Louise & Jamie were married in a wonderful ceremony in Northampton Guildhall’s Great Hall on Saturday, 19th August 2017. The bridal preparations and reception took place at the fabulous Huntsmill Farm near Brackley.
Bridal Preparations – Huntsmill Farm, Bucks
From our earlier wander around Huntsmill Farm together, I knew it had so much potential. The stone chalets where the preparations would take place formed a courtyard. Beyond that were open, rolling fields. We just needed the weather.
The morning of the wedding itself was glorious, though there had been considerable rainfall in the lead up to the day, which would ultimately restrict some of the shots we could do in the adjacent field (Louise’s shoes would have been ruined!)
When I arrived, Louise was already in the chair having her hair done, along with her mum, sister, aunt and cousin. Everyone was remarkably chilled, and that set the tone for the day.
Louise applies her wedding day make-up ahead of her Huntsmill Farm wedding
The beautiful flowers had all been lovingly grown by Louise’s aunt – a project that required months of planning and dedication, but one that meant so much to the happy couple.
Many of the decorations and finishing touches were the work of Louise’s mum, Debbie – again, something that had been an awful long time in the planning. The attention to detail was amazing, and everything looked fantastic.
With preparations complete, I joined Jamie and the remainder of the wedding party, save for Louise and her dad, Rob, on an immaculate Routemaster bus for the journey to Northampton.
Wedding Ceremony – Northampton Guildhall’s Great Hall
Northampton Guildhall became my most photographed venue that morning, though this was the first time I’d shot a ceremony in the stunning Great Hall. It was also the first time that I’d been allowed sight of the “hidden staircase”, which provided the perfect backdrop for a few pre-ceremony portraits.
Bride and Father-of-the-bride on the Hidden Staircase at Northampton Guildhall
Northampton Guildhall’s Great Hall wedding venue
The ceremony itself was truly beautiful, though a few eyebrows were raised when Jamie’s name was given as Jamie Mayville…. I was sure that when I did the consultation his surname was Villar! It was only afterwards that I discovered the explanation. Louise was a Maybank, and the two really wanted to do something special, so they decided that they would combine the two to create a new surname, which they would carry forward into their married life together. It’s not something you do lightly, and Jamie was required to change his name by deed pole prior to the wedding day, much to the chagrin of Debbie who now had to reflect this in some of the pieces she’d crafted for the day!
It was the first sign of the level of commitment the two demonstrated towards one another constantly throughout the day.
After the ceremony, we did a few quick shots on the steps, plus obligatory confetti shots, before heading back to Huntsmill Farm.
The bride and groom shield their eyes from confetti after their Northampton Guildhall wedding ceremony
Wedding Breakfast – Huntsmill Farm, Bucks
The bus arrived back at Huntsmill Farm sufficiently early to allow me to get into the marquee to capture Debbie’s handiwork before the new Mr & Mrs Mayville arrived. They had hopped into the white Beauford car that had delivered Louise & Rob to the Guildhall.
The bride and groom pose with their Beauford wedding car at their Huntsmill Farm wedding
I have to make special reference to the incredible strings of Origami cranes that Jamie had created in the run up to the wedding. There were hundreds – literally!
We grabbed some pictures with both car and bus before we went for a little wander. As referenced earlier, the field we had earmarked for piccies was rather softer than we’d hoped, and there was no way I was going to make Louise traipse through the mud! So, we had to make do with using just the edges of it. Jamie was up for goofing around on top of a hay bale, though!
The stunning scenery surrounding the Huntsmill Farm wedding venue
Back to the main party, we assembled in the courtyard for the remainder of the group shots, before food was served. It was a truly amazing barbeque!
Once everyone had eaten, the speeches began, with Rob, the father-of-the bride, who had everyone in stitches, particularly when he presented Jamie with a West Ham shirt, complete with the date of the wedding on the back (no excuses for forgetting the anniversary now!). Jamie and Louise each took turns on the mic, too, and once again their words just served to back up their obvious devotion to one another. It really was a beautiful thing! Jamie’s brother provided one final speech to draw that element of the day to a close.
The Father-of-the-Bride’s speech – Huntsmill Farm wedding photography
A stunning Italian cake was delivered shortly afterwards with an amazing array of petit fours – all of which were utterly delicious!
Jamie had received a beautiful pocket watch from his now wife, and we wanted to get some pictures with that. Debbie also had her own ideas about a photo prop she’d made, which looked and worked brilliantly!
Scrabble tiles and wedding rings – LOVE – Huntsmill Farm wedding photography
Greenwich Pocket Watch Co gift for the groom – Huntsmill Farm wedding photography
Wedding Reception – Huntsmill Farm, Bucks
Evening entertainment was kicked off by a DJ, who provided the soundtrack to Louise & Jamie’s first dance.
Louise & Jamie enjoying their first dance in the marquee at their Huntsmill Farm wedding
We had hoped there might be a sunset, but, alas, it was not meant to be.
Guests were later entertained by the excellent Peterborough-based band Children of the Revolution and then it was time for me to call it a day.
It had been a brilliant day with some of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet.
Watch the slideshow below of some of my favourite moments from the occasion:
Wishing Mr & Mrs Mayville long, happy and healthy lives together.
Karl
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