Cookham Dean Wedding, Becky & Darran – A Sneak Peek

Recently Kiti & I photographed the wedding of Becky & Darran in Cookham Dean.Mrs Lord helped with driving & we dropped Kiti off in Cookham Dean to capture some establishing shots of the church & guests arriving whilst Mrs Lord took me to Becky & Darran’s home to cover the bride & her bridesmaids getting ready. It’s always a lovely part of the day when the bride gets ready to meet her groom, a flurry of activity with hair & make up with everyone rushing to get ready. It’s important to get the images & keep out of the way! I have been known to assist with buttonholes & find a crochet hook in my camera bag to hand over to the bridesmaids to use to do up all the tiny buttons on the dress! Soon it was time for the Bridesmaids & Mother of the Bride to make the journey to the church leaving me to do some lovely shots of Becky & her Dad in the garden. Meanwhile Kiti was at the pub near the church capturing Darren’s arrival & the guests arriving in the sunshine.

We then whizzed our way back to the church to be there ready for Becky’s arrival & were in the right place at the right time to get some lovely shots of Becky’s arrival at the church. The groom was expectantly waiting for the arrival of his bride & a beaming Becky made her way into the church to marry her man! It was a lovely service & Becky & Darran made their way down the aisle Husband & Wife & were congratulated by their friends & family as they made their way out of the church.

As they came out of the Lych gate there was a flurry of confetti & everyone made their way down the country lane to the reception venue. We stopped with the bride & groom on the way to get some lovely shots of the two of them on the green in the beautiful summer sunshine. We tried not to keep them away for too long & so before long they joined their guests around the pool at Sanctum on the Green for their drinks reception. Everyone then made their way into the marquee for the wedding breakfast followed by some very funny speeches.

After the speeches guests moved their way outside & happily mingled in the evening sunshine before it was time for Becky & Darran to cut their cake & have their first dance.

As always we left everyone dancing the night away, wonder if anyone ended up in the swimming pool?

Wishing you every happiness Becky & Darran, we hope you enjoy your sneak peek – there are lots more to come!

Sam & Charles – A Sneak Peek!

Kiti & I breathed a sigh of relief as we made our way to Sam & Charles’ wedding in beautiful sunshine after what seemed like 24 hours of rain the day before.

I photographed Sam’s sister Georgie’s wedding last year & for those of you that keep an eye on my facebook page will have seen the shots of Sam catching Georgie’s bouquet that I reposted last week. Sam was one of Georgie’s bridesmaids last year & Georgie was one of Sam’s lovely bridesmaids. It is always lovely to be recommended by couples to their friends & families & even better when the new couple have seen me at work!

Kiti started the day with Charles, his best man, ushers & family at Charles & Sam’s home before boarding an original routemaster bus to make the journey to the church. They picked up a few guests along the way & made a pit stop at the pub!

Meanwhile I was with Sam at her family home getting ready with her bridesmaids & family. Sam’s family are great fun & the preparations even included her dad swinging from a rather high rope swing! Not many fathers would risk life & limb on their daughters wedding day & I must admit my heart was in my mouth!

By now the bus had made its way to the church & it was time for Sam to get to the church to see her groom!

It was a lovely service & Sam’s Dad certainly seemed pleased to get his final daughter of three married!

After the service & a flurry of confetti Kiti & I went back to Sam’s parents house for some shots of the two of them together. Charles decided against having a go on the rope swing!

Not wanting to miss out on the party we made our way back to the wedding reception which was located in Sam & Charles’ beautiful garden. The entered through a lovely floral arch & a tunnel of their friends & family.

Whilst their friends & families mingled in the sunshine to the sounds of a steel band we did the more formal….& not so formal group shots.

Which included this intrepid photographer risking life & limb to climb a ladder to capture the entire wedding party!

Now it was time for the wedding breakfast & speeches, which involved lots of fun & laughter & childhood videos.

After the speeches Sam took to the stage to throw her bouquet this time caught by Charles’ sister & Sam surprised her groom with a song accompanied by her bridesmaids.

It was now time for everyone to hit the dancefloor & we left them dancing the night away!

Wishing you every happiness Sam & Charles. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek – lots more to come!

Sophie & Paul – A Sneak Peek!

Sophie & Paul’s wedding was held on a beautiful sunny afternoon in July. It was a real family affair & they celebrated it with their children including baby Alice.

Their wedding was held in the parish church of St John the Baptist in the riverside village of Moulsford followed by a reception at The Pavillion in the village. It was a lovely day of celebrations, they also celebrated Alice’s christening & Paul’s 40^th birthday all on the same day.

Kiti & I both started the day at the church. We took some images of the guests arriving before Sophie, Paul & the children arrived.

The church wwas very strict regarding images of the service but we able to take some lovely ones of Alice being christened.

After the service the guest made the short trip to The Pavillion whilst I did some lovely shots of the happy couple in the countryside.

Their reception was a lovely afternoon tea party which was enjoyed by all ages before the children all ran towards the playground.

Sophie, Paul & family – we hope you enjoy your sneak peek. Wishing you every happiness for your future together!

Kristina & Craig – A Sneak Peek

Recently I photographed the wedding of Kristina & Craig at Hedsor House. Hedsor is a beautiful venue & has been used as a location in many films & TV programmes such as Quartet & Spooks.

Kristina & Craig both got ready at the venue so once Kiti & I arrived we started taking photographs with the Bride & Groom. I always photograph the bridal preparations & found Kristina in the beautiful bridal dressing suite located on the first floor. It soon will be one of the largest bridal suites in Britain & certainly offered everything that a bridal party should need. It is always wonderful to be part of the day from the start to capture the all-important ‘ceremony’ of the bride & her bridesmaids getting into their finery!

While I was with the bride Kiti found the groom, best man, ushers & dad’s & got some great, stylish shots of the lads on the steps of the main entrance.

Now it was time for Kristina to make the short walk from the bridal suite to meet her groom in The Centre Hall where their guests were waiting in anticipation.

After a lovely service the guests followed the bride & groom to the lawns at the side of the house that has beautiful views across the grounds & countryside beyond.

During the drinks reception Kiti & I used the front of the house as a fantastically stylish backdrop for the group shots.

After the group shots we borrowed Kristina & Craig for a little while to do some stylish shots of the happy couple in the wonderful grounds of Hedsor House. Kristina is a veterinary nurse so loved the shots in the countryside with some four-legged friends.

By now it was time for Kristina & Craig to return to their guests for the wedding breakfast. Craig is a chef so you can imagine that the food was an important part of the day for him. The absolutely delicious dinner was prepared & served by the fantastic Liz & her team from Cavendish Events. They also did a hog roast for the guests to have later in the evening during the dancing. After the beautiful meal, speeches & performance by the flowergirls it was time for cutting the cake, first dance it was time to hit the dancefloor. Wishing you every happiness Kristina & Craig. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek & we will be in touch with your album proof soon!

Nichola & Matthew – A Sneak Peek

Recently I photographed the wedding of Nichola & Matthew at Oakley Court.

Its always lovely to be booked through recommendation & even better when its by one of my previous brides & grooms. Several years ago I photographed the wedding of Matthew’s sister Suzanne & it was lovely to see her & her husband Kirk with their family celebrating her brother’s wedding.

Now back to Nichola & Matthew’s day. It was a really lovely family day & they had some very important people in their wedding party. Matthew was ably assisted by his pageboy, their son Chase & Nichola was attended to by their daughter Daisy as bridesmaid. Having their children take part in their day was lovely & offered some fantastic photo opportunities. I particularly love this shot of Matthew & Chase looking cool in their special socks taken by Kiti.

The whole wedding party got ready at Oakley Court, near Windsor before taking the short stroll to The Windsor Suite for the ceremony.

Oakley Court is a magnificent Victorian Gothic mansion, which is set amidst 33 acres of landscaped gardens, which go down to the banks of the River Thames. So after the ceremony & formal, & not so formal, group shots I took the bride & groom away to get some shots of the two of them together. I love the stylish shots of them on the pontoon.

We then left the river & we used the architecture of the historic building. I loved it when the Bride offered to climb into a trolley basket!

It was then time for the bride & groom to return to their guests for the wedding breakfast & speeches.

When photographing little ones it is always good to catch them when they are in the mood & during dinner I got some lovely shots of them as pageboy & bridesmaid.

After dinner, it was time for the evening guests to arrive & as always Kiti & l Ieft everyone on the dancefloor.

Nichola, Matthew, Daisy & Chase – we hope you love your sneak peek. Wishing you all a very happy future together…

The perfect #Valentines gift!

Struggling for Valentine’s inspiration this year. Why not celebrate your love for each other with a portrait shoot? 😉

Between now and Valentine’s Day (14th Feb!!!) I am offering portrait vouchers valued at £75 for just £25 for portrait shoots is the Henley, Marlow, Thame, Bicester and Oxford area! This is a great opportunity for the two of you to have some lovely pictures taken together. This offer can also be used as a family portrait voucher if you have a family too! The vouchers will be valid for all of 2015 and the session to be done in a location within 25 miles of OX49, Watlington.

After the shoot we can either arrange a viewing for you to come and see the images projected in my viewing room or if you prefer an online gallery. Print prices start at just £25.

Please contact me by email to info@marklordphotography.co.uk if you would like to purchase a voucher and we will pop one in the post.

I love these pictures from a shoot last year with one of my lovely wedding couples who’s wedding had subtle themes around the film ‘Up’ – hence the cool balloon!

Claire & Tom – A Sneaky Peek

Claire & Tom were married on a sunny autumn Sunday in October at The Tithe Barn at Ufton Court.

Claire & Tom both got ready elsewhere but the ceremony & reception were both held at Ufton Court which is a great venue in the Berkshire countryside. I always find that when the day is at one location everyone relaxes & enjoys the day. No worrying about transport, your guests finding their way from A to B or getting lost!

The Tithe Barn at Ufton Court is a beautiful, historical building & provides a blank canvas for whichever style you go for on your big day. Claire & Tom had vintage vibe with posy filled vintage chinaware but with a modern hot pink & primary colour twist.

After a beautiful service I took Claire & Tom around the grounds at Ufton Court for some stylish pictures of the two of them. The architecture provided some fantastic backdrops even including an Iron Age house!

After a fun filled wedding breakfast & speeches, including one about an owl, I left Claire & Tom dancing the night away with their friends & family.

I hope you enjoy your sneaky peek Claire & Tom. Wishing you every happiness for your future together.

Ruth & Matt – The Forbury & The Plowden Arms – Sneak Peek

Another sunny day another sunny wedding. Despite overnight thunderstorms the morning of Ruth & Matt’s wedding was bright & clear. Ruth got ready at The Forbury Hotel in Reading & they had a civil service with a few chosen guests in the Eden room followed by drinks reception in the library.

Ruth & Matt are Landlord & Lady of The Plowden Arms in Shiplake near Henley on Thames so after a few bride & groom & group photos by the river in Shiplake we headed back to the pub for a knees up.

There was a traditional marquee with afternoon tea whilst guests mingled playing quoits, chatting & taking polaroid photos in their homemade photobooth.

Music during the afternoon was supplied by Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra all played from a fantastic stage, a converted airstream trailer.

Ruth & Matt laid on an amazing spread that mirrored the quality of the food on offer in the pub. They were then entertained by another group The Bellinis who sing modern day songs with a vintage twist. I left everyone dancing away with lights twinkling.

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek Ruth & Matt. Wishing you every happiness. I’ll be in for a pint of your best soon.

Stéphanie & Tim – Henley On Thames – Sneak Peek!

There are some days as a wedding photographer that you particularly hope for great weather due to something on the day that depends on sunshine or at least no rain. My own wedding included a boat trip & walk up from the quayside, which wouldn’t have been possible in gale force 9!

Tim & Stéphanie’s wedding included a planned walk across the bridge in Henley from ceremony to reception venue so it was disappointing to wake to heavy rain on the morning of their wedding. But one thing for the British weather is that it is pretty changeable! By the time Stéphanie left the house to travel to Henley the sun had come out & the weather just got better & better as the day went by. And yes, we even made the walk across the bridge!

Stéphanie & Tim’s wedding was at St Mary’s the Virgin in Henley on Thames followed by a marquee reception in a friends garden on the banks of the river Thames. It really was a beautiful day & the gardens, house & bridge provided a great variety of backdrops for some fantastic shots. Guest of honour was Stéphanie & Tim’s dog, Hugo, who even made an appearance at the church!

Hope you love your sneak peek Stéphanie & Tim. Wishing you every happiness in your future lives together.

Where has the Summer gone?….

Fed up with all this rain, when is Summer coming back? Can’t believe I only shot this a couple of weekends ago down at the lake at Bowood House in Wiltshire. Let’s hope it’s not long before we can get our frisbees out again!

Mark Lord Photography

Oxfordshire based photographer specialising in people and our rich landscape

Berkshire