Following on from the previous page, having stopped for some impromptu photos in Stanbrook Abbey's Callow Hall, we eventually made it to the hidden lake and the rather enchanting willow tree that resides in the grounds, and features a charming lovers' swing.
Having spoken to many of my Stanbrook Abbey wedding clients, I'm often surprised to hear that this amazing photography location isn't always shown to prospective clients of the venue. If that's the case, it's always a joy to surprise them with this amazing place on their wedding day.
Leaving the photos until later in the day paid dividends as the light was both warmer and softer too, making for very pleasing photos of the bride and groom. The swing, designed to seat two people was taken up entirely by Rebecca's elegant wedding dress, meaning Ryan had to stand by her side, although that's no bad thing as it's a powerful image that shows a loving connection between the two.
The willow tree is quite dense around the outskirts and this luckily shades the couple from the direct sun, keeping them from squinting but also allowing photos to be taken in shade which is much more flattering than direct light.
I like how on the right page, I have been able to contrast the gentle beauty of an age old tree with the stunning and very modern architecture of the outside of the new front entrance to Stanbrook Abbey. The tall marble clad pillars give a wonderful perspective, and the bride and groom being relatively small in the frame turns this into a delightful environmental portrait that shows off the best of the venue.
The upper right hand image shows the bride and groom in a natural clearing that I always use to take photos at Stanbrook Abbey, especially around sunset. To get the correct angle for the photo I have to take the image from quite a distance, but doing so allows me to frame the bride and groom between two large trees.
The final image on this page is taken at a location known as the smoking shack or smoking shed, and is situated on the main lawn outside St Anne's which is another hall inside the abbey that's often used to host larger wedding parties. The evening summer sun cast a wonderful gold light onto the trees at the top of the image. I once again made the bride and groom small in the frame in order to better show off their surroundings. After all, they'd spent a lot of time searching for their perfect wedding venue, why wouldn't you want to see more of it in your wedding photos?
The backing image for the right page of this spread is a test photo, taken when I arrived at the lake and shows the top of the willow tree.
Location: Stanbrook Abbey, Worcestershire.
Keywords: Stanbrook Abbey Weddings (2).