As UK wedding photographers, we’ve loved Ston Easton Park ever since we shot our first wedding there in 2008. So when Jon called, asking if we were available to capture his and Jay’s wedding celebrations there in the summer of 2016 we were thrilled.

I am always intrigued to know why couples chose a certain venue. Jon says: “We first decided what we wanted the weekend to be and then searched for a venue that could deliver. Ston Easton was perfect for a country house weekend away with close friends and family, somewhere all our guests could get to know each other. We loved its Georgian architecture, the relaxed atmosphere and their willingness to allow us to use it as our ‘home’.

“We started our weekend with a casual dinner party on the Friday and ended with a Henley-themed picnic by the river on Sunday,” says Jon. Jon and Jay sing the praises of the hotel’s wedding planner Kat, too. “From day one she gave us the confidence that we could achieve everything we wanted and made it all possible.”

We realise what a privilege it is to share in a couple’s wedding and one of the most important things is to work with the couple beforehand and to understand what they would like from us as their wedding photographer. We always have a clear idea of the mood of the day, the must-have photos and the style of the shots, we’re also open to ideas that come on the day, of course. The main thing is the couple should be able to relax, knowing we have the timings and the plan in our mind throughout the day.

After the first phone chat with Jon, I knew this wedding would be nothing short of incredible. Listening to Jon and Jay in our early conversations, we could sense their creativity and passion and their attention to detail that influenced the menus, the stationery, their suits, the flowers by Elly Bane and the overall styling of the wedding.

The ceremony layout was something we had never seen before in the Yellow Room at Ston Easton, though we’ve photographed numerous weddings in the room. The large semi-circle of chairs with the fireplace as a central point for the registrar’s table resonated with the couple’s love of symmetry and structure. It also looked amazing!

For the ceremony and dinner, Jay and Jon chose matching suits by Dolce & Gabbana – Jay’s favourite designer – then for their evening party, Jay wore Dolce & Gabbana and Jon, Dsquared. Their shoes were by Jeffrey West and their wedding rings were beautifully crafted by David Law, and were designed to match bracelets that they have both worn for the last 10 years.

There was a really comical moment just before the couple entered the ceremony. The registrar asked everyone to stand up for the entrance. A voice from outside (Jay) promptly said ‘please sit down everyone’, at which everyone laughed and sat down! Jay was insistent on keeping the flow of the day informal and he managed to do that even when no one could see him! Their entrance music was a beautiful piece, ‘Canta Della Terra’ by Andrea Bocelli.

The ceremony was very moving… two people clearly very much in love committing to each other, surrounded by close family and friends – everything a wedding should be. After the register had been signed, everyone celebrated outside with drinks, and we captured some informal family and friends groups, and then a few of the newly weds around the grounds of the hotel, before everyone headed into the Saloon for dinner.

Even the cake created by Sandra Monger featured the beautiful flowers, the design based on details found in Jon and Jays home.

For the evening party, the couple had a black and white cocktail party, with all the guests in monotone clothes, and Jay and Jon in bold coloured jackets to stand out.

We think these two gave everyone an incredibly memorable and fun weekend. I asked Jon if they had a favourite moment and he says “In all honesty we can’t pick one. We absolutely loved every part of it and it exceeded our expectations in every way.”

If you’re on the hunt for a Bristol wedding photographer, we’d love to hear from you – our main wedding collection is priced £1695. This includes two of us capturing your day, the planning consultation with Jo, and either a USB/disc of all the photographs high resolution (around 450 finished, print-ready images) for your personal use, or a 10″ album with 60 photographs. If you’d like to find out more, just get in touch.