A lovely couple …
I first met the very lovely Rianna and Andy on my pre-wedding shoot. I offer a complimentary pre-wedding shoot with my wedding package, and this gives me a great chance to meet my wedding couples and build a rapor with them before their wedding day. It was easy to get on with Rianna and Andy and I found both of them very personable and enjoyable to be around. No worries about the wedding day….except for one thing…..cows!
A not very ‘amoosing’ dream…
Um, cows you say? Yes, Cows! Rianna and Andy were getting married at a gorgeous venue called The Old Lodge in Minchinhampton, Stroud, Gloucestershire. The venue is stunning and is situated in the heart of Minchinhampton Common, well away from main roads and with unrivalled views of the Cotswolds. There are also herds of cows that graze nearby. Now I’m not sure why but a few weeks before the wedding, I had an awful dream that I was driving to Rianna and Andy’s wedding and I got stuck behind a herd of cows that would not mooooove (uh, I could not resist)… and I had to jump out of my car and grab all my gear and run to the venue! A nightmare more like actually! ‘Udderly ridiculous’….(get it??? ) but still, the dream made me anxious! Anyway, that never happened. On the day of their wedding, I left particularly early and arrived having had no issues with any cows of any kind:)
The very gorgeous Old Lodge …
The Old Lodge is gorgeous! I instantly fell in love with the decor and the views. Oh my word, the views across the Stroud Valley are absolutely incredible! The staff at the Old Lodge were amazing too and the attention to detail was impeccable. I especially loved how friendly and accommodating they were, and I must honestly say, that I would be very excited to shoot another wedding there. The venue is perfectly located and the staff made sure the entire day just ran smoothly. I left feeling like I had shared the day with good friends:)
The ‘I do’s ‘ …
I started photographing an hour before the ceremony was due to start, so we began with a few formal photos of Andy and his family as well as loads of candid shots of Andy and his groomsmen having a drink at the bar and getting their corsages in place. Once Andy was ready, it was time for him to wait for Rianna in the ceremony room. Rianna arrived with her father and she looked absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! Honestly, such a beautiful bride. Her bridesmaids, dressed in matching pink and white polka dot dresses, were waiting for her. Rianna walked down the aisle on her father’s arm and the happy couple were pronounced husband and wife a short while later.
bride and groom portrait shots …
So, this is one of the highlights of a wedding day for me and the part that I do look forward too. Once the bride and groom are married and have relaxed a little (ahem, had a glass of prosecco…) it’s time for me to spend 30 minutes with them capturing some really gorgeous portrait shots. These are the images that will hopefully be made into gorgeous canvases or mounted and framed and will grace the walls of the happy couple’s home for many years to come. I took Andy and Rianna out onto the open common area where the light was absolutely beautiful. I love the light in England. It is soft and gentle and the sky can turn a beautiful ‘baby blue’ in the right light. I spent a short time photographing in this lovely light and then it was time to return to the venue for the speeches and wedding breakfast.
speeches and happy tears …
I always enjoy the speeches. I shoot unobtrusively from a few key locations that I scout out beforehand, but i have to say, I particularly enjoyed these speeches. Andy’s overwhelming love for Rianna was so evident and it was truly heartwarming to see him openly showing his emotions for her and their marriage. I think there were many women in the room that night, that wanted to go home and trade their other halves in for an ‘Andy’. It was lovely to see and there were not many dry eyes around. Myself included.
Time to say goodbye …
Before I left, I took Andy and Rianna out onto the common for one last photograph in the early evening light. It had just started to rain softly and the light was so pretty.
Thank you Andy and Rianna for choosing me as your wedding photographer. It was an honor and a delight to photograph your Cotswold wedding:)
wedding photographer Gloucestershire | The old Lodge Minchinhampton wedding | wedding photographer Stroud | wedding photographer Cirencester
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