The Castle Westenhanger - Kent Wedding Photographer - Matt Rock

A look back to September, 2017 - The wedding of Kayleigh & Jack - The Castle, Westenhanger, Kent.

Due to COVID-19 there was not much work on in 2020 and early 2021, so I thought I would take a look back at ‘the old days’. To a wedding held at one of my favourite Kent wedding venues.

This wedding has some great memories for me and I can not wait to work there again this year. (all being well of course)

Kayleigh & Jack were recommended to me from both The Castle, Westenhanger and their friends; a couple I had worked with the year before. Recommendations is where most of my wedding work comes from.

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The weather was good, the couple were really lovely and everyone seemed to have a great day celebrating Kayleigh & Jack’s wedding. One word to describe this wedding was ‘FUN’.

It was 14th September 2017 and as is often the case, my day started at 11.30am.

When I turned up at Westenhanger Castle the bride prep was all going well and no-one seemed to be too stressed, which is a good start to any wedding day.

I normally work alone during a wedding and most of the time the day starts with bride prep. The first time I get to see the groom is often at the church or ceremony venue. However, The Castle, Westenhanger is a venue that i’m able to shoot the boys getting ready as well. This is because there is a dedicated brides room upstairs and the boys use downstairs. They never see each other before the ceremony starts but I can go between the two rooms getting both sides of the story.

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Candid, documentary wedding photography is best when it starts at the beginning.

Which is why my wedding collections offer full day coverage, starting at the bride prep. (and groom prep if possible) This helps to make your wedding album complete and when you look back on your wedding day in the years that follow it will give you the chance to re-live it all over again - from start to finish.

“Set in 14 acres of magnificent Kent countryside, The Castle Westenhanger has it all. A medieval castle steeped in history with a stunning manor house, castle turrets, and romantic ruins, it’s the perfect location for your dream wedding.

Dating back to 1343, The Castle Westenhanger enjoys a rich history and was once King Henry VIII’s preferred party palace. It has since been lovingly restored into a fully licensed, exclusive-use wedding and events venue with three stunning inside and outside ceremony options.”

— https://www.westenhangercastle.co.uk

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I try to fuse together my candid photos with some natural portraits where possible. I find this can give the couple some time to breath and think about what they are about to do.

This portrait above was made once the bride was ready and before she was about to walk outside to meet her groom.

The image below is of the groom and his best man just after he saw Kayleigh walking out of the Castle door for the first time - his best man can tell the emotions are now starting to get real.

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There isn’t long to wait until the wedding breakfast is served and the dreaded speeches to begin. This is always a great time for candid emotional photos. Nerves and the fear of public speaking is always on show here.

My advice would be to embrace the fear and enjoy it because as soon as it’s over you will probably want to say more.

Anyway it’s really the best man who needs to worry. There is a lot more expectation on him to be funny and of course interesting.

Tip for the best man:

Not everyone finds the best man stories appropriate to share with the rest of the guests...

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As soon as the wedding breakfast has been eaten and the speeches are finished, it’s time to welcome the evening guests, cut the cake, let your hair down and start the evening off with a bang.

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This was a wedding i’ll remember and the Castle Westenhanger is a great venue to hold your wedding day celebrations. See link here: https://www.westenhangercastle.co.uk/

If you would like to get in touch and find out what I can offer you for your big day, please contact me on 07970668592 or see the ‘contact me’ link below.

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Photo-Films from The Castle, Westenhanger

Photo-Film

Hit the play button in the middle to watch Kayleigh & Jacks Photo-Film below.

PHOTO-FILM

Hit the play button in the middle to watch another wedding from Westenhanger Castle - August 2019

Photo-Film

Hit the play button in the middle to watch another wedding from Westenhanger Castle - July 2018

Photo-Film

Hit the play button in the middle to watch another wedding from Westenhanger Castle - August 2018

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View the wedding blog of Denise & Joe, Westenhanger Castle - August 2019 - BLOG

BEAUTIFUL - CREATIVE - TIMELESS

Venue: Westenhanger Castle

Photography by: Matt Rock Photography

Tel: 07970 668592 - E: matt@mattrockphotography.com

Darenth Valley Wedding Photography - Emma & Luke 2020

The Darenth Wedding Photographer

Recommended Wedding Photographer

Emma & Luke booked me for their wedding back in March 2019 and were meant to be married in June 2020 at The Darenth, a lovely wedding venue in Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent. This venue has changed so much over the last 4 years and it should be a venue you look at too. One of the great features at The Darenth is that you have the option to get married inside or outside.

So with the date set it was all go go go and looking forward to the wedding… Then 2020 happened! Being the year it is, over 95% of weddings were postponed to later in the year or into 2021. Emma & Luke wanted to move the date back to August 2020 and of course I still wanted to be involved and lucky enough I had the date available too.

We managed to get the new date booked in a couple of months later for August and they had a lovely outside wedding planned. Lots of couples book a pre-shoot to get used to the camera before the big day but due to COVID-19 and lockdown, we didn’t have many dates free for theirs so we met just a couple of days before the wedding for some photos and then it was wedding time soon after.

Pre-shoot at The Darenth

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times for some of us; making sure all the people you love are there, the dress is perfect, the venue knows what you want, the groom arrives sober and the best man doesn’t ruin the day with the worst speech in history! Alongside that there are all the other little details that need to be planned, booked and paid for. Then add a little virus into the mix - COVID-19 - and it can take on a whole new level of stress.

But Emma & Luke seemed to be so relaxed and calm about it and the day went perfectly. Ok, it wasn’t exactly how they planned it to be but they got their outdoor wedding they wanted and all their close family and friends were there to celebrate with them too.

As with most weddings I shoot, coverage starts with the Bride getting ready. I love to blend in & capture these images of the excitement and sometimes chaos.

Watch their Photo-film below - just hit the PLAY button

As I said, I love starting the day shooting bride preparations. It’s a time that is full of expectations, nerves and excitement. I can really get the natural photos that I like to get which tell the story of the day. It also gives me the chance, if time allows, to get some beautiful portraits of the bride too.

As Emma came out of the house it started to rain very lightly - This was not a good start as she was all set for an outside ceremony at The Darenth and we were all a bit concerned about it getting worse...

However, by the time we’d arrived at The Darenth the rain had stopped and it was back to the original plan of having an outside ceremony - although it was very windy - terrible for my hair!

But I don’t think Luke the groom was too worried.

After a few reception drinks & the cake was cut, we were off out for some portraits & group photos. Then onto the Kings Arms, Shoreham for some food and more drinks. We took the short walk, just down the road & over the beautiful bridge.

The Darenth is situated near to the lovely little village of Shoreham, Sevenoaks. About a 5 - 10 minutes walk away and a great place to go for some couple portraits after your ceremony.

With all that has happened in 2020 with COVID, this wedding still went ahead and it was a great wedding day. Although it was a bit different to a wedding in a normal year, due to you know what but the wedding was a big success and from an outsiders point of view it went very very well and everyone seemed to love being there to celebrate it with Emma & Luke - I know I did! Yes it was different but every wedding I have ever photographed since 2006 has been different.

The one thing I try to do with every wedding is tell a story of the day and this wedding will be one of only a very small number of weddings that took place in 2020 (this was my first 2020 wedding & I’ve photographed just 3 up to this point - November 2020) and that will be the story these two lovely people will tell their grandchildren many years from now…

“What year did you get married Nan?”

“Let me tell you about COVID 2020…. “

The Darenth - Contact the team:

Station Road, Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 7SA

info@thedarenth.com - 01959 522944 - www.thedarenth.com

DARENTH VALLEY PHOTO-FILMS - BELOW - PRESS PLAY & TURN UP THE VOLUME

SUPPLIERS:

Venue: The Darenth

Pub: The Kings Arms, Church St, Shoreham, Sevenoaks TN14 7SJ

Flowers: Mr Flower Ltd - https://mrflower.co.uk

Dress: Wed2b - https://www.wed2b.co.uk/bridal-shops/london/kent/wed2b-bromley

Rings: Beverbrooks - http://beaverbrooks.co.uk

Photographer: Matt Rock Photography

Other supplier information will be added as soon as possible.

Westheath Weddings, Wedding Photographer

Being the recommended Westheath Wedding Photographer is great because I love working there - here’s why…

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services? Click HERE to see my SPECIAL OFFER worth £590.00.

The large beautiful staircase as you walk into Westheath is just one of the many features that make this 18th Century Kent wedding venue special - even the doorbell is interesting to look at. It looks like it could tell a few stories and seen many things over the years. There is plenty of space at Westheath; as it is set in 32 acres of land, which gives you and your guests plenty of privacy for the whole day.

If you have looked at my website, you will know I love to produce black & white wedding images and Westheath does lend itself to them really well too. Below are a selection of both colour and black & white photos, although I must admit there are probably a little more b&w…

Walking inside the venue and seeing the grand entrance somehow makes you feel very welcome. This has a lot to do with the staff of course who are really lovely and nothing is too much trouble. As your guests start to arrive they tend to meet by the stairs and then slowly move round to the bar area for a quick drink before being shown to their seats for the ceremony. This gives me plenty of time to people watch and candidly photograph the start of the wedding day, whilst also documenting the brides preparations in the Diana room upstairs which is a large sized room with plenty of windows and light. Then I’ll go downstairs to meet up with the groom and his ushers too.

3 minute Photo-film below - hit the play tab & turn the volume up too.

Contact the team here and find out how to see this beautiful Kent wedding venue.

West Heath School, Ashgrove Road,
Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1SR

Web: https://westheathweddings.com

Tel: 01732 468993

Another Photo-film below - turn up the volume

Along with all the land and privacy that Westheath gives you on your wedding day, you also get the choice of ceremony locations too - which is always good. Your wedding breakfast room overlooks the gardens to the rear of the venue with lots of big windows to let that beautiful light in. It’s all very peaceful - unless of course you are the best man.

They are often seen pacing up and down in the bar area or re-writing the odd story they have been told not to say.

Once all the speeches are finished, the room is turned around to become the evening party room, so whilst the room is cleared, tidied and swept; it’s back to the bar to watch the newly married couple cut their cake then buy the best man a drink and learn a little more about that speech he just gave.

I do get asked what I like about being a photographer & photographing weddings and I guess the answer is I like to photograph fun, happy people enjoying a good day. Listening to a good story, and seeing old friends or family reunite.

My aim is to candidly re-tell that story with photographs rather than words so that your wedding album can be made and loved for years and generations.

I love weddings where people are relaxed, don’t worry about the things that don’t go quite to plan, but laugh about it and get on & enjoy themselves and enjoy the day for what it is meant to be and not get upset if the flowers are a slightly different shade of pink than were originally ordered. Where the Father of the bride says it from the heart and the best man’s speech is borderline offensive. Believe me, I have heard some funny and very offensive stories from best men over the years where the Bride & Groom had no idea what was coming next. It makes for lovely memorable, if not surprised looking images that can last forever in your family wedding album.

I love this sequence of images from a wedding from last year - 2019. Speeches from; Father of the Bride giving his daughter a hard time, the nervous Groom & the Best man ‘keeping it real’

So if you are planning a wedding in Kent, you like the look of this wedding venue and you haven’t quite made your mind up, take a look at Westheath Weddings and you won’t be disappointed.

Then you can sit back, relax and enjoy your perfect wedding day, the way you want it.

What will your wedding story be?

Westheath Wedding Photographer - Matt Rock Photography

Kent Wedding Photographer of the Year - 2019 & LTG Natural Photographer of the Year - 2019/2020

If you would like to book me to creatively photograph your wedding in a natural, candid, documentary style, fused together with some natural looking portraits please get in touch below.

Some of the companies involved - see below - If you know anyone else who was involved in any of these weddings please contact me here and I can add them to the list.

Featured Wedding Venue: Westheath Weddings - West Heath School, Ashgrove Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1SR - Web: https://westheathweddings.com - Tel: 01732 468993

Photographer: Matt Rock Photography - BOOK NOW

Flowers: Paula Florist - 07774132795

Makeup: www.gemmakeupbridal.com

All images copyright © 2006 - 2020 - Matt Rock Photography

The Darenth Wedding Photographer - Kent Wedding Photographer

Lucy & Peters’ wedding of December 2019 was my last wedding of 2019 held at The Darenth in Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK.

This is one of the venues I am recommended at - The Darenth - I love to work here and know it well.

** See my NHS & Emergency Services special offer here **

• Watch Lucy & Peter’s photo film below - turn the volume up.

PLAY

Lucy & Peter arriving at The Darenth

This wedding feels like a long time ago now due to the lockdown we are currently experiencing.

Strange times!

Lucy’s wedding day started at Tabsfield B&B in Eynsford, Kent, where Lucy, all her bridesmaids and close family were getting ready for her big day. Tabsfield B&B is a great place to start your wedding celebrations. There are lots of rooms with lots of space and beautiful grounds to use and it was close to their Church in Otford and their reception venue - The Darenth.

Below are some of my favourite story telling photographs of them all getting ready.

More candid photographs below from some of my favourite images during the Church service

Documentary, Candid Wedding Photography

All the photographs above were made in a candid, documentary style, telling the story of the wedding day without influencing what they did or when they did it, just watching & anticipating what I thought would happen.

I don’t interfere with how a wedding looks - I try to capture the natural flow and beauty of the day - Nobody likes a bossy photographer!

After the ceremony there is a bit of time for a few group photos of the couples nearest & dearest - which aren’t candid but I do feel they are very important images of people to document during a wedding and should be made in a friendly, happy way to really bring out the personalities of the people in them - some confetti too of course - if allowed - always check with the venue first.

After the vows have been said and the confetti has been left for someone else to clean up we all traveled onto The Darenth for the reception drinks and evening party.

I don’t think the driver liked me or my joke. :)

Before the meal we went outside to shoot some beautiful couple portraits of the Lucy & Peter.

Making candid, documentary photos really makes me happy. But as an experienced portrait photographer I love to make some portraits too - fusing these two styles together in a way that really compliments the candid images. Although these portraits are directed by me I still try to make them as natural as possible and they will blend in perfectly with your wedding album.

Of course there are many couples who do not want to have their portraits made in this way and the whole day can be candid; which for me as an award winning documentary photographer is great too.

To be honest, as long as i’m making portraits I don’t mind if they are candid or directed… I just love photographing weddings and people.

Time for the wedding breakfast and time for me to stop making photos for a while… Well sometimes!

Chef above & waitress below both hard at work during food service

Photographing the speeches can be tricky but enjoyable. You have spent all day with the Best Man and the Father of the Bride and one thing that is always on their mind are their speeches. They can’t think about anything else sometimes which is really interesting and funny to watch.

I get to know a bit more about the couple too with some great stories that are told; positive words of advice, funny stories & some sad ones too.

P - A - R - T - Y…..

If you got to the end of this wedding blog - thanks for reading!

As a thank you for getting to the bottom, if you like and follow me on social media (see links below) book me to photograph your wedding and pass my information on to a friend or relative that you know who may need a wedding photographer too. I will make your very own music slideshow of your wedding as a complimentary gift - like the one of Lucy & Peter’s at the top of this BLOG post - with the code: LUCY&PETERBLOG-MRP - you can see the cost & value of my wedding work using the link HERE.

Fill in the form below inc. the offer code and I’ll look forward to speaking to you about your wedding soon.