A Wedding at The Compleat Angler, Emma & Robert’s Sneak Peek

Recently I photographed the wedding of Robert & Emma at The Compleat Angler in Marlow.

Now considering the beauty of the River Thames as it winds its way through Oxfordshire, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire there are very few venues that can rival The Compleat Angler‘s position right on the river with unparalleled views of the Marlow Weir.This was one of those weddings where everything was in one place so Kiti & I arrived together before Kiti joined the groom & I went to find where the bridal party were getting ready.Emma was with her bridesmaids & family getting ready at the hotel. I’ve said this before but I love this part of the day capturing the bride getting ready to meet her groom surrounded by her friends & family.Whilst I was with Emma, Kiti was with Robert, his Dad who was his Best Man & his Ushers getting some shots before he made his way into the ceremony room to await his bride. Before long it was time for Emma to make the short walk from her room to walk up the aisle with her Mum & Dad. After the service we gathered everyone out in front of the hotel & I ran up onto Marlow bridge to take a shot before doing the rest of the group shots.I then took Emma & Robert off do some stylish shots of the two of them. With any wedding in Marlow it’s got to include the obligatory shot on the bridge with the help of the ushers to stop traffic!I never like to keep the couple away from their guests for too long so it was then time for them to return to the wedding breakfast, speeches & cake cutting. After a delicious meal & some great speeches it was time for Emma & Robert’s first dance before everyone joined them on the dance floor. Kiti & I joined them on the dance floor to get some shots of everyone having fun. As always, rather like a couple of Cinderella’s we wound our way homewards leaving everyone having fun! Many congratulations Emma & Robert, wishing you every happiness for your future together. We hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Traditional Signwriter Shoot

A few years back before I worked with Mark Lord Photography, I worked as a Picture Framer – it’s actually where I met Mark! Whilst there I worked with a really lovely chap called Paul & we have stayed in touch on Facebook.

Mark is working with a renowned picture library photographing projects that appeal to him featuring real, organic & authentic projects. Mark will be concentrating on small artisan businesses & anything that reflects his love of the British countryside & rural crafts.

So, back to the lovely Paul. He was always super-talented & in the years since we worked together he has really developed his skills & is now a traditional signwriter. In demand across the country he works from his studio in the Wiltshire countryside when he’s not on location.We contacted him to see if he was interested in being photographed by Mark & being the lovely guy he is he was up for the idea. So we travelled back down the A34 to my old stomping ground & spent a lovely day of painting, printing & drinking tea in Paul’s fab workshop.

We also went with him to Hungerford where he put the finishing touches to his most recent project.

Mark is looking to photograph lots more projects this year so if you are, or know of someone who is, running a small, artisan business or food producer please contact us & we can discuss the possibilities.

We have some exciting project in the pipeline but special thanks to those who have already helped us Shona, Tris, Paul, Andy, Eidlih, Noel & Pauline Lord

Becky

Paul Hetherton, Traditional Signwriter – www.traditionalsignwriters.com

Leanne & Tim, Pre Wedding Shoot – A Sneak Peek

We recently made a quick pre wedding season visit to Cornwall & whilst we were there Mark photographed Leanne & Tim for their pre-wedding shoot. Leanne & Tim are getting married in Cornwall in the Summer & Mark will be photographing the big day.Mark is a proud Cornishman & has lots of family there. Leanne is a cousin on his Dad’s side & Mark was thrilled when she asked him to photograph her wedding day. When Mark was at college studying photography he often roped in family to pose for him. Leanne & her sister Sarah didn’t manage to escape the lens. Mark did some lovely black & white portraits of them & other cousins growing up.They had a fab time at the pre wedding shoot & went to the beach at Swanpool, Falmouth & their wedding venue Penmorvah Manor Hotel outside the village where Mark grew up, Budock Water. Not often that a wedding photographer based in Oxfordshire gets to shoot on a beach!Hope you enjoy your sneak peek Leanne & Tim. We will be in touch soon with the full gallery!

A Sneak Peek – Wedding at Sulgrave Manor – Gill & Dave

Just before Valentines Day Mark travelled to photograph the wedding of Dave & Gill at Sulgrave Manor near Banbury.

Sulgrave Manor is the ancestral home of George Washington the first president of the United States. It is a wonderful historical building & is open to the public. It is also available for weddings & looked beautiful bathed in candlelight.Gill & Dave’s wedding party included the bride & groom, the registrar & witnesses & we gathered in the great hall for the ceremony. It was so intimate Mark was asked to be a witness!

Mark was really pleased to be asked to be a part of such a special day & loves the photographs he captured around this beautiful building. Congratulations Dave & Gill, wishing you every happiness. We hope you enjoy your sneaky peek!

2015 Our 40 Favourite Wedding Images

Well, what a year 2015 was! We had weddings in marquees, weddings in barns, weddings in stately homes, big weddings & small, intimate ones; every single one of them was different. One thing that was the same was the sense of love, fun & celebration at every one! Here at Mark Lord Photography we also celebrated Mark’s 40th birthday right at the end of the year. To celebrate we have chosen 40 of our favourite wedding images! They are in no particular order but remind us what a great year we had & what a special job photographing people’s wedding days is. Lots more 40’s to come including 40 favourite floral images & some special 40th birthday offers so keep an eye out on our Facebook page for lots more from Mark Lord Photography!

Wedding Photography The Tythe Barn, Launton

Wedding Photography Notley Tythe Barn, Long Crendon

Wedding at Eynsham Hall, Stacey & Lewis – A Sneak Peek

Kiti & I recently photographed the wedding of Stacey & Lewis at All Saints, Cuddesdon & Eynsham Hall.I went straight to start photographing Stacey & her 6 bridesmaids getting ready at Eynsham Hall whilst Becky dropped Kiti off in Wheatley to shoot the boys getting styled up.As you can imagine, with six bridesmaids, mother of the bride & a bride to get ready it was a hive of activity. I got some great shots of them all having their hair & make up done. My favourite moment was a real tear-jerker & I love the images that I took of Stacey’s Mum giving her a ring that she had commissioned ‘My first diamond for my first girl’ It really is an honour to be able to photograph these really special moments & I hope that my images add to the memories. By now Kiti had done some shots of the boys in stylish ‘Reservoir Dogs’ mode before making their way to the church where she did some lovely shots of the groom & his Dad. By now it was time for the bridesmaids to board the route master bus along with the other guests to make the journey to the church. STJ-ML--LORD4975-74 Now this photographer had to make sure he didn’t miss the bus! I really love the moment when the Father-of-the-Bride sees his daughter in her finery so I didn’t want to miss this either. It was a really touching moment & Stacey’s dad was quite emotional as she glided down the stairs.

As Stacey arrived her bridesmaids were waiting at the Lych-gate for her & they made their way into the church for Stacey to meet her groom. After a lovely service Stacey & Lewis made their way out of the church to a flurry of confetti – considering storm Desmond had hit Britain we got some great shots before the confetti was blown away!Everyone popped back onto the bus to make the journey back to Eynsham with the Bride & Groom along with a glass of prosecco. On returning to Eynsham Hall we used the wonderful architecture for the group shots before taking Stacey & Lewis off for some shots with the two of them. It was now time for Stacey & Lewis to return to their guests for the wedding breakfast & speeches. After the wedding breakfast it was time for Lewis to take his bride onto the dance floor for their first dance as husband & wife.

As always, after getting some dance floor & cigar action Kiti & I left everyone on the dance floor & wound our way home.

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek Stacey & Lewis! Wishing you every happiness…..

Wedding at The Compleat Angler – Alex & Steph, A Sneak Peek

A couple of weeks ago I photographed the wedding of Alex & Steph at The Compleat Angler in Marlow. Now, over the years I’ve done a fair few weddings there but it did look lovely in the low September sunlight with the river flowing past.Both Alex & Steph got ready at The Compleat Angler so, as always, Kiti & I went our separate ways – Kiti with the groom & I with the bridal party to capture them both getting their glad rags on.After getting ready Alex & his Best Man made the short journey from the hotel in a bright red MG to the church at Bisham.

It was then time for me to hot foot it to the church ready to get some shots of Steph, her Dad & the bridesmaids arriving & making their way into the church.

After a lovely service Alex & Steph made their way out of the church to be greeted by a flurry of bubbles.

We did some shots with their friends & family before they departed in style to make their way back to The Compleat Angler. I dashed back & ran back to the bridge so I could get a shot of them on the iconic bridge! It was now time for the group shot of everyone at the wedding testing my physical fitness as in my time I have climbed a church tower & hung out of many a window to capture the shot. At The Compleat Angler, with weather permitting, I gather the guests on the lawn by the river & make a quick dash around & up onto the bridge to get the shot from a vantage point.The river & bridge always seems to play an important part in a Compleat Angler wedding. I try to do some stylish bride & groom shots as they walk across the bridge. This is when I employ the skills of the Best Man or bridesmaids, Ushers & my assistant to stop traffic. The guys at Alex & Steph’s wedding did a sterling job & everyone smiled & waved as they drove past!

Alex & Steph also fitted a boat trip into their day & I got some great photos of them onboard as they sailed away into the sunshine! This is a lovely part of a wedding at The Compleat Angler giving the happy couple time to reflect on their special day.After they returned to a flurry of confetti it was time for guests to make their way to the wedding breakfast. Alex & Steph’s Toastmaster did a fabulous job throughout the day & announced them into the room. Toastmasters can be a great addition to your wedding helping with all the details of your day & keeping things on time!After some great speeches it was time for Alex & Steph to cut the cake & hit the dancefloor for their first dance as husband & wife.It was then time for everyone to hit the dancefloor & we left them all dancing the night away!

Wishing you both every happiness. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Photography Project – Green & Gorgeous

I have long been a fan of Green & Gorgeous’ beautiful wedding flowers so it was with great excitement that I travelled to visit them at an uncharacteristically (for me!) early hour one Friday morning.Green & Gorgeous are well known for their delightful flowers & arrangements for weddings all grown at their garden at Little Stoke, Oxfordshire. They grow a diverse range of flowers throughout the Spring, Summer & Autumn. These are then arranged in a wonderful garden and hedgerow style by Rachel really showing off the natural beauty of the blooms.

I got there just as dawn had risen when the dew was still on the grass. Being a Friday morning all the team were busy picking & prepping the flowers ready for a busy wedding weekend.

Well, almost all the team…..! I spent a wonderful few hours wandering around the garden capturing shots of the team, the garden & individual blooms. I was amazed how much was still in bloom in September & the dahlias in particular were beautiful. I have grown to love garden photography & am working hard on developing this side of my work. I also love taking pictures of people in their environment so this little project was right up my street. Green & Gorgeous work with the seasons to grow a large variety of beautiful flowers from old English favourites through to the wild and unexpected. Growing with the seasons the flowers they offer change as the months go by. They start in Spring with anemones, tulips & ranunculus, move onto Summer with roses, sweet peas, poppies & scabious before heading into Autumn with an array of dahlia, eucalyptus, fruit & berries. You can choose either DIY where if you want to try your hand at arranging some of the flowers yourself, but are not keen on the stress of making your own bouquet. G&G offer a buckets & bouquet service & you can choose how much or how little you want to do. Brides quite often choose to do the flowers such as table displays & pew ends & then Rachel can give a professional look to the most important elements. Or you can choose the full works where Rachel & her team take care of everything for you from table displays, pew ends, buttonholes & bouquets. They also have a Saturday morning shop selling vegetables, fruit, eggs, seeds and plants, mail order service & they run a variety of courses.

I really enjoyed my time at Green & Gorgeous & hope to return next year to get some more shots throughout the season.

Green and Gorgeous, The Bothy, Little Stoke, Wallingford, OX10 6AX

Gemma & Sam – A Wedding at Wormsley – A Sneak Peek

Recently Kiti & I were very excited to do a wedding very close to Mark Lord Photography HQ. Gemma & Sam were married at the lovely village church in Aston Rowant & held their reception on the beautiful Wormsley estate nearby.Wormsley Estate is a 2,500 estate & covers the most beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. It is very well known for its cricket pitch which has hosted the South-African, Australian & West-Indian teams. I was particularly looking forward to photographing Gemma & Sam in the wonderful walled garden with was restored by Sir Paul & Lady Getty.I started the day with Gemma & her bridesmaids at a cottage on the estate. It was a beautiful, sunny September day as they got ready in the lovely, sunshine-filled conservatory.Whilst I was with Gemma, Kiti made the short walk to the church to meet Sam & get some shots of him & his Best-Man & Ushers before the guests arrived. The cars arrived & I hopped in to make the 5-minute journey to Aston Rowant from Wormsley Estate.We gathered outside the church as Gemma’s bridesmaids straightened her dress & made sure she was ready to meet her groom.The church was quite strict in their allowance of photography during the service but we were allowed to take shots of Gemma’s arrival & she looked beautiful as she made our way up the aisle.We weren’t allowed to take any shots from the front but we got some lovely shots from the back of the church during the service. Often, unless the position at the front is perfect, a position at the back can provide a fantastic vantage point for some great shots.After a lovely service Gemma & Sam made their way out into the sunshine with their friends & family before their guests boarded a fabulous vintage bus from The Vintage Bunting Company. I got a lift from one of the guests & with a little encouragement I persuaded the guest to zoom past the wedding car as I grabbed some shots out the window!As we arrived at Wormsley Kiti & took the bride & groom to the beautiful walled gardens. I had already been there with Gemma & Sam as we did their pre wedding shoot there a month or so ago. It’s a wonderful space with paths leading through wonderful planting. It is a large space & has endless options for some stylish bride & groom shots. When we returned to the reception it was time for the more formal group shots with their friends & families. It was now time for everyone to make their way into the marquee. Rather than the normal escort cards or table plan Gemma & Sam had a tree in the centre of their marquee which was festooned with golden apples. On each apple was written a name & table number. After welcoming Gemma & Sam into the wedding breakfast it was time for Sam’s speech.

We offer lots of different time packages for weddings anywhere between 4 & 10 hours to cover all aspects of your wedding from getting ready coverage to your guests hitting the dancefloor. Gemma & Sam booked us for 6 hours so after Sam’s speech it was time for us to make our way home & leave them to continue celebrating.Congratulations Gemma & Sam – Hope you enjoy your sneak peek.

Wishing you every happiness!!

Laura & Pete – A Wedding at The Compleat Angler, Marlow – A Sneak Peek

Recently Kiti & I found ourselves back on the banks of the river Thames at The Compleat Angler in Marlow. We were there for the wedding of Pete & Laura.Firstly I dropped Kiti off at The Crowne Plaza where she met with Pete & his best man before making the short hop onto The Compleat Angler.Meanwhile I was with Laura & her bridesmaid in the Sandingham suite at The Compleat Angler. I love this part of the day capturing some shots of the bride & bridesmaid preparing for the big day.Of course getting ready at the hotel meant that Laura only had a short walk on her Dad’s arm to the main hotel building to meet her groom in front of their friends & family.After a lovely service we made our way outside & whilst guests mingled with a glass of champagne we took some group shots. I do keep these to a minimum as group shots can take a little while and I would hate to be known as the photographer who kept everyone waiting about, causing their champagne to loose its fizz! It was now time for everyone to board a wonderful traditional Victorian steam boat the SL Streatley for a trip on the Thames.

It was a lovely trip & everyone really enjoyed their time on the boat – photographer & assistant included! Once we were back on dry land Kiti & I took the Bride & Groom away to do some shots of the two of them together. This included, of course, stopping traffic & getting some obligatory shots on the bridge! We now let the Bride & Groom get back to their guests & they made their entrance into their wedding reception to a round of applause. After some great speeches & a delicious meal it was time for cutting the cake & Laura & Pete’s first dance. As everyone joined them on the dance floor there was one particular groovy dancer!

As always Kiti & I left them tearing up the dance floor. We hope you enjoy your sneak peek Laura & Pete. Congratulations & wishing you both every happiness!