You may not get a chance to say thank you to everyone…. #Weddings

A wedding is a busy day, especially if it’s your wedding day! Don’t worry if you do not get a chance to say thank you to everyone on the day, they will understand.

Most weddings have an average of 100 people at them so it is almost impossible to go around to everyone for a chat. Many weddings have a receiving line where the bride and groom and sometimes parents and bridal party greet everyone as they go through for the wedding breakfast.

This is a great opportunity to say ‘hi’ to your guests but it is important to keep the queue of people moving so not to hold up the proceedings in the kitchen!! It is also a great opportunity for your photographer to get some lovely reaction pictures of you and your guests.

Here is one of my favourite receiving line pictures from a wedding last year at The Tythe Barn.

#Wedding #Flowers

Your wedding flowers are such a beautiful part of your wedding day, take time to smell your flowers before the wedding service or ceremony, they will help you relax as you will have chosen some of your favourites and maybe they will even remind you of your childhood, parents or grandparents gardens.

Find a few minutes to take in all of the wonderful flowers at your venue and see how spectacular they look. Often the church or venue will smell of the flowers you have chosen. Speak to your florist about your favourite flowers, what is in season and what they are able to get as you plan your big day. Choose flowers that remind you of your loved ones who are perhaps no longer with us.

Some of my favourite florists in the south Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire area are listed below. Check out there websites for more information.

http://www.theflowerfairies.com

http://www.hotflowersandart.co.uk

http://www.thedaisychainprincesrisborough.co.uk

Here are some ideas to help you with your wedding flowers

See more wedding flowers and more of my work on my website http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

Group photos #photography at #Hedsor House

Hedsor house is a stunning backdrop for your wedding photography. The house is magnificent and the parkland breathtaking, both give a great deal of opportunity for some unique wedding photography. I prefer to do the group photographs in front of the house as the light is generally at it’s best there and the backdrop of the house looks very regal in the wedding pictures! Here is a stylish shot of the bridal party in front of Hedsor house.

#Highland Cattle at #Hedsor House #Wedding #Photography

I had a recent enquiry for a wedding at Hedsor House and we got talking about the Highland cattle there. It got me looking through some images from a wedding I photographed there a couple of years ago. The highland cattle at Hedsor are a fantastic sight as you drive up to the house and are certainly a talking point for your guests at your wedding. Here is a picture of the lovely Lauren and Chris with one of the cattle in the foreground.

More images from Hedsor house can be seen on this blog by searching Hedsor in the search bar at the top and also on my website http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

#Bridal #Wedding #Photography at Le Manoir

Living very close to Le Manoir in Oxfordshire I am very lucky to be able to offer wedding photography coverage at Le Manoir. It is a fabulous wedding venue in Oxfordshire and the perfect venue for a smaller wedding. As I am so local I often get enquiries for wedding at Le Manoir and photographed a lovely wedding at Le Manoir last year and will add some images soon to my wedding photography blog. In the meantime here is a bridal photography photograph from Le Manoir that I took a couple of years ago. I love the colour of the brides hair against the wisteria and look forward to working there again soon.

To see more of my wedding photography from Le Manoir and from wedding venues around Thame, Oxford, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Marlow and Henley on Thames please visit my wedding photography gallery on my website.

http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

Portrait Photography Oxford, High Wycombe, Thame, Marlow and Henley On Thames

With signs of Spring just about showing (I’m being very optimistic!), and the phone has started to ring with people wanting to book their family portrait photography , pre wedding shoot, engagement and new born baby photography sessions in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and beyond.

I offer outdoor family portrait photography, engagement photography or just portraits of your children playing outdoor and being themselves in my natural and relaxed style. for younger babies and children who are not yet walking it is often easier if we do the shoot in and around your home.

I shoot many portrait sessions in the local countryside around Marlow, Henley on Thames, Oxford, Thame and High Wycombe but always happy to travel further afield if you wish. With portrait shoots from just £25 my portrait vouchers make great gifts to give to your loved ones, family and friends.

Here are a lovely set of images I shot last summer in the countryside in Aston Rowant near my home with a lovely couple!

Portrait Photographer Thame Oxfordshire-CMB-ML-IMG_6596_008_008

To see more of my portrait photography please check out my portrait galleries here

http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk/family-portrait-gallery.php

The tears and emotion of a #wedding day @PhyllisCourt

Last year I photographed a wedding at Phyllis Court in Henley on Thames for Eric and Elizabeth. They had a civil ceremony in the Ball Room with their family and friends who joined them from all over the world.

Many of the pictures I am most proud of from a wedding are the ones I capture during the service or ceremony and this set of images sum up the emotions of a happy wedding day. I’m just glad I can hide my emotion behind a camera sometimes! It’s such a privilege to be part of somebody’s most special day of their life and to be a big part of it, taking those images that will be with them for the rest of their lives.

To find out more about weddings at Phyllis Court please click here and to see more examples of my wedding photography please click here.

Thank you

The Vicar and the Duck….

One of my New Year resolutions is to blog about my work more frequently. I was so busy last year and found it difficult to find time to put my retouching pen down and type a few words on the keyboard.

However 2014 will be different! It may be a series of pics, some words of advice or just a nice or possibly a comical picture taken from last year.

So to start it all off here is a cheeky picture of a vicar photographed in Henley on Thames. I love going into the vestry for the signing of the register as vestries are quite interesting places. Generally cluttered with stuff from over the years, sometime pictures of past vicars on the walls sometimes a painting of the church and even sometimes a duck shaped door stop will be sitting next to the door.

This picture was taken as the vicar picked up the door stop to let me and the bride and groom out. Shall I or shan’t I went through my head. I grabbed a cheeky shot and the vicar took it in good spirit (no pun intended).

I love photographing church weddings and the more quirky the church the better, you just never know what is gong to happen.

To see more of my church wedding pictures please visit my website http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk

Back to working on a Christening I photographed on Sunday in Hambleden, Henley On Thames!

Last Saturday, what a day.

Firstly I awoke to lovely weather. The 1st June – ‘Is this the start of Summer’ I asked myself?

On Saturday Sarah (one of my assistants) and I photographed the wedding of Kathryn and David at Christ Church, Henley on Thames and then onto one of my favourite Buckinghamshire wedding venues, the magnificent Hedsor House. When I initially got an enquiry from Kathryn for wedding photography and was told it was a Hedsor House I was thrilled. You only have to look at the Hedsor House website to realise how fabulous it is with all of the awards and accolades awarded within the wedding industry.

“Vogue’s Dream Wedding Venue”

VOGUE

“Wedding Venue of the Year”

The Wedding Industry Awards Shortlist

“UK’s Prettiest Summer Wedding Venue”

Wedding Day Venues

“Top 100 Wedding Venues in the UK”

Brides Magazine

“No.2. Royal Wedding Venue in the UK”

The Times

“No.1 Top Venue”

TATLER

“No.1 Wedding Venue in Buckinghamshire”

Brides Magazine

“Marie Claire’s Top Wedding Venue”

MARIE CLAIRE

“Top 10 UK Film Locations”

The Telegraph

“Event Venue of the Year”

Eventia Awards

If you have got this far then you may wish to take a closer look at what Hedsor can offer for your wedding day.

Kathryn got ready at Hotel Du Vin in Henley on Thames with her bridesmaids whilst David travelled up to Henley from Winchester on the morning of the big day. The service was a very special occasion at Christ Church, Henley on Thames as the church was very personal to Kathryn’s family. Her parents got married in the church and her grandfather was very involved in the church and even made the weather vane that adorns the church spire!

After a lovely service, the bride and groom went in a beautiful Bentley supplied by Christophers whilst the guests were all taken to the venue by coach.

On arrival at Hedsor House I heard comments such as ‘Its like something from a fairytale’ as the entrance to Hedsor House is so grand, long sweeping driveway, through the beautiful gardens and parkland before passing the highland cattle and finally seeing this magnificent house in front of you. With a beautiful blue sky it really was like something from a fairytale.

Entertainment was provided for the guests in the form of a Dixieland Jazz band playing in front of the house and a very popular Ice cream trike on the terrace provided by Benecci Ice Cream Bikes The beautiful flowers were all supplied by Hot Flowers and Art at nearby Wooburn Green, and the sensationally delicious catering by Caper and Berry.

The whole operation was meticulously organised by Kathryn with the help of Rachael from Serendipity Wedding Planning who did a fantastic job at keeping proceedings going as well as organising some gigantic balloons!

So without further ado here is Kathryn and David’s sneeky peek. I will be working on their images over the next few weeks and hope to show you all some more soon.

Ohh…. and the dress…… A beautiful Ian Stewart – one of my favourite wedding dress designers.

What a day – hey?

#Hedsor House #Wedding tomorrow……

Tomorrow I have a beautiful wedding at Hedsor house, Taplow, Buckinghamshire. The wedding service is in Henley on Thames and then the reception at Hedsor house. I am very excited as Hedsor is such a splendid wedding venue and great for wedding photography. The Bride and Groom are really up for having some pictures taken in the grounds at Hedsor so fingers crossed the sunshine will be out and everyone will have a wonderful time. With some great props supplied by the bride there will be some amazing photograph opportunities. So keep a look out for the sneaky peek on my blog……. you will not be able to miss these pictures……

In the meantime here are a few images from the last wedding I photographed at Hedsor House.