bride and groom in a horse-drawn carriage

“I believe in happiness
I believe in love
I believe she fell to earth
From somewhere high above
I believe in Hollywood
Don’t believe that love must bring despair
’Cause when I hold her in my arms
I feel like Fred Astaire”

— James

When Beth and Andy first got in touch with me about their wedding, I was so excited – they were planning the most romantic countryside wedding with an intimate ceremony and a lovely meal with friends and family for the reception. Beth and Andy are the most wonderful people and I couldn’t wait to shoot their wedding!

I started at Beth's sister's home just 15 minutes from Thornton Manor, where the bride and her friends were hanging out before the ceremony, and it was so chilled out, because everyone was in a good mood. Beth wore the most perfectly structure Suzanne Neville a-line dress (with pockets!) and Andy wore a very dapper blue morning suit and they looked really perfect. I was first introduced to this gorgeous couple via Beth's best friend (and my mutual friend!) Laura. From the moment we had our first Zoom call we totally hit it off and I knew it was going to be such a special wedding.

The wedding took place at Thornton Manor's lakeside marquee, and was a traditional legal ceremony introduced by Beth & Andy’s ‘flower dudes’ who certainly set the tone! They had several beautiful readings from friends and family, which everyone enjoyed. After the ceremony there was a big cheer from everyone, and then they were showered with confetti. After Thornton Manor's devastating fires at the house earlier in the year, it was amazing to get back to this gorgeous venue and explore it from a new perspective in the magical lush greenery of the lake.

It was a beautifully sunny day, which was what the couple had hoped for being in such an outdoor-friendly venue. While the guests hung around drinking Prosecco, the couple mingled and I snapped away shooting candids. My favourite photo from the afternoon is when we slipped away for some portraits under the trees. Check it out below!

During the reception they had a lovely meal with friends and family, which went down a storm. For the meal the wonderful caterers at Olive Tree prepared a Spanish tapas feast, and it was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, the day spilled out into the golden sunshine and everyone was able to relax in the idyllic surroundings to the sound of birdsong. Before we sat down to dine, some beautiful speeches were made by Beth's brother in law Neil, MOH Laura, Best Man Chris and, perhaps most moving of all, by Andy himself who compiled a slideshow and video tribute to Beth featuring well-wishes and songs from the amazing humans she's worked with via her charity in Uganda. Truly selfless people, Beth & Andy have also recently welcomed a Ukrainian family escaping war into their home and they sent their own gorgeous tribute. It was a KILLER and there wasn't a dry eye in sight!

Beth & Andy truly assembled an exceptional team to create their epic wedding day - from the jaw-dropping horse & carriage entrance to the blossom trees and 'wishing tree' acting as a sort of guestbook, the inspired crisp arch and pick and mix, cardboard cutouts of their rescue dogs Zara & Willow, plus amazing videographer (and new pal!) Craig who was a dream to work alongside. Their wedding was truly one for the books and I cannot thank these wonderful humans enough for having me along to photograph their special day. Here's a sneak peek of what we got up to.