Steve Jones

Jun 8, 20243 min read

Jessica & Jack's Isle of Wight Summer Wedding at East Afton Farmhouse

Updated: Jul 26, 2024

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In August 2022, I had the pleasure of joining Jess & Jack for their summer wedding at East Afton Farmhouse on the Isle of Wight.

I started the day by photographing Jess and her bridal party, getting ready at her family home on the Isle of Wight. It was already a beautiful Summer morning, and there was a lovely relaxed vibe as Jess finished off her makeup and her hairdresser, Shelby from Elysian Hair, completed the finishing touches on her hair and her bridesmaids.

It is always a joy to see the excitement build on wedding morning and the smiles and emotions that come with seeing the Bride in her dress for the first time; Jess's was no exception! I loved capturing the girls helping Jess with her veil and her father's reaction! Jess wore a beautiful dress from "Together Forever Bridal" in Crayford, while her bridesmaids looked stunning in Asos dresses.

A Beautiful & Emotional Church Ceremony

The Minster Church of Saints Thomas sits in the heart of Newport on the Isle of Wight and was the location of choice for Jessica & Jack to say their vows and become Husband and Wife.

As a documentary wedding photographer, I love the anticipation and build-up on a wedding day. It is where the magic happens! I can capture the nervous smiles and checking of watches, excited guests and enthusiastic well-wishers, warm embraces, tender touches, and looks of love and encouragement. All of this was present and more as we awaited the bride's arrival.

As Jess entered the church, the summer sun lit up the grand, brightly coloured stained glass windows, providing the perfect backdrop for our couple to say "I do".

After a beautiful and emotional ceremony, the only thing left was for family and friends to shower our happy couple in confetti and congratulations before heading off to East Afton Farmhouse.

Fun In The Sun At East Afton Farmhouse

There is no place quite like East Afton Farmhouse for a wedding reception in the summer sun. It is no wonder so many couples join us here for their Isle of Wight destination wedding.

One of my favourite moments when photographing at East Afton is seeing how couples have used and decorated the space. It is always so versatile, and you can truly make it your own. I particularly loved Jess's vision for the day. The pops of yellow from the Limoncello against the white and green looked stunning. The foliage was the perfect choice to bring it all together and matched perfectly with the flowers from Bembridge Flowers. Somehow, Frostbite Bakery managed to create a cake that was both rustic and elegant. It fitted in as a key piece of the decor and tasted incredible.

Cocktails, Mini Golf & Saxophone Sounds

The front lawn was the perfect location for wedding guests to relax in the famous Isle of Wight sunshine or shelter in the shade while soaking up the sounds of Dave Plummer's saxophone renditions of popular songs or enjoy cocktails, conversation and a spot of mini golf. Before heading into the events barn for the speeches, I used this time to capture a few group shots of family and friends and some fun photos with the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Tears, Laughter, Love and Cake!

After enjoying a delicious meal from the seasoned kitchen, it was time to capture those all-important speeches. Jess and Jack's were funny, heartfelt and emotional; it always feels such a privilege to be invited into a couple's world to document these moments, one I never take for granted. All that was left was a quick cake cut before heading out to capture some golden hour light in the surrounding fields.

Golden Hour Portraits Around The East Afton Cornfields

As the sun was setting in the West, we made the most of the fading golden hour glow and captured some stunning portraits in the fields around East Afton Farmhouse. This also gave our bride and groom a precious 5 minutes of quality time together to breathe in the events of the day and each other. We arrived back at the rustic courtyard barn to start the dancing and evening celebrations. Our parting photo was a recreation of one taken at friend's (and owners of finishing touches) Hannah & Jamie's wedding.