Please note that these photographs are limited to showcasing the venue, so as to respect the anonymity of the guests and couple.

 

But a pretty venue isn’t the whole story here. It’s very clear that Pearle and Ancaster Mill know how to do weddings. From the moment we arrived everything just felt smooth, simple and elevated. The staff was kind and helpful, which was especially appreciated as a first-time vendor there. It helped that I was second shooting for an excellent photographer, Taylor Jackson, who has shot there many, many times.

After meeting the couple, I went straight to the ceremony space to photograph some details. The chapel was airy and open, and was the perfect temperature, despite the 34ºC afternoon we were having. That is a serious plus… Get yourself a venue with decent Air Conditioning! Something that also really stood out to me was how clear the audio sounded in the chapel, despite being such a large open space. The wedding party wasn’t massive, maybe around 100 people. There was room for quite a few more, but the space didn’t feel empty, which can sometimes happen in larger venues.

Cocktail hour was simple and familiar, with enough space for guests to be comfortable, but not so big that the couple couldn’t easily work the room. I took a few minutes to photograph details in the Reception/Dining room and I was very happy I took the time to do so. The seats overlooked the stream flowing from the waterfall and the beautiful dappled light streaming through the trees made everything feel so elegant. These are the kinds of detail shots I love!

With Cocktail hour finished, guests made their way across the hall to the dining room and the couple made their grand entrance. The head table was easy to access and the couple could easily access the podium for speeches (and more importantly teary-eyed hugs).

The meal… Well, this is something we all want to know, right? Ok ok, fair warning, I am vegan. But I think you can really tell the quality of a place by the quality of their specialty meals (Vegan, Gluten-free, Allergy Aware) and the amount of care and attention they put into these meals. Ancaster Mill served me three delicious courses and I can attest that the guests were extremely happy with their meals as well. I am still thinking about the Vegan Croquettes…

As the sun began to fall the room took on a beautiful ambience. The candles and dark wood created a beautifully warm feeling in the space, but thank goodness for photographers, the ceiling is white, so we had great quality light to work with for our evening photographs.

 

All in All, this was a beautiful venue for a wedding. If you are thinking of booking this venue, I would highly recommend! You can reach out to the venue here. I don’t work for Pearle Weddings, and I am not a preferred vendor (yet!) so I have no skin in the game here, I just want you to find the perfect venue for your special day, and if Ancaster Mill is in the running, I give the thumbs up.

 

If you want to know more about my services, you can check out my wedding offerings here!

 

Chiokoe Utte’essia,

Chris