Lora & James – A Sneak Peek

Kiti & I photographed the wedding of Lora & James at Milton Hill House, Steventon near Oxford. Now, as a wedding photographer it is always lovely when the sun shines & it is even better when the wedding ceremony can be outside.

We arrived at the venue & I popped straight upstairs to find the bride. Lora was preparing for the day with her parents & five bridesmaids. The bridesmaids all looked lovely in navy dresses with small yellow posies of ranunculus & billy balls tied with stripey yellow ribbons. The bride looked lovely in a simple dress with beautiful tapework, delicate sequins & beading. She carried a larger version of her bridesmaids posies this time tied with navy stripey ribbon & adorned with an initial A for her new surname.

Whilst I was with the bridal party Kiti was with the groom to take some portraits with him & his Best Man, Ushers & family….and the all important ring shot!

As the guests gathered on the lawns in front of a lovely brick built pergola Lora accompanied by her bridal party made her way to meet her groom.

It was such a lovely ceremony in the sunshine & the Bride & Groom made their way back down the aisle with beaming sunny, smiles!

Then it was time for group shots in the grounds in the shade of some lovely trees before I took the Bride & Groom off for some couple shots.

Milton Hill House Hotel is a new venue for me but Lora & James were up for an adventure & we found some really varied areas from Italian sunken gardens to some fantastic barns which gave a textured, vintage feel to the images.

After our adventure it was time for Lora & James to join their guests for the traditional wedding breakfast. Lora, James & their friends & families had decorated the room with touches of yellow & navy from pom-poms to some seriously perfect bunting made by the mums on the back of each chair.

There were great speeches from James & his best man ……but I love the look on their faces during Lora’s Dad, Derek’s speech – priceless & very funny!

After the wedding breakfast it was time for the cutting of the cake & the first dance before everyone hit the dancefloor. Kiti & I left everyone dancing the night away

Congratulations Lora & James – wishing you every happiness. Hope you love your sneak peek as much as we do!

Emma & Paul – A Sneak Peek

We’ve had some lovely spring weather recently but we were disappointed to wake up to rain on the morning of Emma & Paul’s wedding. Luckily the rain soon passed & the sun shone on their day. Apparently it is lucky to have rain on your wedding day!

Emma & Paul’s wedding was in the beautiful city of Oxford & our day started by making sure we had the locations & routes for the wedding as we would spend most of the day on foot.

I love a classic military wedding & as Paul is a Navy Pilot he was wearing formal ceremonial uniform. Kiti met Paul at the hotel to get some shots of him getting ready before walking with him & the men to the ceremony. There was, of course, a quick pit stop at a pub for a swift drink or two!

You will notice that a furry friend accompanied the men. Jessie is Paul & Emma’s much loved dog & she played an important part in their day. She was brilliantly behaved throughout & was a credit to them.

I went to Emma’s mums house to meet the bridal party & to capture some getting ready shots of the bride & bridesmaids. It’s always a lovely part of the day to see everyone getting into their finery & starting off the day with a glass or two of champagne!

It was soon time for Emma to make the short journey to meet her groom. Paul & Emma’s wedding was held at Emma’s old school St Edward’s in Oxford & the ceremony held in the beautiful chapel in the grounds.

The quandrant gave me some lovely opportunities for some stylish bride & groom shots & it was really interesting to use the architecture of the old building.

Emma & Paul had decorated the reception room with wonderful blossom trees that looked beautiful. They really added height to the floral decoration & certainly had a wow factor for all the guests entering the room!

After the wedding breakfast & speeches it was time for everyone to hit the dancefloor. As always Kiti & I left them all boogying the night away!

Emma & Paul – hope you love your sneak peek as much as we do! Wishing you every happiness for your future together

Claire & Richard – A Sneak Peek

Last Saturday saw the wedding of Claire & Richard. Their ceremony was in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Somerton in the quaint village church St James.

It was a bright spring morning as the guests gathered in the church decorated with lovely pew ends of spring flowers in glass jars.

Kiti & I took the opportunity before the brides arrival to get some shots of the groom, best man & ushers in the village & churchyard.

Then it was time for the groom to take his place before the bride arrived with her Dad.

Claire arrived at the church in a vintage Rolls Royce clutching a beautiful bouquet by the very talented Flower Fairies. The stunning springtime bouquet made up from whites roses, brunia, eucalyptus, grape hyacinths, pussy willow & wax flowers.

After a lovely service Richard & Claire left in the sunshine to make the short journey to The Tythe Barn, Launton for the wedding reception.

As always, I took the opportunity to take the bride & groom away from their guests for a little while to take some shots of the couple around the grounds of the barn.

The Tythe Barn have recently installed a crash pad for the bride & groom, a shepherds hut with, of course, one or two touches of luxury! Decorated in their normal chic style it really is a fabulous place for the bride & groom to stay after the party is over. Claire & Richard are my first couple to stay there so we made sure to get some shots of them outside the hut.

After we returned the couple to their guests it was time for the wedding breakfast, banquet style. It looks so beautiful all laid up & really adds to the celebratory atmosphere.

Music was supplied by Gigz Management who are suppliers of fantastic bands, dj’s, string quartets & much more. The band called Bring the Party were just fabulous & soon got everyone up on the dance floor. We left them boogying the night away with their guests very envious of their night of luxury in the shepherds hut!

We hope you love you sneak peek, Claire & Richard – lots more to follow soon! Wishing you every happiness for your future lives together….

Janine & Jonathan – A Sneak Peek – The Tythe Barn, Launton

The 2015 wedding season started at Mark Lord Photography last weekend when Kiti & I photographed the wedding of Janine & Jonathan at The Tythe Barn, Launton.

Janine & her bridesmaids got ready at The Nook at the barn, which is their dedicated bridal preparation area. No need to get ready in a hotel room with not enough room or mirrors before then squishing you & your dress into the back of the car for the journey to the venue. The Nook is a beautiful space full of style & elegance & is a wonderful place for bridal preparations. It must also be a favourite of many a wedding photographer as it certainly adds to the getting ready shots with some fantastic backdrops & great lighting.

After getting ready in the peace & calm of The Nook Janine took the short walk across the garden under the pergola to meet her groom in the barn.

Janine & her bridesmaids looked beautiful as they walked into the barn twinkling with fairy lights. Nothing beats the moment when the bride & groom catch sight of each other on the day. Janine & Jonathan’s had the added ‘aaah’ moment when their daughter & bridesmaid saw her dad.

After a beautiful service we took the opportunity to go out into the grounds of the barn to do some stylish bride & groom shots. It really is an honour to share the couples first few minutes of wedded life. I think it is a lovely to time for the bride & groom to take a few moments out of the craziness of the day.

I am really pleased with the images I got of Janine & Jonathan, the low spring sunlight added a certain je ne sais quoi to shots & I love the light & flare through Janine’s veil.

Once we returned to the barn it was time for Janine & Jonathan to make their entrance. Rather than groups of tables they had a long banquet style table & they walked into a flurry of waving sparklers that guests had lit from the magnificent candelabras down the middle of the table.

After a speeches & a delicious meal by Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts the guests hit the dancefloor & we left them dancing the night a way……

Janine & Jonathan thank you for asking me to be your wedding photographer I had a great time & got some fantastic shots of your day. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Countryside Weddings with Mark Lord Photography

Mark is based in rural Oxfordshire & specialises in country weddings. He works regularly across the Chilterns, beautiful Berkshire downs & into the Cotswold countryside.

This area offers so many quintessentially English landscapes & Mark has a few favourite rural venues across his region that offer fantastic & fabulous country wedding locations for those who love the countryside.

Mark has always worked very closely with The Tythe Barn, Launton & would highly recommend it as a venue for your country wedding. Will & Emma have lovingly restored the barn to a very high standard & they put this same level of dedication into every wedding. The barn is beautifully rustic with some wonderful design touches. Mark has photographed weddings in Summer when the bride walks up an aisle which is an arbour of Wisteria in flower & Winter weddings when the barn is decked with twinkling white fairy lights. Other barns of note that Mark loves photographing weddings at are Luxters, Lains Barn, Notley Tythe Barn & Ufton Court Tythe Barn.

Early last summer Mark took part in a wedding photo shoot at the stunning Merriscourt between Burford & Chipping Norton. Merriscourt is a fantastic venue in a beautiful rural setting. It combines traditional Cotswold stone with bright stylish interiors. There are two fantastic barns that can be decorated completely to your taste, you can go for full blown vintage with bunting & floral china ware, shabby chic or go modern vintage with art deco glass & illuminated letters from Vowed & Amazed.

If you are looking for a rural venue you can, of course, choose a stately home across this beautiful region & one of Mark’s favourites is the beautiful Hedsor House. Hedsor House is set within its own parkland above the river Thames & is only 25 miles from London. With beautiful, opulent décor it enables you to style your wedding your way. You can have your drinks reception in the stunning Centre Hall with its glazed dome & your reception in the oak panelled ballroom with beautiful views across the parkland. Hedsor House gives Mark an endless array of backdrops for stylish Bride & Groom images. In particular he loves photographing the Bride & Groom with their wedding party on the steps.

There are now so many beautiful country venues & wherever you choose to hold your country wedding Mark is simply the best photographer you could choose.

Helen & Louis – A Sneak Peek

Between Christmas & New Year I photographed the wedding of Helen & Louis.

We were greeted by another lovely wintery sunny day as we made our way to The Cotswold Plough in the quaint village of Clanfield, Oxfordshire. The Plough is a traditional 16^th century Cotswold stone hotel & was a wonderfully cosy yet stylish location for a winter wedding.

Helen & Louis’ day was a wonderful family affair with lots of stylish design ideas. I thought the bride looked beautiful in her fur stole & pheasant feather headpiece that she made herself. The use of gypsophila en masse in the bouquet & cake topper was stunning. So interesting to use these delicate little flowers so often used as incidental filler on its own & it looked beautiful – like floral clouds!

They also had illuminated letters on their dancefloor from Vowed & Amazed. Vowed & Amazed specialise in hiring theatrical props for weddings & particularly illuminated letters. They had a great, stylish backdrop for your dance floor & for some fun photos too

It really was a lovely day & I think my images reflect this. As always I left everyone dancing the night away.

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek Helen & Louis. Wishing you every happiness!

Sam & Darren – A Sneak Peek!

Shortly before Christmas I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Sam & Darren in the Cotswolds.

It was a beautiful sunny winters day as Kiti & I headed to the picturesque village of Broadway. The wedding was held in the historical hotel The Lygon Arms. It is a beautiful building in honey-coloured Cotswold stone & looked wonderful in the sunshine.

The first hotel on the site was documented in 1532. Their service was held in the wonderful Great Hall with the sunlight streaming through the windows & Sam was accompanied up the aisle by her very proud Dad. I love this image of Darren seeing his bride, I think his smile says it all….

It was a lovely wedding with inspiration from the season. Darren & his groomsmen had stylish tweed suits accented by ruby red ties & pocket squares.

Sam wore a gorgeous short dress with lace overlay & carried a beautiful bouquet of dark crimson roses. She also wore a fantastic pair of Jimmy Choos!

The Lygon Arms provided a stunning backdrop for the bride & groom photographs with the warm Cotswold stone frontage, Tudor timbers & a lovely garden.

After a delicious dinner in the Great Hall Sam, Darren & their guests hit the dance floor. Its been a while since I saw such enthusiastic dancing!

Congratulations Sam & Darren, wishing you every happiness for married life together

Winter Weddings

Weddings aren’t just in the Summer! I love a Winter wedding they can provide some fantastic photo opportunities, think bridesmaids wrapped up in faux fur, roaring log fires & twinkling fairy lights

Rhiannon & Gareth – A Sneak Peek

Recently I enjoyed photographing a sunny September wedding in Oxfordshire. Rhiannon & Gareth held their wedding in the gardens & barns at Friars Court, Clanfield near Oxford.

Rhiannon & Gareth actually did the ‘official’ part of getting married the afternoon before the big day. This meant they could have a friend officiate at the service & really added to the fun, relaxed feel to their day. I love the pictures of them laughing during the service as their ‘registrar’ married them.

You don’t assume that you are going to have great weather at anytime of the year but particularly outside of the summer months but Rhiannon & Gareth’s day was lovely which meant they could hold their service in the beautiful gardens under the rose arbour.

The bride arrived by car & then walked through the gardens with her dad on her arm accompanied by her bridesmaids, flowergirl & page boys walking hand in hand.

Whilst their guests enjoyed drinks & canapés I took the opportunity to take the bride & groom away to get some photos of the two of them using the backdrop of the Cotswold stone house & gardens.

Non-traditional Best Man’s speeches are becoming more popular & in my time I have seen slide shows, videos & many a costume but I wasn’t expecting Gareth to be placed in a set of stocks & pelted with wet sponges!!

After the speeches it was time to hit the dance floor & I left Rhiannon & Gareth dancing the night away with their friends & family.

It was a pleasure to photograph your wedding Rhiannon & Gareth & I wish you every happiness for your futures together. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

A Cotswold Wedding….

Emily & Phil had a romantic outside ceremony at Friars Court on one of the loveliest summers days. Friars Court is a privately owned family home & has been in the same family since 1917. Since it is a private venue you have exclusive use, which is lovely – no running into another bride on your wedding day!

Emily & Phil are both creative & had some fantastic touches to the styling of their day. I love the jam jars on the ‘pew’ ends with gypsophila & dhalias & the tissue paper fans hanging from the trees.

Flowers were by the always wonderful Charlie from The Flower Fairies. Charlie specialises in beautiful, stylish & unique flowers & are always immaculate.

Emily arrived with her dad in a vintage Morris Minor driven by one of the ushers, Tris & the happy couple travelled in style in the same car – with a few attachments! – to their reception venue Great Barrington Village Hall in the picturesque Cotswold village of Great Barrington.

Again, Emily & Phil showed their creative sides with a stylish spin on the traditional table plan with bottles & balloons, origami place card holders & a fab BAR sign!

After the wedding breakfast dessert was in the form of ice cream served up from Daisy the vintage ice cream van. I have been at a few weddings with Daisy & would highly recommend having her at your wedding or party. Daisy has a fabulous selection of handmade ice creams in delicious flavours & retro lollies like Fabs, Rockets & Screwballs.

Entertainment, apart from the dancing, came in the form of Sam Strange. I have mentioned Sam on my blog before as I a big fan! Sam is the coolest magican I have come across & am always astounded by his tricks.