A Rustic Vineyard Wedding for an Alan Hannah Bride…

You know what, it makes me really, really happy that this blog inspires so many people.  Not just Brides to be, or people working in the creative industry, but sometimes, people who weren't even aware that they had a creative calling inside!

Not so long ago, I received an email from a lovely chap called Andy.  I didn't click at first that it was the same Andy who had featured in this beautiful real wedding post

"The day I got my weddings photos back and the day they got featured on Love My Dress had a real profound effect on me. Your blog had been a huge influence on my wife when planning our own wedding. I had admired from a far but it wasn't until I saw our photos up there on the screen that I really sat up and took notice. It really opened my eyes to a world of photography that I'd only briefly glimpsed at before.

I was so moved by the work of Emma Case, she has been such a huge inspiration for me. I soon realised that I wanted to give people that same feeling I got, photos of their day that they will cherish forever. I love to capture all those emotions from a wedding, all the love and laughter, all those little details that people often miss on the day. I've only just started but I hope it's a very long journey…"

The message above arrived along with a set of wedding photographs that Andy had shot himself. I was so incredibly touched by this that I knew I had to feature this wedding with you. This is Lucy and Alistair, and they tied the knot on 8 July…

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Andrew J R Squires

Vineyard Wedding Alan Hannah Wedding Dress

"We live on a beautiful vineyard in Twyford, Berkshire called Stanlake Park Wine Estate, so our first call when we got engaged was to ask the estate if we could use the venue for our wedding reception.  It’s a private, romantic place and also our home so that made it very special for us.  The church was in the picturesque village of Waltham st Lawrence which is also close to our hearts.   

Being a wedding photographer myself and an event planner in a previous life I took on the gigantic task of planning our wedding from scratch…in a field between some grape vines…I must be mad!"

Andy

Morris Minor Wedding Car

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"My hair and makeup artist Beckie Welfare is our gorgeous make-up artist that works for me on our fashion work at Centaur photographic.  Always with a smile on her face and I have to say the most calming person to be around on the morning of your wedding…"

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"After photographing so many weddings I really thought I knew what I wanted – a long lace vintage fishtail dress.  What I didn’t expect was to try on this beautiful romantic Alan Hannah dress called Georgia, and fall in love instantly.  And apart from having to have almost 1ft taken off the bottom (I’m only 5ft) it was perfect…."

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You see, it's the little shots like that I adore. That tender moment of straigtening up a buttonhold, that all but too-brief nervous glance – forget the formal lined up shots, I know they have their place, but it's the natural shots that capture the true essence of the day that I adore so much…

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"My mother handmade 80 metre of bunting from pretty pale fabric I had chosen – every time I would phone home in the months leading up to the wedding my father would always pick up the phone and say ‘I’m holding up your mothers blooming bunting again…do you want to speak to her?’…"

Hehehe!

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"When we decided on the venue we knew afternoon tea and cake was a definite with a hog roast in the evening to warm everyone up.   Tiny sandwiches and mini scones were served on 3 tiered cake stands and my mother made homemade Hampshire strawberry jam to accompany.  The Berkshire pig was accompanied with salads, cheese on home carved wooden cheese boards  (Alastair is a tree surgeon) and grannies legionary homemade pear chutney…"

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"I had found a photograph in a magazine of my dream wedding cake but everyone I asked said it was too hard to make as the lace was so intricate.  Nicola from the Vanilla Spice Cake Company on the other hand took it on as a challenge and made it even better than the photos…"

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"The bridesmaids dresses gave me inspiration for my colour scheme after falling in love with a little boutique shop at the Sotogrande polo club in spain.  The tones were so romantic and I could instantly see my bridesmaids in them…"

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Words of Wedded Wisdom…

"Learn to delegate if you are trying to juggle wedding planning with running your own business."

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Congratulations to you both Lucy and Alistair 🙂

And Andy, congratulations on producing such a lovely set of wedding photographs, and for being brave enough to follow your dreams! I feel quite proud that Love My Dress has had a little part to play in that 😉

"You would have though that finding a photographer would be easy as a photographer myself but this seemed to cause the biggest dilemma. 

My business partner and friend Alec Whitby normally shoots weddings with me and we know each others styles so well, we shoot differently but at the same time complement each other so well…so I needed to find another ‘me’ for the day.  I also wanted Alec to be a guest and I really didn’t want him to be stuck behind his camera all day. 

I trawled websites and wedding shows trying to find someone that would complement Alec….and then out of the blue my old friend from university Andrew J R Squires started blogging some of his wedding work on facebook.  I kept following him online and admiring from a far and then after putting in the call to him I know he was the match I was looking for…" 

I hope everyone's Friday is going well so far? 🙂

Much love,

Annabel xXx

 

Style Guide

Photographer – Andrew J R Squires
Venue – Stanlake Park Wine Estate
Marquee Hire – Vintage Marquees
Brides dress – Alan Hannah
Brides veil – something borrowed 
Bridesmaids – B-Chic
Caterers – Top Nosh Cuisine
Morris Minor Hire – Morris MInor Wedding Cars
Flowers – VFB The Florist
Cake – Vanilla Spice Cake Company
Hair & Makeup – Beckie Welfare

 

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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