Frankie and Olivers wedding at Down Hall

Bride – Frankie DeGraag

Groom – Oliver Lea

Bridesmaids – Laura and Joelle

Flowergirls – Lois and Isabelle

Pageboy – Jasper

Brides Parents – Jill and Kevin

Grooms Parents – Therese and Jimmy

Best Man – Osman

Usher – Nick

Hair – Zoe Quinn and Jodie Davis – Toniq Hairdressing

Bridal Hair and Make up -Alessio “Vidal Sassoon”

Toastmaster – Mark Greatbach

Video – Dave

Frankie and Olivers wedding 28th May 2016

Let me tell you, that when Frankie first got in touch and mentioned she and Oliver were getting married and were having their Wedding Reception at Down Hall in Bishops Stortford I was extremely happy. It’s a perfectly wedding venue for a wedding photographer like me.  It’s a superb Victorian Country House wedding venue set in 110 acres of beautiful countryside.  I used the  gardens, fountains, lawns, pillars and balustrade for the main creative shots and the Lawns for the family and friends group shots. The grounds are beautiful for the photographs and the guests to enjoy.  And it was a pretty much perfect day for Frankie and Oliver’s wedding.

The day started with me heading over to Down Hall at 10 am to start the Bridal Preparation pictures. Frankie and the girls were having their hair and make up done. The dress was hanging up in The Bridal Suite and everyone was really chilled and enjoying this part of the morning. I met the father of the bride Kevin and had a nice chat with him and then started the main photos.  The weather was incredible, blue skies and fluffy white clouds. .. not the cloudy day that had been forecast all week.

The wedding ceremony took place in the lovely Sacred Heart RC Church in Ware, Herts before the guests and newly married Frankie and Oliver arrived at Down Hall and their guests spilled out on the terraces for drinks with the couple. We then did a huge picture from the top floor of the hotel with all the wedding guests and then shot the family and friend pictures.  The toastmaster Mark Greatbach then informed me that we had 3o minutes until the couple needed to be in for the meal so we went round the grounds and shot lots of pictures of the Bride and Groom using my Reportage Photography Style and Classical mix together.

The guests then set out across the gardens and made their way to the main suite for the meal and celebrations to continue. The meal was amazing and the speeches were absolutely superb.  Afterwards the couple went out onto the terrace and saw their evening guests. Then at 8.30pm the couple did their first dance together as The New Mr and Mrs Lea.

I finished the photos with a beautiful shot in the lounge under the Chandelier with the Bride and Groom and then said my goodbyes and what a perfect day it had been.

This for me was a really special wedding – so much of my work these days is recommendation.   I first met Oliver 8 years ago when I photographed his sister Joelles wedding to Luke at Ponsbourne Park,  Olivers mum Therese works with a very good friend of mine Matt Buckland whose wedding I shot at The Royal Chase Hotel and then last year  I photographed the couples close friends Deana and Carl Randall’s wedding at Brook Farm… I’ve got to know  a lot of their friends and very recently Frankies mum Jill who only lives a couple of roads away from me, I am sure we will all keep in touch after the wedding they are all absolutely top people.

Frankie and Olivers wedding at Down Hall really was a very gorgeous and perfect Day and I hope you like looking through a small selection of my favourite wedding photographs.

Frankie and Olivers Down Hall wedding

 

See you both when you get back from Dubai and The Maldives..JP ?

Frankie and Olivers wedding at Down Hall Photographed and written © John Paul O’Donnell Photography. If you have enjoyed reading this post then please like and share it.    I enjoy putting words to the pictures I take and when I see that people enjoy reading and looking.. I know that its worthwhile. JP