It’s come all the way back round to winter again and it’s time I blogged this wedding. March 2018 in the Cotswolds had some of the most extreme snow conditions I’ve seen. Having photographed in the Arctic circle at -25 degrees the scenes in Gloucestershire were strikingly similar. Luckily I had nothing to do in Early March except collect fire wood and build the odd snowman….or so I thought.
After another heavy dumping of snow overnight, on March the 2nd I was called in to shoot a wedding. We have this great community in Gloucestershire among the wedding industry folk meaning back up is always readily available should the worst happen. So when I awoke and was told that my friend and photographer couldn’t get her car off the drive (also she was six months pregnant) and the paths and roads were ice rinks, I got the kit packed up. We didn’t tell Roz I was coming as in all honesty I didn’t know I would be able to get to her at the Hare and Hounds in Tetbury and then get through to the Kingscote Barn. The Kingscote Barn sits in a beautiful valley, and was essentially completely cut off by the snow. I made some phone calls, enlisted my teenage daughters, who where required by Lee at Strawberry Field Catering as some of waiting staff couldn’t get to the barn ether and we set off. The 20 minute journey took over an hour, but sticking to the main roads we slowly made our way there. Roz was delighted we had arrived, and I was relieved that through the powers of Instagram she already knew of my work.
It was an emotional day, not everyone could attend the wedding, and some of the suppliers couldn’t attend but Kingscote Barn pulled out all the stops to keep the road opens and make sure all the essentials were in place. Getting from Roz at the Hare and Hounds over to the Kingscote Barn was a little more hairy. My heavy 4×4 Volvo XC90 had to double up as a snow plough and the drifts on the side of the road were higher than the car. We kind of slid down to the barn, with me pretending I was in complete control !
So my girls got their first job and although the wedding was stripped down and simple it was one of the most magical wonderland experiences. So many weddings were cancelled across the country on that snowy March Day but Roz and Nick said their vows and had the most unforgettable and beautiful winter wonderland backdrop. We even made it safely home in my trusty Volvo but some of the committed staff actually slept at the venue as the weather was just to severe. Katy Pheiffer the make up artist on the day got towed by several vehicles there and back in a mamouth effort to get the job done.
Chuck another log on the fire and enjoy this one…it’s heart warming!
