Kate and Luke's lovely and laid back wedding at Merriscourt with Babb Photo on wedding photographer duties!
Today I'm sharing my day as Kate and Luke’s Merriscourt wedding photographer. Kate and Luke met in Hull Royal Infirmary, working in the Emergency Department. In the run up to the wedding I really enjoyed getting to know them. Luke worked for Mountain Rescue at one point. We shared a moment lamenting the number of people who attempt to walk up mountains without proper clothing. Snowdon in flip-flops, on a rainy day... come on, people).
A PICTURESQUE WEDDING VENUE WITH BREATHTAKING VIEWS
Merriscourt is a beautiful choice of venue for a laid back summer wedding. The 500 acre estate is a stones throw from Bourton-on-the-Water, aka the Venice of the Cotswolds. It's SUCH a pretty town but the grandiosity of a little Cotswolds town comparing itself to Venice always makes me chuckle a bit. This is especially true as someone who lives in Birmingham. We have more canals than Venice you know! Side note, the Birmingham Tourist Board really should pay me for all of the PR I do for them.
Merriscourt has beautiful views of the Cotswold countryside. Merriscourt is a gorgeous blank canvas filled with natural light, so you can really stamp your own style on it. There's also plenty of onsite accommodation so you can have a laid back and lovely weekend there.
THE FIRST PART OF THE DAY AT MERRISCOURT
Kate got ready at in The Pump House, one of the beautiful onsite cottages at Merriscourt. Hayley from The Salon, Wheatley was on hair duty. There was a relaxed and laid back atmosphere, with a celebratory bottle of Chapel Down sparkling wine (my favourite!) on hand to kick off the celebrations. Luke's preparations were just as relaxed and we chatted about music, as he put the finishing touches to his outfit.
The ceremony was relaxed and emotional. Luke predicted that he'd cry and he was right. It was really lovely to witness Kate and Luke's emotional vows as their friends and family looked on. They exited the ceremony to a shower of confetti. The afternoon featured sunshine, lawn games and chatting to their guests.
A MERRISCOURT RECEPTION: PHOTO ADVENTURES, FESTOON LIGHTS AND FIREPITS
Before dinner we snuck off for a few portraits. As I often do at summer weddings, we planned to head off on a little adventure much later in the evening. It's always fun to try to catch the sunset. This post tells you a bit more about the impact of the light at various points in the day and how to plan your wedding photos around it.
Guests sat down to dinner. Tables featured the beautiful succulent favours that Kate and Luke made with love. They collected second hand china for months before the wedding and potted the succulents themselves. After speeches we headed up the hill to chase the sunset. When we got back to the party, Kate and Luke took to the floor for their first dance.
Kate and Luke had a beautiful day at Merriscourt and I loved working with them. Here's a shout out to their other awesome suppliers:
Caterer: Merriscourt
Band: The Get Downs Lite
Flowers Eden Flowers: Eden Flowers
Cake: Barefoot Bakery
If you'd like to book me to photograph your Merriscourt wedding, your wedding in the Cotswolds, or across the UK I'd love to work with you. You can get in touch here.
You'll find a whole bunch of useful information about planning your wedding photography on my site. You might also want to check out my blog for more recent work. Keep scrolling to see more from Kate and Luke's wedding at Merriscourt.
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