Pennyhill Park Hotel
Eva & Ollie
In August I was at Pennyhill Park to shoot Eva and Ollie’s wedding. It was my first time there and it’s a picturesque, sprawling hotel with some beautiful gardens, ornate features everywhere and is a perfect all in one location for a wedding.
I was lucky enough to have Ollie nearby for photos. It’s always good to get both sides of prep, even though with the guys there is less to shoot (the rings, buttonholes, pants, hairy legs etc…. as I sometimes feel the boys can be left behind. It’s their story too.
On the brides side, Eva’s prep was a light and happy one, at least until ‘Hairspraygate’ (below) where super strong hairspray was used to fix the makeup. Which is the wrong sort apparently!
I was there early enough to see the rehearsal too as we had a decent number of flower girls, ushers, bridesmaids and Pennyhill Park has a long walk down to the gazebo.
After the ceremony we had a nice long period of time for the reception. It allowed me plenty of time to get all the shots I could possibly need as well as some cool portraits with the bridal party as well as making good use of the gardens. It was important for Eva and Ollie too as for the last few years they had both been living and working in Australia as doctors which kept them away from family and friends.
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Yet, despite this I’ve not been back to Cornwall since, at least not until Domi and Phil booked me for their wedding at St Enodoc Church in Trebetherick. From that moment I had been counting down the day to my return….
After the ceremony we headed back to Domi’s parents for a reception in a Yurt where the September sun kept us warm. The speeches took place outside followed by a Conga to the beach. 
One of the biggest plus points of my job is being able to make friends with the couples I shoot. It doesn’t happen 100% of the time but a wedding becomes more personal when it does. It’s exciting to meet ‘your couple’ for the first time and a bit of a buzz when you ring their doorbell or see them across a noisy coffee shop.
Nick got ready at home while Charlotte was at the family home near the church. Because of the close proximity to everything they walked to the church with the guys meeting up at the Plough at the bottom of church lane.
Pyecombe church is pretty special inside, well lit and cosy. A cute church and one which matched Charlotte and Nick. It was personal.
Gorgeous huh?
A couples shoot is a wonderful way of getting closer together, to zone out, put your phones away and enjoy each others company.
Kimberley needed help getting into field two (there was some nettles) so James and I pretty much launched her over, she screamed, we laughed and the shoot continued.
Todays show and tell is from Gemma and Chris’s mid April wedding in Keston. The day started with Gemma at the family home and once ready, we all walked down the road together to Herberts restaurant for the ceremony. This was a small and personal affair followed by lunch and a trip back to the house. This day was far from over though as 2 miles away there was a village hall ready and waiting for a massive party to take place!
At around 6pm everyone started to arrive at Keston Village Hall and soon it was packed out. A stage was used for speeches, there was dinner for everyone and the floor filled with dancing. As the hours ticked by there was stage diving, can canning, an attempt at a conga and one person fell down like a sack of spuds mid spin…which are all the signs of a really good night!
I totally loved the relaxed vibe a wedding like this brought. Due in part to Gemma and Chris themselves and all the lovely folks they have as friends. They really made the wedding what it was. 
Here are some shots from Isobel and Jonny’s wedding at Upwaltham Barns this April. They were married on a Monday which is uncommon, but their first date was on the 20th, Jonny proposed on the 20th of April and so it followed that the wedding date needed to be the same too!