An Old Luxters Barn wedding in the winter sunshine
In a week that saw temperatures drop to -7°C in the Oxford countryside, I kicked off my 2023 wedding season with Arran and Catriona’s Old Luxters Barn wedding.
Nestled in the stunning Hambleden Valley, Old Luxters Barn is one of the few Oxfordshire wedding venues I know that looks beautiful in every season of the year.
Even on the bleakest days, you can still have wonderful photos in the grounds, woodland and valleys surrounding Old Luxters Barn.
Capturing the wedding details |Oxfordshire barn wedding
Whenever I’m photographing a wedding, I always like to arrive early so I can capture the venue and any detail shots without having to ask guests to move. Catriona wasn’t getting ready at the farm and didn’t want photos of bridal prep anyway so I was the first to arrive for her Luxters Barn wedding.
Inside the main barn, everything was setup for the ceremony and staff were ready to go. Often as a photographer, you arrive at the wedding venue planning to capture table and ceremony room details before guests arrive only to find it’s still being set up so it’s a real pleasure when everything is ready.
It wasn’t long before Arran and his groomsmen arrived for a few last bits of preparation in the marquee.
The ceremony was scheduled for 1pm which is ideal for this time of year as it gives you a chance to have any portraits and family photos you want while it’s still daylight.
Here’s Catriona leaving the farmhouse and taking the short walk across the cobbled courtyard for her Luxters Barn wedding ceremony.
The wedding ceremony in the barn was an intimate affair with about 60 close friends and family in attendance.
For larger Luxters Barn weddings, the venue uses a different configuration for seating in which flash or continuous photographic lighting will be essential. I wouldn’t have a problem with this setup but it will have an impact on how your ceremony photos look, which is probably why a lot of photographers make these images black and white.
All of my photos of Arran and Catriona’s ceremony use the ambient light in the barn which was a mix of overhead spots, LEDs and natural light. If you don’t like the warm shadows created by this combination, it is possible to neutralise some of these tones in post-production but it may affect the mood of the photos.
Arran and Catriona’s ceremony was immediately followed with confetti in the courtyard.
With the confetti done, it was onto some group pics. Arran and Catriona had around 12 family photos they wanted so I set those up in the shaded area near the entrance and we managed to whisk through them in about 15 minutes.
Once the formals were over, we grabbed a drink then headed off for some portraits.
Portraits in the vineyard and woodlands | Luxters Barn wedding photographer
When I met Arran and Catriona at the venue last year, we decided to do an engagement shoot ahead of their Luxters Barn wedding in January; we also took the 15-minute walk through the woods to Hambleden Valley where you can find some absolutely beautiful views.
Not surprisingly, on their wedding day, they didn’t want to be away from guests for too long so we needed to stay close to the venue. We started with a few photos in the garden of the farmhouse and the vineyard at the rear of the property.
After these we nipped across the road into the woods. I was surprised at how muddy the footpath was through the woods, bearing in mind that the land around the barn was still frozen solid.
Unfortunately, it really doesn’t matter what time of year you get married, if you want outdoor portraits, you can’t be precious about getting your dress dirty. Luckily, Catriona wasn’t…
Back at the venue, guests enjoyed drinks with the newlyweds before everyone was called in for their Luxters Barn wedding breakfast.
Food and beverage services at the barn are well-managed and seemed to run like clock-work. I returned as requested at five-fifteen to capture the speeches and everyone was ready to go.
With the speeches done, guests were encouraged to move to the marquee while staff changed over the room for the evening’s entertainment.
By seven o’clock, the barn was setup and ready for Arran and Catriona’s first dance
One of the aspects I love about a winter wedding is the opportunity to create night portraits at a venue. If you’re having a Luxters Barn wedding between November to March, you’ll easily fit night portraits into an eight-hour booking.
Here are a few night portraits I took with Arran and Catriona in the courtyard of the venue before I left.
If you’re looking for an Old Luxters Barn wedding photographer, check my availability or give me a call and I’ll be happy to chat through the options.
For more information on booking your Old Luxters Barn wedding, visit the company’s website at https://www.oldluxtersbarn.co.uk/Weddings
Old Luxters Barn,
Hambleden,
Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire RG9 6JW
Tel: 01491 638985
For more examples of my work visit my Oxford wedding photographer page.
Where do you park at Old Luxters Barn?
Old Luxters Barn has a large car park opposite the main entrance to the barn and farm buildings with space for up to 50 cars. At night, the car park is fairly well lit on the road side although if you’re a woman on your own, you might find it reassuring to ask another guest to accompany you to your car when you leave.
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