Eleanor and Alex | The Wedding

I do like a good winter wedding with crisp air, festive touches and a sense of twinkly anticipation. Eleanor and Alex had all of this in spades for their early December wedding.

The day was all set in the character-filled village of Dedham in Essex. We started in some rather impressive houses in which the boys and the girls got ready. There was some some wonderful hospitality to go with the spacious houses, including a morning glass of champagne (though I managed to spill mine in my shoes ... always a liability!). 

Just up the road in the centre of the village was Dedham Parish Church. A guest told me how the church had been built when the local wool trade was in its heyday and its grandness was a way for locals to show off their success. This has left the legacy of an enormous and beautiful building sitting in the middle of a small quaint village which has never quite had enough residents to fill it. After the service guests threw confetti which was made from all the roses that Alex had ever bought Eleanor. A lovely touch.

Just a short walk away were the Assembly Rooms which provided the setting for the rest of the day. The red walls added to the festive feel ... as did the handmade Christmas crackers with colourful hats for all the guests. The guests were in fine fettle and when the time came for the Ceilidh band to take to the stage there were plenty of willing volunteers to fill the dance floor. I even had a little jig myself at the kind invitation of a bridesmaid (when a pretty girl asks you to dance its terribly rude not to accept).

All in all it was a lovely way to spend a December Saturday; surrounded by a lovely couple, lots of affection from their families and friends, many displays of heartfelt thankfulness, pretty dresses aplenty, and the first smell of Christmas in the air. Congratulations Eleanor and Alex!

All images ©KateCooperPhotography2013