A Magdalene College wedding in Cambridge

 A wonderful wedding for you today from a jaunt over to Cambridge that I had at the end of last summer. Alessa and Pedro got married at Trinity Hall in Cambridge University and then went punting before ending up at Magdalene College for a drinks reception and dinner. I now think going punting on your wedding day is an exceptionally good idea!! We had so much fun and it makes for some awesome photos too. The grounds at Trinity Hall were just stunning… I think it’s got to be one of the most amazing places for an outdoor wedding. And Magdalene was pretty special too – the atmosphere in the colleges at Cambridge is so unique and it’s so lovely to have your wedding day somewhere that means so much to you if you’ve studied there. Alessa and Pedro first got in touch with me after their amazing wedding celebrant Zena Birch gave them my details (Hey Zena!!). Zena is a humanist celebrant who I first worked with about 5 years ago. I’ve been lucky enough to shoot a few weddings with her in the years since and every.single.

A Wedding at The Grange at Belluton

 When Emily first got in touch after finding me on Instagram she said “I’m probably doing this all in the wrong order as I don’t have a venue or a date yet”. Well, it just goes to show it doesn’t matter what order you do it in – it all came together just fine. In fact, better than fine. It all came together beautifully. Emily wanted to get married in the Chew Valley and she found an amazing wedding venue in The Grange at Belluton. She pulled in a whole load of brilliant suppliers to make the day incredible – and I got to photograph it all. Happy Sam!

I started the day at Emily’s mum and dad’s house near Chew Magna. The lovely Grace was doing her makeup and pretty soon Anna from Indigo Yard Floral arrived with Emily’s bouquet. The flowers throughout the day were absolutely beautiful, Anna did an amazing job (check out her insta to see more of her work!).

Once Emily was ready I hot-footed it down a couple of country lanes to the church. And it looked fantastic – Emily had wanted the aisle decorated with these large white balloons and it really gave an extra wow as guests arrived. The brilliant Steph at Sweet & Pretty had done the decorating at the church as well as everywhere else! I met Chris at the church and he seemed pretty relaxed, joking and laughing with his best man. Before long, Emily arrived in a little morris minor as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds.

Tunnels Beaches Wedding Photography - Samgibson Weddings

A few frames from this weekend’s wedding at the AWESOME Tunnels Beaches, a superb wedding venue down on the Devon coast in Ilfracombe. Nina and Chris had possibly the best weather I’ve seen at a March wedding in quite some time. There were times during the day when it actually felt like we were in another country. A warm country, somewhere far away! I don’t really know how to describe their wedding day other than to say that it was full of joy and personality and spirit and love and warmth. And music. And laughter… I’m not being very concise here. But you get the idea. It was individual and colourful. You can’t really fail to be colourful when you’ve got a giant pink petticoat :) It was a wedding that had beachballs and ice creams, specially written songs and paddling in the sea. I can’t wait to share the rest with you in the future. Thanks Nina and Chris, and huge congratulations to you both x

A Hotel Du Vin Avon Gorge Wedding - Samgibson Weddings

 On a slightly damp April morning I arrived to photograph Polly and Greg’s Hotel Du Vin Avon Gorge wedding. It’s the beautiful new Hotel Du Vin hotel in Clifton. With the suspension bridge just daring to peek out behind some rather grey clouds I met Polly, her mum and her bridesmaids in one of the stunning bedrooms. Emily and Laura were at work on hair and make up duties and the room was abuzz. After a lovely moment with Polly’s dad I headed off to the church to see Greg and the groomsmen. The ceremony was lovely – and rather wonderfully interrupted by their lovely little boy just as they were about to walk back down the aisle too! After a bit of confetti everyone headed back to the Hotel Du Vin Avon Gorge to get the party started.

The Avon Gorge provided a perfect setting for Polly and Greg’s wedding. The hotel really has been beautifully renovated and despite being a bristol wedding photographer this was my first time photographing there. As anyone who knows Bristol knows, the terrace has probably one of the best views in town. So naturally as the sun came out that’s where everyone headed. With amazing views of the Clifton suspension bridge it’s such a fantastic place for a wedding reception. After some drinks and nibbles in the sun it was about time for the meal – but first, the speeches. They did not disappoint either, with each one having the perfect mix of humour and warmth and perhaps a little bit of teasing. Following the meal (and after several rounds of jaegerbombs for some of the tables) it was time to hit the dancefloor and the ZuZu Men were the perfect band to get the party started. It was one of my first weddings of the year and it was an absolute beaut! Well done guys and thank you so much :)

 

Wedding at The Swan at Shakespeare’s Globe London

A day out in London! It’s always fun heading to the big smoke and I particularly love shooting on the Southbank. And The Swan at Shakespeare’s Globe is no exception. It must have some of the best vistas of any wedding venue in the capital – the view out over St Paul’s Cathedral is breath taking. I kicked things off by meeting up with Natalie and her sisters at a nearby hotel called Bankside. It was a fun morning and I knew it was going to be an entertaining day ahead. The ceremony was lovely and then we headed out for some confetti and a boat cruise down the river. Such a great idea – it was really cool to see a few of the sights and it made for some really nice backdrops for pictures of everyone having fun. After a few quick portraits with Natalie and Omar it was time to head back to the Swan for some food and speeches. I think it’s fair to say that Natalie took her sister’s speech in her stride considering the photographic evidence that was produced haha. Scroll on down to see what I’m talking about and check out the rest of the day…

Sam GibsOn Weddings - Somerset wedding photographer

I'm Sam, a skilled Somerset wedding photographer with years of experience documenting nuptials in Somerset, the UK, and Europe. Through my photography, I've had the opportunity to work with couples from a wide range of cultures and religions in a variety of interesting settings, ranging from the conventional to the downright bizarre and everything in between.

As a wedding photographer getting to know you, your goals, and your comfort zones is one of my favourite things to do. Without trying to push you or any of your guests outside of their comfort zones, I am enthusiastic about taking photographs that are natural and tell the story of your wedding day. I am also aware that the wedding location you have selected is a reflection of your unique personality.

what you like. your aspiration. I've captured weddings at unique locations like Hilles House in Stroud, elegant settings like Foxhill Manor tucked away in the Cotswolds, and rural settings like Quantock Lakes in Bridgwater in Somerset. I enjoy modifying my abilities to fit each unique situation.