Helen & Anton were married on a pleasant late-September day at The Barns at Hunsbury Hill long before COVID-19 had been unleashed on the world. I was delighted to be booked to photograph their beautiful The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding day.
Bridal Preparations – Northampton Marriott Hotel
Both husband and wife were getting ready at the Northampton Marriott Hotel. Anton, being a proud South African, was watching his nation’s Rugby World Cup clash with Namibia on his phone in the lobby with his groomsmen when I arrived.
Helen had only wanted the very tail-end of her preparations documenting. She was ably assisted by her daughter, mum and soon-to-be sister-in-law.
Marriott Hotel Northampton wedding prep – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Marriott Hotel Northampton wedding prep – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Marriott Hotel Northampton wedding prep – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Marriott Hotel Northampton wedding prep – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Marriott Hotel Northampton wedding prep – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Marriott Hotel Northampton wedding prep – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Helen’s wedding car was an immaculate 1928 Citroen Deluxe Saloon going by the name of Harriet.
Harriet, a 1928 Citroen Deluxe Saloon wedding car – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Harriet, a 1928 Citroen Deluxe Saloon wedding car – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Harriet, a 1928 Citroen Deluxe Saloon wedding car – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Wedding Ceremony – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill
Located on the south-west outskirts of Northampton, The Barns at Hunsbury Hill is a stunning wedding venue located in a natural amphitheatre on the side of a hill overlooking the town. Dating back to 1776, the site was constructed as one of three farms in the area to provide food to another of the town’s modern-day wedding venues in Delapre Abbey. The Barns has tonnes of rustic charm with oodles of wood, stone, brick and even corrugated iron to be worked with.
Helen & Anton’s wedding ceremony was held in the high-ceilinged High Barn, featuring gorgeous wooden beams above the stone walls. The large windows still made it feel quite light and airy.
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Helen’s son Kieran very proudly gave his mum away in a beautiful civil ceremony, while Anton’s sister gave a reading.
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The High Barn – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
With Helen & Anton now formally married, we went straight into the confetti shot, before the newlyweds headed off for a short drive around. I took the opportunity to grab some candid shots of the guests.
Confetti shot – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds in the back of the 1928 Citroen Deluxe Saloon wedding car – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Candid shots of the wedding guests – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Once they’d returned, we spent a short time getting a few formal group shots with the car, and then the remainder without.
Congratulations! The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Congratulations! The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The bride and groom pose with the 1928 Citroen Deluxe Saloon wedding car – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Group shots – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Group shots – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
I had a few minutes with Helen & Anton to go for a wander ahead of the wedding breakfast, which was held in the now-turned-around ceremony room.
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The newlyweds – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Wedding Breakfast – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill
There were lots of laughs and lovely interactions between the two families as they enjoyed a fabulous afternoon tea.
Afternoon tea wedding breakfast – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Afternoon tea wedding breakfast – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Afternoon tea wedding breakfast – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
“Ladies and gentlemen, your bride and groom!” – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Speeches hit the perfect balance between humour and emotion.
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding breakfast
Interlude – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill
After the wedding breakfast, a few guests asked for some additional pictures, something which I’m always very happy to accommodate.
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
And then the shots came out!
Bridal party wedding day shots! – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Bridal party wedding day shots! – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
With the room being turned around once more, guests vacated, with many of them heading for the semi-covered outdoor bar area, which looked great with the lights on!
The outdoor area at The Barns at Hunsbury Hill looking lovely illuminated as the light fades
The weather was starting to take a turn for the worse, sadly, and some of the things we’d hoped to do outside became no-gos.
Evening Reception – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill
As beautiful as the High Barn had looked during the day, it looked even better in the evening for Helen & Anton’s evening reception.
The High Barn, beautifully lit for the evening wedding reception – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
They cut their wedding cake and enjoyed their first dance as husband and wife, before inviting the rest of their guests to join them on the dancefloor.
Cutting the cake – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The first dance – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
The first dance – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Helen had a boogie with her grandson and her mum, and then it was time for me to call it a day.
Dancefloor fun – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Dancefloor fun – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Dancefloor fun – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
Dancefloor fun – The Barns at Hunsbury Hill wedding photography
It had been a fantastic day, at a truly lovely Northampton wedding venue.
Here’s wishing Helen & Anton all the very best for the future.
SEARCHING FOR YOUR OWN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?
If you’ve not already done so, please take a look at my WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGES – Karl Drage, Northampton Wedding Photographer.
For more information on what happens when you decide you want me to photograph your wedding, please see: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY by Karl Drage – How I Work
While every wedding is different, there are certain elements which are usually broadly similar. Take a look at a typical wedding day to get a feel for the primarily documentary wedding photography style I’m likely to employ for your big day.
There’s much more work involved in photographing a wedding than just rocking up and taking the pictures. I’ve put together this guide to explain why wedding photography can seem expensive but it’s really not.
I’ve also put together this wedding photography FAQ list and my responses – Questions you should ask a wedding photographer!
