Cotswolds Garden Wedding, Elli & Michael

In June I was in the lovely little village of Duns Tew in the Cotswolds, to photograph the wedding of Elli and Michael. It’s always lovely to photograph a wedding in Cotswolds and there’s a reason thousands of people visit the Cotswolds every year. It’s truly stunning.

Elli and Michael’s wedding had one element that made it slightly different to the usual weddings I photograph. I am a documentary wedding photographer, which basically means, I photograph the events of the day organically without posing or directing people. Elli’s dad had hired a lovely lady who creates video content of people singing and dancing. Obviously this was a little at odds with what i do so I made a decision early on that I would just document this as well. This is why there may be some shots that stand out as not being particularly natural. The rest of the coverage was as it normally would be.

A Cotswolds Garden Wedding

The wedding was mostly taking place at Elli’s family home in the center of the village with the ceremony a short walk away in the local church. I started the day with Elli and her maids getting ready at the house before heading to the village pub to photograph Michael and his best men.

The ceremony in the local church was fabulous. Packed with family and friends and decked out in glorious flowers. Following the service there was a confetti run and it was back to the house for the reception. The weather gods were kind and the sun was shining and the bubbles were flowing.

The meal and speeches took place in the marquee which had been decorated with wildflowers and had super rustic vibes.

It was soon time for the dancing.

Here's what Elli & Michael had to say about their wedding

What was your favourite part of the wedding?
My aunt got on stage and gave an impromptu dance class to everyone for “rollin on the river”.

Please let me know about any personal or DIY touches you added to make the day a little more ‘you’.
My brother made the wedding cake for us!

Why did you choose your venue?
Because it is my parents home, and it felt very personal to be at home

How did you find using Lee Dann Photography, were there any particular things about my approach that you liked, and how did you feel about the photos once you received them?
Oh my goodness, Lee was AMAZING! He’s so nice and so thoughtful, and the pictures were everything I was hoping for - and I’ve actually had a number of guests text me afterwards, saying how amazing the photos are! Thank you so so so much!

If you were doing it all again what would be the one bit of advice you’d give yourself at the start of the planning process?
To ask more people to help with decorating the tent and the church: I was so surprised at how many people actively wanted to help, and it was so lovely spending the week before the event surrounded by so many people who love you and are excited for you!

A selection of images from Elli & Michael's Cotswolds Wedding

A wedding in the Cotswolds.

I have photographed many weddings in Oxford and all over the UK. I can see why Elli and Michael chose to get married in the family home in such a beautiful location. The photo opportunities were many and it was a dream location for a photographer, with so many fantastic options available.

I really loved working with Elli and Michael, It was such a great day.

I hope you enjoy the photos and if you are planning a wedding I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for looking.

Suppliers

Caterer - Kickshaw Catering (Caroline Gibbs)

Band - Tommy and the Fuse