Pre Lockdown Engagement Shoot

It’s only a few months since March when I met up with John-Paul and Emma for their pre wedding photoshoot, but within a week of our meeting, the UK was thrown into lockdown and it now seems like another world ago!

The couple were visiting the area ahead of their wedding at Lapstone Barn near Chipping Campden in August. Sadly, Coronavirus has put the Kybosh on their plans and they are having to wait another year until they can tie the knot.

We met in the beautiful surroundings of Batsford Arboretum here in the Cotswolds. The leaves hadn’t quite sprung into life but the trees still provided wonderful backdrops with their interesting bark textures and a profusion of delicate pink blossoms.

I think woodlands are perhaps my favourite place for a photoshoot. They are often quiet, which is great for helping my clients to relax and not feel as though they are on show. They are shaded, but when the sun is out, the light streams in shafts through the branches or between the leaves with an attractive dappled effect. The enormity of many trees alongside my subjects also provides a dramatic contrast in scale - especially the lofty Redwoods with their spongy, furrowed trunks.

It was lovely getting to know John-Paul and Emma and talking through all the plans for their wedding. That’s the beauty of a pre-wedding photoshoot - it’s a chance for everyone to feel at ease with the camera, get to know each other and there’s a great set of photographs to add to the wedding day decor too!

Autumnal wedding at Blackwell Grange

With its picturesque combination of traditional thatched and modern barns, Blackwell Grange in Warwickshire is a really lovely venue to photograph and I was delighted to be there one crisp October Saturday last year to capture the wedding of Emma & Matthew. Guests arrived with groom Matthew on a vintage bus while Emma and the girls got ready in the venue’s Potting Shed rooms. Emma then made the chilly walk through the grounds to the lovely ceremony barn and I have to say she looks so excited on the photographs! The sun shone all day in that lovely way it does in Autumn - warm and low - and we made full use of it, along with the interesting stables and outbuildings for photographs while guests enjoyed pre dinner drinks.

The best photographs come when couples are at ease in front of the lens and Emma & Matthew were so chilled on the day, I think the results speak for themselves. It’s my objective to get to know my clients well in the lead up to the wedding and I remain calm and supportive during what, for many, can seem a really daunting experience. I always say to my clients that it’s best not to perform but to be totally focused on each other - it’s about me capturing a moment between two people, not two people performing to the camera.

Mickleton Hills Farm summer wedding

September last year was a beautifully sunny month. Such a blessing for Jo Jo & Liam who basked in the warmth of the late summer sun at their lovely Cotswolds’ wedding. The day got off to a flying start with Jo Jo’s closest friends preparing for the day ahead, with makeup by Arrianarosebeauty and hair by Mode. The ceremony took place in the impressive surroundings of St James’s Church, Chipping Campden and then guests made their way just over the hill to the lovely Mickleton Hills Farm. This venue is very special and is almost cathedral like in its structure. The summer sun flooded into the reception barn with it’s picture window overlooking the beautiful Cotswolds’ countryside. There was plenty of time for me to photograph the happy couple before their wedding breakfast but as the sun began to set, I persuaded them to come outside again and make the most of the fabulous golden evening light. Such a dream to photograph - and Jo Jo looked amazing in her Suzanne Neville dress.

Chipping Campden Burnt Norton wedding

The setting for Luke & Tessa's summer wedding couldn't have been more idillyc - the romantic Burnt Norton Hall perched high on the edge of the Cotswolds escarpment near Chipping Campden, overlooking the Vale of Evesham. A marquee in the grounds made the most of the impressive backdrop for the couple's reception which followed a ceremony at St James's Church in the centre of Campden. The hot sunshine of the day gave way to balmy summer's evening and as I left, glancing over at the setting sun, the scene of twinkling fairy lights, the clinking of glasses and animated chatter of guests was a perfect end to a perfect day.

African vibes at Cotswolds wedding

When I first spoke to Anna & Tom about their wedding, it was via Skype from their home in Nairobi. Their wedding was to take place in the lovely grounds of Anna's parents' home in Oxfordshire, but their home country became the basis of their theme. They brought Africa back with them, using a Tippee Tent beautifully decorated with vibrant tribal fabrics and birds. Friends from the World over came together to celebrate the occassion and they sure did know how to party!

Zana & Ed's winter Cotswold wedding

Zana & Ed-66

Zana & Ed-68

Zana & Ed-82

Zana & Ed-83

Zana & Ed-95

Zana & Ed-109

Zana & Ed-158

Zana & Ed-169

Zana & Ed-178

Zana & Ed-180

Zana & Ed-183

Zana & Ed-184

Zana & Ed-192

Zana & Ed-199

Zana & Ed-208

Zana & Ed-226

Zana & Ed-349

Zana & Ed-361

Zana & Ed-369

I love Christmas. I love photographing weddings. I really loved photographing this Christmas wedding! Guests braved the stormy conditions to gather at the pretty Cotswold church in Church Westcote near Burford and how beautiful bride and groom Zana & Ed's departure was thanks to nearly a hundred glittering sparklers waved by guests along the church pathway - really stunning. It was then back to Zana's parents house for Champagne,food and fun in a sumptuous marquee.