Civil, Hindu Wedding & Reception | Stowe House | Buckinghamshire

A stunning location for an incredible day of celebrations

As part of the National Trust, Stowe House and it’s grounds was a location i’ve always wanted to visit. It is barely 30 minutes drive from where I live and I had heard and seen some great things about it.

So when Rakesh & Stacy first enquired with me about their wedding at Stowe House, I was all ears! In fact, they were planning on having their wedding inside the house and school. Weddings are not able to be held here all year round because it is an active school. However, with it being early summer and school finishing, Rakesh & Stacy’s wedding was one of the first to happen.

A Beautiful Setting

We had previously visited the site a few weeks before for their pre-wed shoot, so I was able to explore the incredible grounds of Stowe National Trust and take some amazing images of the couple. This was great practice for the wedding day as well, as we planned a route for the best locations.

The big day had arrived, but the weather was not on our side. The plan was to have the civil ceremony outside on the lawn in front of the house, but the high winds and intermittent rain put paid to the idea. So much so, that the entire grounds were closed off to the general public, as well as for portraits later on in the day. However, the house more than made up for this disappointment. We were able to use the ornate Music Room as the location for their civil wedding.

Before this though, the rain and wind abated for a few minutes, giving us enough time for Rakesh & Stacy’s first look and some portraits in the gardens in front of the Stowe House. Both looked incredible and in high spirits, despite the changeable weather.

The Start Of The Celebrations

Guests started to arrive, taking their seats for the civil wedding. One thing that was discussed on a few of our planning calls was how the entrance was going to play out. They were both going to walk down the aisle together, which is something I have never witnessed before. Their time had come and it was incredible to watch as they made their way down to the front for the start of the civil ceremony.

Plenty of laughs and tears later, they were a married couple. They soon make their was back down the aisle and outside onto the front steps for confetti shots. Shortly after, it was the first session for couples portraits. We used the impressive house and gardens as the backdrop from some shots, using the curved architecture and pillars as backgrounds.

A Ceremony With A ‘Wow’ Factor

The newlyweds headed off to get changed for their Hindu Wedding, giving me the opportunity to capture details of the stunning Marble Hall. It definitely had the ‘wow’ factor, with its marble and gold details. Statues and a skylight in the dome, high above, provided the drama and ambient light in the room.

Guests took their seats as Rakesh made his way into the hall and into the mandap for the start of the Hindu Wedding. Stacy and her bridesmaids soon followed where the ceremony commenced. The setting was beautiful and it was a joy photographing all the moments that unfolded. Before we knew it, the ceremony concluded and part two of their day was done!

After the Hindu Wedding, we had a few more moments within the house to take a few more portraits. Meanwhile, guests moved into the adjacent Temple Room for canapes. Rakesh & Stacy dived off to get changed again as guests filled the State Dining Room where the reception dinner was being held.

Time To Celebrate An Incredible Day

It wasn’t long before the happy couple came back in to huge cheers. Amazing food, speeches and dancing followed late into the night, with music provided by Musical Movements. It was such a relaxed wedding from start to finish, and it showed with the smiles on both Rakesh & Stacy’s faces throughout the day.

I had a lot of fun covering their day. It was pretty jam-packed but that just meant more amazing moments to capture. And with that, here are some of those moments from Rakesh & Stacy’s wedding at Stowe House: