Leah and Tom – a village wedding

Back in May, Terri from Summer Lily Studio asked me to photograph her best friend’s wedding alongside her, as she was to be a bridesmaid! It was to be a local village wedding in the bride’s home of Blunham, with the ceremony taking place at the local church and the reception at The Horseshoes pub next door! The bride’s home was so close by, that she even walked down the street to her ceremony, it was a breathtaking sight! The wedding was overall very traditional but with a few twists, the ushers wore suave burgundy suits, and the bridesmaids wore black wiggle dresses with 1950’s beehives! Another adorable feature were the flower girls, the bride’s daughters, who wore white feather wings and they looked like little angels. It was such a laid back and friendly wedding and I enjoyed every second of the day, even if I did only stay until the wedding breakfast! 

Janine and Tom – a relaxed, outdoor wedding

On a beautiful sunny day in May, I second shot for Summer Lily Studio at the gorgeous South Farm in Hertfordshire. The lovely couple, Janine and Tom, decided to marry outdoors in the little wooden pagoda on the lake behind the farmhouse. It was a beautiful location and all the guests were really moved by the stripped back and heartfelt ceremony. The couple laughed and giggled and whispered in each other’s ears throughout, it was a pleasure to capture. We completed the ceremony with some beautiful backlit confetti shots, and then stole the couple away for a few romantic shots alone. South farm really is a beautiful location and there were some amazing hideaways where the couple could have a few secluded moments together. The reception took place in the barn, lit with fairy lights and decorated with cute, rustic details. The speeches were incredibly moving, and during the father of the bride’s speech, he revealed where the couple would be flying to on their surprise honeymoon. The look on Janine’s face was priceless. The day ended with a beautiful sunset and some rather hilarious drunken bridesmaid photos! It was an amazing day.

Lauren and Chris – a half Greek wedding

May was such a busy month for me and Summer Lily Studio. The third wedding in May that we shot together was that of Lauren and Chris, a stunning blonde from Letchworth and a handsome greek boy from Enfield. In the morning, Terri visited the bride at her mother’s house and I headed off to the groom’s parents house in London. The groom prepared for his wedding day by taking part in a traditional greek ceremony, where they used a cut-throat razor to shave his face and each family member dressed him in a different item of clothing. Meanwhile a band played greek music and everyone sang and danced, the atmosphere was incredible! The pair were then married at the Jehovah’s witness church in Letchworth, and the reception was at the gorgeous Sopwell House. These two were honestly the most beautiful couple I have ever seen and so kind hearted too. I hope you enjoy my account of the day below.

Emma and Jamie – a sun soaked wedding

In May, I had the pleasure of second shooting for Summer Lily Studio once again. I love working with her! The gorgeous couple were Emma and Jamie, and they were seriously one of the cutest couples ever! Whenever you saw them together, you could just tell how much they loved each other – the way he made her laugh and the way she made him smile.
The ceremony took place at the beautiful Meppershall Church, with the bride arriving in a vintage museum owned car! The reception was then held at Beadlow Manor Golf Club nearby, which looked absolutely gorgeous soaked in sunshine. We took the newlyweds off for a wander around the golf course and gardens where we caught some amazing moments. The sun was bright, but it really did look magical shining through the trees behind the bride and groom. It was a warm and beautiful day all round, hope the weather stays this nice for the whole summer!

Jade and Paul – a rainbow wedding

Jade and Paul’s wedding day took place on the 3rd May this year, and was my first solo wedding! I was super nervous to begin with, but once I got into the swing of the day, it was an absolute pleasure to shoot!

Their day was very quiet and relaxed with only 20 guests in total invited to the ceremony alone. Jade and Paul are a modest and understated couple, they didn’t want a great big bells and whistles wedding, they wanted a day that was about them and their loved ones. They didn’t need to spend much to get the feel that they wanted and used the family’s talent in all aspects of the day.

Jade’s dress was made completely from scratch by her mother, and her hair and makeup was done by her younger sister. The ceremony took place at Hemel Hempstead Registry office, which was an absolutely gorgeous Georgian style house. The wedding breakfast was held at The Chequers Pub in Redbourne, and they even had me sit and eat fish and chips with the family! Because of the day’s relaxed feel, there were no speeches at the meal, but as it was such a small gathering and everyone was so close, they weren’t really needed. Finally their Reception was at Harpenden town hall, which was decorated with paper pom poms of all colours and rainbow bunting. It looked adorable! Their wedding cake was made by Jade’s mum (a woman of many talents!) and was pure white on the outside, but when cut, revealed a cakey rainbow on the inside!

The whole day was so beautiful and it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of. I loved every cute little detail and every emotion I captured on the day. I can’t wait for my next wedding!

Natalie and Ben – engagement at Horwood House

Last month, Darren from Miles of Smiles invited me along to take photos of an engagement shoot with him. This was a great opportunity as I will also be photographing this cute couple’s wedding with him in August! For the shoot we visited their wedding venue – Horwood House. It was one of the warmest days in May, and certainly made it a challenge to shoot against the harsh shadows that the sun was creating. Natalie and Ben were a super comfortable, fun loving couple, who were up for pretty much anything! We even managed to get some cows involved in their shoot! It was a good laugh and I very much look forward to shooting their wedding alongside Darren in August.

Louise and Andrew – an April bloom wedding

Back in April I was invited to second shoot alongside the lovely Marie Wootton of Marie Wootton Photography. The wedding itself was at the Felix Hotel in Cambridge and the lovely couple were Louise and Andrew. It was an incredibly relaxed wedding, with an outdoor ceremony where the whole family walked down the aisle together. It was a beautiful sight. The bride wore a gorgeous 1950s style ‘Marilyn’ dress and the flowers were all bight blues, purples and pinks. The couple opted in to have a ‘First Look’ as well which was a beautiful touch, watching the groom see his bride for the first time was truly heartwarming. It was a really amazingly emotional day and I am so glad to have been invited along to share in the experience. I had so much fun shooting alongside Marie and hope to work with her again in the future! 

Lucy and Matt – exploring leighton engagement shoot

Matt moved over to England from South Africa when he was little and attended University in Southampton. There he met the craziest, weirdest girl ever – Lucy. He knew she was the girl for him. Time passed and each year Lucy would wonder when she was going to be proposed to, telling all her friends that it would probably never happen. They bought their very first house together last year and all their attention turned to DIY. When Matt took Lucy away to Naples in Italy last October, she thought nothing of it. He had been planning his proposal for a long time, and Italy seemed the perfect location. It was a complete surprise to Lucy and she burst into tears of happiness!
This adventurous couple’s engagement shoot covered three different locations around their new hometown, Leighton Buzzard. We visited the Bluebell woods, which matched Lucy’s beautiful blue stone engagement ring, next we visited some bright yellow fields to reflect their shining personalities. And finally we visited the gorgeous Rushmere Park, with many hidden curiosities that lay beneath the tall trees, to of course appeal to their sense of adventure.
This couple were up for anything and their shoot turned out to be so fun yet so intimate. It was one of my favourites yet! I hope you enjoy!

Jade and Paul – a woodland engagement

Jade worked in HR with me in my day job, and approached me the week before she left in search of a wedding photographer! After talking wedding plans and seeing some of my work, she went ahead and booked me for their May wedding! So, at the end of March, we met for their engagement shoot. Jade and Paul had met while camping and therefore wanted to bring back some of those memories during a woodland stroll around Ashridge Park, Berkhamstead. We even managed to find a little tent made of sticks which the couple loved! After initially being a little nervous, these two blossomed in front of the camera and I got some beautiful shots of them. I simply cannot wait for their wedding on 3rd May!

Jenny and Steve – a Sunrise Engagement Shoot

Terri from Summer Lily Studio invited me along to a sunrise engagement shoot back in January.  I had never shot at this time of day before so I thought it would be a great opportunity to practice. Plus I second shot at their wedding on the 22nd February, so I got to meet this lovely couple beforehand, which is always a good thing, that way they will be more comfortable with me on their big day! Jenny and Steve are an incredibly lovely and fun-loving couple, they were up for anything! We took the photos down on Harpenden Common, the village where they will be wed! I love the way the photos have come out, with the orange rays of light seeping in at the corners of the photos. I would love to try more sunrise shoots in future!