Grace and Brian’s sneaky peek – Notley Tythe Barn

A few weeks ago I photographed the lovely wedding of Grace and Brian at the Notley Tythe Barn in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire.

Grace and Brian had a civil ceremony at the barn with approximately 60 of their nearest and dearest. After the ceremony it was drinks, canapés and a few group photographs on the lawn before they had a Chinese tea ceremony with Grace’s parents. After the wedding breakfast the DJ was primed and the guests partied into the night!

Notley Tythe Barn is a wonderful wedding venue near Thame if you are looking for that rustic wedding venue. It offers great locations for your guests to enjoy themselves as well as fantastic potential for great wedding photography!

Notley Tythe Barn will be having a wedding fayre this coming Sunday (29th September) 11-3 so if you are looking for a wedding venue close to Thame and Aylesbury then you may want to check out Notley Tythe Barn.

See you there!

Here are just a small selection of images from Grace and Brian’s big day……

A #Ramsbury #Wedding #Wiltshire

A few weeks ago Jack and I were back in Jack’s home village of Ramsbury, Wiltshire. It’s a place very close to my wife & I as that is where we kindled our relationship; over a few coca-colas in the local pub,The Bell. Still that’s another story for another day. In the meantime, a mutual friend of ours and the bride and groom’s recommended me for their wedding photography.

Laurie and Chis are local to Ramsbury and got married in Ramsbury’s Holy Cross Church with a reception at a nearby barn called Wick Bottom Barn near Barbury Castle, Marlborough. The barn is a great venue if you are looking for a blank canvas to put your own stamp on and Laurie and Chris really made it their own. Typically for August we had a few heavy showers but this did not dampen proceedings too much. We managed to do the few group photographs outside of the church and a picture of everyone at the barn, in between showers!! Then the rain stopped for a good half an hour and we nipped off into the nearby Wiltshire countryside to get some pictures of Laurie and Chris together. The barn is well positioned for Marlborough and Swindon and the M4 yet is set in an idyllic location with absolutely nothing surrounding it except rolling countryside!

With speeches before the meal we stayed to capture them before leaving everyone to enjoy the rest of the day. Laurie and Chris also had the great idea of asking those with tents to camp over in the grounds surrounding the barn. There was a great selection of tents there but none as cool as the tent Laurie and Chris had for the night, a bell tent lent to them, complete with chandelier, by my sister-in-law.

Laurie and Chris are now on their honeymoon in Venice but here is a sneaky peek of some of the images from their big day.

#Wycombe Abbey #Wedding and #Mandarin Oriental Wedding Reception

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of photographing Nicolette and Jonathan’s wedding at Wycombe Abbey and then onto the Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge for the wedding reception.

Having photographed at Wycombe Abbey before I was delighted when I received an email from Jonathan and Nicolette telling me about their wedding plans. Wycombe Abbey is a girls school in High Wycombe and the chapel has a few weddings a year for staff and ex students. The chapel is a wonderful place to get married set in the grounds of this historic school with stunning parkland which makes for some great locations for wedding photography.

Jon and Nicolette live in Hong Kong so after a few emails and a chat with Jon on the telephone they decided to book my services, we then met up earlier in the year on one of their visits to the UK when they had their pre wedding shoot, at Sir Charles Napier, nr Chinnor, Oxfordshire. This was a great opportunity to put some faces to names and certainly helps break the ice before the big day!

The bride and groom together with their guests all got ready in London before heading out to High Wycombe for the ceremony in the chapel, at Wycombe Abbey. We all got from London to Wycombe in good time and everything was set. Nicolette had let me into a secret that she was going to play the piano in the chapel before she entered and neither Jon or the guests knew about this! Nicolette is a very accomplished pianist and teacher, having played solo in the Hong Kong Town Hall as well as other solo performances. On arrival at the chapel, together with her father and bridesmaids she crept up into the gallery which houses the piano and organ and played the most beautiful piece of music. It really was a magical moment and a privilege to have been there, looking down on Jon and the guests and seeing their expressions as the bride played away. Nicolette then went onto play another piece of music as the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle. It really was quite an entrance!

Nicolette and her father made their entrance to music courtesy of the organist and they had a wonderful wedding ceremony. I am really delighted with the wedding ceremony images, it’s always one of my favourite parts of the wedding, and I will never tire of seeing a groom’s face as his bride approaches or the face of a proud father giving his daughter away.

The wedding ceremony followed by drinks in the grounds of Wycombe Abbey where Jon and Nicolette cut their cake and we photographed the few group photographs they requested. I then photographed Jon and Nicolette alone before we all headed back into London to a drinks reception at the Mandarin Oriental. There was a short reception on the terrace at the hotel before guests headed into the ball room for the wedding breakfast. Jon and Nicolette entered the room and had their first dance before sitting for the wedding breakfast.

With speeches in between courses and a band playing there was plenty of entertainment for the guests and lots of great expressions to photograph during the speeches. The evening for us finished around midnight when the bride had a dance with her Dad. We then left the wedding party to relax and unwind at the after party which I believe went on until 4am.

It was an incredible day and one Jack and I will not forget. Thanks Jon and Nicolette for a fab wedding day. Here are a few images from the day to whet the appetite of Jon and Nicolette and their family and friends. Jon and Nicolette will be receiving many more images soon on a DVD destined for Hong Kong!

Laura and James’s #wedding @stokeplace

It’s been a while since I have worked at Stoke Place but it’s certainly one of my favourite Buckinghamshire wedding venues and only a stones throw from London. It was a real pleasure to work there again as it’s a great location to have a wedding reception. The grounds are wonderful with established parkland and a lake for the guests to enjoy the reception and pretty splendid for great wedding photography too!

The interior of this Queen Anne Manor House retains all of its old charms and features, updated with handpicked modern designer pieces giving you great backdrops for your wedding photography should the weather turn.

Laura and James’s wedding was great fun with a few moments that still make me chuckle…. Those that were there will know what I mean!

I have just posted a selection of images onto my Facebook page here so Laura and James can have a sneaky peek whilst on their honeymoon.

Here are a few of my favourite images from the day…..

Gaynes Park Wedding Photography, #Essex

Last month Jack and I photographed the wedding of Jane and Ben at Gaynes Park in Essex. Jane’s sister Rachel and I used to work together and have kept in touch ever since and in fact I photographed Rachel’s wedding a few years ago too so I know the family fairly well now!

Ben and Jane choose to have a vintage handmade style of wedding and they chose a great venue to hold their big day. Gaynes Park is a stylish and contemporary barn wedding venue set in the grounds of a historic country estate in Epping, Essex which has been in the Chisenhale-Marsh family for generations. There is a collection of various barns, one of which offers the chance to have an outside wedding ceremony if good weather. Should the weather not be favourable there is a large south facing orangery that can accommodate the civil ceremony too!

After the ceremony there is large walled garden for the drinks reception and lots of great locations for fabulous wedding photography.

It really is a smashing venue if you are looking for something rustic, rural and yet fairly close to London! In the evening you can even see Canary Wharf and the skyline of London in the distance!

Jane and Ben choose one of my Stylish wedding albums with a magazine layout and metal cover which is now all designed and with my lab for printing. Here are a few pictures from their big day!

Danielle and David’s sneaky peek of their #wedding @GreatFosters

Earlier in May I had the pleasure of photographing Danielle and David’s big day at Great Fosters, Egham, Surrey.

Having only ever photographed at Great Fosters once before I was really keen to go back as it is a stunning wedding venue.

Great Fosters has a great past with more than four centuries of celebrated history having enriched Great Fosters with a remarkable heritage. Probably built as a royal hunting lodge in 1550 and very much a stately home since then, Great Fosters is now a prestigious 43 bedroom hotel.

Sympathetically converted in the 1930s by the Sutcliffe family, who are still its current custodians, the hotel possesses a plethora of original details and features including mullioned windows, Jacobean fireplaces, a rare oakwell staircase, authentic tapestries and moulded ceilings.

Danielle was lucky to get ready in the Tapestry Room, a stunning large room with tapestries adorning the walls giving a very regal and historic look to the getting ready photographs.

After a lovely civil ceremony in the Orangery guests were able to stroll around the gorgeous grounds of Great Fosters enjoying the formal gardens, lawns, moat, Japanese bridge and more whilst also enjoying the sunshine!

The wedding breakfast was served in the Tythe Barn followed by some hilarious speeches by mother of the bride, groom and then two best men who gave David a good ribbing!

All in all a fantastic day. Congratulations to Danielle and David and here is a sneaky peek of their beautiful wedding day……

A few kind words gratefully received from Danielle and David this morning

‘Just wanted to say thanks so much to both you and Jack for all your hard work on the day – everyone commented how lovely you both were 🙂 It was such a long day and your energy levels were both amazing all day!! ‘

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.

A busy weekend coming up for weddings…..

I’m currently busy designing a lovely album for Danielle and David who’s wedding took place last weekend at Great Fosters, Egham. Keep a look out for a sneaky peek once they are back from their honeymoon – there are lots of great pictures!

Tomorrow I will be photographing a wedding at the wonderful Silchester House in Hampshire and then Sunday I will be at the Compleat Angler Wedding Fair in Marlow.

So if you are looking for a photographer for your wedding day please come along and see me and a wonderful lady photographer called Maria who will also be attending. There will also be an array of other wedding suppliers all recommended by The Compleat Angler.

Doors open 11am until 3pm. Come along and see one of Marlow’s best wedding venues on the river River Thames.

Here are a few images from Gemma and Paul’s wedding from a few years ago at the Compleat Angler.

Heidi and Brendan’s sneaky peek of their #wedding in lovely #Cornwall!

Last weekend Jack and I travelled to Cornwall to shoot the wedding of Heidi and Brendan in the village of Budock Water, near Falmouth where I grew up. I have known Heidi for many years and it was a pleasure to be part of their big day.

Their day was a perfect mix of coastline and countryside and we even managed to pop down to the local beach where the two of them got engaged for some pictures. Heidi and Brendan got married in St. Budock Church where I got married last year.

The reception was held at the family stables with tea and cake served to the guests on arrival before the champagne reception later in the day. The stables were all cleaned out and bunting hung from the doors and rafters giving it a vintage charm. During the tea and cake Heidi and Brendan had organised a Bucking Bronco and even had a go themselves. Guests were also entertained by a bouncy castle, sumo wrestling suits for those who fancied a wrestle and a magician who wowed the guests with his balloon swallowing!

So without further ado here are a few pictures of Heidi and Brendan’s big day…..