For over fifteen years I’ve been photographing weddings at Leez Priory, Same Sex Wedding photography is something that comes along every once in a while. Two people getting married, joining two families and making a commitment to each other is just wonderful, and the privilege of being asked to photograph the day for them is something not lost on me.

Leez Priory is one of the most striking wedding venues, such a picturesque setting, and I’ve been spoilt with many many years of recommendations to clients, so know the house and grounds extremely well.

Arriving at Leez Priory

Leez Priory in the morning of the wedding
Leez Priory in the morning of the wedding

The first thing to photograph on arrival at the venue is the house and grounds. Leez Priory looks amazing all through the year, but it’s best to photograph how it looks on a wedding day, for a truthful story-telling of events. I don’t use stock images for these!

Photographing Bridal preparations

Wedding Dress hanging with bridesmaids dresses, photographed in a mirror
Wedding dress hanging with the bridesmaids dresses

The next stop is to visit the bride to see what stage they are at. At this wedding Charlotte & Lauren both had bridal preparations to photograph, both had wedding dresses and both had a team of bridesmaids!

Wedding dress hanging, with bridesmaids dresses
Wedding dress hanging, with bridesmaids dresses
Wedding Shoes, photographed with a bride's bouquet
Wedding Shoes, photographed with a bride’s bouquet
The Second Bride's wedding dress, with bridesmaids dresses
The Second Bride’s wedding dress, with bridesmaids dresses

Detail Photographs

Detail photograph of two bride's wedding rings sitting together in the shape of a carved wooden door at Leez priory
Detail photograph of two bride’s wedding rings sitting together in the shape of a carved wooden door at Leez priory
bridesmaid buttoning the back of a bride's dress
One bride’s preparations

Many elements of a wedding are very important to photograph – plenty of photographs will be of events as they happen naturally, but a good photographer knows the important photographs that must be arranged. These don’t take long to arrange, but a truly candid set of photographs, with no arranging by the photographer would certainly be missing some very important photos!

Brides with Bridesmaids

Each bride had bridesmaids, made up of close friends, sisters or nieces and looking back at the photographs I know a newly-married couple will enjoy seeing these photos of last moments with them before the wedding ceremony.

Photography of one bride with her bridesmaids
Photography of one bride with her bridesmaids
Photography of bride walking to the wedding ceremony
One bride walking to the wedding ceremony
Photography of Bride sitting in oak panelled room in Leez Priory
Bride sitting in oak panelled room in Leez Priory

Leez Priory Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

Photography of Bride waiting for her bride at the top of the aisle
Bride waiting for her bride at the top of the aisle

The differences with photographing a same sex Leez Priory wedding makes for fun photographs. Both brides wearing white dresses, with their Dads on their arms is a great look. A good photographer doesn’t just photograph the wider shots of what’s happening, but also looks for closer, more intimate photos; the looks given to each other during a wedding ceremony

Photography of Two brides kissing their Dads before they get married
Two brides kissing their Dads before they get married
Brides exchanging rings, Leez Priory same sex wedding photography
Brides exchanging rings, Leez Priory same sex wedding photography

After the Wedding Ceremony

I photograph weddings armed with two cameras at the ready – and another lens or two is often on my belt! It’s great to be ready the moment a photo opportunity arises.

Photography of Leez Priory wedding outdoor ceremony
Photography of Leez Priory wedding outdoor ceremony
Two brides walk down the aisle married, same sex Leez Priory Wedding Photography
The Freshly married Mrs & Mrs!
Casual, atmospheric photography of guests enjoying wedding at Leez Priory
Casual, atmospheric photography of guests enjoying wedding at Leez Priory

The time spent straight after a wedding ceremony is a great time for guests to greet and congratulate the married couple, also these are lovely photos to capture the happiness and natural photos of family and friends. So romantic photographs around the grounds won’t happen right away. Usually, time will be spent instead getting these atmospheric photographs until the time is right to be productive with the more formal shots. That is, unless the weather or lighting is going to cause an issue, when I’d certainly be productive while the weather or lighting is in my favour!.

Formal Wedding Photographs

Heart-Shaped Overhead group photo
Heart-Shaped Overhead group photo

When the married couple feel they’ve had time to mingle, I’ll step in and arrange whatever formal group photographs are required. At most weddings clients are happy for the formal arranged photos to consist of the following; parents, siblings, bridesmaids, groomsmen and then gather a larger group of each side of each family followed by a photograph of the whole wedding together. At Charlotte & Lauren’s wedding, we shaped the arranged wedding guests into the shape of a heart, which is something I will happily arrange on request!

Photographs around the grounds at a Leez Priory Wedding

Photos of the married couple in the grounds at Leez Priory follow a route that will cover many favourite spots. These I link together to form a route around the grounds that won’t take any longer than necessary but will cover what I consider the best backdrops Leez Priory has to offer. The exact set of Leez Priory Wedding Photographs will, of course, vary from wedding to wedding, but Leez Priory is one of those venues with such a huge number of scenes to be photographed.

Same Sex Wedding Photography at Leez Priory
Same Sex Wedding Photography at Leez Priory
Two brides walking in the grounds at Leez Priory Gay Wedding
Two brides walking in the grounds at Leez Priory Gay Wedding
Bride and Bride in the grounds at Leez Priory
Bride and Bride in the grounds at Leez Priory
Bride and bride in front of Leez Priory's Tower
Bride and bride in front of Leez Priory’s Tower
Black and white wedding photography at Same Sex Leez Priory Wedding
Black and white wedding photography at Same Sex Leez Priory Wedding
Photography of two brides at same sex wedding, in the grounds at Leez Priory
Photography of two brides at same sex wedding, in the grounds at Leez Priory
The brides at Leez Priory's Tower
The brides at Leez Priory’s Tower
I like to frame photos through leaves, doorways, archways. I like the edges to have softness, showing the sharpness of the subject
I like to frame photos through leaves, doorways, archways. I like the edges to have softness, showing the sharpness of the subject
Lovely old red brick wall around Leez Priory's lake
Lovely old red brick wall around Leez Priory’s lake
The girls sitting at the old gate with ivy covered wall
The girls sitting at the old gate with ivy covered wall
I love a walking photo, as unposed and relaxed as a photo can get!
I love a walking photo, as unposed and relaxed as a photo can get!
The short depth of field used here (f/1.4)  makes the background extra speckled!
The short depth of field used here (f/1.4) makes the background extra speckled!
The front of Leez Priory
The front of Leez Priory
The two brides look on, to the front of Leez Priory. Showing the summer with blue sky, sun on the building and bushy trees
The two brides look on, to the front of Leez Priory. Showing the summer with blue sky, sun on the building and bushy trees

Off Camera Flash for Dramatic Wedding Photography

Many photographs happen in natural light at a wedding. An on-camera flash is used when the photo requires it, though this is usually bounced from a ceiling or wall indoors to ensure the light that is given off has a very natural appearance. As well as these skills, many more dramatic photographs can be created with the use of off-camera flashes. These, lighting the scene from another angle can add a lot of depth and texture, and often with very dramatic results.

My favourite 'trademark' Leez Priory wedding photograph! Set up with remote lighting, and taken in full daylight! It really brings out the texture of the wood and brick
My favourite ‘trademark’ Leez Priory wedding photograph! Set up with remote lighting, and taken in full daylight! It really brings out the texture of the wood and brick

The above photograph is taken on daylight, though the sun had moved around the building. To the eye this was not a dark scene! However with camera settings used to darken the photograph, and choosing to add a light above the couple, a photo is produced showing huge amounts of texture of wood and brick. One of Lavenham Photographic’s favourite wedding photos!

The use of off camera flash can add depth to many scenes. Charlotte & Lauren had their first dance outside on the lawn. A flash on a stand to one side added a little depth to the otherwise flat light.

Leez Priory Wedding First Dance on the Lawn
Leez Priory Wedding First Dance on the Lawn

Another use of off-camera flash is to manage to expose for a dramatic sky. Without extra lighting making the camera see the sky in this way would cause the subjects to become a silhouette. With extra lighting on the brides the result is amazing, and could not be achieved without this technique!

Off Camera Flash used to expose for the sky without causing the brides to become silhouetted
Off Camera Flash used to expose for the sky without causing the brides to become silhouetted

Wedding Photography Gallery

What follows is a larger set of wedding photography Highlights from Charlotte & Lauren’s wedding, to give you a good impression of the range of photos I like to take at a Leez Priory Wedding. This set of 162 images is just a handful of the 700+ wedding photos Charlotte & Lauren were supplied in the full set of wedding photos!

Leez Priory Recommended Wedding Photographer

Most wedding photography packages include the supply of all images on a USB without copyright restrictions, to print or share as you wish. For more info please browse my website.

Ben Brown, Wedding Photographer for Lavenham Photographic Studio has been recommended by Leez Priory for over 17 years! This means there is a close relationship between Ben and venue staff, helping the day run smoothly. Also, this experience means the best locations for the best wedding photographs are easily found in all kinds of weather, lighting and times of year.

More Information about Leez Priory can be seen here: www.leez-priory.co.uk

Visit my availability page to see if I’m available to photograph your wedding.

Comments are closed.