Recently, I was lucky to shoot a stunning winter wedding in the Cotswolds, one of my favourite areas.  As a Cripps Barn Wedding Photographer, I really enjoy the friendly ambiance and layout of this beautiful location. 

Emma and Lee’s wedding was held at Cripps Barn just outside Cirencester, in the beautiful Gloucester countryside. This was a small wedding as it was carried out under Covid restrictions so they were limited to just 15 guests. This was my first “Covid Wedding” to photograph and beforehand I was sure that having such a small number of people could make the event less romantic, fun, or memorable.  How wrong I was.  

It was a cold and wet Friday, the week before Christmas. Emma and Lee got dressed in separate Hotels in Cirencester and arrived at Cripps Barn for a midday ceremony.  The weather was terrible when they arrived at the barn, and it was obvious that any outside photography would be very unlikely, this was a shame because I was unable to capture Emma’s arrival at the venue – she had to make a hasty dash from the wedding car to the venue entrance, surrounded by umbrellas and was taken straight into a private dressing area with her Bridesmaids, while Lee waited nervously for his first glimpse of his future wife.

The ceremony was a truly beautiful affair – intimate, romantic, with a palpable atmosphere of love and friendship.   The small number of guests helped create this ambiance and it was quite a unique feeling compared to many bigger weddings I’ve been to.  It was obvious that the two families and a couple of close friends that were present all knew each other and got along very well, this I think was the magic fairy dust that made this wedding feel so special.   The wedding team at the barn makes the job of being a Cripps Barn Wedding Photographer so easy… there are stunning pictures to take everywhere we turned.

Although Emma and Lee had other restrictions to contend with – like having to stop drinking at 10.pm, this didn’t stop them or their guests from having a fantastic time.    After the Wedding breakfast, speeches, and cake cutting the dance floor came alive and I was amazed at how 15 people made such a large party area seem so full of fun-loving people and vibrant.  The venue worked well from a Photography perspective as there was a lot of natural light from the large glass windows, but it was a challenge given that it was a dark and murky day.

This was the first time I’ve been to this venue and I think it would be a perfect location for a small summer wedding.  Apart from the barn itself, which is very rustic,  it’s surrounded by grounds that have some beautiful spots for photographs as well as places for people to catch a breath of fresh air after all the dancing or just to chill out for a while. It’s a 15 – 20 minute drive from Cirencester and nestled in the middle of the countryside.  For more information about this exciting venue,  visit the website here: https://crippsandco.com/cripps-barn