Amelia & Will’s Hambledon Church and Old Luxters Barn Wedding

“We could not recommend Alistair more! The whole process was smooth right from the beginning, with helpful advice. We felt he got to know us and what we wanted from our day really well. On the day itself, he was wonderful. The photos are beautiful, with him truly capturing the spirit, joy and movement of the day. He was also very respectful, particularly during the church service. An absolute pleasure and joy – don’t hesitate to book him!” Amelia and Will

Oh my oh my. If this couple and their day aren’t the epitome of why I got into wedding photography (and why I love it so much!) then I don’t know what is. I mean, just check out those beautiful souls, those fabulous characters, THAT VIBE and those wonderful venues (Henley-on-Thames, The Stag & Huntsman and St. Mary The Virgin Church in Hambledon and of course the fabulous Old Luxters Barn where I’m humbled to be their recommended photographer).

I loved this day so so much – I think you’ll be able to tell when you look at the photos! But first, this is their story:

Q Describe Yourselves, or each other!

A We’re a doctor (Amelia) and a tax advisor (William). We’re not the soppiest of couples but we love being silly together – probably more than other people realise – and making each other laugh! We love being outdoors together – big walks, kayaking, cycling, picnics. We’ve incorporated this into our honeymoon, which will involve a lot of hiking and some wilderness kayaking (hopefully with whales) in Canada! We’re both pretty competitive and love a board game – we’re unbeatable as a team at Articulate.

Q How did you meet?

A We met back in 2013, on our first day at university – in the pub! All the new freshers were sent to one pub pretty much as soon as we arrived, and we said hello there. On the third day of uni, everyone went to the college playing fields for a games/BBQ evening. We split into pairs for the “Mr and Mrs Fresher” competition. The two of us paired up and cheated shamelessly through the wheelbarrow race, but sadly didn’t win. Who knew that we would become an actual Mr and Mrs?! Will did steal Amelia’s pink beret and wear it for most of the night, and she was actually wearing that same hat the day we got engaged. We were in the same big friendship group and became closer and eventually got together at the end of the first year, after lots of walks and movie nights that almost certainly got the rumour mill going long before we were actually together.

Q When and where did you get engaged? Who proposed? Any particular stories?

A William proposed on Christmas Eve 2020. The original plan had been a picnic in June, but due to lockdown all the jewellers had been closed! He suggested a picnic the week before Christmas, which ended up being Christmas Eve as that was the first dry day. Amelia had her suspicions but tried to convince herself otherwise in case he didn’t ask! We went up a windy hill just outside Henley, wearing our muddy boots and SO MANY LAYERS, and he asked there. Immediately after, we got jumped on by a random, enormous Bernese mountain dog who liked the look of our picnic. It was perfect! Amelia didn’t want to put her gloves back on and hide the ring, but when her hands started to bleed from the cold we decided it was probably best to finish the picnic indoors!

Q Are there any specific reasons you chose your wedding venues? Personal/family connections? The style? The vibe? The location?

A We first visited Hambleden just before we moved to Henley, in the summer of 2020. A friend of ours lived in London, but would regularly go out to a nice little village in the summer to cycle, and suggested meeting for a picnic – it was Hambleden. We fell in love with the place instantly, and once we moved to Henley, it was on our regular walking route. Having spent more time at the church since then, it’s incredibly friendly and welcoming.

Thank you,