Malmesbury Wedding Photography

Back in July 2020, I received a call from Polly’s mum who was keen to find a Malmesbury wedding photographer to capture her daughter’s big day. I was chuffed to get an enquiry from someone so local to me and met with Polly and Ollie and their respective families that same week. They took me to a field with stunning views where their wedding day would take place one year later. The field was just behind the condiment factory run Polly’s parents (if you’re from the Malmesbury area you will have heard of Tracklements) and so it was an obvious choice for Polly & Ollie’s wedding location.

The day itself was filled with more sunshine than we could have hoped for (it was HOT), so so much laughter (see photos below!) and some of the most excellent dance floor moves I’ve yet seen. Looking back at these photos now just fills me with joy and it truly was a joy to be the one to capture this fantastic day.

Polly has written a few words herself about her wedding day and how it all came together. Scroll down to below the photos to read more about this wonderful wedding in Sherston including all the lovely suppliers who made it possible.

If you’re in the process of planning your big day and want to have a chat with me to find out more about my wedding photography package then drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.

How we met… We met when we were 15 years old through our mutual friend Ed, obviously he had to be an usher at the wedding! I had been at primary school with him and he met Ollie at senior school. Ollie and I often met at parties during our teen years but then during our early twenties in London we were both single and the rest is history…

The proposal… The proposal was down at my parents’ caravan in Cornwall. From the caravan you can walk down through the farmers field to the estuary. It is one of my favourite places as it is deserted and magical! On a wet and windy August afternoon, Ollie dragged me out to walk down there, he sang the entire walk (to calm his nerves) and then as soon as we got there he was on one knee.

The venue… There was no question about this! A few years earlier Ollie, my dad and I were on a walk and saw a wedding in this field near Malmesbury. I told them both then and there, if I ever got engaged this was where I wanted to get married. Kindly, the owner of the field agreed to the request when we did get engaged!

The attire… As soon as I got engaged I started Pinterest boards, the first dress I liked on there was the dress I ended up buying. When I tried it on, I burst into tears, I knew it was the dress! It was from an Australian brand called Grace Loves Lace. Luckily, they had a London showroom! I knew I wanted bright coloured shoes and had always loved the brand Alohas. I got the Sophie shoes in orange. All my jewellery was from Missoma. My friend works there so we worked together to style and create the perfect bridal look. I had my hair done by Abi Andrews Hair & Make Up, Abi was amazing, she brought calmness to the madness of the wedding morning. I did my own make up using Charlotte Tilbury products, I did a couple of lessons online for creating a wedding look and now have learnt make up techniques l which I can recreate at many other weddings. My bridesmaids all chose their own dresses based upon a colour pallet of yellows and oranges, they all look different and I wanted everyone to feel their best. I love how the dresses look in the photos and now all the girls own dresses they can wear time and time again. My wedding band was designed by Ollie’s cousins wife, Sian Lily Jewellery. She created the most beautiful diamond eternity band, which I will love forever! Ollie’s suit was from Cad & The Dandy, he knew he wanted a navy suit which he could wear time and time again, he loved the experience of creating a bespoke suit with his dad and brother.

The decor… We had the most amazing event organiser and wedding planner, Ruth Brookman who made all our ideas reality! She showed us so many amazing events she had done and this gave us inspiration. The marquee, from Space Intense, was so beautiful and this meant everything else could be kept simple to show this off. My friend Elsa Rose Frere is an illustrator, so she designed the front cover of our wedding ceremony booklet. We now have this picture framed in our house.

The cake… Another one of my friends is a very talented cake baker, so she very kindly agreed to make our cake. I knew I wanted flowers all over them. She decided to make two cakes for us to keep Bride and Groom happy! Ollie wanted a salted caramel, chocolate overloaded cake, filled with gluten. I, on the other hand, am coeliac so opted for a gluten free lemon drizzle cake.

The flowers… One of my bridesmaids happens to be a florist by trade and in my opinion, she is the best florist around! Her name is Poppy Sturley, we grew up together and she always had a love for nature and all things beautiful. I knew I wanted oranges and yellows as the flower colours. I also knew I wanted orange Californian poppies to be the main flower, they grow along the roadside near my parents’ caravan where we got engaged. My mum, granny and Ollie’s mum all grew these for us for the wedding day, so this was a special touch. The flower arch she created for the ceremony set the perfect backdrop and was used throughout the day and evening for photos.

The ceremony… We got married in Bath Registry Office the day before with just family and had a small party with them, bridesmaids and ushers afterwards. But on the day a friend led our ceremony in the late afternoon on the Saturday, we wanted it to be lighthearted, fun and show both our personalities. Ollie mainly organised this part and the result was amazing, with so many family and friends praising the ceremony for being so unique and fun. My 18 year old cousin taught himself the guitar in lockdown and played me down the aisle to ‘All Place Your Hands’ by Reef.

The photographer… Judith was incredible! She captured the day and every time I look at the photographs, I am taken right back to it. She was not intrusive, I barely even noticed she was there! Which was exactly what we wanted, as we had asked her to take natural photographs of people enjoying themselves on the day, which she truly captured! The added touch of the personalized box with the memory key after the event was such a special addition too and this is proudly displayed on our mantle piece.

The reception… It was 35 degrees! I think everyone was very hot from sitting in the sun during the ceremony. I had made a reggae playlist with a friend which we blasted whilst everyone sipped Crémant in the sunshine! This was magical, I took a step back at this point and looked at our wedding from a distance and it was PERFECT! We were so busy talking with everyone, we missed the canapes, luckily the catering team had saved us a tray.

The best bits… When everyone ran on to the dance floor to join us during our first dance. Dancing until 5am. The wedding car not starting and then being a prop for the whole night. Having everyone we both loved in one space. The happiness, energy and love that every single guest brought to the wedding, making it the best day and evening of our lives!

Any tips for future bride and grooms? Enjoy it! It is the best day of your life! Make it as personal to both of you as possible. And if you have creative friends include them in planning and creating your wedding day as this makes it extra special.