Scarlett & Jack’s Wedding at Updown Farmhouse

Scarlett and Jack’s wedding had one of those moments that makes everything else fall away. But we’ll get to that.

The morning started at Updown Farmhouse itself — Scarlett and the girls getting ready in a beautifully decorated room tucked inside the farmhouse. Colourful, warm, and full of natural light — exactly the kind of space that makes getting-ready photos feel effortless rather than staged. A few frames of the bridesmaids outside in the grounds and we were off to the church, about ten minutes down the road, for the ceremony.

Updown Farmhouse isn’t your typical kent wedding venue. It’s a working farmhouse with rooms to stay in, so the whole weekend has a house-party feel to it — guests wandering the garden, a new swimming pool sitting quietly in the grounds. The reception takes place in the farmhouse restaurant, which during the day catches these beautiful pockets of light that come and go through the windows. By evening it transforms completely — darker, moodier, all candlelight and warmth. The food is genuinely exceptional, and you can feel it in the room during the meal.

After speeches the whole wedding moved through to the barn. It’s large and industrial in the best possible way — exposed beams, a proper bar, and a big stage at the far end. The kind of space that fills up with energy the moment people arrive.

The first dance happened, the band kicked in, and then Jack walked calmly up onto the stage, picked up a guitar, and started playing. Scarlett had no idea. The room absolutely lost it.

That’s the kind of moment you can’t plan, can’t pose, and can’t recreate. You just have to be ready for it — and hope the light holds. It was an overcast day but the rain stayed away, and honestly the soft light made for some of the best photos I’ve taken at a Kent venue.

If you’re planning a wedding at Updown Farmhouse and looking for a Kent wedding photographer who’ll capture the real moments — not just the posed ones — I’d love to hear from you.