An Enchanting Woodland Wedding at GreenAcres Chiltern
If you’ve ever dreamt of a bohemian style wedding in the woods, do read on to hear about Natalie and Matt’s recent Buckinghamshire wedding ceremony. I thoroughly enjoyed providing the photography for this stunning Greenacres wedding.
This lovely couple adore being in the great outdoors, and getting married surrounded by the beauty of nature was so perfect for them. At our pre wedding photography discussion, Natalie and Matt were both really excited to show me around the GreenAcres Chiltern site.
GreenAcres Chiltern Wedding Venue
A GreenAcres Chiltern woodland wedding presents so many stunning photography opportunities. Under the huge swaying trees, you’ll be serenaded by the birdsong and the distant animal calls in this wild location. This wonderful woodland venue also has so many hidden gems to explore, and an abundance of striking backdrops for wedding photography.
This family owned business prides itself on being a truly sustainable and environmentally friendly venue. Before 2021 I’d never been to this lovely venue, then like London buses I attended two weddings there just a few months apart! And even more surprising, my business is based just a five minute drive away!
The Lads Arrive by Ferrari
So many young boys dream of going for a spin in a gorgeous sports car! For these two lucky pageboys their dream came true as they were chauffeured to the ceremony in a gleaming brand new red Ferrari. The smiles on their faces were an absolute joy to witness as they arrived in this open top luxury supercar!
Bridal Party Arrive on Vintage London Bus
Natalie and her immediate family and bridesmaids arrived in style on a vintage red London bus. And when I stepped onto the bus, it was pretty evident that the celebrations had already started! There was no sign of nerves from the bride, just lots of laughter and wedding day banter. Natalie was really relaxed, and she looked absolutely stunning too!
Wedding Ceremony & Photographs in the Beautiful Dell
The guests and bridal party were ferried to the dell in the venue’s golf buggy, and it was pretty surreal watching this little electric vehicle flying back forth down the woodland trails. What a stylish and fun way to travel to the ceremony area in the woodlands!
Sand Ceremony
To make the occasion extra special for Natalie and Matt’s children, they concluded the formalities with a sand ceremony. Sand ceremonies are more popular than ever, and they add a fabulous modern twist to a traditional ceremony. They’re an amazing way to show the joining of two families.
Drinks Reception & Time to Party
Once everyone made it back to the drinks reception courtyard, the drinks flowed non-stop, and the party vibe really kicked in. There was also plenty of divine treats on offer, plus time to really relax and really enjoy the moment in this lovely location! These fun loving family and friends really knew how to let their hair down!
Photographs in the Woodlands
I’m not used to taking family group poses in woodland settings, but the backdrops at GreenAcres worked a treat for wedding photography! The lush greenery combined with dappled sunlight has an ability to make the images really jump from the page. These lighting conditions can be testing at times, but with an extra dose of fill lighting the results are stunning!
For a few classic poses, I also took Natalie and Matt deeper into the ferns and trees for some dramatic angles.
But it was soon time to move on from their wedding celebrations at GreenAcres Chiltern – once everyone was back on the party bus we headed over to the charming ZaZa’s restaurant in Old Amersham.
Wedding Reception at ZaZa’s – Old Amersham
This was such a friendly and intimate Italian restaurant, right in the heart of the historic Amersham Old Town. It’s a firm favourite of Natalie’s Italian father, so it was the perfect choice for their wedding breakfast. The food was incredible, with course after course of delicious Italian classics.
Singing Waiters
This was the entertainment highlight of the day – the three singers were incredible! They’d hoodwinked everyone during the meal by serving the tables, they even dressed the same as the actual restaurant staff. Albeit, I knew what was coming further to my chat with the Natalie’s father Joe. Plus the fact I recognised one of singers whose wedding I’d photographed a number of years ago!
Soon things really kicked off when one of the waiting staff impersonators fell over and threw a tray of cutlery into the air mid meal! The look of shock on everyone’s faces was surreal. The profuse apologies followed, he then sang a song to the bride to make up for the mishap! A few minutes later the remaining incognito waiters revealed their identities as they burst into the next upbeat operatic number, the singing and partying was pretty much non-stop for next 30 minutes! The guests just loved every minute of this wild craziness. As candid picture opportunities go, it doesn’t get any better!
Partying the Night Away
Somehow the friends and family found the energy to dance way into the night! There were some fabulous dance moves from the children as evening kicked off. And, it didn’t take long before the adults joined them on the dance floor.
Floodlit Photos in Old Amersham
I took Natalie and Matt into the old town for a few floodlit photographs at twilight. This proved to be fabulous finale to their magical wedding day! After firing up my floodlights, I captured a couple of shots in both the memorial gardens, plus one in the High Street itself.
Kind words
Dear Mark , thank you so much , your service was amazing from the first time we spoke on the phone to the editing after the wedding , nothing was any trouble.
On the day you were awesome, you were invisible yet everywhere and the magic you managed to capture. How you work with light and darkness is just out of this world!
