Sophie & Tom – Fullerton Estate – Hampshire Festival Wedding

June, glorious glorious June, it sees midsummer’s day the longest day of the year. But did you know the latest sunset of the year is actually a few days later? The 22nd of June in 2019 was one of only two days which saw a massive 16 hours and 38 minutes of sunlight, (the same as the 21st just a few seconds less) and a 21:22 sunset, the other being the 23rd!

The 22nd was also the date chosen by Sophie and Tom for their wedding at Fullerton Estate which incorporates Cottonworth Vineyard. This is the second wedding I have photographed on the estate (the previous being Em & Tris’ a few years ago), but this time it was on the site of their stunning vine Maze.

Sophie & Tom had decided on a festival theme for their wedding with an outdoor ceremony, a marquee reception, and overnight bell tent camping all in very close proximity. Oh and games, lots of games but more on that later.

The Preparations

The day started with me picking up the bouquets and heading towards Sophie & Tom’s house a beautiful converted barn for Sophie’s preparations. I was also met by my second shooter Katherine who then travelled on to meet up with Tom and his grooms men at Fullerton.

The guys were well guys, and thoroughly entertaining for Katherine as they tried to tie their ties! They got there in the end!

Sophie’s preparations were equally fun filled and joyous, and rather more organised.

The Details

Every part of Sophie & Tom’s day had undergone a lot of thought, not only did the details reflect them personally but they also made a point to choose socially and environmentally responsible suppliers wherever possible which must be applauded.

The table plan was constructed from polaroids of all the guests, with each given a country that they have visited as a couple. The tables, bearing these countries as names, included a bottle of spirits originating from that country as well which would later be consumed!

Sophie’s dress from Australian designer Grace Loves Lace was divine. Beautiful detail without being overpowering.

The Ceremony

A humanist outdoor ceremony was chosen, which took place next to the edge of the adjoining barley field with hay bales for seating for the guest. The ceremony conducted by Lisa Von Fircks was simple fabulous. Lisa is a such a warm welcoming person, and had personalised the ceremony to give it an intimate personal feel. The handfasting portion of the ceremony was undertaken by the bridemaids with Millie & Imogen reading the blessing of the hands whilst Sophie and Nat tied the ribbons.

Playing during the ceremony and later before the wedding breakfast was uber talented vocalist and guitar player Paris Georgia.

The Reception

I’ve said it before and I will say it again I love a marquee wedding (I sound like a broken record!). But it was a marquee wedding with a difference. With the marquee situated in the middle of the vine maze it made for a unique semi-enclosed area. The open fronted marquee took up about half of the area and then the other half played host to a number of lawn games from beerpong (!) to tug of war to liimbo, although the Limbo did get somewhat battered during a tug of war round. My favourite though was the space hoppers!

The food was provided by the Fossil Food Catering company. Not only was it delicious, but it looked amazing and as many ingredients as possible are locally sourced. Just look at that dessert board.

The speeches, well they were pretty epic, although sorry Tom yours was on the long side it was amazingly funny, and the poem to start was fantastic. The length though did lead to possibly the best ever comeback between him and his grandma mid speech I will ever hear. I can’t publish exactly what was said as not suitable for a PG audience but I can assure you it was hilarious and will stay a highlight for me for many years to come.

The After Party

A festival party theme was definitely the name of the game with this wedding, and it wasn’t done by halves. To be honest the games started before the wedding breakfast and just continued on.

The first dance came courtesy of live band The Fix who soon had generated a packed dance floor. The open fronted marquee meant guests could seamlessly drift back and forth from the dance floor to the games and vice versa which made for an excellent party atmosphere. After I left for the evening there was also a silent disco so not to disturb any of the locals before a large number of guests returned to the bell tent camping village that was set up for the wedding just outside the maze.

Sophie & Tom’s wedding was honestly one of the most entertaining I have ever attended never mind photographed, it was so wonderfully vibrant and so so them. There were other details that also couldn’t be overlooked, including the fact guests were lucky to enjoy a free bar but were asked to donate what they would have paid on drinks to a collection for Dementia UK, a charity very close to the hearts of Sophie and Tom. The fact that both are truly wonderful humans, as are their friends and family mean I am certain that it will be a wedding that will stick in the memories of many for many years to come.

Below are a few more of my favourite images from the day from both myself and my second shooter Katherine, I could have easily included five times as many but wanted the page to load for you some time this week!

Suppliers

It was fantastic to work with a diverse and supremely talented collection of local suppliers. The details of which can be found below

Venue // Fullerton Estate Website
Celebrant // Lisa Von Fircks
Band // The Fix
Acoustic Player // Paris Georgia
Videographer // Devoted films
Florist // Garden Inn
Catering // Fossil Food Catering
Alcohol & Drinks // The Tipsi Co
Marquee // Castle Marquees
Plates & Cutlery // Crocks Hire
Make-up/ Hair // SS Studio
Bell tents // Victoria Lily Events
Car // Halls Wedding Taxi
Dress // Grace Loves Lace