Ruth and Stephane – A Sneak Peek

Most of my weddings are in Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire so it was with some excitement that Mrs Lord & I travelled to Kent to photograph the recent wedding of Ruth & Stephane in the beautiful late Spring countryside. We travelled down the day before so our day started with collecting my Antipodean assistant Kiti & we made our way to Tenterden.

All of today’s wedding locations were in close proximity so we planned to do a quick reccee of the wedding & first look locations prior to meeting the B&G. Rural Kent is a beautiful & looked wonderful at this time of year with the trees bursting into leaf & the cow parsley out in flower. After familiarising ourselves we made our way to meet our Bride & Groom.

Ruth & Stephane planned a day that was personal to them & this started with a first look amongst the vines of the famous vineyard Chapel Down. Normally I do my couple images with the bride & groom after the service during the drinks reception but it made refreshing change to do the photographs before the service & I think it was a special moment for the Bride & Groom to share.

After the first look we made our way to The Great Barn, Rolvenden which was the venue for the day. The service was beautiful & it was lovely that Ruth & Stephane were placed facing their friends & family rather than the audience viewing their backs!

By now what had been a rather overcast day had turned into a beautiful sunshine & Ruth & Stephane mingled with their guests in the orchard. They planned a really individual day after the drinks reception the guests gathered back in the barn at long trestle tables for afternoon tea after which there was beer & wine tastings for the guests.

They decorated the barn in a fabulous rustic way with reclaimed wood signs & strings of fairy lights, the tables decorated with bottles with local hedgerow flowers.

By now the sun had softened into that lovely evening glow & I took the Bride & Groom away for a few more couples shots. I have recently been experimenting with shooting into the sun which offers a soft, ethereal feel to the images.

After a few more shots with the happy couple it was time to let them return to their guests for their very original first dance & as always Kiti & I left everyone hitting the dancefloor.

Wishing you every happiness Ruth & Stephane. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

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…

Claire & Richard – A Sneak Peek

Last Saturday saw the wedding of Claire & Richard. Their ceremony was in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Somerton in the quaint village church St James.

It was a bright spring morning as the guests gathered in the church decorated with lovely pew ends of spring flowers in glass jars.

Kiti & I took the opportunity before the brides arrival to get some shots of the groom, best man & ushers in the village & churchyard.

Then it was time for the groom to take his place before the bride arrived with her Dad.

Claire arrived at the church in a vintage Rolls Royce clutching a beautiful bouquet by the very talented Flower Fairies. The stunning springtime bouquet made up from whites roses, brunia, eucalyptus, grape hyacinths, pussy willow & wax flowers.

After a lovely service Richard & Claire left in the sunshine to make the short journey to The Tythe Barn, Launton for the wedding reception.

As always, I took the opportunity to take the bride & groom away from their guests for a little while to take some shots of the couple around the grounds of the barn.

The Tythe Barn have recently installed a crash pad for the bride & groom, a shepherds hut with, of course, one or two touches of luxury! Decorated in their normal chic style it really is a fabulous place for the bride & groom to stay after the party is over. Claire & Richard are my first couple to stay there so we made sure to get some shots of them outside the hut.

After we returned the couple to their guests it was time for the wedding breakfast, banquet style. It looks so beautiful all laid up & really adds to the celebratory atmosphere.

Music was supplied by Gigz Management who are suppliers of fantastic bands, dj’s, string quartets & much more. The band called Bring the Party were just fabulous & soon got everyone up on the dance floor. We left them boogying the night away with their guests very envious of their night of luxury in the shepherds hut!

We hope you love you sneak peek, Claire & Richard – lots more to follow soon! Wishing you every happiness for your future lives 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!

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.

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!