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!

Caroline & Phil, A Tythe Barn Wedding – Sneak Peek

Last week Kiti & I returned to one of our favourite venues The Tythe Barn, Launton to photograph the wedding of Caroline & Phil. 007-CPM-MLP22183-7 The sun was shining brightly as I made my way to The Nook, which is the Tythe Barn’s 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. Whilst I was with the bride, Kiti was photographing the groom & guests arriving & all the details in the barn. Before long the guests were all seated & all were expectantly awaiting the arrival of the Bride. After getting ready in the peace & calm of The Nook Caroline & her Dad made the short walk across the garden under the pergola to meet her groom in the barn. The ceremony was lovely & Caroline & Phil made their way out into the sunshine where they were soon joined by their friends & families. As the guests mingled they enjoyed a beautiful trio of ice creams that certainly made the mouth water!

We tore the guests away from their chatting & ice cream so we could do some group shots against the beautiful sandstone walls of the barns.

We then 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. We 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 we got of Caroline & Phil, the lovely summer sun added a certain je ne sais quoi to shots. We made our way back to the barn & stopped off for a few more shots with Phil’s Dad’s VW Camper before Caroline & Phil joined their guests for a delicious afternoon tea.

After some great speeches everyone mingled in garden playing giant jenga & croquet.

The Bride & Groom cut their cake & then they hit the dancefloor for their first dance.

Soon they were joined on the dancefloor by some keen guests who were having great fun. There was a brief break in the dancing for some sparklers but then everyone got back to the dancing & we left them dancing the night away! Congratulations, Caroline & Phil – Wishing you every happiness! We hope you enjoy your sneak peek

Glen & Vanessa, Wedding at The Compleat Angler, Marlow – A Sneak Peek

Recently Kiti & I found ourselves back on the banks of the river Thames at The Compleat Angler in Marlow. We were there for the wedding of Glen & Vanessa.Their day was a small family affair & we were booked for 4 hours coverage. We do various coverage options from 4 hours up to all day meaning our couples can cater their photography coverage to their day. We mingled with the guests & Glen in the lovely conservatory overlooking the river frontage until it was time for everyone to make their way into the ceremony room.

Vanessa got ready at the hotel so she only had a short journey to the main hotel building to meet her groom in front of their friends & family. Vanessa was preceded down the aisle by their lovely children Gabrielle & Leo who scattered rose petals. After a lovely service we made our way outside & whilst guests mingled with a glass of champagne we took some group shots. I do keep these to a minimum as group shots can take a little while and I would hate to be known as the photographer who kept everyone waiting about, causing their champagne to loose its fizz! It was now time for Glen, Vanessa & the children to board a boat up the Thames for a short trip. It looked like they had a great time & Leo was even steering the boat on their return! Once we were back on dry land Kiti & I took the Bride & Groom away to do some shots of the two of them together. It was soon time to let the Bride & Groom get back to their guests & they made their entrance into their wedding reception to a round of applause.

We took a few images of their guests enjoying the wedding breakfast but before too long it was time for us to take our leave. We left them enjoying the rest of their day.

Emily & James, Haddenham & Notley Tythe Barn A Sneak Peek

Recently we photographed the wedding of Emily & James in Haddenham & Notley Tythe Barn.Becky helped us out with a transport as we had some different village locations & village parking is never easy! Becky & Kiti dropped me off at Emily’s parents home where she was getting ready. Kiti wasn’t photographing James getting ready so they went to our favourite coffee shop conveniently located in Haddenham called Little Italy. I was very envious to hear they enjoyed a delicious slice of cake with their coffee too! Whilst the girls were chatting over a coffee I was photographing Emily & her bridesmaids getting ready along with the gorgeous Oscar. Becky dropped Kiti at the church where she took some images of James & his family before the guests started to arrive. They had a beautiful vintage Rolls Royce that took them in turns to the church & just as Emily & her dad were ready to leave Becky popped back & dropped me at the church so I was ready for Emily’s arrival. She made her way into the church on the arm of her dad with an expectant groom waiting for her.

After a lovely service the new Mr & Mrs Rhead made their way out of the church & were congratulated by their friends & families. They walked out of the churchyard to a flurry of confetti & we then did some group shots on the village green. We then made our way to Notley Tythe Barn where they were holding their reception. We did some of the larger group shots here before we took Emily & James off for some stylish couple shots. It was soon time for Emily & James to join their friends & families for the wedding breakfast in the beautiful barn. After the wedding breakfast it was time for cutting the cake & hitting the dancefloor, I love that Emily had a dance with her dad, her new husband & they were then joined by their son Oscar. Soon everyone joined them & Kiti & left them all dancing the night away.

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek Emily & James, Wishing you every happiness!

Wedding at Wycombe Abbey, Gro & Chris A Sneak Peek

Chris & Gro celebrated their wedding at Wycombe Abbey School in High Wycombe. I dropped Kiti off at the school & she started the day with Chris & the boys who were there getting ready. She captured the images of the boys suiting up & applying their buttonholes before making their way over to the chapel to greet the guests. Wycombe Abbey is a lovely school set within lovely grounds. I do a lot of their photography so am very familiar with the school. I am still always surprised that there is such interesting buildings & landscaped grounds so close to the middle of High Wycombe. It is only possible to have your wedding there if you have a connection to the school such as a former pupil or member of staff. Chris’ Mum is a House Mistress at the school so they were thrilled to be able to have their wedding there.Meanwhile, whilst Kiti was with the lads I made my way over to Chinnor to Chris & Gro’s home to photograph the bride getting ready. It was a lovely to be with the girls right from the start of the day & Gro was such a relaxed & happy bride. Once the glad rags were on it was time for me to fly back to Wycombe Abbey to make sure I was there & ready for the bride’s arrival. The chapel at Wycombe Abbey is lovely & has a mezzanine level where Kiti had located herself. This was perfect as it gave her a fantastic vantage point to capture some unobstructed views of the ceremony.

After a beautiful service everyone gathered outside for a drinks reception & we did the group shots of the steps of the chapel. When I first moved up country from Cornwall I worked for a photographic studio who used a local picture framing company. I continued to use the same company for all my framing (once my lovely wife had stopped being a Picture Framer!) for many years. It was a fantastic, bespoke framers & the owner was Chris’ granddad Neil. He left after the service but it was great to see him & get some shots of the proud grandfather with the bride & groom!We then organised the guests to line either side & the chucked the confetti & blew bubbles as Gro & Chris wandered along!Whilst the guests mingled Kiti & took Gro & Chris into the grounds to capture some stylish shots of the two of them. We then went back to the main hall for the wedding breakfast. There were some fantastic speeches including musical performances, poetry & thanks to Gro’s Swedish heritage a schnapps toast! After the speeches it was time for the another musical performance, this time by Chris’ brother, first dance & then everyone hit the dancefloor. We made our way home as they were dancing the night away!

Wedding at West Wycombe House, Karen & Ian, A Sneak Peek

Recently Kiti & were lucky enough to photograph a wedding at a beautiful country home called West Wycombe House. I have photographed the house & estate several times but this was my first wedding there & one I have been really looking forward to.Kiti & I both started at the house but Kiti made her way into West Wycombe village to the primary school to meet Ian the Groom. He went to school there for some shots as a memento before going back to the house for shots by the beautiful columns & in the stable yard! I made my way into the house to find Karen the bride & took some shots of her getting ready. It was so convenient for her, she only needed to make the short journey down the stairs to meet her groom. West Wycombe House and its 5000 acre estate is the home of the Dashwood family and has been since 1698. The current Premier Baronet of Great Britain is Sir Edward Dashwood, 12th. Bt, and he currently resides at West Wycombe Park with his wife and family. The house today is often featured in screen adaptations of literary classics such as Cranford, Downton Abbey & was most recently seen in Doctor Thorne.The Hall where the ceremony was held is a beautiful room with marble & frescoes.The staircase that Karen descended on is a work of art on its own made of mahogany with inlaid satinwood & ebony. Their friends, family & an expectant groom waited as Karen made her way down the stairs to meet him with her best friend Mark. After the lovely service Karen, Ian & their guests moved onto the colonnade for champagne & canapés before we took the group shots. We then took Ian & Karen away for a few quiet minutes to get some stylish shots of the two of them. Very often my Brides & Grooms say how much they enjoy this part of the day. A part of the day that they can take a deep breath & take it all in…And a have minute just the two of them…..well, apart from me!

I never keep them away too long & it was soon time for them to join their guests in the Music Room for the wedding breakfast. After a delicious meal & some very funny speeches it was time for cutting the cake & then for a boogie on the dancefloor. After a little while everyone was asked to gather their coats & move outside. The guest were all amazed with the wonderful firework display & I was really pleased with the images I captured. We then moved back inside for a bit more dancefloor action before it was our Cinderella moment as we made our way homeward.

A Wedding at Notley Tythe Barn, Nikki & Bren a sneak peek

Recently Kiti & I photographed the wedding of Nikki & Bren at Notley Tythe Barn near Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire. As there was some driving between locations Becky joined us to help with the logistics. First thing first we dropped Kiti off at Notley to meet up with the groom Bren & his Best Man & Ushers.

We then hotfooted it to Chesham where Nikki was getting ready at their home with her Mum & Bridesmaids. I spent the morning capturing some lovely shots of Nikki’s bridal preparations with everyone having hair & make up. I love the shot of Nikki’s mum helping her with her dress.

They all looked wonderful as they left home to make the journey to the barn for the wedding. I jumped in the car & we made a quick get away to make sure we got back to the barn ready for the Bride’s arrival.

The service was held in the main part of the barn in front of the window & was officiated by a family friend, which really added to the personal feeling to the service. After the ceremony Bren & Nikki made their way outside for a champagne reception & to be congratulated by their guests. After some mingling we did the group shots outside before taking the Bride & Groom off for some stylish Bride & Groom shots. The barn is set in a lovely rural location & has a variety of places that I take my couples to. Nikki was wearing a beautiful veil & I love the possibilities & textures that a veil can add to the images. On a windy day they can be problematic but no worries at this wedding & I love the shots of Nikki & Bren both under the veil.It was quite a chilly day so we didn’t spend too long outside before we went back to the barn so Nikki & Bren could join their guests for the wedding breakfast. After some great speeches…what was the Best Man saying to make Bren cover Nikki’s ears?!…It was time for cutting the cake, first dance & for everyone to hit the dancefloor. This was a great wedding for dance floor action, loads of people got up & there was some very enthusiastic dancing! As always, we left them dancing the night away…..

Many congratulations Bren & Nikki! We hope you love your sneak peek, there are lots more to come….

A Wedding at The Compleat Angler, Emma & Robert’s Sneak Peek

Recently I photographed the wedding of Robert & Emma at The Compleat Angler in Marlow.

Now considering the beauty of the River Thames as it winds its way through Oxfordshire, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire there are very few venues that can rival The Compleat Angler‘s position right on the river with unparalleled views of the Marlow Weir.This was one of those weddings where everything was in one place so Kiti & I arrived together before Kiti joined the groom & I went to find where the bridal party were getting ready.Emma was with her bridesmaids & family getting ready at the hotel. I’ve said this before but I love this part of the day capturing the bride getting ready to meet her groom surrounded by her friends & family.Whilst I was with Emma, Kiti was with Robert, his Dad who was his Best Man & his Ushers getting some shots before he made his way into the ceremony room to await his bride. Before long it was time for Emma to make the short walk from her room to walk up the aisle with her Mum & Dad. After the service we gathered everyone out in front of the hotel & I ran up onto Marlow bridge to take a shot before doing the rest of the group shots.I then took Emma & Robert off do some stylish shots of the two of them. With any wedding in Marlow it’s got to include the obligatory shot on the bridge with the help of the ushers to stop traffic!I never like to keep the couple away from their guests for too long so it was then time for them to return to the wedding breakfast, speeches & cake cutting. After a delicious meal & some great speeches it was time for Emma & Robert’s first dance before everyone joined them on the dance floor. Kiti & I joined them on the dance floor to get some shots of everyone having fun. As always, rather like a couple of Cinderella’s we wound our way homewards leaving everyone having fun! Many congratulations Emma & Robert, wishing you every happiness for your future together. We hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Wedding at The Compleat Angler – Alex & Steph, A Sneak Peek

A couple of weeks ago I photographed the wedding of Alex & Steph at The Compleat Angler in Marlow. Now, over the years I’ve done a fair few weddings there but it did look lovely in the low September sunlight with the river flowing past.Both Alex & Steph got ready at The Compleat Angler so, as always, Kiti & I went our separate ways – Kiti with the groom & I with the bridal party to capture them both getting their glad rags on.After getting ready Alex & his Best Man made the short journey from the hotel in a bright red MG to the church at Bisham.

It was then time for me to hot foot it to the church ready to get some shots of Steph, her Dad & the bridesmaids arriving & making their way into the church.

After a lovely service Alex & Steph made their way out of the church to be greeted by a flurry of bubbles.

We did some shots with their friends & family before they departed in style to make their way back to The Compleat Angler. I dashed back & ran back to the bridge so I could get a shot of them on the iconic bridge! It was now time for the group shot of everyone at the wedding testing my physical fitness as in my time I have climbed a church tower & hung out of many a window to capture the shot. At The Compleat Angler, with weather permitting, I gather the guests on the lawn by the river & make a quick dash around & up onto the bridge to get the shot from a vantage point.The river & bridge always seems to play an important part in a Compleat Angler wedding. I try to do some stylish bride & groom shots as they walk across the bridge. This is when I employ the skills of the Best Man or bridesmaids, Ushers & my assistant to stop traffic. The guys at Alex & Steph’s wedding did a sterling job & everyone smiled & waved as they drove past!

Alex & Steph also fitted a boat trip into their day & I got some great photos of them onboard as they sailed away into the sunshine! This is a lovely part of a wedding at The Compleat Angler giving the happy couple time to reflect on their special day.After they returned to a flurry of confetti it was time for guests to make their way to the wedding breakfast. Alex & Steph’s Toastmaster did a fabulous job throughout the day & announced them into the room. Toastmasters can be a great addition to your wedding helping with all the details of your day & keeping things on time!After some great speeches it was time for Alex & Steph to cut the cake & hit the dancefloor for their first dance as husband & wife.It was then time for everyone to hit the dancefloor & we left them all dancing the night away!

Wishing you both every happiness. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Helen & Pete – A Sneak Peek

Recently Kiti & I were at the ‘Happily Ever After’ party for Helen & Pete.Helen & Pete were married earlier in the year in Florida & this evening was their chance to celebrate with their friends & family who weren’t at the wedding.

They held their party at one of our favourite venues The Tythe Barn, Launton. The Tythe Barn is a fabulous wedding venue but is also great for all sorts of other celebrations.

We started late afternoon by taking a Helen & Pete off for a few shots before their guests arrived. The Tythe Barn has lovely grounds & we used the folly, shepherds hut & a lovely bench for some romantic shots of the two of them. Before long it was time for them to return to the barn to greet their guests.

After a drinks reception & group shots in the garden it was time for everyone to take their seats to enjoy an English/American afternoon tea including American-style slider burgers & delicious scones with jam & clotted cream.

It was now time for everyone to hit the dancefloor starting with the bride & groom & then they were joined by their guests.

During the dancefloor action Kiti shot the photobooth for them with hilarious results!

When time came for Helen & Pete to leave their guests lined up & with a wave of sparklers the bride & groom made their way home. We hope you enjoy your sneak peek Helen & Pete. Wishing you every happiness!