Marianne Taylor Photography | Portrait & Family Photographer in Cornwall
On-location portrait and family photography in North Cornwall. Siren of the Sea sessions, couples, families. Soft, romantic, coastal.
It was such a pleasure to get to return to Aynhoe Park for another beautiful and unique wedding day. The summer weather was showing its best, and the grounds of this beautiful venue transformed into a wonderland with cocktails on the lawn and deer coming up to see what was happening. There were out-of-this-world-beautiful floral arrangements, flamingoes, unicorns and plenty of laughter. Thank you once again Aynhoe for providing such a perfect backdrop for celebrating love!
I can’t quite express how much I love photographing weddings local to me. I moved to Cornwall for its immeasurable beauty and relaxed lifestyle, and Cornish weddings tend to reflect these very same qualities.
Tara & Simon got married in a beautiful marquee on the lawn of their own house in St. Ervan in North Cornwall. The day started in Tara’s own bedroom, with getting her hair & makeup done by the Pop Up Salon, before stepping into her Jimmy Choos and beautiful Claire Pettibone gown.
The morning looked a bit overcast and gray, but after the ceremony at St. Ervan Parish Church the sun broke through and brought with it the most beautiful golden evening. The simply stunning marquee by LPM Bohemia was beautifully decorated with flowers by Ginny’s Flowers, while Emma Easdon from Cornish Bluebird made sure things ran on time and Jack Bristow was in charge of catering all the delicious Cornish food.
While music from Mountain Ash mingled with the excited chatter inside the marquee, and the early spring sun stretched its beams over the beautiful countryside, I couldn’t help but feel like I had the best job in the world.
Thank you for having me, Tara & Simon! I wish you many happy surf-filled years together in your bit of Cornish paradise!
Time is a funny thing. It seemed like I had been waiting for Victoria & Charles’ wedding day for ages, and yet it felt like it was only yesterday when we got together for their engagement session in Somerset. Taking on such a limited number of weddings means I’m looking forward to each one with even more enthusiasm, and I couldn’t have been more excited when Victoria & Charles’ big day finally rolled around!
Victoria got ready with her sister and friends at her childhood home, which added something really special to the proceedings. It was lovely to be surrounded by all the photographs and mementoes that told such vivid stories and formed a map of memories. Pat Mascolo, the mother of one of Victoria’s oldest friends was on hand for make-up, and Lauren from Tony and Guy perfected Victoria’s stunningly glamorous wavy hair-do.
Before Victoria stepped into her Valentino shoes and the most beautiful (I, mean really!) Monique Lhuillier gown from Browns Bride, her and Charles’ dog Albert came in for a quick cuddle and a pose. You could literally hear all the hearts in the room melting! After popping on her great-great grandmother’s pearl and diamond earrings, and Charlie’s family onyx and diamond bracelet, and picking up her simply stunning Hayford and Rhodes bouquet, Victoria was ready.
It was a short walk to the church of St Mary Abbots and after the ceremony, all the guests continued on foot to the Orangery at Kensington Palace for the party. There, Rhubarb was in charge of the catering and Pearl and Groove had created the most amazing gluten free cake. As well as stationery from Wren Press, Victoria’s own illustrations also played a part in the look of the day. She had illustrated all the escort cards to look like ‘Royal Ascot Enclosure’ badges, and each guest got a small cut-out caricature of themselves instead of a place card. It was definitely fun talking point (and a selfie opportunity!) and the guests took their portraits home.
Another talking point was a wonderful Photo Booth with a bespoke Reynolds oil painting backdrop, operated by the Photo Booth Guys. When the night fell, everyone got on the dance floor, and with a little help from the DJ’s Prelude Entertainment, boogied the night away.
It was such a pleasure to be a part of this joyful and beautiful day, and also to get to work with the amazing Gorgeous Film again. Victoria & Charles (and Albert!), I wish you all the best in your life together, I’m pretty sure it will be full of laughter and adventure! xo
What a strange and wonderful year 2015 has been! When we were leaving Cornwall after a short stay last December, I remember saying a silent goodbye to the ocean and wishing I never had to leave… It’s kind of mindblowing that now, a year later, we actually live here!
Most of 2015 got swept up by the whole rigmarole of selling our old home, finding and purchasing not only a new house in Cornwall, but also a little ‘city base’ closer to London, and everything that goes with it, including two moves. We’re still trying to figure out the new rhythm of life, when to be where, how to get used to the travelling, but there’s one thing that’s certain – I’m never happier than under the Cornish sky, watching my beloved ocean.
Despite the year being a bit of a whirlwind with lots of new challenges on all fronts, I did get to take photos of some wonderful people and beautiful events, while also mentoring many incredible photographers via Her Lovely Heart. I hope you’ll enjoy this small collection of my favourite photos from 2015!
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Mary-Jane & Andrew’s wedding was such a joy to photograph! The couple had their ceremony at a registry office in London the previous day, with just witnesses present. The next day, they hosted an intimate reception for their nearest and dearest at Rossini at The Leatherne Bottel, a magical place by the river, which is where I joined the party. There was something so light and joyful about the atmosphere of this day, which was made out of genuine smiles of family and friends, a gorgeous setting, sunshine, and a glowing bride and groom.
Thank you so much Mary-Jane and Andrew for letting me be a part of your day, it really was special. x
The last day of Aran & Mark’s fairytale Provence wedding weekend at Villa Baulieu started with a relaxed brunch by the pool. Hardworking planners Lavender & Rose and florist Miss Rose Perrine had created yet another pretty scene, which was the perfect way to say goodbye to guests who came from near and (mostly) far.
We took in the gorgeous scenery one more time with Super 8 film maker Mark Brown, before we kicked up our heels and enjoyed a well-deserved day off by the pool ourselves.
It was such a pleasure to be a part of this amazing weekend, I hope you’ll get at least a little glimpse of the atmosphere through these images. Thank you again Aran & Mark, for letting us play a part in your big day and the events around it! x
Whenever I get to work with Cannes-based wedding planners Lavender & Rose I know there’s going to be magic involved, and Aran & Mark’s Provence wedding certainly didn’t disappoint! Wedding planner Jennifer was in charge at the amazing Villa Baulieu, while Parfums & Saveurs took care of catering and the talented Miss Rose Perrine did gorgeous things with flowers.
The day started at a leisurely pace, with Camille Bonardi on make-up and Jen Hillyard on hair, before picking up speed once Aran stepped into her magnificent Oscar de la Renta wedding gown and electric blue Manolo Blahniks (check out the matching blue pedi!).
Super 8 film maker Mark Brown and I were spoilt with such beauty everywhere, from the outside ceremony to the stunning courtyard setting of the reception. Aran owns an art gallery in Los Angeles and Mark is a production designer for film and TV, so they are both highly visual, which meant there were pretty touches everywhere, from the adorable cake by Cakes by Pamela and the stationery designed by Holly Hollon, which was really the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen!
I loved all the pretty touches, but most importantly, all the smiles and happiness that surrounded us under the scorching South of France sun. Huge congratulations again Aran & Mark, and thank you so much for having us! x
Aran & Mark’s South of France wedding weekend kicked off on the Friday evening with welcome cocktails at Le Pigonnet in Aix-En-Provence. The surroundings and the setting sun couldn’t have been more beautiful. Add to that glamorous dresses, the excited sounds of people coming together, and all the little details, such as the adorable welcome packs and the stationery designed by Holly Hollon, and you could feel it all starting to weave its magic. It was good to be back in Provence!
It was such a pleasure to get together with Jennifer from Lavender & Rose, who was the planner extraordinaire for Aran & Mark’s wedding. And the whole trip was made even more special by the fact that we got to work (and go on some adventures) with super-8 filmmaker Mark Brown once again.
I hope these images from the first day will set the mood and make you want to see more, as I’ll be blogging the next two days later on. Enjoy!
It’s always such a pleasure to get to shoot at the magical Aynhoe Park and Rebecca & Craig’s wedding, which I’d been impatiently waiting for ever since their engagement session, sure didn’t disappoint! The day started with Gustav and Lisa from Michael Van Clarke weaving their magic with hair and make-up, before Rebecca stepped into her Stephanie Allin gown and Jimmy Choo heels. We then took a trip to the Little Gaddesden Church, Craig travelling in style in his Ferrari, in which he also drove his new wife back to the reception!
Back at Aynhoe, Wildabout Flowers had weaved some serious flowery magic, just check out that spectacular seating plan for example! Chloe Hannan from Absolute Taste was in charge of catering, while the beautiful cake was by Jamie Bakes Cakes. Rebecca & Craig met in a ski resort in Switzerland 9 years ago, and since then, thanks to Craig’s passion for property, they have lived in a ridiculous amount of homes and so they named the tables after each of the roads. The understated and classy stationary was designed by Emily & Jo.
There are a gazillion pictures below as I found it hard to let go of any of the lovely moments (or deer, or crocodiles or giraffes…). But at least you know what you’ll be doing this weekend!
Thank you Rebecca & Craig for having us along for the ride, your day was simply gorgeous and I wish you all the best in your life together! x
Once in a while you come across a place where you feel like your soul is at home. You might be thousands of miles from where you ever thought you’d end up, but you just feel at peace. For me that feeling has always been strongest in Cornwall. The wild ocean and the rugged, majestic landscape soothes me in a way that no other place on earth does. Over the years I’ve returned many times, often in winter, the wilder the better!
It’s been a day dream of ours to one day live in Cornwall. To be fair, it’s always been a more of a retirement plan due to the distance and the poor job opportunities for my husband. But sometimes, when you dream hard enough, and when you’re brave enough to ask out loud, magical things can happen.
Due to a combination of circumstances we figured out how we might be able to do this, right now, rather than in the distant future. It’s crazy how fast the momentum picks up speed after a decision is made. Our home is on the market and we’re getting ready to go. I’m sure it will take a little while to get everything in order, and the restlessness is building… I just want to be there already.
Despite the anxious wait, my heart sings with joy every time I think about it. Yes, we are coming, my beloved Cornwall! While it might take a little while for us to get there, I want to start reaching out to those of you out in the South West. If you, or your friends are getting married in Cornwall, do reach out. If you are a local vendor who wants to get together to make things happen do get in touch. If you want to hang out and have coffee or plan shoots or work with me in other ways in Cornwall let me know. I cannot wait to get down there and start my life!
P.s. Those of you not in Cornwall, don’t worry. We are planning to have a base close to London as well, so I will continue with my London (and destination) shoots and weddings, too.
2014 has been one of those funny years… on the other hand, it seemed like Christmas and the end of the year caught up with me way too fast, but at the same time it felt like a looong old year. So many challenges and changes took place that looking back it seems crazy it all fitted into one year. As well as spending a year working on developing the Beloved Collective until May this year, creating the Beloved Magazine, and, of course, getting Her Lovely Heart up and running, I did fit in lots of lovely shoots, and memorable moments filled with love and laughter. I have to say I feel rather relieved that 2014 is drawing to a close though, and I am so happy about feeling way more focused and excited for the next year than I was this time last year. I really think 2015 is going to be different, surprising and amazing!
Here’s to everyone I shared laughter, tears and meaningful moments with, thank you for making 2014 all it was! xo
P.S. as always, you can click on the images to see more.
I’ve been on a bit of an office de-cluttering kick (you can see my inspiration board de-cluttering over at Her Lovely Heart), and one of the things I did was to find all the hard copies of magazines with my work in, which were taking up shelf space in the office. It seemed crazy to waste so many shelves to back copies of old magazines I don’t read, so I decided to just save tear sheets of each in a folder (which turned into two). It was quite overwhelming to go through all the old issues, reminiscing over brilliant days and lovely couples. I could’t quite dump them all into recycling before taking a little snap to keep. Of course, after I’d restored the living room floor back to normalcy, I found another shelf-load of issues, but it’s ok, I think this photo will still be enough of a memory.
As an experience it was both proud and humbling, I guess you don’t really realise how the years stack up until you have such physical evidence. Thank you to all the magazines and lovely Editors who have featured my work over the years, and thank you to all my sassy clients who were the real stars of the show.
My assistant Astrid in action. I wouldn’t recommend her for these kind of jobs.
On Sunday, after two amazing days, from the Welcome barbecue to Alev & Can’s incredible wedding day, we returned to Le Hameau des Baux for a farewell brunch, which gave the guests a chance to recharge after a long night of partying, and before saying their goodbyes and heading to the airport.
Florist Laetitia C had created yet another gorgeous collection of cheerful flower arrangements, and Eveil de Papilles was back in charge of food. The atmosphere was relaxed and very happy, with everyone already reminiscing over the events of the past days. Alev & Can were glowing in a way only newlyweds do, and Kerry and the Lavender & Rose Weddings team looked tired but very happy with what they’d accomplished with their amazing efforts.
Thank you Alev & Can for having us with you on this amazing weekend in Provence, it really was special. We wish you all the happiness in the world in your life together! xo
Are you sitting comfortably? Despite dividing Alev & Can’s Provence wedding weekend into three instalments (I posted the welcome bbq yesterday), this post of the wedding day on Saturday is a bit of a doozy. There was just too much amazingness to try to cut it any shorter.
The day started back at Le Hameau des Baux where most of the wedding party was staying and getting ready. Camille Bonardi was on hand for make-up and Ahmet Ozismen was in charge of hair. Alev wore the stunning Harper gown by Monique Lhuillier teamed with funky YSL silver color pumps, and she looked incredible!
After a first look in the garden, the whole party headed to Chateau D’estoublon for the main celebration. Kerry, Jen and Dani from Lavender & Rose Weddings were incredible, making sure everything ran on time, and looked absolutely flawless. Marrou was in charge of the delicious-looking food and the macaroon pyramid. Florist Laetitia C had created yet more stunning flower arrangements, and Crème de Papier was behind the pretty stationery.
The location and the styling, the exuberant atmosphere, the dancing until dawn, it all came together to create a truly magical wedding day that we felt very honoured to be a part of.
Oh, and the last portraits with the sparklers? Credit where credit is due, it was a collaboration with the boys from Shark Pig – and when I say collaboration I mean I mostly ran around with sparklers looking like a crazy person, while Brian and Jonathan figured out what to do. So if any of you future brides get any ideas about these sort of portraits, I’m perfectly happy to do them, but only if you also hire Shark Pig to do their part. ;) P.S. did you catch their sneak preview film over here yet?
I’ll give you a little while to digest all this, and I’ll be back tomorrow with the final instalment of day three! x
After spending ages trying to figure out how to condense Alev & Can’s Provence wedding, with its three days of events, into one blog post, I came to the conclusion that it’s not possible. There was just too much gorgeousness that took place each day, so it’s only fair each event should get their own blog post.
Things kicked off on Friday with a welcome barbecue at the stunning Le Hameau des Baux. Planner extraordinaire, Kerry Bracken of Lavender & Rose Weddings, had created the most charming setting, which set the wedding weekend off in a beautiful way. A couple of hours before the guests were due to arrive, the skies opened and what was the biggest downpour the South of France had seen for awhile descended on the pretty scene. Kerry and her team performed a miracle in keeping everything more or less dry and pristine for when the guest started arriving, and the sun appeared again.
The barbecue gave a glimpse into the magic that florist Laetitia C would present over the next three days and everything that caterer Eveil de Papilles presented was absolutely delicious-looking. After months of anticipation, and hearing about Alev’s plans, it was such a joy seeing it all starting to unfold, looking as pretty as she had hoped with all the little touches she had collected over the months.
It was also such a pleasure to finally meet the video team, Shark Pig, with whom I share many friends with, but hadn’t had the pleasure to work with before. They have posted a little preview film over here.
Without further ado, please sit back comfortably (perhaps with a long drink in hand) and join me over the next few days to relive the magic of the South of France and Alev & Can’s fairytale wedding weekend.
On a hot summer’s day like today, reminiscing over Alison & Gareth’s wedding day, with it’s energetic and erratic rain showers, feels like a breath of fresh air.
Alison & Gareth had a very intimate London wedding, with a ceremony for their nearest and dearest at Mayfair Library, followed by dinner at Claridges. I felt very privileged to get to capture such a personal celebration, and it made a lovely change to this year’s wedding to be at the heart of London. Even the umbrellas added to the familiar vibe I thought!
Congratulations again Ali & Gareth, wishing you lots of love and laughter in your future together! xo
Ever since Katie & James’ London engagement session I had been impatiently waiting for their wedding day at the ever-incredible Aynhoe Park. Well last month, that day finally arrived! And it certainly lived up to the expectations, and then some.
After having her make-up done by Sarah Brock and hair by Gustav Fouche from Van Clarke Salon, Katie slipped into her Grove wedding gown by Lela Rose (from Browns Bride) and slipped on her Lisa shoes by Freya Rose – and promptly transformed into a fairytale princess. She looked simply incredible! Walking down the isle, past the giraffe suspended by balloons, to live music played by a Jazz Trio (supplied by Stylish Entertainment), she simply took everyone’s breath away, most of all James’s!
Even though Aynhoe Park in itself is already a feast for the eyes, there were lots of pretty touches that elevated the space into a bit of a fairytale wedding scene. I adored the delicate pastel coloured flowers by Scarlet and Violet, which the prettiest of stationery by BerinMade complimented beautifully. And the Fiona Cairns cake (made by James’s Aunt Rachel Eardley) must have been the most adorable cake I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Wedding Planner Celeste Rose was an absolute gem in making sure everything ran on time, while Indulgence was in charge of the incredible looking food. Photo Emporium had provided hands down the coolest Airstream photo booth, which kept guests happy late into the night.
So, it suffices to say, I love every second of this day, and most of all it was such a privilege to get to witness Katie and James so happy and in love, and all their family and friends glowing with happiness for them. Thank you for having us! xo
How do I even begin describing Penny & Alex’s Cornish wedding day? One of my favourite places on earth, Trevose Head in Cornwall, check. A couple who designed a day to look exactly like them, which I always adore, check. A day so relaxed and full of genuine moments, there wasn’t even one formal group to capture, check. Torrential rain, che… err never mind that one! And yet, the insane downpour right at the beginning of the cliff top ceremony didn’t even matter, somehow it just added to the atmosphere of the day.
Penny and the girls got ready at Stein’s at Trevone Farm, which had the same chilled and yet stylish look as the rest of the day, as did the pretty stationery by Project pretty. Penny had her hair done by Holly Luisa, and she teamed her Jenny Packham Eden gown with glittery flip flops from Aldo for a glamorous and yet comfortable look.
Trevose Head is such a wild and beautiful place on it’s own, but it looked even more magical on Penny & Alex’s wedding day, with beautiful outside ceremony setting with a wedding back board by Rosie Harbottle, and flowers by Garden gate flower company and BJ Richards. Virginias vintage and Very vintage hire provided the props and Sarah Talbot from Miss Tea was in charge of catering on the day. The delicious looking ‘naked’ cake was by Natural cake company.
It was an absolutely pleasure to once again work with humanist celebrant Zena Birch, who not only always finds the most beautiful words to illustrate her points, but also looks pretty darn cute in wellies and a yellow rain coat.
And I can’t very well forget Goose, Penny & Alex’s adorable dog, who was pretty much the star of the whole show. He was so excited about being part of everything that he could hardly contain himself (or his cuteness) all day, apart from when it came to posing perfectly for the couple portraits.
It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this amazing day full of so much beauty and happiness, and I want to wish Penny & Alex lots of luck on their next adventure, as they relocate to Australia in a couple of weeks! x
I first met Alana & Daniel last summer when we got together for their engagement session in London. Last month we travelled to Sweden to celebrate their wedding day. Spring hadn’t completely sprung, but there was something truly magical about the calming tones and the quietness of the Scandinavian countryside. Along with the small group of friends and family who gathered at FågelbroHus for Alana & Daniel’s big day, we really felt like we were part of something truly special.
Thank you Alana & Daniel for having us, it was an honour to be a part of your day! x
Caroline & Andrew’s pretty garden wedding is featured on the pages of the May/June issue of US based Flower magazine. Looking at these images again makes me wish summer would hurry up already!
