Cotswolds wedding photographer
A lot of Cotswold weddings are planned from a London flat, in the gaps between work and a group chat with forty unread messages.
This page is for that.
I photograph weddings across the Cotswolds as they happen, stepping in only when a bit of direction actually helps. I'm based in Oxford, which puts me close to the venues and a straightforward train ride from wherever you're planning it all.
35mm film for the romance, digital for the documentary truth of it all.
From London
Getting here
Easier than it looks on a map. It just helps to know before you've sent the save-the-dates.
Direct from Paddington. The northern Cotswolds.
About 1 hr 30The southern Cotswolds, towards Cirencester.
Just over 1 hrStops on the same line, on the way to Moreton.
Same lineJourney times are rounded from operator averages. Check before you book.
The recce
One visit is plenty. Go at the time of day you'll be getting married and stand in the room you'll use. Most couples don't need me there. If you'd like me along, just ask.
The timings
Two o'clock is usually kinder than noon. Guests coming down on the day need a ceremony that works with the trains. Check the last train back before you plan the evening.
The guests
Book rooms early. Village pubs with rooms go quickly on summer weekends. Put the train on the invitation, because someone will always assume they have to drive.
Contents
The venues
Practical notes on each: capacities, ceremony rules and what to check before you book.
- 01The Slaughters Manor HouseLower SlaughterA 1656 manor licensed for civil ceremonies for up to 120, with 19 bedrooms.
- 02Sudeley CastleWinchcombeBlessings in St Mary's Chapel for up to 130.
- 03Ellenborough ParkNear CheltenhamA Grade II* listed house in about 90 acres, licensed for up to 120.
- 04Owlpen ManorNear UleyA Tudor manor and a 1446 barn in the Stroud valleys, with nine cottages for guests.
- 05Cornwell ManorNear Chipping NortonA 2,000-acre estate, with weddings from May to October.
Venue not on the list? Send it over anyway.
On the day
How I work in the Cotswolds
Nobody needs an hour in a field while the canapés go cold.
I photograph the day as it happens and step in when a bit of direction actually helps. Mostly that's portraits, and mostly it's brief.
For bigger weddings, a second photographer can join me, so we can be in two places at once: getting ready at opposite ends of the village, or the speeches and the faces watching them.
Cotswold venues have their own habits. Old stone soaks up light, barns are darker inside than they look from the car park, and the weather does what it likes. I work with the light that's there rather than flooding the room with flash, which is where film earns its place.
Engagement shoots
In London
If you live in London, I'll come to you.
Somewhere that's actually yours: the stretch of canal you walk on Sundays, the corner of the Heath you insist is quieter than the rest, the café that starts making your order when you walk in. An hour or so, on digital and film.
It's also the easiest way to meet properly before the wedding, without anyone taking a day off to come to Oxford.
If you've booked the Documentary Collection, the trip to London is on me. For a standalone shoot I add the cost of getting there, which is roughly an Oxford Tube fare.
The practical bit
The Documentary Collection is £2,200 for ten hours, with 35mm film included. Extra hours are £235, and engagement shoots are £235 an hour. The full details are on the pricing page.
Oxford, the Cotswolds
And further afield
Send me your date, your venue and a line or two about the day you're planning. I'll reply within a day or two, usually sooner.