I love an outdoor wedding. With our unpredictable weather here in the UK though, it's not that often I get the chance to photograph them. Katie & Brad were lucky to dodge the rain for their lovely ceremony at The Old Swan & Minster Mill near Witney. The sun shone down on them during their vows with the area decorated so beautifully by talented florist Chloe Plester at Bare Blooms.
Stanway House provided the perfect setting for Fran & Chris's country fete style wedding. After a flower filled wedding ceremony at St Catharine's church in Chipping Campden, guests headed over to the tithe barn at the Cotswold village of Stanway, near Broadway, where they enjoyed a pretty arrangement of fluttering bunting, coconut shy, hay bales and Pimms.
The sun shone and guests relaxed while I took the happy couple off for some beautiful photographs in and around the barn and house. The long grasses were a particularly lovely setting.
The fountain provided a spectacular show, shooting high into the summer sky and we did laugh when one of the more inquisitive guests got a bit too close and was soaked from head to toe!
It was into the barn next for a lively feast and the evening buzzed to the sounds of local soul band Kinky Farnham.
My first wedding photographing at the lovely Blackwell Grange near Shipston on Stour became the hottest I've ever experienced. With temperatures close to 40 degrees, heatstroke apart, it was a delight to photograph. Gemma looked beautiful as she arrived for the ceremony at Treddington Church and the happy couple were cheered by guests as they ran through a confetti tunnel to make their way over to a reception at Blackwell Grange.
The venue made the perfect setting for a hot sunny day with drinks in the thatched barn and on the lawn outside. As guests enjoyed a few glasses of bubbly, I headed over to photograph the main barn which was decorated ready for the wedding breakfast - a really impressive space, with bifold doors opening onto the lovely Warwickshire countryside.
Just before they joined their guests for a lavish feast, Piers and Gemma spent a few minutes with me for photographs outside the old barn doors which resulted in a some beautifully intimate and delicate images.
As the band played out to guests later on in the evening, I headed home....for a cold shower!
Thunder and heavy rain greeted guests as they arrived at Nav & Ant's outdoor wedding ceremony within the spectacular grounds of Sudeley Castle. But with the bride's arrival imminent, the sun shone through and the couple's vision for a flower filled, intimate, Cotswold outdoor ceremony was realised. Nav and her bridesmaids, who had spent the morning getting ready at one of Sudeley's guest cottages, were greeted at the castle's gates by a group of very dapper ushers who walked them all down the aisle for the Humanist ceremony.
A lively drinks reception followed amongst the topiary of the White Garden, complete with DJ, saxophonist and electric violinist, culminating in a wedding breakfast staged in a beautifully decorated marquee alongside the pond and ruined Tithe Barn. In honour of Nav's Indian roots, she and her bridesmaids transformed their outfits into shimmering, beaded saris for the evening celebrations and a troop of Bollywood dancers entertained guests. Such a spectacular wedding to photograph!
Fran & Chris tied the knot this weekend with a stylish wedding in Chipping Campden followed by a country fete style reception at the stunning tythe barn at Stanway House near Cheltenham. Here they are on their pre wedding photoshoot a couple of weeks ago.
The historic surroundings of Queen's College, Cambridge have no doubt been the location of many an important ceremony over the centuries and it was my pleasure to be involved in this one....Kate & Ash's wedding. The couple met while students at Cambridge and felt there was no better place to tie the knot than the spectacular Queen's College where Kate studied. Guests arrived in style by punt before crossing the famous Mathematical Bridge to the ceremony that took place on the Fellow's Lawn. A sumptuous banquet in the beautifully ornate Old Hall followed.
The setting for Luke & Tessa's summer wedding couldn't have been more idillyc - the romantic Burnt Norton Hall perched high on the edge of the Cotswolds escarpment near Chipping Campden, overlooking the Vale of Evesham. A marquee in the grounds made the most of the impressive backdrop for the couple's reception which followed a ceremony at St James's Church in the centre of Campden. The hot sunshine of the day gave way to balmy summer's evening and as I left, glancing over at the setting sun, the scene of twinkling fairy lights, the clinking of glasses and animated chatter of guests was a perfect end to a perfect day.
When I first spoke to Anna & Tom about their wedding, it was via Skype from their home in Nairobi. Their wedding was to take place in the lovely grounds of Anna's parents' home in Oxfordshire, but their home country became the basis of their theme. They brought Africa back with them, using a Tippee Tent beautifully decorated with vibrant tribal fabrics and birds. Friends from the World over came together to celebrate the occassion and they sure did know how to party!
A selection of my images from winner of Sunday Times Top 100 Hotels - Foxhill Manor
Read MoreSudeley Castle's romantic and dramatic chapel and gardens made for a spectacular wedding for Martin & Rebecca.
Read MoreJuliet & James were joined by friends and family (and a few well-known faces) at their country-style wedding near Cheltenham.
Read MoreSun dappled gardens make for a romantic pre wedding photoshoot at Burnt Norton Hall near Chipping Campden
Read MoreMemories of a lovely wedding last year at Kilworth House in Leicestershire with Lisa & Mark.
Read MoreRachel Jones Photography is one of the leading Wedding, Commercial and Portraiture photographers in the UK. Based in the North Cotswolds, her work takes her all over the UK and abroad.
