A Gaggle Of Geese Tipi Wedding, Buckland Newton, Near Dorchester
I absolutely love celebrant lead weddings, and I adore outdoor settings and this is the reason I just had to write a blog on the hidden gem, The Gaggle of Geese and one of my favourite ever couples, T and K. As a candid wedding photographer in Dorset I love shooting at venues that help couples and their guests to enjoy themselves so that I can do what I do best and take loads of natural unposed photographs of everyone having fun.
I have known T for quite a long time as I am good friends with her sister. But it had been a LONG time since I had seen her sister or her family so when T's mum, who is a force to be reckoned with, messaged to say T was getting married and looking for a photographer I jumped at the chance to work with this lovely, crazy and energetic family.
I arranged a consultation with T&K as I do with all my couples to get to know each other and make sure we were a good fit. It started off well as the café was lined with sunflowers which were the flowers of their choice for the wedding. I also LOVE sunflowers and have 2 tattooed on my arm; it was clearly meant to be.
They booked in a full day wedding package (10 hours) and also asked to book in a couples shoot to celebrate their engagement. What a shoot it was! The sun was unbelievably golden that evening. T&K were up for a laugh and happy to have a go at any and all the prompts thrown at them, including trying out the dirty dancing move which ended up with us all crying with laughter rolling on the floor. The photos were such a delight to edit, so happy and vibrant, like their characters, and their love for one another really shone through
On the day of the wedding, I spent the morning with T who was getting ready at one of the Shepherds huts at The Gaggle of Geese in Buckland Newton. T was very nervous and was asking for my advice throughout the morning which I was so happy to give! It was just lovely that I could help her feel more relaxed on her day. The weather was also perfect with the sun shining, creating a lovely atmosphere for calming drinks and a little boogie before the ceremony.
T was very emotional through out the day, which just made the whole day feel so much more special. Every element meant the world to her and you could see the emotion all over her face; her Mum turning up, seeing the children in their outfits for the first time, seeing K walk down the aisle, just made the tears roll. She wasn't the only one crying either, she set everyone off, including myself.
The ceremony was set up in front of the shepherds hut underneath a large tree in front of a beautiful sunflower archway. T had her moment first, walking down the aisle with the two men that meant the world to her, Father and Step-Father. K followed shortly afterwards with her Father with T breaking down into tears once again setting everyone going. Emily, the Celebrant, from Blessed Be Ceremonies started the service with both brides taking a shot of Tequila Rose, followed by their personalised story, vows and sand pouring to symbolise the unity and connection of their relationship. This is one of the reasons why I love celebrant led weddings, they can be truly personalised to encapsulate your personalities and what you want from your day. And need I mention the fact you can be surrounded by wildflowers, tall trees, and tipis?
The Party
After an emotional ceremony, the confetti was scattered through the woodland walk way leading out towards the impressive tipi near the double decker play bus, goats (yes GOATS!) and mini golf! There is so much to do at the Gaggle, whether that is just sitting in the sun, a game of table tennis, using their airstream pizza van or their ice cream booth! The afternoon honestly felt so relaxed with guests soaking in all elements of the day so I was just left to mingle and capture all the natural candid photographs of their wedding day.
After a tonne of pizza, and a massive ice-cream sundae I dragged T&K off for some golden hour photographs in the near by field. Unfortunately, there had been some livestock in the field but T&K were happy to dodge the giant poo piles; although T did make me sniff her dress to see if it was poo or mud on it! Once again, T&K's relationship shone through and as they frolicked in the golden light I just photographed away. After probably only 15 minutes away we went back to the party for more dancing, singing and drinks as the sun slowly set behind the tipi. T&K's first dance was also an emotional one. T&K chose not to tell their friends what song it was, or announce their first dance. Their family and friends new how significant this tune was so when 'It's all about you' by McFly came on all, they all burst into song. As the two beautiful brides danced in the golden light they were serenaded by all their nearest and dearest (and McFly over the speaker) it was just magical.
T&K are just one of those couples you can tell were just meant to find each other. They compliment each other so wonderfully, and just being around them makes you feel in awe of their fun and loving compatibility. I think this is one of the reasons I love candid photography so much when working with couples that are happy to be themselves, nothing posed, nothing staged, just true love with some fun thrown in, to me, that is perfection.
Testimonial
Kelly truly is the most incredible photographer with a heart of gold! Kelly was so welcoming and helpful on the lead up to our wedding, meeting up with us multiple times to ensure we were comfortable around each other before our big day. Kelly took beautiful, natural shots throughout our wedding and only offered prompts, never forced us to pose in certain styles, and the photos are simply stunning. We have had so many compliments about how happy we look, and guests from the wedding saying they didn’t realise that Kelly was even taking photos half the time! We will 100% be recommending Kelly to all our friends and family looking for a fantastic photographer to document their wedding, or just to have a photoshoot with her to experience the joy of working with Kelly. Thank you so much for just being amazing💗 T&K xx
