Wedding with Owls at Old Thorns

Paul and Katie's entire wedding was at Old Thorns near Liphook and... 

...they had owls that flew down the aisle with their rings...

...posed for photographs...

...and flew back up the aisle to their handlers CSR Falconry, who we have to say are the very best at a wedding we've ever worked with. 

The owls were not only pretty and well cared for but seemed so happy to be around the guests...

and loved being handled.

CSR Falconry stayed around after the ceremony so the guests could handle the owls and have photographs with them.

But, of course, their wedding had so much more to it than just the amazing owls. Katie had gorgeous shoes...

...and they had stunning rings.

Katie had her bridal prep in one of the rooms at Old Thorns

Katie is a hair-dresser and works in a salon with her friends. Most of her bridal party seemed to be hair-dressers too and at one time I'm sure I counted four of them working on her hair at once.

When it was all done...

...she looked absolutely stunning.

As well as owls, Paul and Katie had a fabulous harpist who really set the mood for the ceremony, in the new Old Thorns Chapel Room.

We all went out on a golf buggy to get some romantic portraits of them both.

They were lovely together.

They are a perfect match and they both looked amazing...

...and the weather was kind too. Just after this photograph it did start to rain and we needed to dash for the buggy, but the rain stopped as quickly as it started and it didn't interfere with the day at all.

Their cake was fabulous and the decor at the Old Thorns' Gatsby Bar is breath-taking.

We loved this little detail on the cake table.

We did some evening romantic photographs by the red telephone box...

...and in the covered walkway.

Then it was on to the First Dance on the amazing Gatsby Bar dance floor.

Paul and Katie are an absolutely amazing couple and it was a real pleasure sharing their fantastic day with them. We wish them a long and happy future together.

by Steve Dunster

The Crazy Russian Golf Buggy Driver

Jack and Jenna's gorgeous wedding at Old Thorns, Liphook was running a little behind after our outside group photograph session had been interrupted by rain. But the weather was sufficiently kind to us that we pulled back just enough time that we could still shoot our planned wedding portrait photographs.

The lovely wedding coordinator from the hotel, who did a fabulous job all day, drove us to one of the highest points of the golf course in a long-wheel-base high-octane off-road golf buggy.

The buggy had three rows of seats. I sat next to the wedding coordinator in the front. The bride and groom sat in the middle and Jacqui sat in the rear facing seats with very little to grab hold of. Jacqui and I both had arms full of heavy and expensive camera gear.

Before we set off, I was sure I noticed a flash from the lovely Russian driver's eyes and horns starting to protrude from beneath her well groomed blonde hair.

Then, like a Top Gear drag race, the buggy sped off. The noise was immense as the whine of the straining buggy-motor blended with Jacqui's squeals as she desperately tried to hang on.

The crazy Russian buggy driver would smile at me as we approached a sharp corner, then I watched as her face hardened and she'd tread on the accelerator to swing the back out...and of course Jacqui. I was always relieved to hear Jacqui screaming...it meant she'd hadn't fallen out. I'm certain at one point the crazy Russian had all four wheels sliding. Our driver would turn to me with a glint and say, "It is exciting, yes?"

The irony is that once we'd arrived at our high elevation view point, we couldn't see anything of the landscape because of the low and threatening clouds. Instead we shot the dramatic sky-scape above. The fast moving clouds gave us a lovely opportunity to put a bright spot behind Jack and Jenna to help create this lovely and dramatic bride and groom portrait.

On the way back we noticed these pink petals on the ground and in the bushes and got this lovely walking away shot.

A little later we were much calmer and Jacqui had stopped squealing so we got some lovely indoor bride portraits.

Then we noticed this mirror with flowers and beautifully matching wall colour.

Despite the occasional rain and the Stig's crazy distant Russian cousin thinking that golf is actually a motorsport, it was a brilliant day and the staff at Old Thorns were magnificent. And the best bit...Jacqui never fell out...or dropped anything expensive.

Steve Dunster