Dovecote Events Wedding – Georgina & Jamie

Dovecote Barn Marriage

Georgina and Jamie’s stunning summer wedding took place at the drop dead gorgeous Dovecote Events venue on the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds. This wedding venue has quite an enviable reputation in the industry, so this was a wedding I was really looking forward to photographing!

Every year I go to so many stunning venues that are new to me, but one of my recent favourites has to be the Dovecote Events Barn and Tipi venue. This family run events space really does have it all, and with so many great backdrops both inside & out I was spoilt for choice on the day!

It really didn’t matter about the many downpours that came our way on the day! In the mix we had some great weather too, but I lost count of how many times we all had to dash back indoors each time the heavens opened. Sometimes the guests had brollies, and sometimes they weren’t so fortunate as they got totally soaked!

Then add to the mix so many fun personalities who knew how to party – plus lots of entertaining activities – and masses of divine food – as weddings go they don’t get much better than this. Whenever l’m booked for twelve hours coverage, I’m always hoping for a lively crowd, and these wedding guests didn’t disappoint!

It was when Georgina and the bridesmaids arrived pre ceremony that the downpours really kicked in! Thankfully the fabulous staff shared lots of umbrellas to ensure their safe passage into the venue. Pictures of these moments really help to document the day, albeit I’m working from a discreet distance to ensure I’m not in the way.

The civil ceremony took place in the venue’s historic barn, this high ceiling interior was fabulous for photographs. The gorgeous warm sunlight remained for the entire civil ceremony proceedings; I really couldn’t have asked for better lighting conditions. The magical marriage ceremony was an absolute joy to witness between this wonderful couple!

The celebratory drinks reception soon followed on the sun drenched terrace. But frustratingly the heavy showers weren’t far away as they returned time after time to test our resilience! But I’m pleased to report that few of the guests were deterred from dashing in and out of the bar area between these heavy downpours.

By now I had a sore neck as I kept checking where the rain clouds were heading next! As photographers, I’m pretty sure we look up to the sky way more than most other people when they’re working. I had just enough time to capture some wonderful immediate family group poses, plus a few shots of the bride with her girlfriends.

It was now time for the confetti aisle as we all made our way towards the tipi reception, this is always one of my favourites photo-opportunities! The reactions from Georgina and Jamie’s guests were priceless. Especially so when they once again had to shelter from another downpour.

Wedding Reception in the Tipi at Dovecote Events

The tipi at Dovecote Events is really stunning, and the decor that Georgina and Jamie added elevated it to another level! As I do at every wedding, I dashed ahead of all the guests to capture fabulous interior shots before anyone entered. This really was one seriously cool party space.

No sooner than we’d all arrived at the tipi, the skies cleared up beautifully! The accommodating staff suggested that we make the most of this opportunity, so we went back outdoors for some of the larger group poses. As it happened, the tipi proved to be a great backdrop for the group shots, especially the one of everyone! I’m stood on top of a tall ladder for this dramatic capture.

In-between all of my classically posed images, there were so many great photo-opportunities of the guests larking around. Reportage imagery captures the guests personalities in such a fabulous way. For this image the guests were playing up to the videographer who was now taking his turn to be on top of the ladder.

The speeches were a lively and eventful affair, with each of the speakers reminiscing of previous adventures and experiences of the bride and groom. The appreciative guests lapped up every little detail about the newlyweds achievements, and their occasional embarrassing moments from yesteryear!

Photographs In The Grounds

After the meal we enjoyed some glorious weather, so I joined the couple for a stroll through the grounds for a few more photographs. By now the low light was pretty surreal as it illuminated the numerous and many beautiful backdrops! From rustic barns to red berried trees, I was spoilt for backdrop options.

By now I was looking forward to nightfall so I could go back outdoors with Georgina and Jaime to capture some of my signature dusk floodlit shots! It actually helped that the ground was soaking wet, as the reflections really added to the wow factor.

The outdoor area around the tipi certainly had the absolute wow factor after dusk. Dovecote Events have installed thousands of fairy lights everywhere. Then to add to the magical effect they light two fabulous firepits for the guests to enjoy! And naturally the option to toast giant marshmallows went down a storm with the wedding guests.

Each wedding I attend brings fantastic night-time photo opportunities, and the tipi was a surprising success at dusk!

Dancing the Night Away

The live band and singer for the evening were superb. This has to be one of the best acts I’ve seen at a wedding for a long time! And boy the guests lapped up the non-stop energetic party vibes during the evening. There was some seriously good dancing going on until the small hours.

A great band and singer will always interact with their appreciative audience, and these guys were more than happy to entertain with some audience participation. As the fabulous classic tracks belted out all evening, there was barely a moment when the dance floor wasn’t packed to capacity.

Even when the guests were taking a break from the dance floor, there were still so many great photo opportunities! I particularly love this shot of the bridesmaid and flower girl larking around together. And the newlyweds watching on just makes the shot so very special!

Dramatic Night Shots

Even at night I have my eye on skies above. And, there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity for a moonlit shot. By now the moon hung directly above the old barn. A very willing Georgina and Jamie were outdoors in a heartbeat for this dramatic pose!

Nearby to the barn is this fabulously rustic outbuilding I had my eye on, so on our way back towards the dance floor I posed up the shot you see here! It’s the kind of building that most people wouldn’t give a second glance, but I knew it would photograph superbly with a little atmospheric floodlighting.

After another hour of snapping away at the energetic guests on the dance floor, it was time for me to head home! But not before I’d captured a shot of all the guests who’d made it to midnight, along with the band members in this relaxed pose.

Boy what a wedding, I was now truly exhausted and ready for home. But I hope to come back to this incredible venue again one day soon. Thank you Georgina and Jamie for entrusting me to be your photographer for the day. I certainly loved every minute of your magical celebrations!