Lucy & Arran’s African inspired safari wedding at Port Lympne Mansion
Lucy and Arrans beautiful Port Lympne wedding.
As a Port Lympne wedding photographer, This wedding left me rushed off my feet but incredibly fulfilled. I was never out of things to take photos of- that’s for sure!
I hope this beautiful Port Lympne wedding inspires you for your own luxury wedding.
Port Lympne Wedding suppliers
Here is a list of all of the incredible wedding suppliers that helped make Lucy’s visions come to life:
Dress: Galia Lahav
Bridesmaid Dresses: Pretty Lavish
Venue: Port Lympne
Florist: Delicate Daisy
Hair: Kent Bridal Hair
Make Up: Huda Make Up London
Band: Maria Chilocouk
Suits: Zara
Stationary: Iniki Pinki Weddings
About The couple:
I asked Lucy some questions about the day:
Names: Lucy & Arran
Occupations: Arran is an Engineer/Project manager and Lucy was a Spanish teacher and lived in Mexico before she met Arran.
Ages: 28
What was the proposal like?
Arran proposed to me on campus at Nottingham University where we met and had the best memories. It was so romantic and thoughtful of him and I didn’t expect it at all!
Why the date (and what was the date)?
21st of August 2021. We wanted to do it in the summer because we had planned to take the guests on a Safari ride! We were so worried it wouldn’t happen because of covid but we were so lucky!
Was there a theme for the day?
Yes, We wanted to create a theme that suited the venue but would still be luxurious and not cheesy. We decided to go with the theme of the safari and included little details that matched such as the cake toppers, stationery and cufflinks. As I am a Spanish teacher I really wanted a Mariachi band to play.
The wedding day
Why the venue?
We went glamping in the Bear Lodge at Port Lympne for my mum’s 50th and on a Safari. When I saw the pink Morrocan Courtyard I fell head over heels in love with the venue. My sister said to me you have to get married here if Arran ever proposes. A year later that was it! I booked it within weeks of the proposal.
How many people and why?
100-day guests and 20 evening guests. We wanted to have the party of the year with all our friends and family after being stuck in lockdown for so long.
How did you feel getting ready?
Getting ready with the girls was one of the best bits! I felt more stressed the day before the wedding. On the day, I enjoyed every moment, even when the cake smashed and it rained as I was halfway down the aisle. None of those things mattered. It was all perfect
Who were your best suppliers?
Courtney Marie photography of course! Have you seen the pics??! Delicate Daisy florist made my Pinterest decor dreams come true. Silvia made some beautiful bouquets with orchids, quicksand, roses, olive leaf and pampas. Also Mariachi Loco were such a great band and really got the party going. I used to live in Mexico so they played some of my favourite songs but also English pop hits like don’t you want me, baby. Their sombreros looked epic too.
Did you feel like a bride?
Really emotional! As soon as my dad came to the dress reveal I started crying! I was like hey dad you are meant to be getting tearful not me!
Tell us about finding your dress.
I had been scrolling for months on Pinterest and was set on a princess style tulle dress in my head. In the end, I found a stunning Galia Lahav dress which was a backless mermaid style with a train covered in lace and beading embellishments. The complete opposite of what I expected to get but I fell in love with it when I tried it on. My nan bought it for me and I’ll keep it forever to cherish. I had other appointments booked but I had to make the decision to buy on the day because it was reduced in the sample sale. This was so stressful as I’m so indecisive!
How was wearing a wedding dress?
I felt amazing in it but it was so heavy because of the beads! As soon as I walked down the aisle the train went into the duck pond ha-ha! I didn’t care by that point I just wanted to party!
What was the most special part of the whole day?
After the speeches, we all went on an hour safari and it was so nice to sit there quietly holding Arran’s hand and letting it all sink in that we were now husband and wife. Saw a few baboons on the way too which was a bonus!
What music did you choose and why?
Runaway by The Corrs for walking down the aisle. I just always loved that song and get emotional listening to it!
What was your first dance song?
Paul Weller you do something to me
What was the best wedding decision you made?
Photographer Obviously! Arran thinks it was him dressing up in a gorilla costume and picking me up as a surprise but I beg to differ.
The day in full swing- Getting ready
As I arrived at the Port Lympne wedding venue, I was immediately taken back by the beauty and originality of the venue.
As I arrived at Bridal prep, The girls were in full swing getting ready. Lucy hired me for 10 hours with a second photographer so the other photographer and I went to scout the venue. Lucy dreamed of an outdoor wedding and loved the Moroccan pink courtyard. I knew this is where I would take her Galia Lahav dress for some special photos of the dress and bridesmaid dresses.
Arran was actually getting ready in The Bear Lodge. This is an incredible lodge situated away from the main house of the venue with a large glass window for looking at the animals!
The Ceremony
Lucy dreamt of a beautiful outdoor ceremony with pampas grass florals. The ceremony was set up beautifully and was just how she dreamed of but it sadly started to rain, just As Lucy and the bridesmaids left to walk down the aisle! Lucy then made the difficult decision for the wedding and guests to be moved inside for the ceremony and hoped that it would brighten up later. Although Lucy was a little stressed as she wanted an outdoor ceremony. The moment she saw Arran her nerves settled and as soon as the ceremony was over, the rain cleared.
The wedding reception
As a wedding photographer, I often find that you can almost always gauge the vibe of the day from the couple and from the round of applause that comes with the first kiss. Both Lucy and Arran are such a fun and outgoing couple, I knew that the guests would follow suit and I was right!
After the ceremony, we did a confetti exit into group photos and canapes. The Mariachi band were a surprise for guests so Lucy and I made sure we coordinated this in time with the large group photo for the wedding so we could capture their reactions all in one place! The guests loved the band and the band played a few songs for everyone before going to set up for their dinner entrance. This was one of Lucy’s favourite parts of the day and it lined up perfectly for a group photo that wasn’t even planned and really captured the fun of the day.
Group photos
As Lucy had her heart set on some photos in the Moroccan courtyard, we had to wait for the floor to dry. As the floor at the Port Lympne wedding venue is made of marble, It gets closed off due to health and safety issues. The staff were amazing and tried to get this cleaned up for us as soon as they could so we could access it for group photos. Mel (second photographer) and I took the bridesmaids and groomsmen for some photos in the beautiful Moroccan courtyard.
Speeches
After the group photos, the guests sat down for dinner. They welcomed the new Mr & Mrs and speeches began. The speeches were emotional and funny. The best man delivered a fun presentation including one groomsman who sadly couldn’t be there as he was stuck in another country due to Covid. Arran then wanted to secretly dress up as a Gorilla for the guests and run around which the guests seemed confused by but then found very funny!
Alone time
As soon as dinner was done, we snuck away for 20 minutes to capture some photos of the couple alone in Lucy’s favourite courtyard.
The wedding safari
This was of course one of my favourite parts of the day. At sunset, Lucy had planned for all of her guests to go on a safari trip for an hour! We had so much fun and the guests absolutely loved it! It made the wedding feel so unique. The Giraffes were a highlight for me.
Party Time
We arrived back from the Safari and it was time to cut the cake and the first dance. Lucy chose some beautiful Giraffe cake toppers to go with her vision for the day. The first dance followed straight away and the couple chose ‘Paul Weller you do something to me’. From there it was party time and the guests partied until 12.30 pm.
I hope this wedding inspired you and if you feel inspired you can view some more real weddings Here
Comment Below