Sometimes it’s a pleasure to create beautiful wedding photography without the pressures of the wedding day itself. So imagine our delight when Ox Weddings Magazine asked us to create images for one of their features. We decided to do it at our favourite venue, Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, and we invited some of our real couples to join us.
Shooting wedding photography is always a joy. The romance, the style, the theatre of it, the fashion, the laughter, the tears, the kids, uncle Dave holding fort at the bar, great speeches, embarrassing speeches, emotive speeches (and yes, those really dull speeches that go on way too long), buttonholes and bouquets, shoes and champagne, family and photos: the list is long and lovely.
So imagine how excited we were to be asked to create images for Ox Weddings Magazine and, in particular, to do it at one of our favourite venues: the world-famous Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. This incredible venue has incredible people, and we have the privilege of being their Partner Photographer too.
A styled shoot is never quite the same as a wedding (for a start, the time pressures are less intense!) but it’s still an absolute thrill to create the images. To keep a real sense of romance and authenticity, rather than use models, we determined to invite some previous real couples of ours to come and relive a few very special memories. Shooting at Le Manoir with couples who’d already experienced their own wedding days there felt like the perfect approach.
Samantha and Samuel (with their gorgeous kids) and Susanne and Paul – both couples whose weddings we photographed – came along. Sam and Sam from Le Manoir back in 2012 and Susanne and Paul who were married at The Crazy Bear in 2013. Luckily for us, neither couple seems to have aged at all!
While Le Manoir is most notably recognised for its culinary delights (and the service to go with it), it’s actually a quite remarkable place to photograph weddings. From the soft light of my favourite room, Blanc de Blanc, to the lush greens of the gardens, from the violets and purples of the Lavender Walk to the pockets of light and reflections down at the pond: every inch is photogenic. And if that weren’t enough, Raymond Blanc made an unexpected appearance, kissed the brides, and made everyone’s day.
So Many Amazing People
Weddings are wonderful for bringing people together. Creating wedding photography for this shoot was a privilege, working alongside this world-class team.
- Location: Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire
- Flowers: