Bride and Bloom at Barns & Yard of Hanley Hall

During the summer I was asked by Hannah, of Bride & Bloom, if I would be interested in capturing some of her work at a new Wedding venue called Barns & Yard. Having worked with Hannah on several occasions I just knew this would be an amazing opportunity , and having a little look at the venue I jumped at the chance.

On the day the flowers did not disappoint, the pastel colour palette was perfect and the arrangements just looked so natural in their surroundings, an unusual challenge to make them look as though they are not a permanent fixture in the courtyard! The flowers were displayed in a number of areas, the main features being the floral archway, and isle runners, set out with benches (supplied by barebones) to create a wedding ceremony setting. And a perfect setting this would be, it was easy to imagine a beautiful, intimate outdoor ceremony taking place here. Inside the venue the focus shifted to table flowers both on the tables and at the foot of the tables, making a perfect area for a wedding reception, Bride and Bloom assisted by Laura of Studio 81 Events did an amazing job.

As for the venue, wow! I love the place, Barns & Yard of Hanley Hall, Worcestershire is the perfect rural get away, nestled in the Malvern hills this place would make the perfect setting for an intimate wedding or party. I can imagine this place would suit those that don’t necessarily have hundreds of guests but have their priorities in sharing their time and memories with close friends and family. The venue almost has a continental feel, it would be easy to imagine you are spending time in the grounds of a luxury French Chateau. The barn and farm cottages date back to Tudor times, it is this character that has been tastefully restored and combined with stylish contemporary details that just make the place perfect. To set the scene further the courtyard is faced on one side by the Barn itself and then on the other aspects by accommodation that can be individual apartments or interconnected to make one big friendly space for sharing special times.

For the photographs I had the freedom to capture things in my own way, I chose to shoot on a combination of digital and classic analog film, it is said that good photographs need an interesting subject matter, the flowers in this location ticked this box, good composition and good lighting, the light was perfect, yes the sun was shining but the location provided perfect shapes ands shadows to fulfil this requirement.

Barns & Yard is a venue I would definitely recommend and a wedding venue I would definitely love to return to, so if your planning your wedding then do not hesitate to get in touch!

Intimate Broadfield Court Wedding Photography - Abbie & Connor

An Autumnal Broadfield Court Wedding

It was a beautiful autumn day at the wonderful Broadfield Court as the orange and yellow leaves on the trees were starting to fall and the temperature was starting to cool a little, but it was a perfect day for the family wedding of Abbie and Connor.

The wedding was shared with close family and friends and had the feel of a traditional family gathering, just the vibe that was sought, to extend the family theme Abbie’s sister was a bridesmaid and Connors brother was his best man, all of whom looked fantastic, finished off with some perfectly matched flowers by May Rose Floral Design.

Broadfield is an outstanding country house with visible layers of history running through its architecture and interior style and design. Hidden away at the end of its long drive, surrounded by woodland, flower gardens, walled food gardens and orchards this exclusive hire wedding venue is the perfect escape from any outside distractions to make a wedding the special and memorable occasion that it should be. And for Abbie and Connor this was certainly the case.

If your planning your Broadfield wedding then do not hesitate to get in touch.

A Beautiful home garden Wedding - Will & Ruth

For the Love of People and Wedding Photography

I absolutely loved Photographing this rural Herefordshire home Wedding. The prep was at the Cider House, Bredenbury, The Ceremony at St Dubricius Church and the amazing reception was at the family home.

I think the main reason for loving this day was the Reminder, and similarities to my own wedding day, albeit 24 years when I was a little slimmer and had a lot more hair, well, when I had hair! Will and Ruth were married by the family Vicar, we were married by my Uncle, a Priest. both were Church Ceremonies and then it was back to Will’s parents for the reception, for us, it was back to my parents for the reception, and for both weddings the Sun was certainly shining!

A Beautiful, Personal home wedding in the sun

The fact that the reception was at home made the day very special, not only that, Will’s best men were his brothers which made things even more personal, getting married and sharing memories in the home in which they grew up, created memories and eventually left to start their own lives, so the day was also a beautiful family reunion and a perfect way to formally welcome Ruth and her family into the creation of one big family.

The garden area was made even more special with the addition of a Marquee from Burgoynes, where guest were seated for the delicious food from Taste, The bride looked amazing in a perfect dress for the day from Suzanne Neville, hair and Makeup was through Natasha LoUise. The beautiful Flowers were done by themselves, friends and family.

If your planning your wedding day then do not hesitate to get in touch!

Bredenbury Court Wedding Photography, Morgan & Kirsty

The Wedding photographers perspective

A fantastic time was had by all at the Wedding of Morgan and Kirsty, held at the newly developed but more than impressive Bredenbury Court.

When I first met the Bride and Groom to be over a Coffee they said they had approached me because they they liked my natural documentary style and approach, we discussed my work ethic and our mutual belief that the wedding day should be recorded as it is, for in years to come you want to look back at who you, and those around you were, without hiding the things we do or did, like smoking or drinking, rather than an edited ‘social media’ version of ourselves.

We went on to discuss the more important subject of TV programmes, I recommended ‘Norsemen’ and they recommended ‘Lillyhammer’ then we parted.

The venue itself, the former St Richards school, in the heart of the rural Herefordshire countryside has only recently opened its doors as a wedding venue, and does not disappoint.  Bredenbury Court is now a delightful exclusive use country barn wedding venue, with a luxury main barn and a smaller naturally lit ceremony room.  The venue also boasts B&B rooms, and a bridal party pre-wedding preparation room ‘the beauty booth’ and again does not fail to impress with its natural light casting perfect shades and shadows.

A perfect Wedding at Herefordshires Bredenbury Court

The day flowed perfectly, the bride looked amazing in her dress from Georgina Scott Bridal the groom and his groomsmen definitely looked great in their tweed green suits.  The Venue looked amazing styled by The Cotswold Wedding Company. The ceremony ran smoothly and the post ceremony drinks created a relaxed and warm atmosphere before the wedding breakfast.  Which led on the the speeches with only one wording error to almost everyone’s enjoyment! And Finally the Cutting of the Cake made by McGowan Cakes.

Would I like to return the Bredenbury Court? Definitely, so if your planning your wedding then do not hesitate to get in touch.

Quantock Lakes, Wedding Photography, Sammi & Adey

From the moment we booked Matt we were excited to see what our wedding photographs would look like and he definitely didn't disappoint. Matt's unique, documentary style photography captured all the emotions of the day without being invasive or forced. Matt's communication was great and he worked seamlessly with our videographer. Adey and I are completely blown away by our pictures and can't thank you enough!

Sammi & Adey

Quantock Lakes, Wedding Photographer

When Sammi and Adey first got in touch to ask if I would cover their wedding day at the award-winning barn wedding venue Quantock Lakes in Somerset I had a quick look at their website and said yes, definitely.  I then took a moment out to have a little look on the map, not where Quantock Lakes was, not even where Inwood Farm near Nether Stowey was, but slightly broader, where Somerset was!!  Sure I’ve been there before, passed through it many times, but at the end of the day I’m a Northerner and these Southern counties all start to merge at some point, I suppose like Lancashire and Yorkshire are pretty much the same to someone from the South of England, Oh no no no, how very wrong!!!  Anyway I have digressed, back to the wedding, let’s just say it was a ‘Destination Wedding’, making me a ‘Destination Wedding photographer’!!

The venue itself far exceeded my expectations and was an absolute delight to photograph.  Set in the heart of the beautiful Somerset countryside with a backdrop of the Quantock hills this family run wedding venue has so many possibilities for any size wedding, and lots of little details to add to the experience; landscaped lawns, wild meadows, a fire pit, an ancient Oak tree with rope swing and a jetty across one of the lakes.  

On the day the bride, groom, friends and family all prepared themselves in the luxury barn conversions, plenty of room and no fear of the couple bumping into each other.  These buildings are a blank canvas for photography, with pristine clean white wall and natural light spilling through each window.  Then onto the ceremony, this was held in the romantic rustic barn before drinks and photographs outside the main Quantock Barn, this was also the area for the evenings activities after dinner and speeches in the meadow barn.

Relaxed documentary style photography at Quantock Lakes

The day was relaxed, very relaxed, before the ceremony I found myself wondering if I had missed something, should I have been somewhere? double checking my timings it turned out that things were just running extremely smoothly and everyone was just chilled out, well I say everyone, Adey, the groom said he was chilled but seemed to be getting in his daily steps out on the Patio!

Overall this was an amazing day with a fantastic couple, lots of laughs, a few emotions! and everything in between, as for everything else I will just let the photographs do the talking. 

Videography by KM Videography, Florist Fleur Amour Wedding Florist, Dress by Laura May Bridal, Suits by Slaters, Hair & Make Up - Jenna McDonnell, Guitarist - Tom Sutch.

Wedding Photographer at Stanbrook Abbey, Rachael & Mark

Choosing a great photgrapher felt like such an important part of the wedding to get right and inevitably there is an element of trust involved. We're so glad we went with Matt, he really delivered for us on the day and exceeded our expectations.  He listened to what we wanted from the photographs (a balance between traditional and creative) and delivered what we were looking for perfectly. We had family children at the wedding and it was important to us that we had some nice photos of them enjoying the day. Matt got some fantastic photos that are loved by our whole family. Matt did such a good job at almost being invisible on the day, so we also have lots of amazing natural and unguarded shots as we were unaware that he was there snapping away. We love our photos and would definitely recommend Matt!

Rachael & Mark

Stanbrook Abbey Wedding Photography

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the wonderful Stanbrook Abbey as a Photographer for the Wedding of Rachael and Mark, and what a fantastic experience it was. It was clear from the start that the day wasn’t just about the marrying couple but as much about bringing the family together to join in the celebration.

So as the Photographer my aim was clear, as usual to act as a documentary wedding photographer, capturing the day as it unfolds but also with the additional focus on the group and family photographs. Although not unusual as I fully appreciate the importance of the family photographs here it just seemed that little bit more important to the couple.

I started the day with a brief visit to the venue, I had previously met the couple there for a coffee but this was one dark and raining evening in March, so it was nice to have a good look around and to start capturing some of the scene setting establishing shots. It was then off to the brides house to join her and a few of her close friends whilst they were getting ready, the sun was shining and the atmosphere was relaxed so all was good.

I returned to the venue shortly before the ceremony, capturing the Groom as he made his final preparations and greeted guests as they arrived. The bride was led down the aisle of the Callow Great Hall by a young page boy and her bridesmaids, the surroundings of this grand former chapel making this a rather special moment.

After the ceremony it was into the sun for the tradition of Confetti throwing, drinks and and the family and group photographs. I then spent a little time with the bride and groom firstly outside by the lake then inside to enjoy a little bit of the natural light and classical backdrop of this fantastic venue.

The day continued as guests were led into the St Annes Hall for dining, speeches and a short break before the dancing started. Overall this was a beautiful family orientated day, but my writing does the day no justice so lets just look at the pictures!

Flowers by Rebecca Kate Flowers Make up Sasha Brown Make up artist Hair Stylist Tabitha MacCurragh-Paine Dress by Bridal Boutique Warwickshire LOVE Letters from The Wedding House Cake from The Green Bean Cake Company

If you are planning your Stanbrook Abbey Wedding and looking at Wedding Photographers then do not hesitate to get in touch.