hair and makeup?
My hair was done by Lisa Cameron who was such a pleasure to work with. I wanted a half-up, half-down hairstyle with soft curls and plaits to make it look modern and romantic. The style was finished off with a flower hair clip at the back and a cathedral length veil for the eye catching and dramatic effect.
Who did your flowers and what did you chose?
Valerie Rose Florist did our wedding flowers as we were really impressed by her work and that she does so many weddings at Wynyard Hall which was a big tick for us when choosing a supplier. We wanted to incorporate strong orange colours, red roses in memory of my grand parents favourite flower, ivory in to our flowers with a relaxed style. The men had orange and ivory buttonholes, the mothers of the bride and groom had wrist corsages to match their outfits and the bridal party had the autumnal colours to match in with the groom’s, best man and ushers ties.
Are there any other suppliers you would like to mention?
We were blown away with our wedding cake by Burnett4Cakes who designed a 4 tiered cake with 4 different flavours. The tiers were covered with cascaded autumnal flowers that perfectly matched our colour scheme and finished with intricate icing detail, It really was everything we imagined!
Jon at Top Table Films was also a pleasure to work to capture our wedding day with alongside Focal Point. Jon’s style of work is modern and personalised to your wedding, capturing the day perfectly to best remember it. We had so much fun with Jon, David and Paul who all made us feel relaxed on the day and we could see how much they were enjoying capturing the day as we were blessed with beautiful autumn weather with a gorgeous hazy sunset.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Our favourite part of the day was finally seeing each other at the ceremony as I walked in to the Mirror Room down the aisle. I remember been outside the room waiting for the doors to open holding my mum’s hand who walked me down the aisle feeling nervous but incredibly excited to see everyone and most importantly, about to marry Chris. It was such a special moment for Chris to finally see me in my dress and we could really feel the love in the room as we exchanged our vows to each other. The build up to that moment is the most exhilarating and one we will never forget, especially with how much we love the venue and all the memories we have had a Wynyard Hall since we have been together.
What is your top tip for another Bride and Groom?
It’s important to enjoy planning your wedding and try not to get stressed about the tiniest of details. Have a budget in mind and work out what elements you need. We’d also say to do your research and go to wedding fairs to get talking to the suppliers directly, that way you can get a sense of their work and how they set up on the day. We went to a Wedding Showcase at our venue early on in the planning and met their recommended suppliers such as Focal Point Photography who know the venue really well and that was an instant win for us to book them up early for peace of mind.
If you are planning an Autumn wedding please get in touch for further information about our Wedding Photography
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