CRONDON PARK WEDDINGS
Crondon Park wedding venue is very local to me & I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it’s growth from being a single building where you could simply get married and have a dance in the evening, to now being able to get ready onsite and stay overnight in their fully furnished rooms. It really has developed into one of the hottest wedding venues in Essex.
Crondon Park weddings are popular all year round due to its cosy countryside wooden barn feel and exclusive use should you be lucky enough to book your big day here.
I’ve actually covered more weddings at Crondon than anywhere else in Essex, so I’ve seen every season in the calendar and it never ceases to amaze me with how couples make this their own for the day.
In today’s blog, I feature the wonderful wedding of Nicola & Daniel Mack. I knew this one was going to be a memorable day when we first met in 2019. They’re a very chilled, relaxed couple with a good idea of how they saw their day unfolding. For the most part, they wanted documentary (fly on the wall) wedding photography which suits me just fine. That way you get to see real personalities as opposed to forced and awkwardly posed people.
The other request was to have an epic landscape night time shot that incorporates the stars. They had seen one of my previous images and wanted something similar. This was great for me. I hadn’t been asked to shoot a shot like this at Crondon before so I set about planning where we could capture their dream image. More on this later, but here’s the highlights from their beautiful day.
Crondon Park wedding photography
Many couples choose to get ready off-site due to only being allowed access to Crondon park from 11am. It’s quite normal for the bridal party to have their hair and makeup completed early in the morning and then put their dresses on in the bridal suite at the wedding venue.
The lads were surprisingly prompt and on time when I arrived at the Ivy Inn hotel, which is only 10 minutes away. They were in high spirits and we captured some nice moments (especially the grooms gift from his future wife). Nicola bought Daniel a compass with the words engraved “so you always find your way back to me”. I thought this was a nice touch and a great way to start the day.
The ladies had their hair and makeup completed at the Harvard Inn which is a popular place to stay the night before (being only 5 minutes away).
It was then destination Crondon Park for the finishing touches before the ceremony. I knew we had some emotional people in the room so I was hoping the reaction to seeing Nicola in her wedding dress was going to be a memorable one.
Nicola wanted the dress to be kept a secret from the bridesmaids until she was wearing it. Their reaction was brilliant. You could tell they were all really close.
We were all set for the ceremony. Daniel waited patiently with the guests at the alter while the ladies made their short walk across the path and into the main building. The ceremony room is tucked away behind the main reception area so this offers the bridal party some privacy before they walk down the aisle.
The nuptials flowed beautifully and the nervousness went away so the couple could enjoy some time with their guests. I prefer to leave them to it straight after the ceremony. This is where I take candid’s and hang back.
When the couple are ready, I take them around the grounds and away from the guests to give them 5 minutes to themselves. This is the first opportunity that they have to be alone with each other and more often than not, this is welcomed.
Our 15-minute couple shots were kept relaxed and natural. Nothing posed or awkward.
I knew we had another 15-minute evening shoot coming up so it wasn’t long before I had them back mingling with their guests.
We had a 2-hour window for 3 courses to be served before the speeches took place. It’s the last formal part of the day before the evening celebrations take hold and they were received well with plenty of laughter.
If you’re having your wedding at Crondon Park, you’ll notice that the area you have your wedding breakfast, is the same area that you’ll have your evening party. The tables at the far end of the barn are moved up to make way for the DJ/Band. The staff are really efficient and turnaround time is quick for you.
The couple stole the show with their first dance and the guests joined them to mark the beginning of the party. We had some real characters there and it made for some entertaining viewing.
Nicola & Daniels day was capped off by a celebratory Cigar for the lads and those epic night time shots the couple really wanted. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve shot weddings at Crondon Park several times but I’ve never actually captured these exact shots before so they’re unique to this couple.
So, there you have it, wedding photography at Crondon Park can be romantic, emotional, fun and epic all rolled into one. It’s a highly sought-after wedding venue so make the call early to enquire about your booking. Recently, I heard it was a 2-year waiting list for a weekend date so please plan your day early to avoid disappointment. Here are Crondon parks details:
Address: Stock Rd, Stock, Ingatestone CM4 9DP – Contact number: 01277 841115
Thanks for reading guys,
Feel free to leave a comment below
~Chris
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