September 2013 saw the lovely wedding of Katie and Chris at St Nicholas Church, East Challow and a marquee reception in Katie’s Dad’s garden.  This was the first time I’d photographed a wedding involving a Chinese Tea Ceremony which was the part of the day I was most excited about shooting.  I remember arriving at Katie’s Dad’s house to photograph the bridal prep and meeting Katie in the marquee who was panicking about whether it all ‘looked ok’ (it looked amazing!).  I remember the girls sewing a ribbon onto the garter for a ‘something blue’, the caterers taking over the kitchen for their food prep, Katie’s Dad so overwhelming proud of her and them both really nervous before the ceremony.  I remember the Vicar trying to convince me the couple had decided not to have photos of the ceremony after all (ha, ha – it wasn’t true and luckily I didn’t believe him!), Katie’s Dad singing in the choir, the happiness on their faces as they came down the aisle as man and wife and all the guests taking lots of photos in the church garden.  I remember driving to what seemed like the middle of nowhere for the couple’s shots, the dramatic clouds in the sky and the wind picking up as we stood in the middle of a muddy field.  I remember trying to take the family group shots in quite a small space of garden (the marquee took up quite a bit of it) and hanging out of an upstairs window to get a shot of everyone.  I remember the lovely Chinese tea ceremony; the careful cleaning of equipment, stirring of tea, the couple offering it in beautiful tiny cups to their guests and the children excited to be handed the little red envelopes.  I remember the smell of the strawberry baskets laid out in the kitchen, the very Scottish family (all but one dressed in a kilt) asking me to take their photo and one of their young sons looking really miserable in it and I remember how everyone leapt up, keen to participate in the Ceilidh.  I don’t shoot many weddings in Oxfordshire but I’d like to shoot more.  It’s a lovely part of the country and an area I know fairly well having lived there for a few years.

I’m a contemporary and creative Oxfordshire Wedding Photographer that covers the South West of England.  Please get in touch if you are looking to book or view my Wedding Portfolio or Blog to see more of my work.