Cripps Barn
Amy & Lee

Cripps Barn Autumn Wedding

I’m back at Cripps Barn with Amy and Lee’s Wedding from the first week of November. I was able to jump between the two of them during prep with Amy choosing to get ready at the New Inn, with Lee at the Village Pub in Barnsley. Special mention goes to Lee’s choice of suit, I really liked it. Especially the woven tie thing, really nice.

Amy’s choice of flowers and shrug reflected the time of year nicely and as you’ll see further down, November seems to be a good time for weddings in regards the weather. It was last year, and the year before that.

Amy’s dad was from the Black country but it didn’t make a bit of difference when she joined him for the trip to the barn. I can take thousands of photos at a wedding but it’s these moments between moments that I never tire of.

Once at Cripps Barn I found Lee waiting for the ceremony to start and that they’d decorated the aisle with tall lanterns, candles above the mantlepiece and flower chandeliers hanging from the roof.

Cripps Barn Autumn Wedding

Ceremonies here are always like a big group hug and they’re lovely to be a part of. Once they’d said their vows we took full advantage of the nice weather. Something has to be mentioned about this particular time of year at Cripps Barn. It’s the leaves. They go a gorgeous amber / orange and absolutely carpet the wooded area. When the sun cuts through the leaves it’s something to behold. A true photographers dream.

You can do all the family formals with a backdrop like that (see the images below). I’ve never had bad family photos at Cripps Barn as there’s always somewhere to go but I’ve never had any quite so nice as at this wedding.

Cripps Barn Autumn Wedding

Once we’d finished, dinner kicked off the late afternoon and the woodland feel and decor continued around the tables.

Leave a commentCripps Barn, Cripps Stone Barn, Elmore Court, Wedding Photography

Andaz Hotel Wedding in London

Andaz Hotel London Wedding
Elaine & Simon

Andaz Hotel Wedding Photography in the Masonic Temple

Elaine and Simon’s wedding in early October was the first time I’d been to the Andaz Hotel in London and what an epic wedding this was.This sprawling boutique hotel is full of subtle lighting and shiny surfaces which proved exceptionally useful for photos throughout the day.

 

I started off upstairs in the deluxe suite with Elaine, her mum and bridesmaids and after a short time I went downstairs to the gym area when Simon and the guys were getting ready. The gym was a great area to shoot in, you might not think it but the different textures and contrast really helped me to frame the photos before going back to the girls to finish up their prep shots.

Their ceremony was in the Fenchurch room and after the ceremony they exited to a wall of confetti from the guests with their reception drinks being held in the Masonic Temple.

Before they went there though I wanted to make use of the space so for five minutes set up a cool group shot (see above) as well as some photos of just Elaine and Simon using the ceiling above as well as the steps into the temple.

Andaz Hotel Wedding Photography

We then caught a cab to the Royal Exchange which took about five minutes and surprisingly there wasn’t a soul to be seen. It was completely still. Usually the Royal Exchange is a buzz of tourists but on this occassion there wasn’t anyone around so we absolutely made the most of the opportunity.

When we returned dinner was due to be served in the 1901 room. This space worked really well with one half being set for dinner, the other for the dancefloor and DJ. Elaine and Simon do win the best cake / sweet table of the year, it was so pretty to look at and the cake beng surrounded by a wall of white chocolate on each tier was pretty special too!

Before dinner there was the tea ceremony where gifts and regards were given, then dinner and speeches followed.

Elaine and Simon had some post wedding games before their dance. Their master of ceremonies helped to orchestrate these involving such things a ‘Can you identify each other by touch’ – ‘Can you kick an egg in a straight line with a tiny shoe on the end of a string’ and ‘Can you trace an egg from one trouser leg to the other’!

Andaz Hotel Wedding Photography

When it came to the first dance I wasn’t fully aware of what was going to happen. As in a top secret nobody told me full on flash mob with Simon and his groomsmen. It started off as a completely normal first dance, slow and steady, then the confetti went off and we thought that was it. But what actually happened was Elaine got led to a chair and a good 5 minutes of spinning, backflips, electric slides and blow up dolls took over.

The whole thing was amazing to be a part of, although I spent a lot of time thinking OMG OMG OMG to try and anticipate the next shot so I could nail it. Ha.

Leave a commentAndaz Hotel London, London Wedding Photography, Wedding Photography

COuples engagement shoot in the Cotswolds

Two days in the Cotswolds
Ye Vonn & Nicholas

Cotswold Couple Shoot

Normally when I’m asked for a couples shoot they last 1-2 hours but with Ye Vonn and Nicholas their shoot was a 10 hours across two days sort of affair.

They are from and are getting married in Malaysia but beforedoing so they wanted to have some photos in the UK, namely in the cotswold area.

We started off the day before at Buckland Manor, Broadway where we made the most of the grounds and beautiful sunset. The next day we headed off to Cotswold Lavender where you can get permission to shoot amongst the gorgeous Lavender fields. We were lucky in that a week later it was going to be harvested.

We also stopped by some of the local landmarks at every opportunity and grabbed photos there as well before ending off in a village nearby to capture the spirit of the buildings.

This was a massive shoot compared to those I normally do, with make up and costume changes. There was so many photos at the end of it.

Here are a selection of my favourites from the day:

Cotswold Couple Shoot

Leave a commentBuckland Manor, couple shoots, Engagement Shoots, Wedding Photography