Originally posted 2009-07-09 03:36:18.

Grant Corban marshalling a very large group photo at Tortworth Court, Cotswalds

Ben and Gemma celebrated their wedding at Tortworth Court Hotel in Gloucestershire.  in the Cotswalds, just north of the city of Bristol, England. They planned on a long day with three ceremonies which made it a grand affair. The day started with the typical preparation of the bride, hair and make up, then proceeded to the three different wedding ceremonies!  The first was a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, full of the colours and fragrances of India. After a quick change we moved into a civil registration of marriage (often referred to in its abbreviated form “ROM”), and then finishing up with an Anglican ceremony of blessing.

Once done we took the couple for portraits and group photos around this beautiful manor. Gemma made a stunning bride and Ben was Mr GQ all the way!

The dinner later in the evening was sumptuous, the wedding speeches very funny (spot the laughing and happy faces) and the bridal bouquet toss a scream. The night finished in the wee hours after a lot of dancing and some after party drinks at the on location pub. The last of us went to bed only after dawns early light came filtering in the window. It was a very memorable wedding.

While I live in Asia, (how a Kiwi ended up there is another story altogether) I am frequently asked to travel to cover weddings overseas, whether in the UK, USA, Australia, or elsewhere in the region. There are several reasons for this. Usually it is because a couple have seen us cover their friends wedding and like our style and personableness. In the large group photo above I can see one of our former couples and the parents of another couple who engaged us because of my willingness to assist him with his camera so he could get nice photos of the wedding. It’s these sort of things that are hard to put a value on.

Another factor is that we are not clock watchers. We have no homes to go back to for the evening, so the whole focus of our trip is to make sure you get good photos.

Lastly our unobtrusiveness is a welcome change to what is often seen in weddings. This is because we do this full time, and have been doing it for many years with well over 500 weddings under our belts. People like that experience. Our fees are also very affordable and fit most people’s budget. In fact I think we have never been out of anyones price range for an overseas shoot to date. So if you are looking for someone to cover your day, do drop me a line.

Tortworth Court Hotel Gloucestershire

The day before the wedding we took the opportunity for some quick portraits

Gemma’s all set in her saree

Don’t the girls look stunning!

Ben and his parents

This boys gaze is magical

We owe this wedding to this lovely lady’s recommendation

The reception area between ceremonies

Gemma and her dad get ready for the second wedding ceremony

A classic. I love this photo.

The flower girls were priceless

Ben’s pretty happy the ring fits!

The expressions tell the story

The kids nearly stole the show

Family photo with both parents

Arranging the big one. Need to be fast, friendly and a good eye for detail.

Portraits around the grounds

Ben and Gem were on top of the world

So you can see more of the venue

The gardens and the lighting were perfect

We prefer to let our couples relax and enjoy themselves while taking portraits.

We all retired to the Tortworth’s pub for a refreshing pint.

Just desserts

These guys were shockingly funny

Everyone was in stitches with the speeches. I was laughing so hard it was difficult to hold my camera steady enough to shoot!

Cutting the wedding cake