will and jade tipi wedding - hardwick hall and bradbury glade, sedgefield.

When it comes to weddings, relaxed and simple weddings are the ones I love to shoot most. If the bride and groom and relaxed, then so am I, and this really was the case with Will and Jade. These two are a wonderful couple, and I could tell from our initial phone call that they are my sort of couple. Their brief to me was…well…brief! They just wanted natural, authentic photos of their friends and family having fun. They were not fussed on photos of themselves, but all couples seem to have this tagline! Of course, I ignored that and made sure they were the stars of the show when it came to their photos. From start to finish, this was a great wedding to shoot, not only because of Will and Jade’s relaxed nature but also because of their friends and family, who were all so nice and made me feel at complete ease. I really believe it is the people that make or break a wedding, and Will and Jade keep great company, as I loved every minute of this wedding and I don’t think I have laughed as much as at this one!

The day was split into two. Will and Jade got ready at the beautiful Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield, before moving on in a stylish VW Beetle and VW Camper to Bradbury Glade. Starting with Hardwick Hall, this is a stunning country hotel with breathtaking lakeside views in the heart of Hardwick Country Park. Jade was getting ready in the Celebration Suite, a Deluxe Master Bedroom with ornate en-suite bathroom  plus two additional bedrooms sharing a lavish bathroom, a beautifully furnished lounge and a rooftop terrace garden complete with a fabulous all year round hot tub. Safe to say, it was a fantastic room to shoot in. Moving on to Bradbury Glade, it is a hidden gem in the heart of County Durham! It’s so tucked away that you wouldn’t even know it existed from the outside! It’s set within a woodland glade, surrounded by a 60-acre forest. The star of the location is the tipi; the tipi spaces are striking, spacious and stylish. As the evening draws in, they light up with thousands of fairy lights, creating an enchanting wow-factor element.

The wedding ceremony went very smoothly, with plenty of laughs along the way. I have to mention when Will had to pause the ceremony as he noticed the celebrant had a bug crawling up his arm! That brought the house down!! The laughs didn’t stop there either, as with the group shots, the groomsmen had a lot of fun! See the photos below!

I could not be happier with how this wedding went and I hope I get to photograph more Will and Jade’s out there!

What was my favourite moment of the day?

The couple had some lawn games arranged, including giant Jenga and swingball. There are two favourite moments of the day. One was with the jenga, a game that drew a crowd and was agonising to watch and photograph! The next was a toddler who could not get enough of the swingball. Every time the ball got hit, he screamed with laughter! It was adorable.

When did it get a bit emotional?

As you can imagine, speeches are a time when emotions run high and it was no different here. I love speeches for this reason. They are nearly always full of love and laughter but also sadness, such as someone not being able to attend the wedding. In this case, Will’s Dad delivered a moving speech about the importance of friendship. It certainly brought a tear to many faces.

What did I like about the venue?

What’s not to like about Bradbury Glade!! The endless fields and forest will transport you and your guests a million miles away, offering you the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of busy life. At Bradbury Glade, staff are super chilled, friendly, and experienced and they want to make wedding planning a breeze for you. They have everything you need too, such as three giant tipis and a chill out tipi, all linked together so you’ve got a warm, welcoming and large space to wine, dine, dance and celebrate. Tables and benches to seat up to 150 people. A luxury onsite bar, with all the booze you desire and easily paid for with cash or card. Access to the venue the day before so you can style the space (without being rushed). Solid wooden flooring throughout the tipi (everyone wearing heels will thank you). Chill out area for when you need a little R&R consisting of Chesterfield sofas, armchairs and a fire pit to create a serious ambience. Fire pits inside – toasted marshmallows, anyone?Fairy lighting is throughout the inside of the tipi, and festoon lighting is outside for that extra magic. There is plenty of parking on-site, luxury loos and heaters in case the evenings get chilly! Finally, they have teamed up with an amazing catering company called Canvas Catering. Their food was amazing and I cannot recommend them enough!

If you are thinking of getting married at Bradbury Glade, check them out here.