IF YOU’RE PLANNING A SMALLER MORE INTIMATE WEDDING AND MAYBE A GARDEN PARTY RECEPTION YOU’LL FIND HEAPS OF INSPIRATION FROM THIS WEDDING! INCLUDING THE BEST WEDDING PRESENT EVER!
When Sarah and Venetia first got in touch with me about their wedding, I was so thrilled – they were planning a beautiful outdoor wedding with an intimate ceremony and drinks and meal in the garden for the reception. Sarah and Venetia are the loveliest people and I couldn’t wait to shoot their wedding!
The excitement before the wedding
I began photographing all the preparations and excitement before the ceremony at Sarah and Venetia's lovely home in Oxfordshire. Many of the couple’s friends and family were already staying at the house, and neighbours were calling by, which made for a lovely atmosphere during the last minute preparations for this Oxfordshire Wedding day. and it was all so much fun, because it was also a chance for me to get to know everyone a little better and to scout out the garden for good locations for photographs later.
Venetia was wearing a beautifully fitting white lace dress and Sarah wore a stunning trouser suit and they looked really incredible. We managed to capture some special photographs out in the garden, of Sarah and Venetia with their lovely sons, before all heading off to the wedding ceremony in the local town hall. Sarah had told me before, that their garden and gardening, were very important to Venetia, so I was pleased to start taking photographs there and make sure I got plenty of pictures outside. The rest of the friends and family headed off to the ceremony, leaving just Sarah and Venetia (and me with my camera!) alone in the house for a last few moments together before setting off to get married.
One of my
favourite photographs from this wedding
is the one here of Venetia just checking Sarah's corsage for her; the look of love and pride in Sarah's eyes as she looks on at Venetia, was just such an honour and pleasure to witness and capture with my camera for them.
The moment passed so briefly, and could have been missed, but not by me and my camera! I look for the fleeting glances, those special moments of connection, which people may not even be aware of at the time, that would be forgotten or lost forever,
One of my favourite photographs from this wedding day, is the one here of Venetia just checking Sarah's corsage for her; the look of love and pride in Sarah's eyes as she looks on at Venetia, was just such an honour and pleasure to witness and capture with my camera for them. The moment passed so briefly, and could have been missed, but not by me and my camera! I look for the fleeting glances, those special moments of connection, which people may not even be aware of at the time, that would be forgotten or lost forever, had I not been there, observant and ready with my camera and my photographer’s eye. And then in a flash, we were off to the ceremony.
The ceremony
The wedding took place at the local registration office, and was a beautiful registry office ceremony. They had some beautiful readings, which everyone enjoyed. After the ceremony there was a big cheer from everyone, and then the happy couple were totally showered with confetti, as everyone piled outside into the grounds for one huge group photo and a few other photos of close family. Then, with the formal part of the day done, we all headed back for the garden party reception at the wedding couple's home.
The reception
The wedding reception took place in a large marquee, in Sarah and Venetia's beautifully colourful garden., which they’d decorated with beautiful fresh flowers everywhere. It was light and airy, and the air was filled with the fragrance of fresh cut flowers, which looked delightful and created a lovely rural atmosphere.
It was a beautifully sunny day, which was glorious. While the guests enjoyed canapes and cocktails, the couple mingled while I took candids.
My favourite photo from the afternoon is when Venetia's surprise wedding present arrived for Sarah - in the middle of the speeches - it was a beautiful russet coloured PUPPY!!! Check her out in the photos below!
During the reception they all shared a delicious meal with friends and family, which everyone loved. For the wedding breakfast they had a hog roast, and it was really tasty. After lots of chatting and laughter and a fabulous choice of desserts, the couple had their first dance and the party really got started. They also had a few more couples photographs together, and then lots of natural and candid photos of family and friends, which I always enjoy capturing. The puppy had been kept as a surprise by living with a close friend a few doors away. She settled in to the party atmosphere very quickly and received heaps of love and cuddles. And of course, Sarah absolutely adored her.
Top tip for planning a wedding
One of the memorable things about Sarah and Venetia's intimate garden party wedding, was the fabulous atmosphere, this wedding couple had been through a lot to get to where they were today, and they said that they could not have got through it all, without the support of their lovely friends and family - the love, pride and support for this wedding couple was plain to see. And you can see this in the wedding photographs. So their top tip would be invite all those who are truly special to you and you will have a fabulous day.
Kind words
“Jo was our wedding photographer - but very quickly, she became our good friend too! Not only did she capture fabulous and amazing photographs, but she also has a lovely, bright personality and just really blended in quickly and easily, and clicked with all our guests, across all ages. We were a little nervous about having a photographer because neither of us is particularly happy in front of the camera, but Jo so quickly put us at ease, she made the photographs a really relaxing and fun part of our day and contributed a lot to making our day special and memorable. Thank you Jo, you are a skilled and talented photographer, we really love our wedding photos, and you are just fabulous!”
So this was Venetia and Sarah’s small intimate wedding ceremony and garden party story.
Here are some other awesome Summer weddings for inspiration! If you’re getting married and looking for a wedding photographer, in Oxford, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, London, Berkshire, the South East of England, UK, then please do get in touch.
