Barely a week after my first visit to The Oak Grove for Daryl & Geraldine's wedding day, I found myself back here again, this time for Jack & Rebekah's wedding. With the wealth of venues in Kent and neighbouring counties, finding myself at the same one two weekends in a row is certainly a rarity! Also like the previous wedding, Jack & Rebekah opted for my Everest wedding photography collection, with Rich joining me today as my second photographer.
Jack & Rebekah were getting ready apart today, with bridal prep taking place in Gravesend. I was given a very warm welcome by Rebekah's grandparents, as the girls had their hair and makeup done. There were lots of subtle details on show, as well as tributes to family members past and present, most notably Rebekah's father who was sadly no longer with us. As such, her grandfather would be walking her down the aisle later in the day. After a shorter morning prep with Jack and the groomsmen, it was time to head over to the venue.
Even before the ceremony, the venue and the large main tent was decked out and decorated, complete with an enormous multi-tier wedding cake near the top table. Back outside, guests were arriving and taking their seats in the outdoor ceremony area, and it wasn't long before Rebekah and her bridesmaids arrived and began their walk down the aisle. After the legal ceremony was over, there was a second, shorter but much more personalised ceremony performed by a celebrant.
With the ceremonies over, the group photos were once again held in the shade provided by the oak trees, before setting up a confetti line up for Jack & Rebekah to be welcomed into the tent for the wedding breakfast. After the meal, the speeches kicked off with a bit of a twist at the end - a great game of Mr and Mrs. I don't often see this being played, but it always goes down a storm, with the happy couple holding up coloured paddles to indicate their answers to questions from Rebekah's sister.
We then headed back outside for a quick bouquet throw and some lawn games before the first dance, a little earlier than is usual (the reason for this will become apparent later!) Rebekah also shared a dance with her grandfather, and some emotional moments with her sister, before her and Jack cut their amazing wedding cake. With golden hour now upon us, I took the two of them outside for some stunning couples photos in and around the venue, taking in some of the same spots as Daryl & Geraldine from the previous weekend.
As the sun finally began to set, we snuck the two of them back to a hidden little area at the back of the venue, where some close friends had organised a secret sand pouring ceremony. The end result was a beautiful arrangement of coloured sands in a heart-shaped glass bottle, a lovely keepsake for Jack & Rebekah to keep. With the party now in full swing, we headed back to the reception as they danced the night away. My second visit to The Oak Grove drew to a close, until next time!
Whether you're planning a big lavish wedding, or something much smaller, head over to my wedding photography page for prices and lots of information on how I can help make your day as memorable and as awesome as possible! You can also get in touch to enquire about your wedding date to see if I'm available.