Horse drawn carriages & motorbikes, a Lillibrooke Manor wedding.
For your eyes only Emma !
I’d met Laura at Lillibrooke Manor for a pre wedding visit a few weeks earlier & to my surprise her mum had given her a mysterious envelope addressed as “For your eyes only Emma” to give to me!
When the summer wedding day arrived, it at didn’t disappoint. Not a drop of rain & just the right amount of sunshine. Perfect conditions for Phil’s motorbikes.
Laura & her bridesmaids, including flower girl Millie, Laura & Phil’s daughter, niece, mum & a few more all got ready in the cottage room, the gorgeous bridal prep room housed in the grounds of Lillibrooke Manor.
Laura’s sensational dress from Dando London was hung from one of the beams for me to photograph. The train was soo long, I struggled to get the shot, even with a very wide angled lens ! Laura got ready with her bridesmaids & mum, oblivious to the surprise horse drawn carriage that had been organised for her. Details of which were, yes you guessed it ! Inside the envelope that Laura had been instructed to give to me.
We squeezed in a couple of quick prep portraits in between the hugs, kisses & well wishes as Laura was almost ready to leave for her ceremony. Did you see her dad’s reaction when he saw her in her dress for the 1st time ?
Arriving in style !
Laura’s parents had organised a white carriage & horses as a surprise for Laura ! Thankfully the heads up via the mysterious envelope a few weeks before meant I could organise the timings to ensure we got photos as they left & arrived in style !
The horses were immaculately groomed & wore pink plumes of ostrich feathers in keeping with Lauras wedding day colours.
Phil also arrived in style, onboard his miniature vintage motorbike heading up the formation with the rest of his groomsmen behind him. Those bikes were a bit of a theme throughout the day !
Phil & Laura’s ceremony was in the small barn, housed within the cloister garden at Lillibrooke. The buildings in this stunning Berkshire estate date back to the 15th century, if you’d like to find out more about Lillibrooke Manor click this link to their website Lillibrooke Manor a Berkshire wedding venue
When Laura walked up the aisle, emotion was everywhere I looked. Every photograph was literally packed with happy tears. Phil became completely overcome when Laura arrived at the end of the aisle, he swept up their daughter Millie into the biggest daddy bear hug !
“When a man loves a woman”
Phil & Laura met on Tinder in September 2016 after both coming out of long term relationships. Their first date was a stroll through Marlow with their dogs & the rest is history!
Phil loves fishing, so during a fishing weekend with friends he had engraved on a small plaque at the end of a fishing line ‘you’re the perfect catch, will you marry me?’Laura turned around and he was down on one knee in front of her, however instead of saying yes straight away Laura had hooked herself & Phil had to save the day & get her off the hook, quite literally !
The challenges didn’t stop there, with a pandemic happening, a baby to raise & a house to buy all while planning their wedding !Their 1st dance was to that classic love song by Percy Sledge, “when a man loves a woman” ……
“The quote that sticks with me is what Emma said to me during prep ‘Only you know what’s happening on your day, and only you will know if something doesn’t go to plan. No one else will know.’ “
This was the best thing I heard and it really calmed me. I’ve passed this on to my friends and family who are getting married in the future 🥰 (Laura Blake)
What was your favourite part of your day & why ?
It was all my favourite!
Getting ready with my girls, the horse and carriage rides, the great food, seeing everyone together without any restrictions. All having a laugh, dancing and a drink together. It was all just amazing.
If you had any tips or words of wisdom for anyone planning their wedding, what would they be ?
Get wedding insurance! Don’t leave your ‘pamper day’ (hair, lashes and nails) until the day before the wedding, have that day to either do nothing or very last minute bits. Don’t sweat the small stuff, your never going to please everybody.
Love Laura’s tips for her Scott-Balke Summer Wedding at Lillibrooke Manor!! If you are reading this as part of your search for wedding venues or even wedding photographers, I’d love to hear from you ! Get in touch
