Helen Lisk Photography

Pynes House, Exeter: a gorgeous Devon wedding venue

Last weekend I had the exciting experience of visiting Pynes House, Exeter, for the first time. It is an amazing Georgian country house that has been beautifully refurbished over the past few years. I am photographing Tessa and Steve's wedding there in December, so we popped over to have a look around. I always love visiting a wedding venue that I haven't been to before, as it gives me the opportunity to start visualising each couple's wedding, and getting a real feel for how things will be on the day. Pynes House is really spectacular, with incredible spaces inside and gorgeous gardens around the exterior. I was so completely wowed that I had to grab a few images along the way. I loved so much about it: the light streaming into the rooms, the gorgeous colours, the original ornate plaster work and the huge windows looking out across the gardens. The grounds are beautiful, with gentle views across the Exe Valley - despite being less than ten minutes from Exeter city centre, you feel that you are completely in the middle of nowhere. There were even friendly sheep with gorgeous lambs that came to say hello to me! So I'm completely smitten, and I can't wait to photograph Tessa and Steve's winter wedding there later this year. For now, here is a little peep around the house and gardens...

Pynes House ceremony room with chairs laid out

Last October, I photographed Clare and David's gorgeous autumn wedding in the Cotswolds. The celebrations took place at Clare's family home, Kiftsgate Court, with the ceremony in nearby Ebrington. Clare looked absolutely amazing, wearing her mother's altered wedding dress for the occasion, which was just gorgeous. Kiftsgate is the most incredible location, with utterly magnificent gardens, which were created and maintained by three generations of women (currently Clare's mother Anne). You can read more about it here, and I would highly recommend a visit if you are in the area!

Despite torrential rain to start the morning, the skies cleared late morning and it turned into the most perfect autumn day. I had arrived to the sight of raincoats and wellies as all the family buzzed around putting the final touches to the marquee, but by the time Clare was upstairs at Kiftsgate having her hair done, there were definite patches of blue sky! Then the sun came out, and stayed well and truly out for the rest of the day.

When the weather plays nicely, I absolutely love weddings in the autumn and winter. The quality of the light can be really amazing, with a gentle softness that you don't get in the warmer months. We were treated to the most incredible golden light, which made the afternoon reception in Kiftsgate's glorious gardens something incredibly special. It was a real treat to watch the sun going down over the Malvern Hills in the distance, and it was a sunset that I'm sure Clare and David will remember forever.

The evening in the marquee was wonderful, with some highly entertaining speeches, a few wandering family dogs, a crisp starry night and some fantastic dance floor action! It was a wonderful day from start to finish and I'm really delighted to share the photographs here on the blog. I hope you enjoy looking through them.

Helen Lisk with her family sitting on the beach together

Now, this is a slightly different post to normal. These beautiful photos are not taken by me, but by the really rather wonderful Sarah Lauren Photography. On this rare occasion, I am actually in the pictures, as these are photographs of my own family, taken earlier last year.

When people get in touch with me to enquire about a photo session for their family, the thing that I hear, again and again, is that there is one person who is never in the photos. Whichever family member loves holding the camera the most - in our case, this is me. Which means that I have so many gorgeous photos of my family, but hardly any with me in them as well. When my children grow up and look back at their family photos, I want them to see us all. I want to capture those moments cuddling and playing with me, not just each other. I want them to have photographs that show their childhood with both their parents in it! Without sounding overly sentimental and making myself cry (too late), I want them to see wonderful images like these, that show beautiful times that we spent together, to capture fragments of their childhood, show them how loved they always were.

Don't keep putting it off. Don't find excuses about how now isn't the best time for it. Just go ahead and grab this time with your family, and make sure you are in the photographs as well. You won't ever regret it.

I love these photographs more than I can ever say. Not just because they are utterly beautiful, with that incredible colour palette: the river, the boats and the sand; the early evening light. But because they capture my family, hanging out on the beach, having fun. A moment in our family history, a little snapshot of our lives to remember forever. All of us together, with me in the picture.

Helen Lisk with her youngest son by the sea

Helen Lisk and family having a beach bbq

Helen Lisk and her family walking on the beach in Devon

All images copyright Sarah Lauren Photography. For more information about Sarah's work, visit her website here.

A North Devon pre-wedding session on the beach

Michaela and Jon have the most fantastic plans for their June wedding. One of the things they really love doing together is spending time in good 'proper' pubs, so they are using this idea to decorate their wedding marquee. As a fellow fan of good 'proper' pubs, I can't wait to see it! They also love spending time on the beach, so this seemed like a great plan for their pre-wedding session, despite it being January and close to zero degrees. We wandered around the sand dunes near Bideford in North Devon, and found this gorgeous spot overlooking the Taw Torridge estuary. A beautiful view, a warm blanket, a flask of hot coffee, a sneaky hip flask and lots of cuddles. And your photographer lurking nearby in the sand dunes. What more could you ask for?! Here is a quick peek at their engagement shoot - now I can't wait for the wedding!