Coombe Lodge Wedding Photographer
As a Coombe Lodge wedding photographer, I love working with the beautiful quality of light at this venue (you might have noticed, I’m pretty obsessed with light!), to create award winning wedding photos and capture emotional moments.
Coombe Lodge is a fantastic wedding venue situated in the rolling countryside of North Somerset (not too far from either Bath or Bristol), surrounded by breathtaking views from the edge of the Mendip Hills. It’s not just an impressive looking building, the venue is expertly run by a friendly and professional team who will make sure you have everything you need on your big day.
Laura and Steve’s Coombe Lodge wedding photography
I met Laura and Steve at a wedding show back in January 2019, they booked me as their Coombe Lodge wedding photographer shortly after. They had a long wait for their big day, after having to postpone their original date in 2020, but two years later they finally got married, so we were all super excited about it!
Getting ready
I started the day with Laura and her bridal party, who were busy getting ready in the incredible bridal suite upstairs at Coombe Lodge. There’s loads of space here for everyone to prepare, you can even peer out of the window and get a view of your guests as they start to arrive. Laura and the girls were enjoying a few glasses of bubbles (bottle expertly opened by Laura!) with Laura’s Maid of Honour, Alison Morgan doing their hair, and Make Up Artist Eleanor Nancy adding the glamorous finishing touches.
Laura’s Willowby Waters ‘Virgo’ wedding dress from Laura May Bridal Cardiff, was perfect for their outdoor ceremony and had a delicate, whimsical flow to it that was complemented by her beautiful flower crown. The crown had quite a few admirers on the day… everyone was desperate to try it on! The bouquets and floral displays were created by The Wilde Bunch using pastel colour roses, foliage and sweet peas, a sophisticated English country garden style!
The boys were getting ready downstairs, where my brilliant second photographer Timea Dancii was capturing the action. Steve had prepared a gift for them all, with a photobook of memories from their trip to Las Vegas together. They had some time to chat and relax together, looking sharp in their outfits from Clifton Suits before they made their way to the courtyard.
Outdoor wedding ceremony
As everyone gathered in the courtyard ahead of the ceremony, Laura was sneaking a peek at the assembled guests from the window at the top of the staircase, getting ready to make her entrance.
Laura and Steve exchanged rings and were married in front of their friends and family, and you could really see the love and support from everyone watching.
They headed back down the aisle as husband and wife and then were showered in confetti on the pathway in front of Coombe Lodge, including some surprise confetti cannons!
After the ceremony, Laura and Steve had arranged cool drinks and ice creams for everyone, which was a big hit with all their guests! I always like to leave time after the ceremony for couples to greet their guests, and for everyone to wish them congratulations. So we blended in with the crowd, capturing some documentary moments of them enjoying drinks and hugs with their friends and family, before arranging a few group portraits on the lawns.
We then took Laura and Steve for a short portrait session as newlyweds in the fantastic grounds of Coombe Lodge. We made our way into the ornamental gardens via the stone steps, stopping at the Indian bean tree (one of my favourite spots) for a little snuggle.
Our circular route of the grounds took us along the treelined driveway to the walled garden with its colourful borders, doorway and overhanging flowers. We also visited the blissful calm of the Victorian greenhouse and captured some portraits of Laura and Steve amongst the potted plants and trailing ivy in stunning sunlight.
Let’s talk about CAKE!
As we arrived back at the main house, Laura and Steve had a sneaky look at their wedding breakfast room and their incredibly detailed bespoke wedding cake by Celia Cemlyn from Cemlyn Cakes. Not only was it delicious, but it was also completely personal to their story. Steve proposed back in 2018 on top of Mount Fuji at sunrise, Celia recreated the scene in cake form, adding their Bengal cats at the top of the mountain with them. It was so accurate, even the clothes they were wearing at the time had been replicated!
Sweet treats were also provided as wedding favours, with macarons from Anna Cake Couture.
Reception
After some delicious food (from the brilliant kitchen team at Coombe Lodge) we enjoyed speeches, including a beautifully funny speech by Laura’s Mum. I love capturing the touching moments after the speeches, when the bride and groom take time to hug and thank the people who have spoken, and this image of Laura hugging her mum is a great example of that.
As everyone enjoyed coffee after dinner I noticed the sun was starting to go down and took the chance to whisk Laura and Steve away for some evening portraits. I’d had a little scout around the venue before starting for the day and the nearby field was an ideal sunset portrait location. They followed the tractor lines into the field and I used the trees to frame them against the evening sky.
As we moved back towards the house, the couple laughed and played around in the gardens under the Acer trees, with Laura taking a quick ride on her new husband’s back before heading back to join their guests for the evening.
After their first dance, everyone piled on to the dance floor with fab entertainment from the brilliant band Fraudio.
Word had gotten around that I’ve been known to construct human pyramids at weddings… Laura and Steve’s friends immediately wanted to give it a try! They managed a very impressively executed pyramid, with the Bride and Groom both taking turns on the top of the tower!
Before heading for home, I captured Laura swooshing her beautiful dress with some off-camera flash, and a few portraits in the dramatic evening light around the building. Finishing up with the couple relaxing on one of the velvet sofas, preparing themselves to party the rest of the night away with their guests.
Congratulations Laura and Steve, thank you for having us!
…More weddings at Coombe Lodge
I’ve been a Coombe Lodge wedding photographer for quite a few years now! Here are some highlights from other Coombe Lodge weddings for you to enjoy, plus a little bit more information about the venue.
Getting married at Coombe Lodge
With the opportunity to get married outside, you can really make the most of the beautiful surroundings and architecture of the building itself.
Outdoor ceremonies at Coombe Lodge take place in the centre of the horseshoe-shaped courtyard, under the impressive stone archway of the manor house which was built between 1928-1932. You can also have your ceremony indoors, in front of one of the many huge windows with views of the gardens.
Coombe Lodge Weddings
Weddings at Coombe Lodge have exclusive use of the venue, grounds, and 12 bedrooms. There are plenty of versatile spaces for ceremonies and celebrations of all sizes, from 50 to 160 guests, or up to 200 for an evening reception. The bright and elegant Music Room is flooded with light from tall lead paned windows, making it ideal for your wedding breakfast. The Library and Billiard Room are also both available for your guests to explore and relax.
The variety of rooms also gives us plenty of options for group portraits indoors if the weather isn’t on our side. There are endless possibilities for your Coombe Lodge wedding photography, whether we explore the expansive grounds or create some dramatically lit portraits inside the manor house.
The food is amazing here too… from fine dining to relaxed sharing platters, every taste can be catered to by the talented kitchen team at Coombe Lodge.
Kelly and Erik – Coombe Lodge Wedding Photography
Check out some highlights from Kelly and Erik’s amazing Anglo-Scottish, autumn wedding at Coombe Lodge, it’s even in a slideshow to save you from scrolling! These two are just the loveliest couple ever! Their wedding was packed with love, fun, spreadsheets, ceilidh dancing and even a girl in yellow shoes (they’re always trouble!).
Highlights from other Coombe Lodge weddings
Sarah and Nathan’s wedding at Coombe Lodge
Are you getting married at Coombe Lodge?
If you are looking for your Coombe Lodge wedding photographer and you like what you’ve seen of my work, please do get in touch, I would love to join you! You might also like to have a browse through some other local venues I’ve worked at, including my work as an Orchardleigh House wedding photographer, this fabulously entertaining Bristol Royal Marriott Hotel wedding, or maybe something completely different at a Wookey Hole wedding in an underground cave!
