Julia and Myron’s Whatton Tipis Wedding | documentary wedding photography
Julia and Myron
It took Julia and Myron a little longer than they might have originally planned to get married. All that meant was that by the time the day rolled around, they were absolutely ready to celebrate! They were having a big wedding, with lots of food, lots of family, and lots of fun and colour. Julia’s heritage is Brazilian, and that was going to be a big part of their day. Not only had they planned for Brazilian street party vibes in the evening, but they were also joined by lots of her Brazilian relatives.
It’s fair to say that Julia and Myron crafted a day together. They kept some traditional aspects, like getting ready separately, but their easy going nature enabled them to go with the flow of the day, and include their four kids as much as possible. The weather on the day wasn’t ideal at first - we spent the morning and part of the reception dodging rain showers - but by mid afternoon the sun was out and temperatures rose. This enabled everyone to be outside for the speeches - always a great idea!
This post will show you some of their photos, as well as their highlights video (a short film shot by me while I take the photos - more info on that here).
It was an absolute pleasure to shoot this wedding at the Tipis at Whatton House and capture it all as naturally as possible! The kids and the colour make it stand out in my mind as a wedding to remember, and Julia and Myron were just the best.
Getting ready & ceremony
Julia got ready onsite in the cottage with her mum, sister, and two of their four children. It was a chilled start to the today, with hair and makeup happening in one room with Julia’s mum entertained the kids next door. I started a couple of hours before the ceremony, as finishing touches were happening, and then was able to photograph Julia getting dressed before heading up to the ceremony. Not only did this mean some sweet moments between the three women, but the kids also being there was a joy. Getting ready is always a good opportunity to get to know some of the key people on the day, and when two of those people are under 3 years old it’s really nice to meet them in a quiet moment.
The ceremony happened in a side-up tipi (I’m sure there’s a proper name for this, but it escapes me right now) that’s designated for this portion of the day. Julia and Myron chose to keep it in a traditional formation, though it can be adapted to a less structured space, say if you wanted a ceremony to happen in the round. Shooting inside a tipi is definitely not for the faint hearted, but it was beautifully decorated and brought the outside in.
Prior to the day itself, Julia had mentioned that Myron was ‘quite tall’, which I think rather undersold the height difference between them. This is something that comes up sometimes when couples talk to me - if they have a substantial difference in height, how will I get pictures of them both? - and I think these photos show that it doesn’t really matter. The genuine, emotional moments still happen. They’re still gorgeous. It’s always up to me to find the best angle to tell the story that’s happening at the time regardless of height, weight, shape etc. But it did make it finding Myron quite easy in a crowd!
The Reception
After the ceremony Julia and Myron led the party over to the main tipi, where a gospel choir was on the lawn, waiting to burst into song. They were brilliant! Everyone had a little dance while they ate their canapés and caught up with people they’d not seen for a while. It was a really relaxed vibe with nothing feeling rushed or too structured - just drinks and nibbles in the sunshine. The rain came, and everyone went inside for their main meal of the day.
Speeches
By mid afternoon it was sunny and warm, and people naturally gravitated outside to entertain themselves. The garden games were ready to go, and I whisked Myron and Julia into the woods for 10 minutes to get some portraits. This is what always surprises me with Whatton House - it’s enormous. The woodland is part of a large parkland estate, and you’re kind of left to your own devices while you’re there, so it feels like an escape to wedding land.
Party time!
It turns out Brazilian folks love a party! At about 7pm the balloon artist arrived to entertain the kids, and while they were getting guns and headgear made the adults found the feathered head dresses and rave whistles, and the party got started. Myron and Julia opted out the cake cut/first dance tradition, instead choosing to let their dancefloor fill organically and opening their pizza bar. This resulted in one of my favourite ever kids-who’ve-partied-too-hard pictures.
The Highlights Film
Julia and Myron chose the David and Patrick Package for their wedding day, which at the time of booking included a second photographer and a highlights film, as well as full day coverage. The highlights film was made by me alongside taking their photos, with the second photographer adding some extra angles and general support during the busier parts of their wedding.
Supplier List
Here are all the wonderful suppliers Julia and Myron hired to bring their vision to life.
Venue: Tipis at Whatton House
Photographer: Caroline Goosey Photography
Dress: Bridal Suite Nottingham
Cake: Eckle’s Delights
Food: Big D’s BBQ
Hair: Chloe Hutchinson
MUA: Lauren Butler
Styling: Orange Tree Weddings
Entertainment: The Mirrors, Sing it Bold Gospel choir, Erica Sinclair Harpist, Juke Box Company
