Cotswold Wedding Photography
Louise is a professional photographer based in the Cotswolds and specialising in Weddings & Portraits.
Louise lives in Blockley, Gloucestershire, near Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold close to many of the Cotswolds' most beautiful wedding venues.
As a wedding photographer, Louise loves getting to know the couple & feels privileged to be part of their very special day. She has a friendly & relaxed style which enables her to get the best out of the people she photographs.
Louise also offers contemporary, fun family portraits either at her Cotswolds studio in Blockley or at a location of your choice.
Louise is a member of the SWPP, the Society of Portrait & Wedding Photographers - a worldwide trade association for professional photographers.
We haven’t had great weather this year, 2019, to be honest, so Lauren and Matt were so lucky to have beautiful autumn weather for their Ellenborough Park Wedding. The Ellenborough Park Hotel is one of my favourite wedding venues here in the Cotswolds – there are so many beautiful places for photos inside and out.
Lauren had her hair & makeup done at the hotel, and we had a very calm and relaxing morning while the girls were getting ready.
The boys were also at the hotel looking very smart in their blue suits.
And the last finishing touches were done before the ceremony which took place in the chapel. Lauren’s stunning dress was from Taffeta & Lace, and the flowers by Abbey Meadow Flowers.
The ceremony was then under way!
The Bristol String Quartet played beautifully before the ceremony and during the signing of the register.
Lauren & Matt smiled and laughed ALL day – they were so happy together!
They were so easy to photograph as they were smiling all the time!!
Their wedding breakfast was in the De La Bere Court, which looked amazing.
The look of amazement on everyone’s faces was brilliant!
The evening went on with cake cutting and their first dance back over in the De La Bere Court – finishing with Pizza! The scrumptious looking cake was by Storyteller Cakes. Fabulous day with lovely smiley people!
Vicki & Mike’s Mickleton Hills Farm wedding took place in the autumn, and the beautiful way they decorated the barns gave the day a very autumny feel. The weather didn’t really behave itself, it was an extremely soggy day, raining ALL day long, only stopping half an hour before sunset! But that didn’t stop Vicki & Mike having an amazing day.
I just loved all the pumpkins made from books, and the gorgeous flowers were by another very local supplier Abbie Digweed.
Mickleton Hills Farm is a very local wedding venue to me here in the Cotswolds, and has recently been refurbished and expanded to a very high standard by the lovely owners David & Sammy.
There are lovely cottages on site which meant both Vicki and Mike could get ready there in separate cottages…also making it much easier for me to photograph them when everyone’s all in once place!
The barns were beautifully decorated with pumpkins and conkers.
And of course Abbie Digweed’s lovely flower arrangments.
Vicki & Mike, who both looked stunning, were ready for action as guests arrived in the pouring rain, helped in with big umbrellas by David & Sammy.
And of course sheilding Vicki from the rain as she came across for the ceremony!
All the beautiful flower girls and page boys were Nicki’s nephews & neices!
Confetti was allowed inside thank goodness!
It did rain all day, but the great thing about Mickleton Hills Farm is that there is plenty of room inside for group photos, with the beautiful backdrop of Abbie Digwood’s flower hoop.
Just before it got dark it did actually stop raining, hooray! So we went for a little walk up their very soggy but still beautiful driveway.
The wedding breakfast was set up in the new barn, with delicious food by Orchard Catering.
There was a crazy golf course set up by 9 Hole Event Hire outside in the games area (luckily under cover!) which was lots of fun for all the little ones, and bigger ones!
We did a few more photos outside before the cake cutting and first dance got under way.
The delicious looking cake was done by Belles Cakery
This kicked off a fun evening of dancing with fantastic music by the band The Highjackers.
Fantastic day with lovely people despite the miserable weather!
Emily & Jake held their wedding at The Wool Barn which is part of the Frampton Court Estate in Frampton on Severn. The Wool Barn is an amazing timber framed barn dating back to the 1550’s and a very unique wedding venue.
I started the morning photographing the girls getting ready in a nearby cottage.
Loved Emily’s Vivian Westwood shoes!
Emily’s sister did her hair
The boys were looking very smart at the barn, with Emily & Jake’s son being page boy, and daughter a flower girl.
They were doing a Great Wedding Bake Off later, so guests brought their amazing cake creations in to the barn before the ceremony.
Emily & Jake had planned an outdoor ceremony in the house gardens, but the Great British Weather didn’t quite comply with their plans. It was very very windy, and so the ceremony was moved to the barn – which was just as lovely.
Emily arrived in Jake’s Dad’s vintage car, quite a sight coming in to the main driveway of the house.
Despite being slightly blown to bits, Emily’s bridesmaids and flower girl looked really stunning in their bright red vintage dresses.
Emily & Jake had a humanist celebrant, which made the ceremony very personal and quite different from a standard registrar ceremony.
Thankfully the weather wasn’t too bad after the ceremony – still very gusty, but not raining. So all the guests were able to have Pimms & canapes in the beautiful house gardens.
Emily & Jake’s family & ushers all helped out serving drinks, and they stocked their own bar as well.
There were a few spots of rain every now & then, but it wasn’t too bad!
I just LOVE these dresses!
They had a roasted hog self-service buffet, and no seating plan, in line with the very relaxed vibe of their whole day.
The stormy weather gave rise to a lovely rainbow!
The private house of the Frampton Estate gives a stunning backdrop for photos
The speeches were then underway
After some difficult cake tasting, Emily & Jake announced the winner of The Great Wedding Bake Off!
They removed all the tables & chairs themselves to make way for a dance floor. They jigged away all night to a Ceilidh band, who got pretty much everyone up dancing. Great fun & a wonderful day.
Hannah & Matt were very lucky to have a pretty perfect summer’s day for their Hyde House Wedding in the Cotswolds.
I really do love photographing weddings at this Cotswolds venue, everything is all in one location, the day flows really well, and there are so many beautiful spots for photos at different times of the day, with stunning views over the Cotswold Hills.
The girls got ready upstairs in the wonderfully light getting ready room
Where there is plenty of room to hang the dresses up
After being very calm and collected all morning, Hannah did finally crack when her Dad saw her for the first time – this was one of the most emotional Father seeing the Bride moments I’ve ever seen, and I was sobbing too!
Then it was time for the short, but nervous, walk over to The Grange for the ceremony
The amazing Ardeton String Quartet played during during the ceremony, and afterwards at the reception. They even took requests during the wedding breakfast so guests could choose songs!
A very much less nervous walk back to the barn for the reception drinks, canapes and confetti!
Cripps Stone Barn near Aldsworth is one of my very favourite venues – as well as serving up the most amazing barbecued food cooked on their huge indoor BBQ, for a photographer, it has everything you need. Callum & Kerry made a great choice picking this venue for their Stone Barn wedding on a hot July day.
I loved the rustic signage they had
And the boys looked great in their checked suits from Slaters – really nice to see something a bit different
Beth from Go Wild Flowers did the foliage ring and flowers – which all looked amazing as always!
Kerry arrived at Stone Barn, and the ceremony took place in the older stone barn part of the venue – a gorgeous space. Kerry was given away by her brother.
I love the light in this room which has big glass doors to give perfect light
After the ceremony the bride & groom exit and walk round the barn, giving the guests time to line up for confetti – which always looks amazing under the sparkly lights
This gives me a cheeky chance to get a portrait of the bride & groom, before they get confetti thrown at them!
Kerry had her hair done beautifully by Chloe Lyford Hair and her dress was from Wed2b
Bubbles are always good fun too!
The fields around the barn are perfect for photos, especially on a lovely summers day like this was. And the barn itself is a perfect backdrop for the big group shot (thanks to Clayton for holding the ladder…!)
The dining area of the barn looked amazing as always ready for the wedding breakfast
And so commenced eating, drinking, speeches and general good fun!
The sweetcart, bit light up letters, signs and DJ-ing were all from Spotlight Bars
Jennifer & Lee’s wedding at The Manor House Hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh at the beginning of July sometimes felt like we were in a tropical country somewhere, not in England! The weather was so amazing, and the thatched roof Breeze House for outdoor ceremonies at the Manor House Hotel gives the hotel gardens a real tropical feel!
Jennifer and the girls were getting ready in Apple Cottage, part of the hotel, but away from the main building
Makeup was done by the lovely Natasha-Louise, who was almost due to have a baby (which has now safely arrived into this world!), so amazing she was still working on a very hot July day!
The groom, Lee, and the boys arrived at The Manor House Hotel looking very smart in their blue suits from Slaters. Flowers were by Lisa Drinkwater & Erica Chapman – one of their guests – love the sunflowers!
I had the pleasure of working alongside Zara from Zara’s Films who was doing the videography for the day.
After a bit more touching up, and an emotional first look from Dad, Jennifer was ready to go outside in to the sunshine to marry Lee!
The Manor House Hotel has a lovely secret garden around the corner which is perfect for shots of the bride & groom
And so we could have a proper look at Jennifer’s stunning dress from The Cotswold Frock Shop
The sunflower theme was very effective in the wedding breakfast room. The chair sashes were from All About Fun UK.
Jennifer styled the room sourcing all the beautiful details herself, like the seeds from Wedding in a Teacup, and the stationary from Poppy Forest
There were some very emotional speeches
And then everyone could relax outside in the beautiful evening sunshine
We had a chance later on to do some more photos as the sun was going down in the secret garden. You’ve got to get a shot in the deckchairs at The Manor House Hotel!
It was then time for the cake cutting and first dance. The amazing cake with so many interesting flavours was from Cacao Bean in Moreton-in-Marsh.
Nicola & Jared had an absolutely beautiful sunny day for their wedding at Hyde House here in the Cotswolds – about time too after a very rainy June so far! The sky was BLUE, amazing!
As usual with weddings at Hyde House – it’s so easy for me with the beautiful getting ready room upstairs in the barn.
Nicola’s mum Joanne did all of the beautiful flowers
It really is a fabulous rooms for getting ready, and nice and light for photos!
Jared & the boys arrived in a snazzy car, already ready…apart from buttonholes to put on. The boys blue suits were from Moss Bros.
Back with the girls, who were ready to put their dresses on
Nicola did look stunning in her dress which was from Tilly Trotters Bridal in Leamington Spa.
Nicola’s Dad & Step-Dad were going to walk her down the aisle – so they both came up to the room for a first look
The Grange, where the ceremony was going to be held, looked so pretty in the blue skies
And the girls all walked over in the sunshine from the barn
where Jared was nervously waiting
They led their guests back over to Hyde Barn for confetti and the drinks reception
The brilliant musician Thom Conroy played the cello during the ceremony, and the saxophone during the reception
I took Nicola & Jared for a little walk round the grounds for photos before their wedding breakfast. I always like to get the group photos done before then as well, while everyone’s still looking smart!
The tables & table settings were based around different herbs
Nicola’s brother was MC for the day, and he had a few surprise games for in between courses. Speeches were also staggered between courses.
Hay bales were perfect for a summers day, and they were from The Cotswold Hay Bale Company. There was time to blow bubbles before the cake cutting and first dance!
The cake was from Waitrose and beautifully decorated by Jared’s mum Christina.
They had a brilliant band Smith & Sons who got everyone jigging.
The Grange, where the ceremony was held, is also a great spot for photos later on, and it’s lovely garden area where you can look over the Cotswolds landscape
Sparklers are always a lovely way to end the photos
Another fantastic day with lovely people and amazing weather!
This blog is in memory of one of Nicola’s bridesmaids, Gail, who has incredibly sadly passed away since the wedding. I met her for the first time at the wedding and she was a beautiful, happy human being, and will be sadly missed.
Well as I said in my previous blog, the beginning of June 2019 was pretty rainy – so unfortunately Jade & Sam also had a very rainy wedding day at Hyde House…for part of it, but the sun did make an appearance later on and we still got some beautiful photos!
Jade & Sam’s Hyde House Wedding started with the girls getting ready in the beautiful room upstairs in the barn.
One of the great things about Hyde House is that I can photograph the girls getting ready, and then pop across to the Manor House where the boys are usually getting ready.
It was beginning to absolutely TIP down at this point! But The Grange still looked beautiful, and ready for the ceremony
Finishing touches to a stunning bride, and some sisterly words of advice before the ceremony!
Jade’s stunning dress was Essence of Australia from Mae Bridal in Witney, and the Bridesmaid dresses from WED2B.
The beautiful ceremony was then underway in The Grange. Jade’s mum walked her down the aisle. it wasn’t raining when Jade went in…
But it was ever so slightly TORRENTIAL when they came out!!
One of the ushers gallantly went for umbrellas
And then there was a whole wedding umbrella kerfuffle!
Jade was amazing coping with this, and everyone was laughing walking back over to the barn! It’s either that or cry…
There were drinks in the barn while the rain tipped down, and we did the group photos upstairs – thank goodness for that lovely big room upstairs!
I had the pleasure of working with Richard from Aurora Wedding Films who did videography for the day. Once the rain had stopped for a bit we convinced Sam to carry Jade out to the arbor – it was still so wet on the ground!
There was a big white bouncy castle from All About Fun UK…which was VERY soggy…but Jade & Sam didn’t let that put them off!
It rained on & off all day, but the good thing about having me there all day is that we can be flexible, and do confetti and big group shots later on!
Every time Richard, the video man, and I took Jade & Sam outside for photos, it started raining again! Jade & Sam were amazing though and we got some great photos.
Well we had all resigned ourselves to the fact that this was going to be a RAINY day at The Great Tythe Barn, and it didn’t disappoint!! The first few weeks in June this year, 2019, had been awful, so it wasn’t the only rainy wedding I photographed.
It by no means spoiled Izzy & Matt’s Great Tythe Barn wedding at ALL though – there was just a bit more running in & out doors as soon as there was a little break in the clouds to get the group photos done.
The Great Tythe Barn Tetbury, here in the Cotswolds, is such a lovely venue, inside and out, so I had no doubt that we would still manage to get some lovely photos.
The decorations inside the barn were so colourful – mainly thanks to Izzy’s mum & sister for making such gorgeous bunting.
The girls were getting ready in the main house – with the conservatory room so light & airy, it didn’t matter that it was tipping down outside!
Izzy really did look stunning with the whole look of the dress, hair, makeup and those colourful flowers!
The beautiful bridesmaid dresses were from David’s Bridal
Izzy & Matt had originally planned an outdoor ceremony (and you’d have thought that would be a safe bet in June…but not in Britain!). But to be honest, I think the ceremony in the barn was just beautiful.
The colourful sign was made by a friend of theirs
There were some amazing singers from The Vocal Works Gospel Choir who sang before the ceremony & during the signing of the register.
Izzy & Matt walked in to the ceremony together – with the first meeting just in side the barn doors
The guests had drinks upstairs because it was STILL raining – but it did stop every now & then, and with the help of some very good Best Men & Ushers, I managed to keep taking people in & out to get the group photos done outside. The Best Men were very helpful making sure Matt’s suit didn’t get wet…
The photo below just sums up Izzy & Matt to me – they were CONSTANTLY laughing and happy, and it was such a pleasure to photograph their day.
It was also a pleasure to work with Ben from Mrs Mashup again who was doing videography – and we both had such a fun day with these two lovelies.
The barn was set up, again with so much colour, for the wedding breakfast. Everything was done by Izzy & Matt, including flowers grown in Izzy’s Mum’s garden, and the log slices borrowed from the florist!
Then it was time for some emotional, and very funny speeches
It really was very wet outside by this time, but Ben, the videographer, & I managed to convince Izzy & Matt to go trapsing through some long grass for some more photos!
They had yummy Krispy Kreme doughnuts instead of a traditional wedding cake
And then it was all systems go for some serious dancing for the rest of the night! Their DJ was Julian from Oxygen Discos. Fantastic day.
Bethany & Ryan’s Cotswolds Hotel & Spa wedding was my first at this venue just outside Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds – it’s always exciting to photograph at new venues. It’s a golf course as well, and this offered a brilliant opportunity to go out on golf buggies later on for photos on the beautiful golf course.
I love venues where everything is all in one place – it makes it much easier for me! I started with the girls getting ready in the hotel.
The Wedding Breakfast was set up in back the marquee
Followed by some very emotional speeches – Dad succeeded in making everyone cry!
You can see at the bottom left of this photo where I managed to crash my golf buggy into the small white picket fence in front of a jeering crowd!! Well I’d never driven one before!! Hopefully The Cotswold Hotel & Spa will still have me back…
The cake was from Marks & Spencer
And the band The Events played all night and got everyone dancing
We managed to get out for a few more photos as the sun was setting – a really lovely day with such a lovely couple – thanks for having me!
