When first meeting Linda, Paul and their adorable son Thomas we immediately clicked with this lovely family. They were so excited about their wedding day as it was a celebration of what they valued most in life; family, friends and each other! And of course with the South African connection, Linda being a fellow Saffa, we had plenty to reminisce about. Especially the South Africa fizz Linda loves so much, which at the time she was plotting to get over to the UK for her wedding day!
I just love the story of Linda and Paul’s engagement as it is so romantic and unique to them. Paul proposed on top of Cleve Hill, which is a very special place for them where they often go for family walks and a space where they go to talk, think about and make their big decisions. To commemorate the significance of this stunning location we even went there for Paul & Linda’s engagement session.
On what Linda thought was just another family walk on top of Cleve Hill, Paul turned to Linda and went down on one knee. Now don’t get me wrong, this was not quite such a suave maneuver with Paul having Thomas actually strapped to his chest at the time! Having baby firmly attached to one makes looking for the ring that tiny bit more challenging! Finally, Paul on one knee, ring found, Thomas smiling and both father and son still upright, Paul could pop the question! And just as Thomas was such an integral part to their engagement so was he on the wedding day, with his christening following Paul and Linda’s vows.
Family & friends being so important to them, many of Linda’s came the thousands of miles from South Africa to be there for their wedding day. In fact there were so many Saffas around, at times I forgot I was in the quaint picturesque Cotswolds town of Cheltenham and not back in the homeland! Paul, who is a RAF pilot, has formed such close friendships within the services that they act more like a surrogate family and were as such also an integral part of the wedding day. Being a RAF wedding their was of course a very dapper guard of honour and the cake was even cut by a military sword!
There are many elements that made this romantic Cotswolds wedding so wonderful, but what made it really special for Glen and I was that on the day we both felt very much at home. Glen shooting in the countryside that he grew up in and I was surrounded by the largest contingency of South Africans since being back there over Christmas.
Linda looked stunning on her wedding day. There were many unique features that made an appearance on the day, such as Linda’s gorgeous wedding gown which was from Belle & Bravado, a bridal boutique in her hometown of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. Her hair was done by Kate Bloom Salon and her make-up by Donna Banfield, both local to Cheltenham. I absolutely adored Linda’s killer heels and her beautiful bouquet was thanks to Bumblebeez Florist also a local supplier to Gloucestershire.
St Lukes in Cheltenham made a spectacular setting for Linda and Paul’s wedding and Thomas’ christening.
Being a RAF wedding there were so many specials details to capture during the Paul’s preparations.
The picturesque Cotswolds made a beautiful backdrop for Linda and Paul’s wedding photography.
Linda and Paul’s wedding reception was held at the quintessentially Cotswolds inn The Green Dragon. There were many charming features to document, including the inn’s famous mouse carvings.
Thank you to Linda and Paul for the privilege of being able to capture your beautiful wedding and we are very much looking forward to presenting you with your magnificent Queensberry album full of the images of your special day!
