LUCY & PATRICK ~ ABBOTS COURT WEDDING, DORSET.

Weddings

22 Sept

A rustic wedding with a timeless charm on the South Coast

When Lucy and Patrick enquired for their Abbots Court Rural Retreat & Wedding Venue, even though they were the opposite side of the world, I just knew this was going to be an unforgettable one. Lucy being originally from the UK and Patrick from Ireland they both had moved to Australia where Lucy has built her thriving fitness business. - LucyBakerFitness - so I knew these two loved to look good as well. I knew their choices would be super considered and curated for the day and I wasn’t disappointed.

They went with classic black tuxs for the guys and a soft pale pink palette for the girls which complimented this rural aesthetic so well. The pink hues really helped to exaggerate the red brick backdrop of the property and it leant into that classic look with a modern twist. From the off, you could tell these lot were up for a party and of course they would be, half the party were from Ireland. As long as there was Guinness flowing, we were in for a great time.

Lucy and her team got ready at Abbots Court Rural Retreat & Wedding Venue in the honeymoon suite which is such an ideal space for those relaxed morning preparations. Plenty of natural light and considered decor makes it such a great space to shoot. The girls had the music playing and many shapes were thrown on the make shift dance floor in the middle of the room. Lucy shared such a lovely moment with her dad for her first look too. It’s got be one of my favourite parts of a wedding day, everyones emotions are heightened right before the ceremony and you can guarantee when a dad sees his daughter on her wedding day it’s sure to bring some tears to your eyes, even me!

The boys got ready down the road from the venue in a quaint English pub and arrived in good time for some classic groomsmen shots with my brilliant second shooter on the day, Joshua Woodland. A huge bonus to Lucy and Patricks plans were that they wanted to get married outside within the walled garden at Abbots Court Rural Retreat & Wedding Venue. This was total music to my ears as you just can’t beat a naturally lit wedding ceremony with so much space around for us to utilise and get shots we normally aren’t able to get. For me, I knew for the ceremony I wanted to get an aerial image of Lucy and her dad walking down the aisle. The setting and symmetry of the venue meant I just couldn’t miss the opportunity so as the music starts playing and the ceremony begins. I sent my drone up high above the venue so it was going to disturb anything and simultaneously photographed Lucy and her dad from the sky but also the front of the ceremony. One hand on my camera, one hand clicking the capture button on the drone. The pay off was huge, I genuinely think it’s one of my favourite ceremony shots I’ve every taken. It’s so dramatic as the walk towards Patrick.

The ceremony was so perfect and we somehow dodged the rain clouds that were lingering around. As the clouds broke we moved in to the drinks reception which was full of heartfelt moments. With guests travelling from all over the globe, it was so lovely to see them all in one place and enjoying each others company again, especially after the previous few years we’ve had.

Lucy and Patrick were total naturals in front of the camera, super relaxed and just fully in love. It was a moment they could take away from guests and just be present in their day together and it was a real privilege to photograph.

I knew with a combination of British, Irish and Australian guests the party in the evening wouldn’t disappoint and I wasn’t wrong. From the moment the all girl group PYT started their set there was no turning back. This was such a highlight of my 2023 season.

If you’re looking for a Dorset wedding photographer, please drop a message and let’s chat.

SOME WORDS FROM LUCY & PATRICK.

Venue: Abbots Court Rural Retreat & Wedding Venue, Dorset

Names: Lucy & Patrick Barry

Age: 32 & 31

Wedding Budget: £40k

Tell me how you met, all the details

Both of us were in our favourite bar in Sydney (The Golden Sheaf). I had been at a boat party all day, and Patrick was at a baby shower with his friends. While in the Sheaf, Patrick and I repeatedly glanced at each other throughout the night, but he was obviously too scared to make a move! I spoke to my friend and said “this guy keeps looking at me, do you think I should go over?” She of course encouraged me, so I went over to introduce myself - something very out of character for me! I shimmied through the very busy crowd, walked up to Patrick and his group of friends and introduced myself. We exchanged numbers and I returned to my friends. A few moments later my friends decided they wanted to visit another bar down the street - I was delighted because it looked like I was playing hard to get, securing his number and then leaving, surely this was a strong move! The problem came when my friends and I reached the other bar, it was empty, so they decided to go back to the Sheaf! After some failed objections on my end, eventually we went back and Patrick and I ended up dancing together all night long - that was the start of our journey together. Patrick told this story in his wedding speech and always exaggerates that I was rugby tackling people out of the way just to reach him and introduce myself - which is half true, he got a few laughs!

How did you get engaged?

On my 30th birthday, Patrick decided to pop the question. The day started with a sunrise walk, and a near-miss with a huntsman spider the size of his hand crawling in the bouquet of flowers that he got for me! He hired an Italian speedboat to take us to the iconic MacMahon’s point, but of course it didn’t all go to plan, as the boat driver was hungover and took us to the wrong spot (while of course I had no idea). When we finally got to the right place, we got engaged in front of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, it was perfect! Patrick joked in his wedding speech that buying a ring doesn’t actually buy the groom some time, it starts a countdown. He’s right! We were engaged for around 1.5 years before we got married. I think he was trying to follow the Irish tradition of a long engagement, but I had other ideas!

How & why did you chose your venue?

We chose Abbots Court in Dorset (https://abbots-court.co.uk/). The venue is 15 mins drive from my parents home in Bridport. When searching for a venue we had lots of obstacles - particularly the fact that we lived in Sydney. Researching and viewing venues was a little tricky for this reason, but my parents provided a helping hand where they could. We toyed with having a destination wedding, but I had always wanted to get married close to where my parents live. Luckily I had 2 trips planned to the UK in 2022 (more weddings) so I managed to perform some scouting during those short periods. Our first big mistake came when we picked another venue (online from Sydney). We had even paid the deposit and locked in our caterers. The first venue was lovely and idyllic, but when I went to view it in person on one of my trips back to the UK, I had some concerns, the main being how close the grounds were to the motorway, and being located at their house. It just didn’t feel right. After feeling a little deflated after seeing the venue we selected, and of course some stressful conversations and tears on my end, I was served an ad on Instagram about Abbots Court, and there just so happened to be an open day that week. When we arrived, I immediately fell in love. It’s nestled in six acres of woodlands, meadows and country fields. With its beautiful country house where myself and my bridal party got ready, the converted Victorian Stables which hosted our welcome drinks, and the Walled Garden Pavilion where our ceremony took place, with the rolling Dorset fields in the distance. It was exactly what we were looking for. After speaking to Patrick (who was back in Sydney) we made the decision to book Abbots Court and switch venues. It was a risky move, and cost us losing deposits, but I’m SO glad we made this decision. If there is any advice I could give to brides when making the big decisions - always go with your gut (and view your venue in person!) Abbots was exactly what we wanted - a luxury country feel throughout whilst also being relaxed and modern. It was perfect!

Tell me more about your wedding dress

I purchased my main dress from Eternal Bridal - a well known bridal store in the heart of Sydney. I had a really strong vision of wanting a lace dress with a low back, but every time I tried this style on, it didn’t suit me or didn’t feel right. I went to Eternal Bridal to try on a dress exactly like this, and felt disappointed when it wasn’t as I expected. As I was there, they suggested trying on some other styles. Funnily enough, she picked out my dress and I immediately said no I won’t like it. Luckily she was persistent and I gave it a go, only to then fall in love with it and find my dream dress! My mini dress was from Trish Peng that I purchased from Lauren Francis Bridal. I wasn’t planning an outfit change, but as I was getting my main dress altered in the UK, on a visit I noticed the minis and asked to try them on for fun. Of course, I fell in love immediately, and my mum was the one who loved it so much she told me to buy it! Patrick wore rented tuxedos from a suit store in Dublin. He had a lot of trouble finding suits while living in Sydney. The other difficulty was that his groomsmen were geographically diverse, 2 in Sydney, 1 in London and 3 in Ireland. He wore a simple black tux, with a black button shirt and a velvet bow-tie, while the groomsmen wore white button and standard bowtie.

What was the theme / styling / inspiration for your day?

We wanted a fun, romantic, and relaxed wedding in the countryside of Dorset that encompassed our personality, style, and small touches from our Aussie lifestyle throughout. Great food and drinks, entertainment and a neutral colour palette were the key things we focused on to bring our day to life. I am obsessed with a muted blush tone, so of course this was going to be the main colour for our theme. My bridesmaids, our napkins, and the flowers all had muted tones of blush, alongside whites and nudes to keep the theme soft and romantic. It was everything I could have dreamed of and more! As a hint to our Aussie life, our tables were named after beaches we had been to together, alongside our sharing main of a Tomahawk steak with red wine jus and sharing sides, created and adapted from our favourite restaurant in Sydney. We also had dedicated carvers for each of the tables which we surprised our guests with.

Was there a stand out moment from your day, explain the moment?

It’s so hard to choose just one moment, but it would have to be the ceremony and seeing each other for the first time down the aisle. It’s something we’ll remember forever.

If you were to do it again, is there anything you would change?

For the day itself, nothing - we loved everything! Less so of a regret, but a good learning was to make sure we were 100% happy with suppliers before paying deposits. I think we rushed into booking thinking that everything would book up quickly in September, and we could have easily waited.

Any tips for future couples?

Advice for future brides It will be absolutely perfect, whatever happens. But here's a few things I would recommend having done the process myself. 1 - Sit down with your partner and decide on your priorities (and stick to them!) Weddings are expensive, and it's very easy to get carried away. 2 - Delegate! You won't remember anything you planned on the day (because you are having the absolute best time!) so make sure you delegate anything important to your bridesmaids. 3 - Look after yourself and your health. So many women drastically crash diet before their big day, and it can not only ruin the lead up, but have huge consequences for your long term health. We work with a number of brides in the lead up to their big day, to ensure they reach their goals with confidence, but also maintain their health as the #1 priority. If you would like to read a little more about my advice around this, you can read more here: https://www.lifestylefitnessformula.com/mybridaljourney.