Kind words…..

Its always lovely to hear from happy Brides & Grooms & recently we heard from one of our couples who were married earlier in the year. We always send our couples a feedback form after the wedding as we are always looking to improve our service & their feedback is invaluable.

Claire & Richard were married at Somerton followed by a reception at The Tythe Barn, Launton.

‘Very friendly & professional, excellent communication, very unobtrusive on wedding day & stunning photos!…’

‘…Thank you so much for our beautiful wedding photos – we were very impressed by the professional service & unobtrusive style & would definitely recommend you to others!’

Keep an eye out on our website for the new added testimonials page coming soon!

Alex and Marie – A Sneak Peek

The day shone bright & clear the morning of Alex & Marie’s wedding as Kiti & I headed up the M40 to The Tythe Barn, Launton near Bicester.

The Tythe Barn is one of my favourite venues whatever the weather but it really comes into its own when the sun is shining & people can use the outside space.

I met with Marie at The Nook to get some shots of her, her closest girlfriends & her Dad & Brother. I took the opportunity to get out in the sunshine & took some lovely photos in the hidden courtyard.

The light was lovely & Marie looked beautiful with her short style dress with lace overlay. I love the shock of colour from her bouquet which contained freesia, ranunculus, anemones & one of the funkiest of flowers craspedia otherwise know as billy balls or billy buttons.

After the short walk through the garden to the barn it was time for Alex & Marie become husband & wife.

They left the barn in a flurry of confetti.

These are one of those moments as a photographer that you only have one chance to nail it. You can’t really say just as everyone has thrown their fistful of confetti ‘Excuse me can we try that again!’ I am really pleased with this shot, great expressions, fantastic flurry of confetti & I love the sun flare across the lens.

After the ceremony Kiti & I took the bride & groom off for a few shots around the grounds – always a nice time for the bride & groom to take a moment from the madness of the day.

Once the lovely couple returned to the barn it was time for them to re-join their guests as the celebrations continued…….including a drum solo from the groom!

We hope you enjoy your sneak peek Alex & Marie. Wishing you every happiness!

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

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…

Amy & Tom – A Sneak Peek

Wedding season is truly underway at Mark Lord Photography & last weekend Kiti & I travelled to the lovely village of Evenley in Northamptonshire for the wedding of Amy & Tom.

Kiti started her day with the groom at his family home in Evenley & I was with the bridal party getting some preparation shots before making the journey to the church. Its always an exciting part of the day & I always love the moment that Mum & Dad see their daughter in her wedding dress.

I love this shot of Amy & her Mum enjoying a moment before she walks into church on the arm of her dad.

After a lovely service we made our way to Notley Tythe Barn, Long Crendon near the border of Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire. The barn is in lovely countryside & offers some rural backdrops for some great couple shots.

Our bride even made a play on her maiden name & wore a bright yellow pair of Hunter wellies around the farm!

After a wander around the farm it was time for the bride & groom to mingle with their guests before making their entrance into the wedding breakfast.

As always Kiti & I were quite the Cinderella’s & left everyone on the dancefloor!

Hope you love your sneak peek Amy & Tom, we’ll be in touch with the rest of your images soon!

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!

The best bouquet toss….ever

Sometimes, as a photographer, something amazing happens before your eyes in a blink & you’ll miss it kind of way. I stand there, heart in mouth, snapping away hoping the technology can keep up with my trigger finger. One of these moments happened at the recent wedding of Alex & Charlotte. Now, I’ve photographed a fair few bouquet tosses but this one was simply the best! Charlotte had a fab group of bridesmaids including her sisters Georgia & Natalie, her friend Ruth & her husband-to-be’s sisters Annie & Hollie. They all lined up along with quite a number of single ladies ready for Charlotte to throw the bouquet.

You may notice that Georgia & Ruth had a certain glint in their eyes not quite matched by the others.

What happened next was a display of fine acrobatics, determination & perhaps a hint of a rugby tackle. A flailing of arms & Georgia threw her arm up in triumph.

The following celebrations with her boyfriend & mum & the sympathetic handshake for her dad (& Father-of-the-Bride) were just fantastic.

Will the family soon be celebrating another wedding? Well, if you need a photographer…..

Another 5 star review for my #wedding #photography services

It’s always lovely to receive a review from brides and grooms on the Guides for Brides website. Paula and Daniel got married in March and received their images last week. Here is there review!

‘Mark and his assistant Jack were truly amazing on the day – always in the background – but always there for the perfect shot – and always willing to listen to all manner of little requests. The photography results are stunning – and we are truly amazed all that they managed to capture. I would highly recommend Mark Lord – worth every single penny as we will treasure his amazing photos throughout the (hopefully!) many married years yet to come’

If you missed their sneaky peek posted last month on my blog then here are a few of their wedding pictures from their wedding at the Tythe Barn.

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!