A spring delight at Shilstone House, Devon
Spring 2023 certainly delivered when it came to the weather and it was the most glorious spring day for Simone & Iain's wedding at Shilstone House, Ivybridge, Devon.
If you're looking for a country manor house vibe for your wedding, then this blog will absolutely be for you! Shilstone is a fabulous wedding venue in Devon, featuring a beautiful manor house, glorious countryside and stylish accommodation.
If you're new here, then Hi! I'm Jade also known as Ivyhouse Photography. I'm a creative, storytelling wedding photographer based in Torbay, photographing weddings all over the South West. I'm so glad you're hear to read all about my experiences, and hopefully you'll find this blog super useful when it comes to your wedding planning journey.
The couple were both staying/ getting ready on site and at Shilstone House, with two fantastic places to get ready - one at the top of the venue and one at the bottom. They're quite far to get too when walking (especially if you're a photographer lugging your gear up and down the hills!), but Shilstone are great when it comes to organising getting to and from the venue/accommodations.
Their ceremony was held outside in the courtyard which is such a beautiful place for a ceremony and photos - followed by a drinks reception just on the other side of the house in the gardens.
There is an opportunity at Shilstone to get photos inside the house, just as a couple, but this needs to be planned into your timeline of the day to make sure you get the most of the time allocated which is around 20 minutes.
Simone & Iain had a clear vision for their wedding photography, Simone works in fashion and appreciates photography so much, so it was an absolute match made in heaven for us both. Their whole vibe of the day was elegance and sophistication with a hint of that modern timeless touch - from a stunning traditional lace styled wedding dress to black tux's, the whole wedding party was their own vibe! And they certainly brought all of the energy!
The whole day was just so much fun and everyone was in such high spirits. I snuck the bridal party away for 15 minutes to get super fun shots (this is something that I love to do and discuss with all my couples). Whether it's getting a few bottles of prosecco to pop and spray or smoke bombs that fill the skies with colour, their are so many things that you can do to bring that extra bit of energy and excitement into your day - and I'm always their with my trusty speaker to play your favourite party tunes, just to keep the energy alive!
The evening at Shilstone is based in the marquee in the walled garden which has plenty of space for weddings with 100+ guests. It's light and airy which is perfect for photos and has a bar so no one has to venture very far for a beverage! After speeches and food, the room was turned around and the music and drinks started flowing - followed by one epic confetti canon moment and everyone busking a groove!
We were so fortunate to have the most beautiful golden hour, so we ventured up the hill just across from Shilstone where we got some stunning sunset photos! For those of you that do know me, you'll know that golden hour is my absolute favourite time to photograph - it's so romantic and what better way to spend the last moments of your wedding day then watching the sun go down.
A sneak peek of Simone & Iain's final gallery can be viewed below. For those of you who might be interested in booking me as a wedding photographer, please do get in touch as I would love to hear all about your wedding plans and I can send you the wedding gallery in full!
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