Charlotte & Josh at Sugar Loaf Barn, Abergavenny

It’s always a pleasure to visit Sugar Loaf Barn in Abergavenny. Tucked between rolling Welsh hills among fields of swaying meadow grasses, on a beautiful summer’s day there is nowhere prettier! I’ve been photographing Sugar Loaf since what I believe to be one of their very first events so I was thrilled when Charlotte & Josh of The Vino Van – an upcycled vintage horse box that hosts a wine bar at celebrations – asked me to travel back up the winding country lanes to photograph their wedding. The barn was elegantly styled with a hint of rustic charm; there were garlands of flowing greenery with fresh white florals, plump peonies, roses & clouds of gypsophila from Catherine Gray Flowers, upcycled wooden farm tables resting on hay bales, and crisp linen draped from the rafters to create a canopy of soft light.

Charlotte wore a Suzanne Neville gown (from Waxflower Bridal in Chepstow) with a plunge sweetheart neckline, opting to have the lace bodice altered to create a shrug, which she later removed for a sophisticated evening look. Hair & makeup was styled by the lovely Jenna McDonnell who never fails to bring out the best in everyone (& drives to weddings in the car of my dreams, a Nissan Figaro, swoon!). As ever, my favourite part was when one of the Sugar Loaf brothers – James – took us on an early evening rollercoaster ride across rough & ready terrain to the top of the mountain where everything is perfectly silent and you can see for miles. Finally, a thank you to videographer Vow Wedding Films for being a wonderful buddy throughout the day – Dale is so considerate and easy to work with, I can’t recommend him highly enough.