Dean & Lucy – Scotney Castle and Hotel du Vin Wedding Photography

This wedding is a little bit awesome

Ok. So i love it when my couples have a plan for their wedding that sounds just awesome. When i first met with Dean & Lucy and they talked passionately about their Scotney Castle and Hotel du Vin wedding i knew it was going to be amazing. So when they chose me to capture their wedding photography for them i was over the moon.

There was to be a 1951 routemaster bus (this bus has done 1.7 million miles i later found out!) to take all the guests from the wonderful Hotel du Vin in Royal Tunbridge Wells to the simply stunning Scotney Castle. I was going on the bus! For sure i was going on the bus!
We had met at Scotney some weeks previous to the Wedding to talk through all the plans and find some good vista’s for photo’s. All we needed was the sun. AND WE GOT IT.

On the day of the wedding Lucy got ready with her three bridesmaids, Pippa, Clare and Keeley and of course her Mum. There was prosecco and lots of laughter. Oh and we lost the room key with the dress in it. Not once but three times!! Now Dean had an ace up his sleeve, he’d got a very early Fiat 500 as Lucy’s wedding car (Lucy adores them). It was an Italian model with the passenger seat removed for Lucy’s dress. It was awesome! A total surprise. It worked. .  Lucy was over the moon!

The journey to Scotney was brilliant and due to the normal entrance being unsuitable for a double decker, roads were shut for us to make our grand entrance. The sun was now beaning down and the castle looked amazing!

The island looked fantastic and we awaited Lucy and the girls arrival. I think its safe to say that Dean was blown away by his stunning bride when she made her entrance down from the main castle and round the moat. Her dress (and of course her Jimmy Choo’s) looked elegant and timeless.

A beautiful wedding ceremony was punctuated by readings from friends and then it was time for the formal shots and the couples portraits. Dean really wanted a picture across the lake with them stood on the castle. This involved the small matter of a 3/4 of a mile sprint for me, which i hasten to add nearly killed me! The results though were worth every single step.

Then back to Hotel du Vin for the wedding breakfast, a high end buffet and the speeches.
It was tough for Dean who had very sadly lost his Dad in the month preceding the wedding and also Lucy had lost her father not so long ago too. He gave an emotional and brilliant speech. One that i know was tough for him and Lucy.
The best men were brilliant. A short video and plenty of witty and heartfelt anecdotes made the perfect speech. That and the fact that everyone had to drink a disgusting cocktail that contained a worm. Like you do.

The cake was cut, a beautiful sponge which i know Lucy took a lot of effort into organising (That ok Lucy  😉 )

Now it was time for the first dance. Apart from Dean i was the only person there in on a little surprise that he had arranged.

Ok it was a huge surprise!

Lucy’s favourite band is The Rifles and she maybe has a little soft spot for the lead singer Joel Stoker. Now what if Dean had arranged for him to turn up and sing their  first dance song “Spend a Lifetime”. Yep. That exactly what he did! He bloody did!!!
Joel was simply superb, singing a good few songs much to the delight of Lucy and all the guests. The party was started. There was Limoncello galore, shots and dancing. Lots of dancing. Lots of drinking.

So to summarise we had: Hotel du Vin, Scotney Castle (oh and it was the last ever wedding they will have there), routemaster bus, vintage fiat 500, a drink that contained worms, Jimmy Choo’s, lost keys, a great wedding party and Joel Stoker from The Rifles.

Dean and Lucy – WINNING.

As far as Hotel du Vin Wedding Photography goes this is right up there with the very best.

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