Bristol Marriott Hotel wedding: a preview of Holly and Ian's day




I had a wonderful time in Bristol on Saturday, photographing Holly and Ian's lovely wedding celebrations.  I loved Holly's quirky wedding shoes from Irregular Choice, and her gorgeous dress by Charlie Brear.  Ivory Flowers provided absolutely stunning arrangements, with delicate shades of blue and white flowers, presented in milk bottles and jam jars.  Their wedding ceremony took place at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, then guests wandered down to the Watershed and enjoyed a boat trip around the Docks.  This was followed by a relaxed afternoon at the amazing Pump House gastropub in Hotwells, with course after course of incredible food, and then a brilliant evening's dancing with The Disco Shed.  This came with the highly entertaining and unusual twist of a silent disco at the end of the evening - when it was too late for the loud music to continue, the guests simply donned their brightly-coloured headphones and carried on dancing.  Meanwhile, all that everyone else could hear was the shuffling of feet and the ecstatic singing of the dancers during the chorus of each big track.  It was a great way to round off the day, and I don't remember the last time I laughed so much at a wedding!

Congratulations Holly and Ian!  I hope that you both have an amazing honeymoon.  In the meantime, here is a little preview from your day:




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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:



Thank you for visiting my blog!  If you enjoyed these images then please do also visit me on Facebook and 'like' my page - your support is very much appreciated xx


You might also be interested to have a look at:

The Barn at South Milton: a humanist ceremony in South Devon
A wedding at River Cottage HQ: Lucy and Scott get married in East Devon
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: