An Amazingly Scottish New Year's Eve Wedding at Tylney Hall

Murray and Demelza had the most fantastic of weddings at the amazing Tylney Hall. Murray and his family are very Scottish so what better day for their wedding than New Year's Eve.

Before they went to Tylney Hall their ceremony was in their local Parish Church of Odiham, walking distance from their cottage.

As Demelza entered the church she was serenaded from the rafters by some really nice flugel and trumpet playing.

At the back of the church, their lovely old faithful golden labrador lay patiently... 

...listening to the proceedings...

 ...until it was his time...when he walked up the aisle to give Demelza and Murray their wedding rings.

And bless him, he was even there with them when they came out of the church, for the first time as Man and Wife. 

Then we had time for some quick group photos outside the church... 

...before Murray and Demelza alighted their wedding carriage and Murray took some traditionally Scottish preventative measures against the cold...

... and then the drive to Tylney Hall for their Reception meal and New Year's Celebrations.

The horse and carriage looked perfect in front of the period architecture of Tylney Hall...

...and Murray looked magnificent in his traditional Scottish attire and...

 ...Demelza looked a million dollars in her bespoke design wedding dress and cloak.

 

The speeches were hilarious...and Scottish...

 ...but in amongst the hilarity (and there was plenty) there were many, many touching moments. They are such a lovely couple!

Murray and Demelza later treated their guests to a wonderfully entertaining dance routine... 

 ...which brought the house down and really set the mood for the evening.

When it came to "seeing out the Old and seeing in the New"...the Scottish really know how to do it. At midnight, Murray and Demelza were piped onto the dance floor...

...and then everybody linked arms to Aulde Lang Syne. What better end could there be to such a wonderfully Scottish day.

Murray and Demelza are a fantastic couple and their wedding was brimming with fun and affection and Scottish tradition. 

It was a brilliant day and an amazing New Year's Eve party to boot. 

We wish Murray and Demelza as much fun and happiness through the rest of their lives together as they had on that amazing day.

by Steve Dunster

Blessed By Heaven

David and Jassy had their wedding at the church they regularly attend and were very serious about the spiritual side of their commitment. So we were delighted when we were presented with this sky, perfect for shooting a "blessed by heaven" classical portrait - so fitting for David and Jassy.

Jassy's bridal prep went without a flaw. Every detail tended to and perfectly executed. Then it was on to their church by New Forest pony and trap. 

David and Jassy had their wedding reception at the fabulous Bartley Lodge Hotel in the New Forest.

The Bartley Lodge Hotel is such a good wedding venue for so many reasons but not least of which is the way it manages to be both a grand country house and at the same time intimate, welcoming and homely.

On arrival at the Bartley Lodge Hotel, their guests were treated to drinks on the patio and thrilled to see David and Jassy arrive in their pony and trap.

It was an absolute delight to see how close David and Jassy were together.

They had guests of all ages and even set up a Skype link during the speeches for Gran, who was sadly too unwell to attend.

The fabulous grounds included a substantial patio for drinks and socialising as well as beautiful tended to lawns for grown ups and youngsters alike to have fun playing garden games...but the grounds were big enough to also be able to sneak away and steal some moments alone.

After the perfect day, the evening was no less perfect...

...and their evening was even blessed with romantic moonlight.

For their evening celebrations, David and Jassy had a live band and very good it was too, energising the party like only live music seems to.

David and Jassy were a gorgeous bride and groom and they had the perfect day at an amazing venue...they were indeed truly blessed.

by Steve Dunster

Penton Park - new elegant Hampshire wedding venue

There is a fabulous new wedding venue near Andover in Hampshire. It is called Penton Park and is a privately owned elegant country house in beautiful grounds and looks as though it is straight out of a Jane Austen novel.

The approach to the house is a long driveway and the frontage to the house has plenty of room even for a horse and carriage.

The entrance to the house is very elegant and makes for wonderful Arrival photographs.

The grounds are substantial with over-hanging trees and plenty of sky which makes for some great sky-scape wedding portraits.

Penton Park is South facing so would light up well if the sun was out as a great background for portraits, group shots or reportage.

There is a path running along the outside of the house which would be very useful for outside portraits or group shots in the event of muddy conditions.

With over-hanging trees and great architectural elements, Penton Park has some fantastic outside wedding portrait opportunities.

The front of the venue has a substantial pea-shingle parking area...

 ...which is ideal for Arrivals wedding photography with over-hanging trees and the architecture of the house in the background.

The interior decoration of Penton Park is exquisite and makes for fabulous inside portrait and reportage wedding photography.

Penton Park has a wonderfully homely feel to it, which is no surprise in that it is actually somebody's home when it is not being used for weddings.

Even though Penton Park is privately owned, you can have your reception and your photographs actually inside the house.

If you want to live out the fantasy of getting married in a Jane Austen novel, Penton Park might be your perfect wedding venue.

The interior decoration, the chandeliers, the mirrors and fireplaces with the gorgeous smell of burning wood make for a wonderful atmosphere.

The staircase is a fabulous place for bride portraits with its wooden banister, plants and authentic wall paper.

The staircase looks fabulous in both colour and black and white wedding portraiture.

Wooden floors, dado rails and authentic window shutters all go to help to transport you back in time. There is a baby grand piano and a full size snooker table which are both available for your wedding and help to recreate the sights and sounds of an era long gone.

It is very easy to feel you've been transported back in time, to a time of elegance, of country estates and fabulous dresses...to feel you've stepped into a costume drama.

If you want a Jane Austen themed wedding or just a wonderfully elegant period wedding venue with fantastic grounds, check out Penton Park, we think you'll be very impressed.

by Steve Dunster

Wedding Tips: Top 10 "Wedding Transport" Tips

1. If distances are short you can save money by having one wedding car that does several trips. Bridesmaids and Mum first, then come back for Bride and Dad.

2. Some old cars/camper-vans look fantastic but can be unreliable. Take this into consideration when choosing an old or new style of car and it may even be worth discussing with your potential wedding car supplier.

3. When posing for car photographs, always have the man (groom or dad) nearest the car to stop break dust getting on your wedding dress.

4. Consider the size of your wedding dress when choosing your car or carriage...or tractor...or super car. If you've chosen a particularly large dress, it may not fit into the carriage, or Austin 7 or passenger seat of a Ferrari.

5. If you have a horse and carriage, don't get your flowers near the horse's head. Horses think flowers are tasty and after pulling you along for several miles they think you are rewarding them with a tasty treat.

6. Get some soft drinks put into your wedding car/carriage. By the time you've done the ceremony and photographs it's possible you may be very thirsty.

7. Don't forget to arrange transport for your Dad away from the church because he'll be in the wedding car with you on the way to the church but it will, of course, be your new husband who is with you afterwards.

8. If you want an open top car/carriage, it maybe worth getting one that as some sort of top that can be put on in the event of bad weather...or at least make some kind of arrangements that you could protect yourself, your hair and your dress if it was windy, raining... the splash back from the roads can be quite dirty. Perhaps some kind of coat or sheet you could put over your head.

9. It can get dark very early in Winter weddings, so plan to shoot the car shot as early as you can so you don't have to shoot it in the dark.

10. If your dad is actually driving you because it is his car you are using, for example, sit in the back not the front because it will look better in the photographs on arrival. If you and your dad both get out of the front seats it doesn't look as good as when your dad gets out and opens the rear door to let you out.

by Steve Dunster