With 2020 in full swing, and Covid19 also in full swing, most of the weddings I’d had booked for this year had been postponed or cancelled. Depending on the state of the pandemic, wedding guest numbers were constantly being changed from none at all (in full lockdown) to 15, to 30 and back again! In September we were on the verge of wedding guest numbers being changed back down from 30 to 15. Lucinda & Andrew therefore made a very quick decision to bring their Hyde House Wedding forward by a few days so that they could go ahead with 30 guests!
Hyde House is one of my most local and most loved venues in Stow-on-the-Wold here in the Cotswolds. I know it well and was very much looking forward to photographing their small but joyful wedding there on a beautifully sunny day.
There girls got ready upstairs in the barn as usual, with the help of Lucinda & Andrew’s gorgeous dog Rupert! (such a lovely colour)
Lucinda & Andrew used a lot of their friends & relatives as suppliers, with hair by Jessie Scarth, and makeup by David Llobera.
The boys were getting ready over in the Fosse Manor where the new library is a great place for photos.
Amanda & Reuben who have a business called Heavenly Scent created all the wonderful flowers for the day.
Lucinda was by now in the final stages of getting ready and looked stunning. I absolutely LOVE the collar on that dress, and those cowboy boots! The dress was from Pritchard & Moore.
The ceremony was held in The Grange, where Andrew and his Groomsmen (including Rupert of course) were waiting along with their socially distanced guests wearing masks.
Lucinda, the bridesmaids, her Dad and step-Dad walked in the sunshine from the barn to the Grange. The ceremony was then underway.
There was a slight hiccup when Lucinda & Andrew were asked to read their personal vows which they seem to have forgotten about! It made everyone laugh though and lightened the atmosphere!
Rings were squeezed on to each other’s fingers, and the lovely ceremony ended with a kiss. They also had a cuddle from Rupert, and the all-important register was signed.
The newly married couple and their guests then made their way back over to the barn for confetti. We did the family group photos in the sunshine by the pretty arbor. I then took Lucinda & Andrew for a lovely walk round the grounds for some photos of them on their own.
At this point in the year receptions were allowed…at other points they weren’t, so Lucinda, Andrew and their guests were lucky to be able to have a sit-down dinner and enjoy the delicious Hyde House food!
When the weather is nice enough for a sunset, the views at Hyde House are stunning overlooking the Cotswold Hills. Lucinda & Andrew were lucky enough to have one of those special days!
Speeches were after the meal, followed by the cake cutting, with the amazing cake made by Lucinda’s Aunt Marcia (spot the hilarious cake-topper!)
Due to Covid restrictions, no dancing was allowed at weddings all year. At this stage the first dance only was allowed to go ahead, with the music being organised by Groomsman James. It was strange not to have all the guests join them on the dancefloor after the first dance…fingers crossed we will all be able to dance again in 2021!
I finished off the photos with a shot under the arbor. This Hyde House Wedding was such a lovely one to photograph and I wish Lucinda and Andrew all the very best for the future.
