16th July 2019

PapaKåta Sperry Tent Wedding Photography by Tony Hart

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes our Sperry Tents so very special?

As one half of a PapaKåta Couple himself, Wedding Photographer Tony Hart first had the experience of partying in our Sperry Tents back in 2016, when he and his beautiful wife Charlotte celebrated their own wedding. The day was truly beautiful and since then he has noted that there is something very different about Sperry Tents compared to a traditional marquee.

From the heritage of the Sperry brand to the authenticity of the materials and craftsmanship, in this blog post, Tony calls upon his first-hand experience and expresses in his own words what he thinks it is that makes our Sperry Tents stand out from the crowd…

Emily & Ed’s PapaKåta Sperry Tent Wedding by Tony Hart Photography

I’d been excited for this wedding photography gig from the moment we first sat down to discuss it. Firstly, I really liked Emily & Ed personally and it was also rather obvious that they’d photograph brilliantly. Secondly, they were planning an amazing day at an incredible spot that was entirely new to me – Buckhurst Park. I love the freshness that comes with shooting in new locations. Thirdly, while Buckhurst Park is beautiful in its own right, Emily & Ed had chosen to hold their reception in a Papakåta Sperry tent, which for me, made this stunning wedding particularly special.

As you’ll see, wedding photography at Buckhurst Park is something of a breeze. The charming tiered gardens, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, are gorgeous and the views into the Ashdown Forest make for a compelling photographic canvas. Emily & Ed were also very keen to keep their photography as documentary as possible. They wanted as much time as possible to hang with family and friends and so aside from two 10 minute slots for portraits, we kept things very photojournalistic. As a photographer who basically lives for unstaged moments, this worked for me! We’d met up earlier in the year for a snowy engagement session in Richmond Park and so, from Emily & Ed’s point-of-view, the ‘posing for portraits’ part of getting married felt like it’d already been taken care of.

Sperry good job

My wife and I had our own wedding in a Sperry tent back in 2016 but this was the first time I’d had the chance to ‘go to work’ in one. I’ve shot in hundreds of marquees, but there is something different about a Sperry.

Firstly, they are not made from vinyl, therefore there’s no weird smell. Instead, they’re made from oyster-coloured sailcloth and this gives the whole thing a completely different mood. The sailcloth fabric feels classy yet hardworking and steeped in heritage. That might sound pretentious, but it’s apparent the first time you walk into a Sperry. The fabric breathes and therefore you feel protected from the elements, but part of them as well. There’s no sense of being hermetically sealed-in. There’s no lower internal ‘ceiling’ and therefore no claustrophobia. Instead, the canopy rises majestically. Think giant white big top. Add in beautiful wooden support poles plus pennants fluttering from the top, removable sides and thick woven matting and you have a marquee like no other. As you’ll see from the photographs, Emily & Ed’s Sperry at Buckhurst Park looked truly marvellous.

This wedding was fascinating to photograph because it featured a glut of interesting ingredients. Kids’ running races marshalled by a refreshingly eccentric usher, incredible music (Emily is a classically trained Cellist and her musical friends did not disappoint), an impromptu visit from a tiny puppy, a sparkler send-off and (did I mention) the incredible tent?!

I really hope to be back shooting more PapaKåta Tipi and Sperry Tent wedding photography soon, until then, my thanks to Emily & Ed for having me along.

Find out more

If you’d like to consider Tony Hart Photography for your own PapaKåta Tipi or Sperry Tent wedding click HERE. 

And visit Tony & Charlotte’s very own PapaKåta Sperry Tent wedding HERE

Event Credits:

• Sperry Tent –Papakåta
• Wedding Photography –Tony Hart Photo
• Church –St Michael & All Angels, Withyham
• Wedding Venue –Buckhurst Park
• Wedding Dress –Mirror Mirror
• Wedding Shoes –Jimmy Choo
• Makeup –Kathy Tan
• Bridesmaids Dresses –Ghost
• Groom’s Suit –Welsh & Jefferies
• Catering –Amuse Private Caterers
• Florist –Florist in the Forest
• Band –Kings of Soul
• Car –Ashdown Classic Wedding Car Collection
• Stationery –Noble Fine Art
• Rings –W&W

Tags: papakata, PapaKata Wedding, PapaLBB, photography, Planning an event, Sperry, Sperry Tent, sperry wedding, venue, Venues