Winter Wedding Celebration
Jacqui and Dyffyd’s fabulous winter wedding took place at The Dairy in Waddesdon soon after the first Christmas illuminations of the season were lit. I just love photographing weddings at this time of year – everyone is in such high spirits as the festive season approaches, and the log fires and Christmas trees really add that extra bit of magic and sparkle.
Christmas Civil Ceremony In The Wintergarden At The Dairy
The ceremony took with low winter sunlight streaming through the windows, the atmosphere at this time of day is always so serene! The Dairy’s Wintergarden was the most perfect setting, the gathered family and friends had travelled from far and wide to witness this beautiful ceremony.
Jauqui looked a little nervous as she entered the ceremony, although her nerves were soon calmed when she caught sight of her smiling future husband.
During the emotional vows, Jacqui and Dyffyd’s tears soon set off the family members sat nearby. When two families get together for such a magical occasion, it’s easy to understand how the love flows around the room, and naturally a few tears are inevitable!
The Drinks Reception & Pictures At The Dairy
After the ceremony I went straight into the family pictures, by now the temperature was dropping fast outside! The Dairy’s pavilions provide such a great option for outdoor family groups, the backdrops over the lake are always stunning year round. And the outdoor heaters in the roofs of the pavilions are such a bonus for a winter wedding, these warmer conditions makes for happy guests and lots of smiles.
After a few family poses, it was back indoors where the temperature was even more balmy! The drinks reception is always one of my favourite times at a wedding, whilst everyone is relaxing my camera is working in overdrive to capture the party atmosphere in the room. And Jacqui and Dyffyd’s wedding did not disappoint, the laughter and smiles flowed non-stop all day long!
The Details On The Day
No doubt Jacqui’s gorgeous Manolo Blahnik bright red shoes were quite the talking point on the day; I know they’ve received lots of admiration from my customers over recent weeks! She matched these beautifully with her bouquet of opulent red roses, the delicate icing flowers on the cake, and the gorgeous flowing bridesmaid dress.
The planning that went into this wedding was meticulous, no doubt some serious hours went into staging this special day!
Picture Opportunities After Sundown
A trip to the manor after the meal was on Jacqui and Dyffyd’s wish list, despite the fact that the building is in total darkness at this time of year! And yes, the building was pitch black when we got there, but after a few tricks with my lighting effects I got the shots they’d been really keen for me to achieve. Even though my customers see my lighting effects portfolio, most couples still think I’m a little crazy when I’m posing a picture when all around them is in complete darkness. But at every wedding the reaction is always the same when couple’s see the result on the back of my camera, as they see themselves and the distant building beautifully illuminated. It’s usually a look of bewilderment, followed by a moment’s silence then wow wow wow – and yes this was the reaction I got from Jacqui and Dyffyd too.
To see lots of dramatic examples of my lighting effects used in complete darkness, do check out my recent blog posting ‘Low Light Photography’. I’ve floodlit some incredible wedding venues of late; you’ll also see an example from Jacqui and Dyffyd’s wedding on this posting.
After a few of my night shots, we then returned to The Dairy for the evening’s entertainment. The dancing was pretty energetic at times, these guys certainly knew how to have a good time!
I really enjoyed capturing the wedding pictures of this lovely and really appreciative couple.
Kind Words
Dear Mark,
Firstly let us thank you for agreeing to photograph our wedding at The Dairy.
We cannot believe just how beautiful the pictures are. Our unconventional order of things on the day did not phase you one bit and having seen the superb low-light photos please be assured we will be recommending you to everyone we know who is planning their big day.
You always appeared to be in the right place at the right time and Dyffyd and I were completely at ease with you.
Your knowledge of the venue has given us some amazing photos and we would never have managed to convey to anyone else the sort of photos we wanted. You instinctively knew exactly where to take the shots and despite our visit in the pitch black to the manor your technique has produced the most amazing images that we will treasure forever.
You will always be known as our ninja photographer and the day would not have been the same without your presence.
Kindest regards, Jacqui & Dyffyd
