Having an old school friend ask you to photograph his wedding will forever be an awesome thing to happen. It’s great to be such an important part of the day, plus the fact that we know each other and I know a whole bunch of guests just takes the edge off and is always a good laugh.

Owlpen Manor is a new venue for me and one that I’d absolutely love to head back to. Nestled in what felt like literally the middle of nowhere, everything is right there on site for an awesome wedding. Accommodation, loads of land, beautiful countryside, beautiful gardens. The list goes on.

We kicked things off with Sophia getting ready in the little Apple Loft  bridal suite, while Elliot was with the boys over in the Grist Mill. After saying my hellos, I made went for a sighting lap of the venue to get a feel for it and snap plenty of scene-setting images for their gallery. I then stuck around with Sophia and the bridesmaids in the morning, where spirits were high and I knew we were in for a right laugh.

The weather certainly wasn’t on our side. You’d think July 30th would be pretty decent weather, but then again this is England. So it was heaving it down with rain while Sophia ran from the loft to the ceremony. This also meant that we had hardly any natural light in the ceremony room, so we were reliant on just a few little lamps. Very cosy!

Right on time, as soon as the ceremony was over, the sun popped out as we all headed out into the gardens for a few too many drinks. Sophia dropping a canapé down her dress was a particular highlight, but Sophia being Sophia, this certainly didn’t dampen her spirits whatsoever.

The group shots ended up deteriorating into what felt like chaos, with Elliot being thrown into the air and doing his best airplane impression. He is a pilot, after all. I even ended up in some of the group shots, what a treat.

After speeches and dinner, it was back on the booze for what was shaping up to be a rowdy one. But I wasn’t quite expecting how rowdy it would end up being. 90’s banger after 90’s banger descended upon Owlpen Manor with one of the liveliest dance floor’s I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t even want to leave, so much so that I ended up staying past midnight to capture the carnage. The photos really do speak for themselves!

Everything we could’ve hoped for and more. Stuart is down to earth and easy to get on with. Communication was clear and thorough leading up to the wedding so we knew what to expect on the day. He had no problem with travelling over 2 hours to the venue and stayed long into the night. Highly highly recommend. 

Florist: Caroline Clements Flowers

Catering: Well Seasoned Cotswold Caterers

Pizza: Cotswold Pizza Co