Light Tree Photography

Holly & Richard - Rhinefield House Hotel

2012-01-06T16:02:00.000Z

Another wedding from Summer 2011, bringing back memories of sunny days and warm evenings - hurry back summer, we miss you!!

Holly and Richard had their wedding service and reception at Rhinefield House Hotel. They had placed small lanterns in the main pond at the back of the hotel which looked so magical when they were all lit at night.

Flowers by Flori

Andrea & Ben - St Leonard's Church, Sherfield English and Norman Court School, West Tytherly

2012-01-06T12:30:00.001Z

Another look back at one of our Summer 2011 weddings. This time with Andrea and Ben who had a lovely intimate service at St Leonards Church in Sherfield English. Sadly the morning rain derailed plans for the bride to arrive in an open top Beetle, but the rain soon passed leaving a beautiful summers day for the reception at Norman Court School, West Tytherly.

A little helper checking to see if any more guests were arriving.

One of Andrea's favourite pictures.

And finally the sun came out!

Andrea & Ben had decorated the wedding reception hall with very romantic, delicate pinks and greens and had sourced an amazing array of beautiful cups to compliment their Tea theme.

Norman Court School hosts weddings when the main school is closed, so for the lucky few who have discovered this gem of a venue, make the most of the large open grounds. A warm summers evening, some time to relax by climbing a lovely old tree....

or a quiet walk around the grounds...

..or by reaching high and jumping off a wall. Lots of fun all round. Thank you Andrea & Ben for being such fun!

Sheree & David - St Saviours Church Brockenhurst, Rhinefield House Hotel

2012-01-05T10:38:00.000Z

A look back at one of our 2011 summer weddings. Sheree and David got married on a beautiful day in St Saviours Church Brockenhurst with a wedding reception at Rhinefield House Hotel in the New Forest. Sheree & David wanted to have the full New Forest experience for their wedding, including pictures with the ever popular New Forest ponies, which we had tried to achieve during their pre wed shoot but the ponies were not available - see our pre wed blog entry . But we were lucky on their wedding day and got some pictures with the ponies!

The combination of a beautiful church, the stunning Rhinefield House Hotel, the natural beauty of the New Forest and of course a lovely summer's day, made it difficult to choose the images but we have selected some of our favourites below.

St Saviours Church in Brockenhurst, a beautiful church with soft lighting and warm colours. Perfect for beautiful wedding pictures and of course a beautiful location for a wedding service.

The scale and grandeur of the church are shown in this picture, with Sheree and David at the altar for a blessing just prior to signing the marriage register.

We were so pleased that the ponies were out when we took Sheree and David to get some forest pictures prior to the wedding breakfast at Rhinefield House Hotel. So happy for Sheree that she finally got her picture!

Sheree and David choose this image as the front cover image for their wedding album.

Kerri & Jason - St Leonard's Church & Oakley Hall

2012-01-02T18:27:00.001Z

One of our Autumn 2011 weddings. Not even a local road closure was going to interrupt their day which started with Kerri's preparation at the charming Garden Cottage in the grounds of Oakley Hall and then onto meet with the Groom at St Leonard's Church for the ceremony.

A beautiful church that dates from the 14th century, light and bright with a stunning roof and floor, a dream to photograph. There were so many images to choose from the church service of Kerri & Jason but this natural image stood out for us as they looked so happy looking at each other as the service was going on around them.

The watching crowd waited in anticipation of what was in the wicker basket - camera at the ready and action! A beautiful way to start the wedding celebrations!

Kerri and Jason outside the delightful cottage in the grounds of Oakley Hall.

Kerri & Jason had all the finishing touches for their day including a signing board from our pre-wed shoot - nice photo ;)

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T18:19:00.003Z

Hello and a very happy New Year!

We were exhibiting at a wedding fayre today at Rhinefield House Hotel in the New Forest. It was so exciting to start the new year with all the newly engaged couples and hearing all about their wedding plans.

What a lovely way to start the new year, congratulations to you all. Good luck with all your planning and we would love to hear from you.

Neville and June xx

New Year Blogs

2012-01-02T18:18:00.002Z

Hello,

Having shaken off the post (seasonal) holiday blues, we are planning to catch up on our blog entries. We have photographed so many beautiful weddings in 2011 and have met such lovely people and want to share some of the moments from each of them with you.

If you would like to take a peak at some of the updates we have done for our new Facebook page, please take a look here http://www.facebook.com/LightTreePhotography

Dawn & Carlo - Real wedding feature - Your Hampshire & Dorset Wedding Magazine

2011-11-24T20:28:00.001Z

Dawn & Carlo's wedding is featured in this months magazine and we are delighted that many of our photographs from their day made it into the article. It is a lovely feature and brings back such wonderful memories of their special day. It was a beautiful spring day and their wedding was full of so many special touches including a special guest appearance from Echo their dog! Later in the day we made the most of the available light to get some beautiful couple photographs that really helped to capture all the fun and romance of the day. View Hampshire & Dorset Wedding magazine online http://www.yourhampshirewedding.co.uk/

Clare & Andrew

2011-11-02T20:47:00.000Z

Having a wedding at the beautiful Rhinefield House Hotel in the heart of the New Forest, Clare and Andrew wanted to have their pre wed shoot nearby to capture the peace and calm of the forest. As luck would have it, we had a dry day and wonderful soft lighting, which helped us to create the type of images Clare and Andrew wanted.

Kelly-Lyn & Paul - St Leonards Church & Audleys Wood Hotel

2011-08-30T20:27:00.028+01:00

Kelly-Lyn & Paul - St Leonards Church & Audleys Wood Hotel

Every so often we get to work with some special guests at weddings. Kelly-Lyn & Paul had arranged a couple of very special (small) guests for their day - yes they are penguins! It's not often we are surprised at the things that make a day special but we were excited to hear that Kelly-Lyn & Paul would have two penguins at their wedding. They added a surreal element to the day as they wandered around with the couple and through their confetti line. They were certainly fun to photograph. Kelly-Lyn has always loved penguins and it was truly a dream come true for her to have them as her special guests on her wedding day. Her delight and happiness at them was a pleasure to photograph.

Sheree & David - Pre Wed

2011-08-18T10:40:00.003+01:00

We love the New Forest and luckily for us so do many of our pre wed couples. Sheree & David although not from the area wanted the New Forest experience for their pre wed shoot and wedding day. New Forest ponies were also on the wish list for Sheree, which we didn't get on this occasion, but we got some lovely pictures with the ponies on their beautiful wedding day.

Sarah & Chris

2011-08-18T10:30:00.003+01:00

Relaxing by the river and quietly watching the day go by at Beaulieu in the New Forest with Sarah and Chris.

Kerri & Jason

2011-08-18T10:20:00.001+01:00

What a fun pre wed shoot with Kerri & Jason - thank you both for getting in the spirit of the shoot and enjoying yourself and getting some great shots. We had real trouble selecting which sequence of images to use as they were all came out so well, but the piggy back sequence seemed to capture the mood of the day perfectly.

Rachel & Bill - The Montagu Arms, Beaulieu

2011-08-16T19:25:00.024+01:00

We loved this picture of the cake topper from Rachel and Bills wedding. In the second picture it looks as though the cake topper couple are watching their cupcakes being eaten!...... :)

Lisa & Kevin - Rhinefield House Hotel, The New Forest

2011-08-11T21:11:00.046+01:00

It was one of the hottest days of the year for Lisa & Kevin's wedding at Rhinefield House Hotel which was great as we all spent so much time outside and made the most of the wonderful grounds at this beautiful venue. Lisa had a stunning colour scheme of oranges and pinks which looked amazing in the grand hall and against the forest backdrop.

Kimberley & Peter - St Marys Church Overton

2011-08-01T13:50:00.004+01:00

St Marys is a beautiful church, sitting high enough up for great views of Overton. Following the ceremony, we found a lovely sheltered spot amongst the lavender in the church garden to compliment Kimberley & Peter's vibrant purple colour scheme. It was a lovely day - although a little blustery with a threat of rain in the air - a typical English summers day!

What is a pre wed shoot?

2011-07-23T10:48:00.000+01:00

We often get asked what happens on a pre wed shoot and why do we need one? Sometimes referred to as an engagement shoot it gives us an opportunity to get to know the happy couple in a relaxed and informal way rather than turning up on the wedding day vaguely remembering each other. A pre wed consultation and shoot usually takes place two months before the wedding date and takes about two hours.

The pre wed shoot gives us an opportunity to discuss the timings for the day - even the most relaxed and informal wedding requires a plan. We like to know what's going to happen so we don't miss anything. We also take the time to discuss and agree on any special requests that the couple may have.

Once we have got the formal discussions out of the way, it's off to have some fun with the photo shoot. Often this takes place at a location close to the venue, although we have done this at the couples home, nearby park or beach. The purpose of this session is for the couple to get some experience of being photographed professionally and to discuss specific styles that the couple prefer and feel comfortable with.

The main aim is to get the couple relaxed in front of the camera and have some fun. Photographing a wedding is a privilege - we have access to the couple at one of the most emotional times in their lives, so it's important that we have built a good rapport and are a welcome addition to the day rather than a distraction.

After the pre wed shoot is finished we put the images on our web site with a personal user name and password to access the photographs. We also send the couple the timing plan that was discussed and agreed for their review.

Some couples choose one of their pre wed pictures as a signing board image to be placed at reception for all the guests to sign with a special message. The chosen image can be mounted on a heavy board and then framed with a wide mount surround. The image can be replaced later with one form the wedding and then framed, creating a beautiful memory of the special day.

We usually hold pre wed shoots either in the morning at 10am or afternoon at 2pm, in the summer months we also have a 6pm slot. To see some examples of recent pre wed shoots, take a look at our gallery section on our wed site and click on the lifestyle tab on the right hand side.

So that's how we run a pre wed shoot - we hope this helps you to get ready for your photo shoot!

Natasha & James - St John the Baptist Church Alresford & Audleys Wood Hotel

2011-07-15T21:25:00.002+01:00

After a beautiful church ceremony in Alresford, we made our way to Audleys Wood Hotel for the reception. We were fortunate with yet another lovely dry day, which was great for all the guests to make the most of the grounds. There were lots of pictures we could have chosen from this day to feature, but this image stood out and seemed to capture the styling and theme of their day perfectly.

Rachael & Matt - St John the Baptist Shedfield, New Place, Southampton

2011-07-14T21:20:00.010+01:00

It was a beautiful summers day for Rachael and Matts wedding at St John the Baptist Church in Shedfield followed by a reception at New Place, Southampton. The light in the church was very soft which created a lovely warmth throughout the ceremony. Rachael had filled the church with delicate baskets of flowers and her colour scheme of cream, pink and green against the wooded pews and soft summer light created a very romantic feel. Later that day we took the opportunity of the setting sun for some lovely back lit shots which highlighted Rachael's beautiful dress and veil. More photos from the evening shoot and wedding can be found throughout our website.

Annabel & Daniel - Pre Wed

2011-07-14T21:19:00.001+01:00

Often the couple will request a specific location and on this occasion it just happened to one of our favourite places too, the New Forest. It is often said that the Forest is at its best in the early morning and late evening - calm, tranquil and bathed in beautiful light and we couldn't agree more.

We have selected two of our favourite pictures from the shoot - Annabel and Daniel leaning in for a kiss just as a spark of light was shining through the trees in the background creating a magical feel to the image. Another favourite from this session is of Annabel and Daniel standing under a lonesome tree providing a great landscape shot.

Evening pre wed shoots in the summer can provide you with the most beautiful light just as the sun is setting. It is probably the most flattering light and we would highly recommend an evening shoot if you have the time.

Katie & Danny - Pre wed

2011-07-14T21:11:00.002+01:00

The weather had taken a turn and although it was dry it was certainly very chilly the evening we had the pre wed shoot with Katie and Danny at Porchester Castle. Unfortunately the castle closed earlier than expected but we were able to make good use of the magnificent stone walls as a beautiful textured background for many of the shots. Katies bright pink top against the pale grey stonework background made all the pictures so vibrant.

Holly & Richard - Pre Wed

2011-07-14T20:22:00.003+01:00

With their wedding date coming up soon, Holly and Richard requested their pre wed shoot at Hengistbury Head in Christchurch and although we know the area well, we had never been to that particular scenic spot. Arriving a little early, we had the opportunity to scope out a few places that provided the best lighting on what was a very bright and sunny day. Holly and Richard were easy to photograph as they very relaxed and up for a bit of fun on the shoot and that really comes through in all their pictures.

Lisa & Kevin - Pre Wed

2011-07-14T19:55:00.002+01:00

Some lovely black and white images of Lisa and Kevin on their pre wed shoot. Lots of texture and pattern in a lovely location.

Danielle & James - Rhinefield House Hotel, New Forest

2011-07-13T20:37:00.006+01:00

A date in June just after the summer solstice should by all accounts provide a lovely day for a wedding - and although some early morning rain did curtail the bouncy castle fun for the children, the rest of the day provided us with lots of opportunities to get some great outdoor shots in the beautiful grounds of Rhinefield House Hotel in the New Forest.

Katy & Chris - Audleys Wood Hotel, Basingstoke

2011-07-13T20:13:00.006+01:00

Anticipation and excitement quickly turned into joy, celebration and lots of fun on their wedding day helping to make the photography full of relaxed and natural moments. A perfect example of this can be seen in the three images of Katy and Chris face to face immediately after the ceremony - filled with happiness and laughter. The late afternoon light was beautiful and we took full advantage of the lovely grounds at Audleys Wood Hotel to get some great outdoor shots which you can view in our online wedding gallery.

Dawn & Carlo - Audleys Wood Hotel, Basingstoke

2011-07-13T20:10:00.005+01:00

It was all in the detail for Dawn and Carlo and their efforts certainly showed in every aspect of their wedding at Audleys Wood Hotel. They created a very relaxed, romantic, country feel to their day. It all started early with the groom and his groomsmen decorating the ceremony room with bunting, family pictures and an enormous bespoke name and date sign. Soon after the cupcakes and retro sweets came out and even a special neck tie for Echo their labradoodle! It was a great fun to photograph all the special details that made their day and we were fortunate with the summer sunshine in the later afternoon giving us the opportunity to create some memorable photographs, one of which is on our home page.