Summer at Pelham House can feel bright and slightly unruly in the best possible way, and Brooke and Simon’s day leaned fully into that. It was sunny from the start. The gardens were vivid, the terrace busy, and there was a sense early on that this wasn’t going to be a restrained affair. Brooke, especially, set the tone.
Brooke and Simon chose to begin with a first look at Lewes Castle, which felt fitting given Brooke’s Canadian roots and her clear priorities for the day. Photographs mattered to her. Not casually, but deliberately. So we met at the castle before guests arrived at Pelham House in Lewes, used the light well, and worked through portraits and group photographs ahead of time. It meant that once the ceremony began, the rest of the day could open up properly. No rushing. No disappearing for long stretches.
Preparations for Brooke took place in the Pelham Suite, a room that carries itself well. High ceilings, generous windows, clean light. It suited her attention to detail. Brooke is high energy, bold, joyful and very clear about what she wants. The florals were abundant. The planning meticulous. Years of thought had gone into it, and you could feel that intention in every corner of the house.
The ceremony was held outside in the pavilion at the bottom of the garden, the sun sitting high above everyone. Afterwards, drinks spilled onto the terrace before everyone moved inside to the Blencowe Room for dinner, speeches and what turned into a lively evening. Brooke danced constantly. At one point she did the worm, still in full bridal mode, completely unselfconscious. It summed her up.
What stayed with me, though, was something quieter. The way Brooke was with her bridesmaids in the morning. There was history there. Long friendships. A familiarity that only comes from having seen one another through different chapters of life. And through it all, Simon watched Brooke carefully. He didn’t drift far. He looked like someone determined not to miss a second.
A bold, joyful summer wedding at Pelham House in Lewes, shaped very clearly by Brooke and Simon themselves.
