As I visualise the Jockey Club Rooms in my mind I get a sense of wonderful light, rich decor and a sense of classic opulence. (Wow, that was a bit of a wordy opening sentence!) It`s the quality of light though that stands out in my mind and I know, that as a photographer, I do often judge venues by the quality of light available. The light in the JCR is wonderfully varied but there are several beautiful spots where it gently falls off through huge picture windows to provide a fantastic warmth and softness perfect for taking portraits. Almost everywhere, in most of the rooms, there is beautiful, soft directional lighting!
Enough of my light geeking!
The JCR are set off Newmarket High Street and are pretty much unique in that the place has a kind of gentleman`s club (but in a good way!) feel to it, combined with a classic English elegance combined with a funny sort of Billy Bunter humour! The gentleman`s toilets are to be seen to be believed and it is set in a glorious walled garden with a terrace, manicured lawns and gravelled walkways.
Inside the rooms are opulent (I love that word!) to say the least with chandaliers, open fireplaces, huge comfy leather sofas and chairs, thick carpeting, wallpaper and, of course, an ongoing racing theme in the huge number works of art on show.
Wedding wise the JCR is a fantastic venue. There is a beautiful lounge (with great light!) leading onto a large outdoor terrace with views over the lawns and gardens which are perfect for group shots whilst guests sip champagne and relax. There is also a large, separate dining room and another adjacent room which can be set up for the evening entertainment so that there is no waiting around for room changes etc. Everything feels very private and personal as the rooms are available exclusively for weddings and the staff show a real attention to detail that isn’t always apparent at other venues in my experience. The JCR have a specialist wedding planner, Victoria Mills, who is extremely experienced and helpful and I know that the couples whose weddings I have photographed at the JCR have found her help and support invaluable.
You can contact The Jockey Club Rooms via there website here.
So, there I was, aged 31, having had several very bad experiences, thinking I had officially given up on men – and had kind of come to terms with that…in a very bitter way! Then, one day, I decided to insult a young man on Facebook…not a me thing to do at all – I HATE arguing with anyone, and it was an argument between this young man and a friend of mine and, therefore, nothing to do with me but, hey ho, mum always says it happens when you least expect it and I guess finding the love of your life by insulting them is pretty much the least expected thing ever!! So that is how I met my Tom, and, funnily enough, I thank my lucky stars I was in a bad mood that day!
