April 14, 2020

Swynford Manor Wedding Photography - Aimee and Max

April 14, 2020/ Elizabeth Young

It’s been a little while since I last blogged an Individual wedding and I’m currently working through a few weddings from last year. During the downtime, I have not had downtime for years! It’s a little strange for me as I’m usually always busy! But anyhoo, here goes….

This wedding of Aimee & Max from December at Swynford Manor was festive yet romantic with the lovely touches added to create such a beautiful day.

Swynford manor is a gorgeous Exclusive Country House purposely for weddings, It’s based near Newmarket , Cambridgeshire in a little place called Six Mile Bottom. It’s pretty neutral colours and the Black, white and Grey theme runs throughout the venue is perfectly decorated with stunning embellishments which add a little sparkle to the decor.

My day started off with meeting Aimee and her bridal party in the Bridal Lounge. This lovely room was already full of giggly smiles and excitement added with a Prosecco or two!

I photographed the dress which was hanging safely in the Bridal Suite down the hall. Whilst I have seen many a wedding dress or two in my time as a wedding photographer, It never fails to stir emotion in me when I clap eyes on the dress for the first time. I can imagine the joy when the bride first said yes to choosing her spectacular dress, the excitement and anticipation after It’s been collected from the shop and safely stored away awaiting the big reveal. A wedding dress isn’t just any old dress, It has many memories even before the big day. Aimees dress was no exception, I literally let out a wow! when I saw it, classic, timeless and Aimee looked absolutely stunning!

I headed over to see Max and his groomsmen and captured a few photos of them casually getting ready. Nothing too posed or directed, just capturing these moments naturally.

The ceremony was emotional as they exchanged vows. I like to watch the parents exchange an emotional knowing glance as their offspring say I do!

The rest of the day was celebrated well into the night with sparklers and we even managed to pop outside for a few creative light photos in the grounds of Swynford Manor, finishing off the day perfectly.

April 02, 2020

Holmewood Hall - A spectacular 18th Century Tudor Gothic style mansion in Cambridgeshire

April 02, 2020/ Elizabeth Young

Holmewood Hall

It’s been some time since I last blogged, lots of wonderful weddings and photoshoots throughout last year have kept me busy, I never found the time.

What can I say about Holmewood Hall?

There’s no need to sugar coat this venue, It is without a doubt stunning!

Last Spring I had a call from the directors at Country House Weddings requesting to meet me as they loved my work and wanted me on-board as one of their suppliers, YAY for me! Country House weddings have one of the longest established wedding venues. Holmewood Hall being one of their most recent. They opened their doors last summer to weddings.

When I first visited Holmewood Hall, It was in the process of being renovated but was certainly well on its way to something quite remarkable. There was lots of work going on. The Renaissance bridal suite was yet to be fully decorated but even in It’s bare bones, I could see the vision and knew it would be spectacular.

Moving forward a few months, I popped along to photograph most of the rooms for their website and brochure - See the gallery at the end of this blog.

I had my first wedding at Holmewood Hall in December on a cold yet beautiful sunny day.

My morning starts off with meeting with the bride and her bridal party in Fen House (If not already in the Renaissance bridal suite) Fen House is owned by Homewood Hall, Just a few steps away from the main building. It’s perfect for bridal preparations and staying the night before with the girls in one place, as it boasts 4 bedrooms, perfect for a girly sleepover. I start with introducing myself to all the girls. This is important as I don’t want them feeling uncomfortable with my presence and my cameras. I don’t particularly like my own photo taken, and I know most people are the same. Starting off with some of the detail shots of the brides shoes and Jewellery, following on with some natural photos whilst the bride relaxes with her bridal party and the make up artists.

Once the bridal suite is ready, the bride will move over to this stunning room and finish her preparations with the girls. This bridal suite is breathtaking! It’s a photographers dream! There’s a gorgeous side room with a huge ornate mirror and dressing table which is perfect for all the girls to get ready in without feeling cramped. This also makes a perfect backdrop for the dress shot to truly showcase the dress in its glory.

Perfect backdrop for showcasing the wedding dress

Not forgetting the guys! There are so many beautifully decorated rooms where the guys can get suited up too!

Lord Bramer Room - Often where the Groomsmen get ready

The beautiful bay window and dressing table area

Once the bride is ready, I like to spend 10 minutes with her and capture her last few moments before she meets with the registrars. This time for me is important as a photographer, I like to capture some beautiful portraits of the bride. Allowing time for this before I head downstairs to capture guests seated in anticipation for the brides arrival.

The Gold Room…. The I first time I walked into this room last year I was lost for words. In my 11 year experience as a photographer and having seen many a beautiful ceremony room, this one without a doubt is the finest I’ve ever seen. From a photographers point of view, It’s light, bright and beautifully decorated. You honestly need to see the room to truly appreciate the beauty of it. The room has one whole side of windows overlooking the lawn and the bandstand - perfect for outdoor weddings ceremonies.

The bandstand for outdoor wedding ceremonies

Soon after the ceremony, the couple will perhaps spend a few moments together before greeting their guests and commencing the group photos. I myself am not keen on my picture being taken so I make sure I communicate with my couples on how to manage this part of the day.

I like to suggest no more than 11 groups as this will take around 25 minutes alone, so we factor in time for the stragglers, the guests at the bar and the people in the loo! organising people is a challenge! Once we’re all in place, I try to head up to the balcony which faces the bandstand and garden games area. This is perfect for the group photo of everyone and, no one can hide! The Gold room is a perfect room for the indoor photos should it rain!

The rest of the group shots are taken around the beautiful grounds and taken as quickly and relaxed as possible. I spend around 25-30 minutes with the newlyweds, taking them for a stroll around the grounds, chatting and letting the couple have a few moments together.

My approach is relaxed and a little directed as most people need a little direction, where to stand for the best light, allowing my couple to interact with each other to get the best emotions work well.

The balcony group shot - I don’t like heights but needs must!

Taking a stroll around the House and the beautifully manicured gardens

The Wedding Breakfast - After being announced into the room, during the meal, my cameras are put away whilst the couple and their guests are dining, who wants to see photos of people eating anyway! I will cover the all important speeches, placing myself at the back of the room, where I can capture all the speeches discreetly without blocking anyones view. I often have to stifle a laugh though as the speeches can be hilarious!

Holmewood Hall offers an exceptional service through the wedding day. The attention to detail, the service is personal to each client and is evident throughout the day. I have been to many a wedding venue and whilst most are equally fabulous, I have personally built up a lovely relationship with the team at Holmewood Hall and the staff and their other suppliers so I am a tad biased!

The evening celebrations continue with the mingling with guests, perhaps going out for a few more photos around sunset or night time, following with arrival of evening guests, the cutting of the cake and the first dance.

Confetti throw from the stairs as the couple have their first dance

My services usually end a little while after the first dance. If having things like sparklers, I can stay and capture these for you too.

So there it is, Holmewood Hall and the things I love about it. There’s so much more to this venue, the Great Hall, the Champagne bar, the Vault for the evening revellers, the library for the quiet bunch and the beautiful pond area in the stunning grounds.

Getting married and looking for a venue? get in touch with them here

To view more of my weddings here at Holmewood Hall, take a peek at a few below

Holmewood Hall Gallery - Photographed by myself

https://www.holmewood-hall.co.uk/venue/

Getting married and looking for a venue? get in touch with them here

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May 21, 2019

Lauren & Lee's Italian Romance - Tuscany April 2019

May 21, 2019/ Elizabeth Young

Tuscany

San Galgano Abbey - 11th April 2019

Lauren & Lee chose the stunning San Galgano Abbey in the Tuscan area of Val de Merse for their wedding ceremony.

This is one of the most suggestive settings in Tuscany, and makes for a truly unforgettable and magical backdrop for a wedding. The abbey is located about 25 miles from Siena, in southern Tuscany. The Cistercian Abbey was built in 1324, and holds a very important place in the art and history of Siena.

Travelling with Lauren’s make up artist Hannah at Lipstick & Hairpins, we both travelled together to Pisa 2 days before the wedding date. Having a giggle on the plane and then having a few issues with which train to catch (there were a few stops and changes to get to Siena from Pisa!) not great with luggage and Hannah with all her kit and me with all mine too, it was back breaking! We arrived at Siena around 9pm and was welcomed by Dan who was our Uber driver, he was a very cautious driver which were were thankful for as the twists and turns and sheer drops on the 40 minute drive to the hotel was hair raising! I was also grateful I couldn’t see much as it was getting dark! I really don’t like heights!

We arrived at Agriturismo & Casale, a pretty rustic Italian hotel and restaurant just a stones throw away from the abbey. This would be my base for 4 days and I wasn't disappointed as it was picture perfect and everything you can imagine.

On waking the next day, I opened my blinds to see the most beautiful Tuscan sunrise, it was breathtaking with the view of the Abbey just literally a few feet away. It’s was truly wonderful.

Hannah and I spent the day meeting with Lauren & Lee to go over the final details for the wedding the following day, we also has time to go into Siena with Lauren and her bridesmaids Lucy. Lucy’s husband drove, although he wasn’t so cautious as Dan on those twisty roads! (My eyes were firmly shut for at least 25 mins) I’m a bit of a nervous passenger! We got there and back safely, so all good!

The morning of the wedding arrived, I opened my blinds to a grey, wet day, how disappointing but I wished and prayed for sunshine during the ceremony as the abbey has no roof!

Hannah had an earlier start to me as she headed to Laurens room to make a 7am start of the hair and makeup for the bridesmaids. When I arrived to see Lauren in her room, I was excitedly greeted by Sam her bridesmaid, on hand for all bridesmaid duties including getting the coffee!

I spotted Laurens dress hanging up, I never tire of seeing brides dresses and I literally let out a squeal! Stunning! I knew Lauren was going to look simply exquisite in this dress.

Whilst the ladies were prepping themselves, I headed over to the guys to find a few rather brave and crazy groomsmen about to take a dip in the natural outdoor swimming pool, it was pretty cold in Tuscany so probably not outdoor bathing weather!

Lee wasn’t as brave and spent his morning setting up the garden games and just relaxing with the rest of the groomsmen.

When it was time for the ceremony, Lee and his groomsmen headed to the Abbey on foot, which was just a couple of minutes walk down a pretty tree lined lane. The abbey was closed for the hour duration of the ceremony for the sole use of the wedding party. San Galgano Abbey is a popular tourist attraction so it was no surprise to see some tourists waiting to see the bride!

Just as Lauren was about to leave the hotel, the sun shone brightly and the warm Tuscan sun was so very welcome!

Watched by around 40 of their friends and family, they had a little bit of a wait until Lauren reached Lee.

Lauren was escorted by her father, bridesmaids and her best friend Nuno who would help Lauren down the aisle to Lee.

It took Lauren a whole 2 minutes to walk down this aisle! It was by far the longest aisle I’ve seen!

When Lauren reached Lee, he kissed Laurens hand and had so much love in his eyes for Lauren, it was very emotional.

The vows were beautifully translated by Laurens friend Bianca.

Following the ceremony, we did the group photos then bride & groom photos around the stunning Abbey and the sun shone so beautifully thought the ceremony, we were all grateful!

Lauren & Lee celebrated the rest of the day with a stunning meal and emotional speeches, a free bar for their guests and their first dance. I later joined them in their celebrations.

A wedding I won’t forget!

Thanks for choosing me to capture your most wonderful wedding day!