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

Clare & Conor – A Sneaky Peek

Recently I photographed the winter wedding of Clare & Conor on a seasonably wintry Friday afternoon.

My day started with Clare at the beautiful Long Crendon Manor to capture some shots of her, her Mum & bridesmaids getting ready. The manor is a luxury bed & breakfast in a beautiful historical house. The house provided a picturesque setting for some stylish shots with the bride before she made the brief journey with her Dad to meet her groom….

Clare & Conor held their wedding & reception at another historical building in Long Crendon; Notley Tythe Barn. Last time I was at the barn it was in the middle of the summer & it was lovely to see the barn decorated for the season.

After the service I always take my bride & groom away for some shots of the two of them. I always strive for relaxed, stylish portraits of the happy couple that really capture the personality of the bride & groom. Clare & Conor are country lovers & were happy to pull on the wellies. So off we went into the countryside surrounding the barn & got some great images of the two of them….and a horse or two!

Not sure the horse was as happy to have his photograph taken as Clare & Conor!

Here is your sneaky peek Clare & Conor, many more great shots to come! Hope you enjoy your sneaky peek, it really was a pleasure to photograph your happy day. Wishing you all the best for a wonderful 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

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.

Georgie & Maarten – A Sneak Peek

There is nothing better for a photographer than to be booked to photograph a wedding through recommendation & today’s bride & groom found me through word of mouth. Georgie & Maarten were married at Holy Trinity, Penn & their reception was held at the stunning Hedsor House.

Kiti, my assistant, started the day at the beautiful Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Maarten, the groom, stayed there the night before the wedding with his family who had travelled over from Holland for the wedding. The gardens at Le Manoir were a great backdrop for some great family shots & photos of Maarten & his Best-Men.

Meanwhile, I was at the brides family home where she got ready with her family & bridesmaids. I love the shots of Georgie walking down the stairs towards her proud Mum & Dad & bridesmaids.

I then popped into the car with the bridesmaids to travel to the church & found myself on the other side of the camera when Father-of-the-Bride filmed us as we drove away!

After a beautiful service Georgie & Maarten greeted their guests in the churchyard & came out of the church door in a flurry of confetti.

We then travelled to Hedsor House for the reception. Hedsor House is a fantastic venue for a photographer providing some fabulous architecture & gardens for some stylish Bride & Groom shots.

And some great opportunities for some dynamic shots with your bridal party!

Georgie & Maarten had their speeches spaced throughout the wedding breakfast which included a noise off – who could be the noisiest table & the table who won had to do shots or nominate another table and some very interesting videos including the Bride & Groom’s fathers & a slideshow. It was a really fun reception with lots of laughter that shows in the photos.

After the speeches there was a fantastic firework display. Fireworks aren’t always the easiest thing to photograph but I was really pleased with the images I got on the night.

Then it was time for everyone to hit the dancefloor & have fun. I left as they were dancing the night away……

Hope you love your sneaky peek Georgie & Maarten. Wishing you long & happy lives together.

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!

Mark & Aurelija – A Sneak Peek

I recently photographed the wedding of Mark & Aurelija in Marlow. This really was another international wedding, Mark is from New Zealand & Aurelija is from Lithuania

68-MAP-DL-DLOW4541-32 They had their service at the beautiful riverside church in Bisham and I took the opportunity to their group shots with picturesque river winding its way behind them.

After a few photos of Mark & Aurelija using the architecture & textures of the church. The happy couple then took a boat trip along the river Thames to The Compleat Angler in Marlow for their reception.

The weather was a little mixed but was fine enough for them to have their drinks reception on the lawn next to the river & I got a great group photo of the whole wedding party from the bridge.

I then stopped traffic in Marlow again for my favourite photo opportunity at weddings at The Compleat Angler & got some great shots of the two of them & some lovely portraits of Aurelija on the bridge.