Lillibrooke Manor near Maidenhead was the venue for today’s wedding celebrations. It was an Anglo American wedding today (Jefferson hails from Georgia) and it was lovely that family and friends had flown over for the big day. Lillibrooke is a great barn wedding venue and the couple had exclusive use of the wonderful barn, grounds and garden. The Manor House itself dates from the late 1400’s and is an amazingly atmospheric building. The barns and outbuildings around Lillibrooke date from the time it was a working farm and make a great place to celebrate a wedding.

It was a smaller celebration today, around 30 guests, and I’m so pleased that there was blue skies for them. The wedding barn was the location for the humanist wedding ably conducted by Claire. After some family photographs we took a walk around the old manor house for some bride and groom portraits. We sneaked inside the house and made a few photographs amongst the cobwebs and peeling paint. There are plans to modernise the interior for wedding accommodation which will be fantastic as it’s a hugely atmospheric building. I understand that these things take a long time for listed buildings but when it’s complete it will make Lillibrooke a terrific wedding venue.

Lesley and Jefferson are a great couple and the party was terrific fun. Alice and the team looked after everyone really well and when I left, the dancing was in full swing and it looked like it was shaping up to be a lovely evening. Thanks again Lesley and Jefferson and see you soon :)

Barn wedding venues nearly all have a great atmosphere, very different from, say, a swish London hotel. I loved all the little touches that Lesley and Jefferson had made which personalised the celebrations.

Lillibrooke Manor House. You can see the original middle part of the house here really clearly – some five hundred years old it’s flanked by the ‘new’ extensions (a mere hundred years old).

Lesley was there bright and early along with some of the family.

A bouncy castle just has to be tested – for, uh, safety reasons….

Jefferson and his family arrive. The flowers for the day were prepared by the brides mum.

The kids were very eager to help with the Krispy Kremes.

Meanwhile Lesley gets ready.

Lesley and Dad, Malcolm peek at the guests making their way over to the wedding barn.

The courtyard outside the wedding barn is a lovely place for a drink and a mingle.

Malcolm works the crowd.

Chameleon boots.

Over to the Manor House for some relaxed bride and groom portraits.

The Manor house was deserted so we took a few wedding portraits inside.

The light at this time of the year is lovely.

The wedding meal starts in the great barn.

The bride’s brothers decide it’s time to make use of the bouncy castle.

As it got dark, we made our way back into the barn.

One very quick speech by the man of the day and it’s onwards with the celebrations.

Wedding present opening. An Avengers inflatable shield – what every couple needs.

The Krispy Kreme’s didn’t last long.

Cigar time.

That’s all for now – thanks for looking!