Eastbury Hotel Wedding Photographs with Rob & Naomi
We have been excited about Rob and Naomi’s Eastbury Hotel Wedding ever since we met them for their lovely Corfe Castle Engagement Photo Shoot.
Documentary Bridal Preparation Photographs
So it was with great expectations that we drove through Dorset’s winding rural roads and hamlets to the picture postcard village of Stourton Caundle.
I spent the morning with Naomi and the girls in Naomi’s parent’s house. Naomi, her bridesmaids and close family all had a fantastically relaxed attitude to the wedding preparations.
There was none of the usual hustle and bustle of a wedding morning. Everything was conducted at a calm pace with a sense of joy.
In between swapping jokes and stories Naomi’s bridesmaids presented her with a gorgeous walnut jewellery box. I found Naomi’s stunning ivory wedding dress hanging backlit in an upstairs bedroom. A butterfly was carefully embroidered on the inside.
As the girls had their makeup styled in front of the garden window the stunning white and purple wedding flowers arrived from Occasions Flowers wedding florist.
With Naomi’s father safely entertaining himself on an iPad the bridesmaids donned their purple dresses. Naoimi’s mother and the girls then helped her into her gorgeous wedding attire.
It just goes to show that a relaxed attitude and advanced planning pays off. Everyone was still relaxed and ready early. The first time I have ever seen a bride early for anything!
Outside in the bright sunshine the wedding car and driver arrived from Vintage Wheels. 
Naomi and Rob had chosen a particularly unique 1934 pierce Arrow wedding car. The driver revealed that it was widely believed to have been owned by notorious Boston gangsters!
Groom Preparation Photographs in Dorset
Meanwhile Murray joined Rob and his groomsmen at the Eastbury Hotel in Sherborne for the morning’s preparations.
Rob treated his three best men, Rick, Ben and Andy to an unusual gift of hammers! Each hammer was inscribed with their names and the wedding date.
Andy, one of the best men was in charge of capturing the day on Video even at the same time as readying himself!
After some photos and video in the garden of the Eastbury hotel the chaps headed for Stourton Caundle Village Hall. 
Situated between Naomi’s parents’ house and St Peters church the Village Hall served as a location for some tea and cake (thanks to Nikki Hale) with the guests who had arrived early.
The hall had been decorated with photos of the couple both together over the years and also some of them both as children.
Button holes crafted by Jacky Spence were added and as it always does with tea and cake, time flew. Before he knew it Rob and the chaps were heading to church for his wedding service.
Passing a comically relevant warning sign the chaps couldn’t resist giving Rob an encouraging grab of his bottom as they walked him up the church path! 
Rob waited in the traditional English stone church and began to look a little nervous. There was just time to speak with the vicar, adjust his father’s buttonhole and double-check which best man was in possession of the rings.
Jane Colville and Gay Liversedge had done a wonderful job of bringing colour into the church with some stunning floral arrangements. 
The chaps busied themselves welcoming all of the guests who were now filling both levels of the church.
The arrival of the bridesmaids outside the door and the sound of the vintage 4.5L engine signalled that the ceremony was about to begin. 
Dorset Church Wedding Ceremony Photographs
With huge grins on their faces Naomi and her father walked down the aisle. It wasn’t long before Naomi was showing her tears of joy. 
The sound of the congregation belting out hymns accompanied by the church organ must have been heard by most of the village. Who in turn, had arrived outside to see the happy couple walk back out into the bright sunlight.
Against the shade of the church we took some confetti and group photographs and headed off to the Eastbury Hotel Wedding Venue in Sherborne. 
Wedding Photographers at Eastbury Hotel in Sherborne
We love working at Eastbury Hotel weddings as the venue is so wonderfully varied and beautiful in the summer sun.
Out in the stunningly maintained gardens guests enjoyed the drinks reception, greeting their bride and groom with a round of applause.
We learned that Naomi’s nickname for Rob was her ‘Bonobo’ and the groomsmen had to check the accuracy.
Outside we worked around the bright, low sun to take the last of the group photographs.
Rob and Naomi sent their first time alone as a married couple and we captured some images of them relaxing in the garden.
Pole Dancing Bride and Groom!
With a glint of naughtiness in their eyes they asked us to take some photographs of them with a randomly placed lamp post. What happened next was a first for both Murray and myself. Never have we seen a bride and groom pole attempt to dance at a wedding before!
Groomsman Andy put down his video camera to shout the call for wedding breakfast.
Wedding Detail Photographs in Sherborne
Inside, the Conservatory Restaurant had been set out, incorporating the Cadbury purple theme. Each table sported handmade bear table names from Annelie Akesson, purple petals and purple ribboned love candles.
On the top table Rob had placed a surprise of engraved champagne glasses.To the side stood three tiers of wedding cake trimmed with purple ribbon – expertly created by Naoimi’s mother’s own hands!
In the entranceway ‘wedding message Jenga’ with a postcard box sat ready for the guests to leave notes of love and friendship.
Wedding Evening Photographs at The Eastbury Hotel
The ever adaptable Andy then became the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, using his personalised hammer to call for attention.
The Eastbury Hotel Chefs again outdid themselves with the wedding breakfast which not only smelled but tasted amazing. The sun dipped an orange glow over the horizon and it was time to cut the cake before beginning the wedding speeches.
In the warm, low light of the evening we captured the crying, laughing, cringing and hiding that went along with the speeches.
With Party Dex now set up in the back room Naomi threw her bouquet to a group of scarily competitive ladies and went straight into her first dance. 
Under the intense contrasting colours of the disco lighting the happy couple took their turn about the dance floor before everyone else joined them to dance the night away. 
A wonderfully relaxed wedding day for a wonderfully relaxed wedding couple.
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