Bassmeads Manor Barns Wedding Photographer

Explore Oliver & George’s Bassmeads Manor Barns wedding, with relaxed wedding photography and highlight film in Cambridgeshire

Oliver & George

I absolutely loved being back at Bassmeads Manor Barns in Cambridgeshire. It’s one of those venues that just gets weddings right, from the beautiful grounds and cosy barn to the genuinely welcoming team who are always completely on it when it comes to making sure the day runs smoothly.

And then there was Oliver and George. From the moment I arrived, I knew this was going to be a seriously fun wedding.

They booked my full-day wedding photography package, covering everything from preparations through to the party, along with a wedding highlight film. It meant I was there for the whole story of their day — from the nerves and excitement of getting ready, right through to the dancing and chaos later that evening.

And what a day it was.

Navy, burgundy and plenty of personality

Oliver and George both looked incredible, each bringing their own style to the day. Oliver wore a smart navy suit with a blue dickie bow, while George went for burgundy, creating a really cool contrast between the two.

Their groomsmaids were an absolute highlight. They were hilarious, full of personality and clearly there to make sure the day was never taken too seriously. One thing I definitely have to mention is that these two walk ridiculously fast. There was a running joke throughout the day about how quickly Oliver and George walk, with them insisting it was “a gay thing.” Whether that’s actually true, I’ll leave that one up for debate — but it certainly became one of our little inside jokes of the day.

Needless to say, keeping up with them provided plenty of entertainment!

There was plenty of laughter throughout the day, and that really comes through in their photographs. Nothing felt overly formal or staged. It was just a group of people having a brilliant time together.

A sunny September wedding

September gave us a pretty much perfect wedding day. There was that lovely slight crispness in the air that you get at the start of autumn, but the sun was out and the grounds at Bassmead were looking beautiful. Later, the clouds rolled in, giving us a completely different feel for some of the photographs. It meant we had loads of opportunities for portraits without spending hours disappearing away from the party.

And that’s exactly how I like it. A few portraits, a little bit of direction when needed, and then straight back to enjoying the wedding.

The grounds at Bassmeads Manor Barns give you plenty of options too. There are beautiful little pockets of greenery, open spaces and places to wander without everything feeling too manicured or staged.

There was even a peacock hanging around when I arrived. Naturally, I was hoping he’d make an appearance during portraits… He didn’t. Typical.

Personal touches that actually meant something

One of my favourite details from Oliver and George’s wedding was their table styling.

They have a real love of house plants, so rather than spending a fortune on traditional wedding centrepieces, they used house plants as their table decorations.

I loved this. It’s personal, it looked great and it was something they genuinely loved rather than simply choosing something because it’s what you’re “supposed” to have at a wedding.

They also had an illustrator creating beautiful illustrations of their guests throughout the day, which was such a lovely touch. Having someone there most of the day meant their guests could have something completely personal to take home with them.

And then there were the garden games, plenty of laughter, and Oliver’s young nephews making the most of the space outside.

It felt relaxed, personal and very much like their wedding.

And then came the party…

After spending the day with Oliver and George, their friends and family, the party was exactly what you’d expect.

Fun, loud and a little chaotic. In the best possible way.

They had a band playing three sets throughout the evening, which kept the dance floor busy and the energy high. By this point, everyone was well and truly relaxed, and there were plenty of brilliant moments to capture.

That’s one of the reasons I love full-day wedding photography. You don’t just get the big moments. You get the build-up, the random conversations, the ridiculous moments, the reactions, the people who make you laugh, and all the little bits that would otherwise disappear.

And because I was also creating their highlight film, I could capture some of that energy in motion too.

The photographs tell the story of the day, while the film brings some of those moments back to life — the music, the movement, the laughter and all the little things you can’t quite capture in a still image.

Kind Words

After I sent Oliver and George their preview slideshow, they messaged me:

“Wow, just incredible. I’m lost for words. We are so grateful. It’s going to be difficult to choose our faves. How many pictures can we get in a photo album? 900?”

“Honestly, they’re amazing. We loved them all so much already. Thank you for everything.”

Honestly, this is exactly why I love what I do. Not just because I get to create beautiful photographs, but because I get to spend an entire day with people, become part of the madness for a little while, and then give them something they can keep forever.

Oliver and George, thank you for trusting me with your day and for making my work feel like so much fun. Your wedding was full of personality, laughter and all the good stuff, and I absolutely loved being there to capture it all.

Thank you for making me feel so welcome and for being such an absolute joy to spend the day with. I hope you have the most amazing future together, filled with plenty more laughter, adventures and happy memories.

I hope married life brings you plenty more adventures, laughter, good times and memories to add to the ones you’ve already made together. Wishing you both an amazing future and hopefully many more reasons to get dressed up and hit the dance floor!

And yes… 900 photos might be pushing the limits of the album. Maybe.

You can find more reviews here.

Why Bassmeads Manor Barns Is One of My Favourite Wedding Barn Venue in Cambridgeshire

I’ve photographed weddings at Bassmead Manor Barns a number of times, the first time was 10 years ago, and it remains one of my favourite Cambridgeshire wedding venues to work at.

Firstly, the team. They are genuinely lovely to work with. They’re welcoming, organised and seem to have everything under control without making it feel like they’re taking over the day. From a supplier’s point of view, that’s a huge thing.

The venue itself also hits a really nice sweet spot. It’s not enormous, but it doesn’t feel cramped either. It has that intimate, cosy feeling while still giving you plenty of space to move around and enjoy the day.

And from a photography point of view, the barn is actually beautifully light for a barn venue.

Barns can sometimes be very dark, meaning photographers have to rely heavily on flash. Bassmead is different. The windows and roof lights allow natural light to come down into the space, particularly onto people’s faces, which makes such a difference during the ceremony and throughout the day.

The colours and interiors work really well for photographs too. There aren’t lots of strong or unusual wall colours throwing strange tones onto people’s skin, so the light stays soft and natural.

The result? Those warm, dreamy wedding photographs without having to overcomplicate things.

And I have to mention the food. I’ve eaten at a lot of wedding venues, and the food at Bassmead is genuinely up there with some of the highest quality wedding food I’ve had.

Put all of that together and it just works. It feels a little bit like a home from home — cosy, welcoming and comfortable — while still looking beautiful in photographs.

Scroll through some of my favourite moments from Oliver & George’s beautiful Bassmeads Manor Barns wedding below…

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