Winter weddings, with the cold and their low light, are a real challenge but we love them. Tim and Vicky’s elegant vintage style wedding was no exception.

One of my favourite moments of the day is seeing and photographing the Bride’s dress. Vicky’s was lace and a stunning shade which really suited her colouring. And of course the shoes. Of which Vicky had two pairs; one for the day and another more glittering pair of Jimmy Choos for the evening. Love love love.

The moments just before the Bride arrive are fleeting but there’s so much nervous anticipation, lip gloss checking and button-hole straightening to capture…

One of my favourite photos to capture (Vicar allowing) is the Groom as the Bride walks down the aisle. This one of Tim as everyone turns to see Vicky entering is one of my favourites…

Two very different points of view in the church: wide atmospheric photos at the back and intimacy at the front…

So full of smiles as they leave church…

The reception was at Kelmarsh Hall; one of our favourite venues for wedding photography in Northampton …

The thing I love most about winter is the cold but bright sunny days; which is just the kind of day that Tim and Vicky had for their December wedding. I must have been grinning like the Cheshire Cat with the beautiful, golden, setting sunlight that we had during the Bride and Groom photo session. Even bare winter gardens can look amazing!

The staircase is iconic Kelmarsh and photos here are a must (well, I think so anyway!). Lately I’ve been really inspired by the swirls of the rails and reflections in the mirror.

The Great Hall looked really pretty decorated for Christmas and made a beautifully cosy setting for the drinks reception. The very talented Paul Martyn sang and played sax. And there was a vintage typewriter for guests to type messages for the couple as an alternative to a guest book.

It was just a bit too cold to be outside for the family photos but the Saloon makes a really elegant backdrop.

There was a very festive, magical feel in the Great Hall as night fell and the speeches were made. The front of the fireplace with logs crackling was the perfect spot for a relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

Then it was into the Ballroom for a vintage style English afternoon tea. The table plan was particularly unusual being a row of mismatched ornate gold frames, draped with beads. The table numbers followed the same style. Absolutely loved that idea.

Delicate pearls and buttons on the tables…

Cake stand centre-pieces with green & cream flowers and lots of dainty (and very yummy looking) cakes…

Everything was served on mismatched vintage china…

And the cake was made by a friend of the family…

Paul Martyn got the party started in style. I really look forward to weddings where Paul is singing; he creates such a great atmosphere…

We had the best time photographing Tim & Vicky’s wedding. A huge thank you to both of you for choosing us as your wedding photographers and for being so lovely to work with. Thank you also to all your family and friends for making us feel so welcome.

Do leave some love for Tim and Vicky in the comments below. They (and we!) will love you forever!

Enjoy more photos from this wedding on my facebook page

Tim & Vicky’s family and friends can see the full set of wedding photos in their web gallery. You’ll need the password from Tim or Vicky.

♥ Ceremony: St Peter & St Paul church, Great Bowden, Market Harborough
♥ Reception: Kelmarsh Hall
♥ Vicky’s dress: Brides of Wellingborough
♥ Groomsmen’s outfits: Brides of Wellingborough
♥ Reception stylist, flowers & vintage china: Eve Lily
♥ Car: Peterborough Wedding Cars
♥ Entertainment: Paul Martyn
♥ Cake: Family friend
♥ Catering: Emerson & Wests

Paul and Karen chose the magnificent Luton Hoo for their wedding. It was particularly special being Paul’s birthday too (a big one!). So there’s little risk of him forgetting their anniversary!

Lots of big name movies have been filmed here. Everything from Bond to the currently screening War Horse. But perhaps most fittingly it was the reception venue for Wedding No. 2 (Bernard & Lydia) in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. So it comes with a certain seal of approval!

It was a relatively short day of coverage for us, starting just before the ceremony as Paul waited nervously with their guests…

I love this picture of Paul’s Mum having some fresh lippy applied!

Karen’s Bridesmaids leading the way…

The ring exchange is always good for some fun expressions…

Awwww…

The architecture and decor of Luton Hoo is stunning. The sweeping marble staircase, statues and plasterwork make great backdrops …

The fireplaces were decorated beautifully for Christmas and I loved all the books in the drinks reception room…

It was pretty much dark by the time the ceremony ended but I wanted a strong directional light to give the reception photos a rich winter look. So these are all lit with off-camera flash. I love the flexibility this gives…

My flash is in the bookcase creating the starburst for this one! Just love the sparkly, rich, wintery feel. It feels warm and cold at the same time. And the Bridesmaids in the middle just finish it off …

We had such a lovely time working with Paul & Karen. Thank you both for choosing us to photograph your wedding!

Please do leave some love for Paul and Karen in the comments below. They (and we!) will love you forever!

Paul & Karen’s family and friends can see the full set of wedding photos in their web gallery. You’ll need the password from Paul & Karen.

This is the lovely Mike & Suzie who had a Christmas wedding at St Andrew’s church in Great Billing, followed by a reception at Fawsley Hall. We had a great time; especially since we already knew a lot of the family having photographed Suzie’s brother Chris’ wedding to Helen a few years ago.

Suzie had said that detail photos were really important to her so we allowed plenty of time to get creative. Love those purple Hunter wellies and appropriate choice of perfume!

Two of my favourite things: wonderful natural light and reflections…

Fixing a long veil is always a fun moment…

Suzie looked positively glowing in an elegant Suzanne Neville gown, to which she added a fabulous sparkly brooch…

Cravats and button-holes are trickier than you might think…

Ushers ‘ushering’. These guys made me smile so much during the hymns. I think it’s fair to say that they were the loudest in the church!

The arrival of the Bride is one of my favourite moments of a wedding day. It’s a tense time for me as a wedding photographer as it all happens so quickly, but they’re beautiful moments and a privilege to share.

Molly was just the cutest, most adorable and most perfectly behaved flower girl. She took it all in her stride carrying her wand as per plan A, leaving one of the older Bridesmaids to carry the back up plan B teddy bear!

Look at the bell-ringers on the balcony in the top right of this photo. They’re enjoying a cuppa while Suzie walks down the aisle! Haha! Bet they had chocolate hobnobs too!

Mike & Suzie chose beautiful pink and purple flowers for the pew ends so the setting was beautiful as they exchanged vows and rings…

Mike & Suzie’s exit from church was just the most wonderful moment. Suzie is a primary school teacher and her class were outside the church waiting to greet them. A complete surprise to Suzie! They were all so cute waving their handmade flags.

After church it was on to Knightley Court at Fawsley Hall for the reception …

It was a really dark, wet day and very cold too; so we did all of Mike and Suzie’s portraits inside. We used the Great Hall in the main house at Fawsley which looked amazing decorated for Christmas. I love how cosy, rich and dramatic these feel…

Making their entrance into dinner …

Gorgeous pinks and purples for the dinner details…

Little Molly ran and ran, around and around, as Mike & Suzie had their first dance. She’s such a cutie…

We had such a lovely time working with Mike & Suzie. Thank you both for choosing us to photograph your wedding, for being so freakin’ lovely to work with and for making us feel so welcome. Can’t wait to create your album now!

Please do leave some love for Mike and Suzie in the comments below. We’ll love you forever!

Enjoy more photos from this wedding on my facebook page

Mike & Suzie’s family and friends can see the full set of wedding photos in the couple’s web gallery. You’ll need the password from Mike & Suzie.

♥ Ceremony: St Andrew’s Church, Great Billing
♥ Reception: Fawsley Hall
♥ Suzie’s dress: Manhattan by Suzanne Neville, from Once in a Lifetime
♥ Bridesmaids’ dress: Dessy
♥ Groomsmen’s outfits: Suitors
♥ Car: Regency Carriages
♥ Flowers: Emma Remington
♥ Entertainment: Paul Martyn
♥ Cake: Fondant and Flowers
♥ Cookie favours: The Funky Cake Co

Bradley and Jenni are two of the loveliest people you could hope to meet. And as performing arts students very happy to be in front of the camera. As were most of their family and friends it turned out. Yay for that! I felt so welcome and had a ball photographing their day.

Their chosen wedding venue was one of my favourites, Notley Abbey; which was once home to acting royalty Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

Jimmy Choos and a dress with pockets. Oh yes please.

Jenni got ready in the bridal suite which overlooks the main entrance. She so enjoyed being able to look out of the window at everyone arriving as she had her make-up done.

I love how Notley Abbey pulls off history and contemporary at the same time. The interior is beautiful with neutral, clean lines and oodles of lovely natural light. Perfect for portraits.

Bradley and his Groomsmen being very cool about it all…

As opera singers music is very important to Bradley and Jenni, so a group of friends from the Royal Academy sang as Jenni made her entrance (as well as for the signing of the register and their exit as husband and wife)…

Notley Abbey is licensed for outdoor wedding ceremonies. Not something we see much of in the UK; we’re a bit behind the rest of the world in that respect. Not that we often have the weather. Which certainly threatened as you can see but luckily it held off. I love the drama of the sky for such a big moment though.

Jenni’s parents shared the ‘job’ of giving Jenni away. Such a lovely touch.

Everyone enjoyed a drinks reception at the front of the Abbey which was kicked off with a stonking amount of confetti being thrown. Much of which is still in my camera bag. I always get covered!

The tree lined drive is a beautiful spot for couple portraits. A wedding day is quite full-on so it’s nice to find a quiet space for the Bride and Groom to just enjoy being together.

The misleadingly named Refectory was full of atmosphere and always looks amazing. I had to negotiate the ricketyiest (real word?) plastic spiral staircase to get this shot from the gallery looking down onto the dining hall. Oh the predicaments I get myself into to get the shot I want. Worth it though.

Bradley and Jenni used their operatic background as inspiration for the table names and chose purple, lime and cream flowers for the centre-pieces which were arranged into tall candelabras on some tables and lower glass bowls on other tables. Favours were Mozart chocolates. Obviously.

Every moment of the day was full on fun. Everyone made lots of noise for Bradley and Jenni’s entrance into dinner – their very own wedding day standing ovation. Bradley and Jenni’s reaction was just as enthusiastic!

So in love…

I hadn’t seen anything yet. The dancing was wild and great fun.

Notley Abbey takes on another feel at night when the fire lanterns are lit so Bradley and Jenni had asked me for some twilight photos to show it off. I thought we’d make more use of the beautiful garlanded front door for these flash-lit photographs…

Enjoy more photos from this wedding on my facebook page

♥ Ceremony & reception: Notley Abbey
♥ Jenni’s dress: ‘Ruby’ from the Dolce Vita Collection by Stephanie Allin
♥ Flowers: Martyn Crossley
♥ Reception & evening band: The Superlatives
♥ Cake & stationery: DIY

Gavin and Michelle had typical British bank holiday weather for their wedding at Dodmoor House. But Michelle was just there to marry Gavin and that was all she needed. The weather didn’t matter one bit.

Michelle got ready with her Bridesmaids in the Dodford Room and honeymoon suite which is a lovely light, large space. There was a real buzz of excitement as everyone pitched in with final preparations and did their make-up.

Michelle decided to spend the money she would have spent on having a make-up artist to have make-up lessons, so that she could do her own make-up on the day and then have the skills to continue doing it well afterwards.

The look of concentration on the Bridesmaids’ faces as they helped dress Michelle was quite the picture…

Michelle is in the RAF and she said that she’s normally the one to rock up casual and without make-up; so on her wedding day wanted to go all out pretty. And she looked sensational. Her dress was ‘Samantha’ by Sassi Holford which she wore with a cute little lace jacket, buttoned at the back, for the ceremony and then swapped the jacket for a stylish sash for the evening.

Gavin and Michelle literally had all four seasons in one day for their wedding. As I arrived it was dry but it soon turned to rain. Then it hailed. Cannon balls. And minutes before the ceremony was due to start we had full on thunder and lightening. The rain was torrential and bouncing off the floor so the ceremony was delayed until it eased off. Luckily it did calm down and the team at Dodmoor were all hands on deck to sweep away as much of the rain as possible for Michelle’s walk across the courtyard to the ceremony room. A sign of a good venue that!

Beautiful venues and lovely details are great to photograph but the best bit for me is sharing and capturing the emotion of a wedding. So I love it when a couple wear their hearts on their proverbial sleeves. Which is exactly what Gavin and Michelle did.

And to give us that fourth season the sun was shining brightly as the ceremony ended and the drinks reception started. Honestly, I couldn’t keep up!

Michelle with her girls; looking gorgeous in soft oyster coloured dresses by Dessy. Very Audrey Hepburn.

We managed to work through the group photos in the dry but it started to rain again as we started Michelle and Gavin’s portrait session. The covered area between the two barns is the perfect sheltered spot to get outdoor looking photos whilst staying dry. I love the simplicity of this very ‘Dodmoor’ brickwork background – perfect for some simple portraits that are all about the love and happiness.

The Catesby Barn looked wonderful set up for dinner. I loved the vintage style bird cage table plan and the little flower pot placenames which Michelle made herself.

The speeches are always a highlight for me. I love how Michelle’s Dad is nonchantly having a sip of champagne here as Michelle gasps and Gavin cringes from his joke…

Gavin had planned their honeymoon as a surprise for Michelle. To end the speeches Gavin explained that there was an envelope on each table which revealed where their honeymoon would be. Michelle’s reactions as she made her way around the room and opened each envelope made this one of my most memorable wedding moments ever. Imagine excited screams, gasps of shock and tears of joy with all the guests looking on in amazement and complete enjoyment. In Gavin’s words: “I don’t think that could have gone any better really!” He did good.

After the meal everyone went back into the Courtyard Barn for dessert canapes (the chocolate coated strawberries, by Portfolio Events, were really yummy by the way) and coffee. It was a lovely time to relax and chat before Gavin and Michelle cut their cake and the party really started.

See more from this wedding on the Sarah Vivienne Photography facebook page

♥ Ceremony & reception: Dodmoor House
♥ Michelle’s dress: ‘Samantha’ by Sassi Holford, at The Bridal Gallery Finedon
♥ Bridesmaids’ dresses: Dessy
♥ Flowers: Julie Anna Flowers
♥ Catering: Portfolio Events
♥ Cake: Family member

So when I had an email from another local photographer asking if I could help photograph one of their weddings I was more than happy to help.

It was at Kelmarsh Hall, a venue that I photograph at regularly…

The couple, Kieran and Hazel, had a civil ceremony in the Saloon…

The drive looked stunning with the leaves starting to turn…

Kirean and Hazel are both musicians so music was a big feature of their day. Hazel entered the ceremony to ‘Here Comes The Sun’ which one of their Groomsmen played on the piano …

The obvious excitement and love between Kieran and Hazel, and their family and friends, made it one of my favourite civil wedding ceremonies…

One of Keiran and Hazel’s friends sang ‘All You Need Is Love’ after the register had been signed. Nothing particularly unusual about that; there’s often someone in a family with a special talent. But the moment I *loved* was when Kieran pulled two kazoos out of his jacket pocket and he and Hazel played them in the chorus. It was a complete surprise to everyone, so you can imagine the reactions in the room. This happened a couple of times and then all the guests spontaneously started singing along. The atmosphere was electric and played to the strengths of a civil ceremony – informality and being able to stamp your personality on it.

The ceremony set the tone for a really fun reception to follow…

Everyone enjoyed a relaxed afternoon tea in the Great Hall before heading into the Ballroom for speeches and dinner …

I loved photographing all the DIY details …

Mini-me cake toppers…

The speeches were full of fun and laughter too…

Just love Hazel’s head in her hands at the Best Men’s speech!

All in all a really fun wedding that I was thrilled to be part of.

Chris and Charlotte were one of the first couples to book me for 2011, so I’d been looking forward to their wedding for some time. And what a fun day it was, so full of smiles.

Charlotte got ready in The Oak suite at Rushton Hall which is to die-for; the size of a house with gorgeous oak panelling and lots of lovely natural light! It doesn’t get much better for a wedding photographer but there was still plenty of clutter that I had to avoid! Meanwhile my second photographer, David, was with Chris and the boys getting ready. The highlight of their morning was the surprise arrival of a Camper van to take them to church (via the pub!) (and via what must be the only zebra crossing in Higham for an Abbey Road’esque photo – the Beatles are Chris’ fave band. And I say the only zebra crossing in Higham because I spent ages on google street view trying to find one!).

The ceremony was at St Mary the Virgin church in Higham Ferrers. I photographed there earlier this year on the Royal Wedding day but due to illness, a different Vicar led the ceremony this time and he lifted the photography restrictions that are normally in place at this church. So we were able to get shots throughout the ceremony; from the front, back and up high on the balcony; and even the actual signing of the register, which is very rare but a moment I much prefer to capture as it happens rather than having to stage it afterwards. The service was full of fun and smiles so it was lovely to be able to capture all those moments for Chris and Charlotte.

After being engulfed in a confetti storm, Chris and Charlotte left in a beautiful vintage car for their reception at Rushton Hall. It’s no secret that I photograph here a lot! And it still feels different every time as there are so many great spots for photos.

The guests enjoyed Pimms in the courtyard and were treated to the sound of Ariella Strings, which David captured. And once the formalities of group photos were out of the way, I took a walk around the Hall and grounds with Chris and Charlotte to create their photographs.

Then it was into the Pavillion for dinner which had been dressed in a purple colour scheme. A fairy-lit voile was draped behind the top table to disguise the air con and distractions on the wall, which looked great for the photos. Another thing which was great from my point of view was the low level framed table names. Those higher metal ones always end up in front of someone’s face in speech photos! And Charlotte made the cute wooden heart favours. So impressed! It must have taken ages but it was really lovely that they were all personalised and doubled as the placenames.

We headed back outside after the cake cutting and first dance to do a few twilight photos. And what a sky we were blessed with!

These are some my favourites from the day, and there’s more on my facebook fanpage.

♥ Ceremony: St Mary the Virgin Church, Higham Ferrers
♥ Reception: Rushton Hall
♥ Charlotte’s dress: ‘Melita’ by Alan Hannah at Once in a Lifetime
♥ Bridesmaids’ dresses: Once in a Lifetime
♥ Suit hire: Warwicks
♥ Flowers: Secret Garden
♥ Cake: Hockleys Cales
♥ Make-Up:Toni Creative
♥ Hair:  Julie at Simply Hair, 07854 705 670
♥ Transport: Wedding-Car.co.uk& Camper van: Cruzin’ Campers
♥ Stationery: Wedding Paraphernalia
♥ Drinks reception entertainment: Ariella Strings
♥ Evening band: Two Gentlemen Play the Pops

Torrential rain doesn’t begin to describe the weather we had, which didn’t let up until well after dinner. But you can’t have a rainbow without the rain – and how beautiful does Pipewell Hall look in that last photo? I think the rain really made their photos. I can’t imagine the shot of all the guests walking through the Rutland countryside being anywhere near as much fun without the umbrellas.

Emily looked absolutely stunning in a Jesus Peiro gown with a really unusual tulle wrap across the front. Her tiara (worn back to front) was original vintage and those gorgeous teal shoes are Rachel Simpson. Her hair and make-up, by Liza Smith, was beautiful yet loose and informal. Emily and her Bridesmaids, in a dusky pink, carried rustic country style bouquets by The Traditional Flower Company. Mark looked very dapper in a grey lounge suit and I love that he wore his cravat in the more relaxed vintage style.

The ceremony was held at Normanton Church, now a museum and civil wedding ceremony venue, on the shore of Rutland Water. Mark set the tone for the ceremony with a few tears as Emily walked down the aisle. I think just about everyone joined him!

It was still pouring with rain as we came out of the ceremony but we found a sheltered area at one end of the church for some photos. We used the very cool Campervan for cover too. I on the other hand was mastering the art of holding an umbrella in my armpit to keep my hands free for taking photos. Not easy!

We then headed back to Pipewell Hall for the reception. Mark and Emily wanted to keep the formal photos to an absolute minimum, which gave me plenty of time to capture what their wedding was all about – family, friends, love and oh my, beautiful vintage details.

Vintage was more than a theme for Mark and Emily. It’s very much their personal style. And with Emily’s creative flair and attention to detail they pulled off something really quite special. But the best thing is that all the decor was done at very little expense, with most things being items that Mark and Emily already had at home or were able to make themselves.

The guests’ faces lit up as they entered the marquee, took in the scent of lavender (hand-tied on the chair backs) and looked around. Metres (maybe miles?) of bunting decorated the ceiling and as every good interior design would have there was a feature wall, with photos and large ‘LOVE’ letters, as well as paper lanterns brightening the corners.

Each table was arranged with mis-matched glassware, bottles and vintage china which Emily filled with old-fashioned wild flowers. There were sweet notes on wooden picks such as ‘i do’ and ‘love is sweet’ and a little white dove nestled amongst it all. Each person’s place was set with a hand-sewn lavender pomander, finished with buttons and ribbon, and a luggage tag place-name and badge. Each one was completely different but perfectly colour co-ordinated.

The pretty extended to the practical too. The table plan was fashioned from an old suitcase, using luggage labels for each list of names pegged onto lace. There were also hand-painted embellished pegs for hats and flip-flops, customised with buttons and ribbon, for dancing.

The cake table was rather lovely too. They’d brought in an old dresser from home which was laiden with sweet treats, all baked by Emily’s sister and Aunt.

The weather finally dried up in the evening so everyone was able to enjoy the beautiful grounds and views from Pipewell Hall. There was lots of fun and games on the lawn with bowling, cricket and croquet.

My day finished with the first dance. That, and going home to dry out!

♥ Ceremony: Normanton Church Museum
♥ Reception & marquee: Pipewell Hall
♥ Dress: Jesus Peiro, at Grace Couture
♥ Shoes: Rachel Simpson
♥ Bridesmaids dresses: Saint Tropez, at Sugarbird Boutique
♥ Hair and make-up: Liza Smith
♥ Groom/Groomsmen suits: Bhanu (48 Queens Square, Corby, Northants NN17 1PD | 01536 267 433)
♥ Flowers: The Traditional Flower Company (bouquets, button-holes and cut stems for dressing the marquee)
♥ Campervan: I love vdub Wedding Hire
♥ Catering: Lemon Zest
♥ Stylist: Emily, with help from family and friends
♥ Cake & truffles: Bride’s sister, Charlotte’s Pantry (charliemorris2000@hotmail.com). Cupcakes: Emily’s Aunt
♥ Bunting, favours, Dresser, table plan, Gallery, flip-flops: Emily
♥ Stationery: Emily’s Mum

I started the day with Ranj and her bridesmaids getting ready. I had so much fun creating photographs using reflections in the mirrors in the Yellow Room! Meanwhile Georgi, my second photographer for the day, was capturing photographs with Mit and the guests arriving.

The civil ceremony was held in the Saloon which has beautiful natural lighting from the tall windows which overlook the lake. Both Mit and Ranj were shy, nervous and a little teary. It was so beautiful to witness those emotions and share the moments as they exchanged vows and rings.

After the ceremony all the guests spilled onto the Tea Terrace for the reception. The sound of a violin and the delicious scent of spices filled the air, so I had my work cut out to concentrate on the group photos! It was lovely to see all the friends and family greeting Mit and Ranj so warmly as they joined them for photographs.

After some photographs in and around the Hall it was time for the party to really start. As Asian weddings go this was an untraditional day in many ways but it wasn’t without some hallmarks. Mit and Ranj were escorted into dinner by a traditional drummer. You can really feel the atmosphere once that beat starts. And it was an atmosphere that continued through the evening with Bhangra dancers, non-stop dancing and an impromtu Conga around the front lawn at sunset. A sight that will definitely be one of my most memorable moments of this year!

I had the absolute pleasure of working with cinematographers Rich and Aaron from Reel Vision for this wedding. Their films are simply stunning and they were great to work with on the day (I should also say that I don’t praise film or video suppliers very often!). If you’re looking for a film of your day then I’d definitely recommend them.

♥ Wedding Planner: Tania Tapel
♥ Marquee: T&L Marquee Hire
♥ Venue: Kelmarsh Hall
♥ Dress: Bradgate Brides
♥ Flowers: A family friend
♥ Catering: Paprika
♥ Cake: Cakesmiles
♥ Film: Reel Vision
♥ DJ/Drummer/Bhangra Dancers: Calibar
♥ Pianist/Violinist: David Ramsay