Helen Lisk Photography

Weycroft Hall, Axminster: a spring banquet with homemade details

Great big enormous congratulations to Lelah and James, who got married yesterday! It was my first wedding of 2014 and a fantastic way to start the season. Their ceremony was in the prettiest little church at Musbury, where Lelah's parents and grandparents had also had their own wedding ceremonies. Lelah looked incredible, in an exquisite lace dress by Kate Walker and carrying the most beautiful bouquet by Busy Bees florist. Then they celebrated at Weycroft Hall, a 15th century manor house just outside Axminster. The decoration was very much a homemade affair, with long tables bursting with spring flowers, arranged by a friend, beautiful little handmade bags as favours, with vintage cotton reels marking places, and the whole hall festooned with bunting. I loved the sight of James splitting firewood, just as the guests were filing in to sit down. I don't think I've seen a groom wielding an axe before, but the results were spectacular! It was such a complete pleasure to photograph this beautiful day - here are a few quick preview images:

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You might also be interested to have a look at:

The Barn at South Milton: a humanist ceremony in South Devon
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Polhawn Fort wedding: Claire and Andrew's Cornish celebrations

The Oak Barn at Hittisleigh, Devon: Sarah & Ian's June wedding

Sarah and Ian's wedding took place at The Oak Barn, Hittisleigh. I was so excited to discover this lovely Devon wedding venue. It is tucked away near the edge of Dartmoor, with fabulous views over the moors in one direction and across mid-Devon in the other. It is also a particularly pretty place to get married, with the beautifully tended gardens bursting with flowers, and some really gorgeous spaces, indoor and out, for your wedding celebrations.

Sarah and Ian's wedding day was just lovely. Sarah got ready at their home in Exeter, with two of her sisters, some champagne, Bridesmaids playing on the DVD and a wonderful sense of calm. Then everything took place at The Oak Barn - the ceremony and reception both in the converted barn area, with the guests enjoying a drinks reception in the gardens between the two. Even a few heavy showers didn't halt proceedings, with various garden games and table tennis in the marquee! The Oak Barn looked really brilliant with the long tables laid out for the reception, and I really loved the beautiful flowers provided by Poppy's of Exeter. Also, it can't be every groom that climbs to the top of a human pyramid during the evening reception..?!

One of the absolute highlights for me though, was the first dance that Sarah and Ian performed. Their song of choice was the sublime Business Time by Flight of the Conchords and the dance started with Ian grooving in hopeful circles around Sarah, who was doing a brilliantly disinterested inspection of her nails. After some serious effort, Ian's grooving eventually proved irresistible and he was rewarded with a dance with his new wife. It was hilarious to watch and great to see all their guests laughing away as well. I always love it when couples really stamp their own personalities on their wedding day and do things exactly the way that they want to, and this was one of my favourite first dances ever!

It was a brilliant day to be a part of and Sarah and Ian were such a lovely couple to work with. Here is a look back at their celebrations:

I had a lovely morning recently, photographing three generations of this fabulous family on the beach in Devon. We spent a couple of hours at Teignmouth, which is such a gorgeous location. The colours are just beautiful, with the soft pastel hues of the water and the sand, with all the painted beach huts lined up behind. And, more to the point, I absolutely love being on the beach! Plenty of opportunity for digging in the sand, skimming stones and splashing in the sea, and wandering along the shoreline. It was really wonderful to capture some memories of all the family having fun together. Here are some of the images...

I really love a humanist ceremony, as it is always just so personal to the couple. To be able to photograph a humanist ceremony taking place outdoors with stunning views over the South Devon coastline is something really quite special, so you can imagine why I was so taken with this particular wedding at The Barn at South Milton. The Barn, in South Devon, is an absolutely wonderful venue for a relaxed, rustic, outdoorsy wedding day. With its newly converted barn, a camping field for wedding guests and a beautiful sandy beach just ten minutes walk away, it's a really gorgeous spot for a summer celebration.

I was lucky enough to photograph this beautiful wedding there last summer, and am really pleased to share some of the photographs here on the blog. Paula and Paul opened The Barn at South Milton in spring 2013, so it was still incredibly new as a venue when this wedding took place in July, although you wouldn't have known it. The bride and groom and all their guests were able to share the most wonderful day there, certainly one of the most emotional weddings I've photographed, and just an amazing day of celebration for everyone involved. Starting with the relaxed guest arrivals, beach visits and setting up tents that took place all morning, to the outdoor ceremony on hay bales overlooking the sea. The bride and groom wrote their own vows, the ring bearer wore a spiderman suit, and friends and family spoke and played music during the ceremony. This was followed by drinks in the yard in the sunshine, beautiful sob-inducing speeches in the converted barn and wonderful platters served on long tables for the wedding breakfast. Later on the guests enjoyed the evening sunshine, dancing outside the barn, with swing music from The International Jazz Disaster drifting across the field, children sword-fighting on the hay bales and the sun setting behind the flags. It was magical.

The bride and groom prefer to stay anonymous, but are more than happy to share some of their wedding photos here, particularly to show how wonderful everything was at The Barn. I hope these images give you an idea of how beautiful the day was: