A Spring Wedding at Chapel Barn, Wilderness Reserve

A Spring Wedding at Chapel Barn, Wilderness Reserve

Lauren and Kyle celebrated their May wedding at Chapel Barn, part of Wilderness Reserve in Suffolk — a venue that had been firmly on my photography wish list for a very long time.

And having now photographed a wedding here, I can completely understand why Wilderness Reserve is considered one of the most incredible wedding venues in the UK.

Hidden away within the Suffolk countryside, the estate feels incredibly private and secluded, while Chapel Barn itself gives couples so many different spaces to use throughout their celebration.

Lauren and Kyle's day moved from an indoor ceremony to drinks outside, dinner in the main hall and cocktails around the pool before the evening party began.

It meant the atmosphere constantly evolved throughout the day, without guests ever needing to leave the venue.

A May Wedding at Wilderness Reserve

By May, the countryside surrounding Chapel Barn was beautifully green, creating the most gorgeous backdrop for Lauren and Kyle's spring wedding.

Inside, they chose a striking monochrome-inspired look.

Large installations of gypsophila and white roses filled the space, with Lauren carrying a bouquet of white flowers with beautiful darker accents.

One of my favourite details was their dramatic three-tier black wedding cake, decorated with white roses.

Against the character of Chapel Barn, the black and white details created a really striking contrast.

An Indoor Ceremony at Chapel Barn

Lauren and Kyle held their ceremony inside Chapel Barn, surrounded by their family and friends.

It's an incredible space for an indoor wedding ceremony. The scale and character of the barn give it plenty of impact while still allowing couples to make the space completely their own.

After the ceremony, everyone headed outside for drinks in the sunshine and a chance to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

This is one of the things I particularly loved about photographing a wedding at Wilderness Reserve.

The different parts of the day can flow between the indoor and outdoor spaces incredibly naturally, so rather than everything happening within one room, the celebration gradually moves through different parts of Chapel Barn as the day unfolds.

Drinks & Relaxed Wedding Photography at Wilderness Reserve

While everyone enjoyed the drinks reception outside, I concentrated on photographing all those little moments happening naturally around Lauren and Kyle.

This part of a wedding day is always one of my favourites.

The anticipation of the ceremony has disappeared, drinks are flowing and everyone can finally relax and enjoy being together.

Alongside those documentary photographs, we slipped away briefly for Lauren and Kyle's couple portraits.

And Wilderness Reserve is a dream to photograph.

There are beautiful locations everywhere you turn, but that doesn't mean I want to spend hours dragging a couple around every corner of the estate.

Instead, we chose a handful of gorgeous locations, made the most of the surroundings and then got Lauren and Kyle straight back to their guests.

Because however incredible your venue is, your wedding still isn't a photoshoot.

I want you to have beautiful photographs that make the most of somewhere as special as Wilderness Reserve — without sacrificing the experience of actually being there.

Dinner in the Main Hall at Chapel Barn

Guests then returned inside Chapel Barn for the wedding breakfast.

The main hall looked beautiful, with the large white floral installations bringing a softness to the character of the building.

As everyone settled in for dinner and speeches, my photography shifted back towards simply observing what was happening around me.

Of course I'll photograph whoever is standing up giving the speech, but I'm just as interested in everyone listening.

Parents trying not to cry. Friends absolutely losing it at a story they've heard a hundred times. Guests catching each other's eye across the table.

Those reactions often become some of my favourite photographs from this part of the day.

Cocktails Around the Pool

After dinner, everyone headed downstairs for cocktails around the pool.

And this is such a brilliant feature of Chapel Barn.

Moving from dinner in the main hall to drinks beside the pool completely changes the atmosphere and creates a natural transition from the more formal parts of the wedding into the evening celebrations.

It's also another reason Chapel Barn works so beautifully for a full wedding day.

There are enough different spaces for each part of the celebration to feel distinct, while everything remains wonderfully contained within the venue.

After cocktails, everyone headed back inside and it was officially time to party.

Wilderness Reserve Wedding Photography

Photographing Lauren and Kyle's wedding at Chapel Barn, Wilderness Reserve was such a brilliant opportunity to finally work at a venue I'd admired for a long time.

And being a Suffolk wedding photographer, I'm incredibly lucky to have somewhere this special so close to home.

From an indoor ceremony at Chapel Barn and drinks surrounded by the Suffolk countryside to dinner in the main hall, cocktails around the pool and the evening party, there was something different to photograph at every stage of the day.

It's exactly the kind of venue I love working at — beautiful surroundings, incredible spaces and endless opportunities for photographs, while still allowing my couples to spend the majority of their wedding actually enjoying it.

If you're planning your own wedding at Wilderness Reserve and you're looking for relaxed, natural photography alongside beautiful portraits that make the most of the estate, I'd absolutely love to hear what you're planning.