C&J jetted in from New York City with their friends and family for a weekend of wedding celebrations in Oxford. They chose me as their Blenheim Palace wedding photographer and I had a blast capturing them partying up a storm with their chic international guests.
Pre-wedding celebrations started on the Friday evening and carried on the next day with a welcome brunch at The Bodleian Library, before guests went back to their hotels to change into their black-tie outfits for the late afternoon wedding ceremony at iconic Blenheim Palace.
Blenheim Palace wedding photographer:
C&J wanted to treat their international guests to some of the best venues Britain has to offer and The Bodleian Library in the heart of Oxford and Blenheim Palace with its breathtaking grounds and interiors, created the perfect backdrop for countless wedding guest selfies. One of my favourite things about this wedding was the wedding guest outfits. It almost felt like shooting London fashion week, with some flamboyant guests changing outfits not twice, but three times. Below are some of my favourites from their welcome brunch at The Bodleian Library. Scroll down for their wedding ceremony & reception at Blenheim Palace.
Why get married at Blenheim Palace?
C&J chose to have a stunning outdoor ceremony, with Blenheim Palace as showstopper backdrop. With a stunning meadow aisle ending in a soft pastels floral arch created by Larry Walshe, the setting was perfect. The ceremony was short & sweet and a wonderful celebration of C&J’s love for one another. Their cocktail & canapes reception took place outdoors in the Lower Water Terrace with guests stopping along the walk down to the terrace for more selfies with the breathtaking palace and gardens in the background.
Wedding dinner in the Long Library at Blenheim Palace:
One of the elements I loved most about C&J’s wedding day, was how they made a point of giving their wedding guests the opportunity to experience all Blenheim Palace has to offer. From the ceremony on the lawn, to the walk down to the water terraces and then around to the north steps leading guests into the Grand Hall for cake cutting and then through the State Rooms to the stunning Long Library where dinner took place. Their guests could not stop raving over the setting and just how exquisite everything looked. Larry Walshe transformed the Long Library into a living forest, with trees on the tables and a meadow of soft pastel flowers perfectly offset against the pale blue table linen. After dinner & speeches, guests were invited back to the Grand Hall for dancing & drinks around the showstopper bar created by Bespoke Events London.
What a day! Here’s what C&J had to say about working with me as their Blenheim Palace wedding photographer:
“Our experience with Anneli was amazing. The end result was obviously great (we have 15 printed photos out on the shelves at home to remember our special day by) but the entire process was great too. Anneli spent time to understand what we wanted and what we cared about from our photos (for example we wanted to capture the moment in as many candid settings as possible). She was a lot of fun on the day – high energy, friendly with guests, and imaginative with shots that turned out really well. Anneli captured the feelings and emotions of the day. Thank you Anneli!”
Pre-wedding welcome brunch venue: The Bodleian Library, Broad St, Oxford OX1 3BG
Wedding ceremony & reception venue: Blenheim Palace, OX20 1UL
Production & design: Bespoke Events London
Planning & coordination: Bella Sage from Bespoke Events London
Floral design: Larry Walshe
Cake design: MonAnnie Cakes
Rentals: Duchess & Butler
Looking for more UK wedding inspiration? Click here for an intimate outdoor celebration at Euridge Manor, here for a black-tie summer wedding at Lemore Manor, here for a New Years Eve wedding at Sefton Park Palm House and here for a relaxed marquees wedding in Bristol.
