Coltsfoot Wedding, Hertfordshire | Bryony & Ben
This was a delightful August wedding set in the stunning Coltsfoot Country Retreat, a gorgeous venue just a stone’s throw from Knebworth in Hertfordshire. Bryony and Ben had wanted a chilled and relaxed vibe for their special day, surrounded by family, friends and LOTS of children. It was one of those occasions which truly felt like a big party with a wedding attached!
Coltsfoot is a place I love to photograph as it really ticks all of my boxes. Firstly, it’s an exclusive use venue meaning there can only be one event there at any one time - great for ensuring that whoever I photograph will definitely be connected to the bride and groom in some capacity! It’s also a perfect blend of rustic and modern, surrounded by rolling fields (with grazing Alpacas), twisty lanes (awesome for couple photos), manicured gardens (great for cocktail hour) and a fully refurbished barn for the wedding breakfast, speeches and partying into the evening.
The day started with Bryony and her beautiful bridesmaids getting ready in charming wooden static caravans, while Ben was busy with the lads having a few cheeky drinks in separate section of the venue called ‘The Don’. Meanwhile I caught up with Ben’s mother who was putting the finishing touches to the homemade wedding cake she’d made, which I can confirm was absolutely delicious.
The guests duly arrived, helped themselves to a few glasses of something cheerful and sat down in the marquee area to await the arrival of Bryony’s young bridesmaids shortly followed by Bryony herself alongside her father. One of the other great aspects of Coltsfoot from a photographer’s perspective is that the bridal party get to walk under an arch and along a delightful little path prior to reaching the marquee area, which guarantees a gorgeous series of shots as each wave of bridesmaids takes the short stroll from the main accommodation to the front row of the ceremony itself.
After the ceremony, we took a series of group shots on the immaculately maintained lawns before Bryony and Ben ventured out with me into some of Coltsfoot’s 40+ acres for 15-20 minutes or so to take a bit of time to reflect on what just happened and shoot a few relaxed couple portraits against the stunning backdrop of the Hertfordshire countryside. By the time we returned, the wedding reception was in full swing, with the grown-ups enjoying light nibbles, Prosecco and tricks from a roving magician, while the kids made themselves busy creating their own games in the safe gardens and grounds.
Before long it was wedding breakfast and speeches time in the recently renovated vaulted barn. I’m always honoured to be part of any wedding, but it’s at the speeches when I often get to truly appreciate what a special and unique occasion every wedding actually is, especially when it becomes clear how far people have often travelled in order to be there. I almost shed a tear when Ben talked about is late father who attended in spirit thanks to his cufflinks which Ben wore especially for the day in remembrance.
As ever at Coltsfoot, the food was exceptional and it never ceases to amaze me how catering in such volume can also be such high quality - other venues please take note. And thanks to Bryony and Ben’s generosity both myself and the videographer ate exactly the same menu as the rest of the wedding party. Yum!
After dessert, I then went with Bryony and Ben to an adjoining paddock where we were able to take advantage of the amazing glow of ‘golden hour’; that period around 45 minutes before sunset when the light is warm, soft and ludicrously photogenic. 10 minutes later we were back for the cake cutting followed by a brilliant live band and several hours of dancing.
All-in-all a glorious day and I can’t thank Ben and Bryony enough for their generosity, time and amazing vibe they and their guests managed to create on that gorgeous August day. Props too, to the amazing staff at Coltsfoot Country Retreat who really pushed the boat out to ensure the magical event went smoothly and without a hitch.
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