Clifton College Wedding
A Bristol Wedding Venue
This wedding involved four different locations, two photographers and two videographers as well as a lot of sunscreen, some driving chaos and five main meals for three people!
Bristol Wedding Photography
Lauren and George first contacted me in early 2019 to enquire for their summer 2020 Bristol weddings. Little did we know then what was coming our way – the joys of a global pandemic! Three and a half years and two postponements later, we finally made it and it was a glorious day that didn’t disappoint!
Preparations – the Girls
Lauren, her six bridesmaid and two flower girls got ready at the Bristol Hotel in Central Bath. They had taken over one of the conference rooms and setup various hair and makeup stations. When you have a large bridal party, it makes such a difference if you have a team of hair and make up artists working together. Everything was going like clockwork, while everyone was still feeling relaxed and joyful! Wedding preparations only get stressful, when they are poorly organised or your team of MUAs is not big enough.
Preparations – the Boys
The boys got ready in the same hotel, but on the other side and out of the girl’s sight. Due to the size of the wedding (160 guests) and the bridal parties, I had a second shooter with me for most of the day. Lovely Celie covered the boy’s preparations which was immensely helpful! The groom George was in very good hands with five groomsmen and two dads around to help him get ready.
The Ceremony
George and the groomsmen left the Bristol Hotel before the girls, in order to get to Clifton College Chapel with enough time to greet all the British (George’s side) an American (Lauren’s side) guests. Both George and some of his groomsmen used to be students in Clifton College a few years prior, George was even head boy at some point.
The wedding ceremony took place in the Chapel which first opened in 1867. While I was in place to cover the bridal party’s entrance, my second shooter Celie covered the bride’s arrival.
The Confetti Shot
Everybody loves a good confetti shot! And with this many guests and a bride who was very organised (i.e. loads of confetti) it was bound to be a great one! When the bride and groom walk down the aisle and lead the guests outside, it is crucial for them not to exit the building but hide away somewhere inside. In the meantime all guests will go outside, take a handful of confetti and get in place. I’m not shy to ensure everyone is in place and briefed: “Throw the confetti over the couple, not at them!” Nobody wants the bride to spit out confetti.
The Drinks Reception
The day was beautifully sunny, but also immensely hot! For this reason the drinks reception was setup in the courtyard which allowed the guests to enjoy cold drinks and a huge buffet of canapes, while being to hand for our extended list of formal group shots with we took on the stone steps next to the courtyard. You can see a few of those pictures in the post below.
Check out Lauren and George’s Portrait Session at Clifton Suspension Bridge and Leigh Court Reception here:
What Lauren & George said…
“We had the most wonderful experience with Betty as our wedding photographer. She was with us every step of the planning process (which, due to Covid, was over 3 years) and understood our vision. She is extremely organized and prompt, and she worked collaboratively with us to make sure we had the most beautiful photos to remember our special day. Her professional knowledge is exceptional. She did site visits at all of our venues and had numerous phone calls with us. On our wedding day, she catered to us, making sure we were well hydrated and comfortable during 30+ degree heat. She was such a huge part of making our wedding day worth the wait. We are forever grateful for her taking this very long journey with us!”
Suppliers Information
Wedding Ceremony Venue – Clifton College
Wedding Celebration Venue – Leigh Court
Videography – Third Reel Films
Hair & Makeup – South West Bridal Hair & Makeup
Flowers – Emily & Me
Dress – Calla Blanche
Bridesmaid dresses – Lulus
If you are getting married at Clifton College or Leigh Court, I would love to hear from you!
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