30 Sep Jadie and James 2-Day Wedding | Delapré Abbey & Wakelin Farm
Jadie and James decided to do something a little different for their wedding: a two-day celebration.
The wedding ceremony was held at the historic Delapré Abbey on the southern edge of Northampton, a beautiful venue with centuries of history and a fascinating connection to the Battle of Northampton in 1460.
Jadie and her bridal party had the use of one of the Abbey’s cottages within the walled garden. The original plan was to hold the wedding ceremony outside in the garden, but with the weather looking decidedly changeable, the venue team made the sensible decision to move everything inside the Abbey.
Some brides might have been concerned or disappointed by the change of plan, but not Jadie. That winning smile just kept shining. Nothing was going to disrupt her calm demeanour or enjoyment of the occasion.
With only around 17 close family members and friends in attendance, it was an intimate and very personal ceremony. Although, arguably, the real star of the occasion was the couple’s young daughter.
She was determined to be held by Mum throughout the ceremony and even managed to get involved in the exchange of rings, much to everyone’s amusement. It was incredibly sweet and one of those completely unscripted wedding moments that you simply can’t plan for.
The ceremony was accompanied by the lovely music of Nottingham-based wedding singer Lady Rose Duo, which added another layer to what was already a very personal occasion.
After directing everyone into position for the confetti photographs and taking a few quick family groups outside the front of the Abbey, it was time for the wedding breakfast.
With the change of plans due to the weather, this had also been moved, this time into Delapré Abbey’s wine cellar. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric space and particularly suited to smaller gatherings like this.
It was while we were down there that I started telling videographer Emily from Grannon Productions about some of the Abbey’s ghost stories. One of the waitresses then confirmed my story, explaining that she had occasionally heard the piano being played when nobody was around.
And then, at that very moment, we heard the piano too. That was a little weird. But I digress.
The following day was the reception party, held at Wakelin Farm in Blisworth.
Wakelin Farm was hosting its first season of marquee weddings, with the marquee sitting on the hill overlooking Northampton. I was very impressed, not just with the location but with the marquee itself and the service.
The huge marquee was bright and spacious, with clear sides allowing plenty of natural light into the space, while the position gave the wedding party one of the best views across the Northamptonshire countryside.
Jadie arrived in the rain wearing her wedding dress, boots and carrying a brolly, looking absolutely amazing and, more importantly, still full of smiles and ready to enjoy the day.
My job was simply to document it.
The fun, the interactions, the speeches, the cake cutting and, eventually, the dancing. There was no need to manufacture anything. With friends and family together and the party in full swing, there was plenty happening in front of the camera.
I also wanted to make sure we found some time for family portraits, and thankfully the weather finally gave us a break. We managed to make the most of a stunning sunset, using the view from Wakelin Farm as the backdrop. Those photographs worked out brilliantly and were absolutely worth making the effort for.
After that, there was only one thing left to do. Party, party, party. What a couple of days.
There’s something rather appealing about splitting a wedding into two separate celebrations. It gives you the intimacy and focus of a smaller wedding ceremony, followed by a proper party with all your friends and family the following day.
Maybe more weddings should be split in two
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