Beth and Olly’s Le Talbooth wedding was a proper June day on the River Stour: a church ceremony in the morning, then back to the water for drinks on the lawn, speeches in the marquee and some of the best evening light I have seen in Dedham Vale. This is the whole day, photographed the way it actually happened.
Le Talbooth sits right on the Essex and Suffolk border, in the countryside Constable painted. The Talbooth Restaurant has been there since 1952, and from spring to autumn a marquee goes up on the upper terrace, looking straight over the river. For a Le Talbooth wedding photographer, that means water, lawns and willows in almost every frame. There is more about the venue on my Le Talbooth wedding photographer page.
The morning: robes, dresses and the smallest guest
Mornings are quiet, and I like them that way. Make-up by the window, the bridesmaid dresses on the rail, and the smallest guest of the day stealing every photograph she was in.
The ceremony: a Dedham church and a walk down the aisle
Beth walked in with her dad, and every single guest turned round. The kiss at the altar, the arm in the air on the way out, the confetti and a quiet minute in the back of the car before the party started.
Arriving at Le Talbooth
A Rolls-Royce down to the river, a boat drifting past the marquee, and the bridesmaids seeing Beth for the first time on the lawn. Group photos took about twenty minutes, and the best of them was the one where everyone stopped trying to behave.
Speeches in the Le Talbooth marquee
The marquee at a Le Talbooth wedding is all white flowers and tall windows onto the river, which makes for lovely soft light during the speeches. Olly got a few words in before he had to stop and wipe his eyes. The best men brought props.
Golden hour by the Stour
June evenings in Dedham Vale are long, and the sun drops low across the river and the lanes around the village. We took fifteen minutes, walked, and let the light do the work.
The evening: bouquet, first dance and a full dancefloor
The bouquet toss on the lawn produced the best jump of the day. Then the first dance, and a dancefloor that stayed full until late.
Photographing a Le Talbooth wedding
A Le Talbooth wedding moves between the river, the lawn and the marquee, and the light changes completely through the day. My advice is simple: leave a relaxed hour on the lawn after you arrive, keep fifteen minutes free for golden hour, and let the river be the backdrop. Documentary first, but not rigid: family group photos from your list, three short portrait sessions with gentle direction, and as much or as little posing as you want.
If you are planning your own Le Talbooth wedding, have a look at my prices (one price, 2,500 pounds, everything in it) and then tell me your date.
Le Talbooth wedding questions
Is Le Talbooth good for a summer wedding?
Very. The marquee sits on the upper terrace right above the River Stour, the lawns run down to the water, and on a June evening the light over Dedham Vale is about as good as it gets. From April to October the marquee is up and the whole place feels like a garden party.
How much is a Le Talbooth wedding photographer?
2500 pounds all in with Matt Wing. That covers unlimited hours, 800+ edited images, over 100 previews the next morning, drone where permitted, UK travel and a private online gallery.
Where are the best photos at a Le Talbooth wedding?
The riverbank and the lawn for the two of you, the terrace with the Stour behind for groups, the marquee for speeches and dancing, and the lanes around Dedham at golden hour.
Do we have to pose for photographs?
No. Documentary first, but not rigid: family group photos from your list, three short portrait sessions with gentle direction, and as much or as little posing as you want. Everything else is photographed as it happens.
