Foxtail Barns is a contemporary wedding venue surrounded by Staffordshire countryside, with woodland, water and gardens sitting just beyond the barns. Inside, the ceremony space is filled with natural light and large sections of glazing can be opened back towards the gardens, giving it a very different character from a traditional barn ceremony.
I know how the venue changes as the day moves here from the ceremony to drinks, to the wedding breakfast and evening celebrations. The light, weather and season all influence where I photograph, so rather than following the same route at every wedding, I use the parts of the venue that suit the day in front of me.
My approach is calm and unobtrusive for most of the day, with guidance when it is useful. You can enjoy your wedding without feeling as though you are constantly being moved into position for photographs.
Foxtail has a much cleaner, more contemporary feel than many barn venues. The architecture, natural light and surrounding landscape each bring something different to the photographs without needing to spend long periods away from your guests.
The ceremony barn is one of Foxtail's defining features. The glazing brings in plenty of daylight and the windows can be opened fully towards the gardens, creating a connection with the outdoors while keeping the reassurance of an indoor ceremony.
A short walk from the barns brings us to woodland, water and more open views across the surrounding countryside and Tawny Hotel grounds and gardens. Which areas I use depends on the light and weather rather than trying to include every possible backdrop.
The ceremony, courtyard, gardens and reception spaces sit close together. That makes it easy to move between different parts of the day without losing long stretches of time to photographs or travel.
The layout makes it straightforward to photograph the day as it happens. Guests are not constantly being moved between distant parts of the venue and there are opportunities for photographs throughout the day rather than everything needing to happen during one portrait session.
Getting ready at the venue keeps the morning contained in one place. I photograph the preparations as they unfold, including the details you have chosen, people arriving and leaving, conversations, nerves and the moments between the more obvious parts of getting ready.
The light in the ceremony barn is one of its strengths. I photograph the entrance, reactions, vows and all the smaller exchanges happening around them rather than concentrating only on the person speaking at the front.
The courtyard naturally keeps guests together after the ceremony, which makes it a good space for congratulations, drinks, confetti and candid photographs. It can also be useful for family groups without pulling everyone too far away from the reception.
Once everyone moves inside, the photographs become much more about people and reactions. Entrances, speeches, conversations and the things happening between tables all become part of the story rather than simply photographing the room itself.
As daylight fades, Foxtail takes on a different character. The courtyard lights, party barn and surrounding grounds give us options for first dance photographs, evening candids and a short night portrait session in the beautiful outdoor lighting if that suits the day.
For most weddings, I recommend a brief portrait session during the drinks reception. This gives us reliable daylight and means we have some photographs together without gambling everything on the weather later in the day.
If the evening light is particularly good, we can step outside again for ten or fifteen minutes. Sunset times change considerably throughout the year, so if evening portraits matter to you it is worth checking where sunset falls in relation to your wedding breakfast and speeches.
The same applies to group photographs. A sensible list can be photographed efficiently during the drinks reception; a very long list can quickly take over that part of the day. I am always happy to help work out what is realistic before the wedding.
Photography that fits around the wedding
I prefer two short opportunities for portraits rather than disappearing for one long session. It gives us the chance to work with different light while leaving you free to spend most of the day with your guests.
Rain does not mean abandoning the photographs you wanted. The ceremony barn gives us excellent natural light indoors, while the covered and sheltered areas around the venue give us alternatives outside.
I also keep an eye on the weather throughout the day rather than making one decision in the morning and sticking to it. If there is a dry gap later, we can use it. Umbrellas can work perfectly well too, and sometimes the softer light on an overcast or wet day is far more flattering than harsh midday sunshine.
Where we photograph will always depend on the season, weather and light, but some of the places I regularly consider include:
I choose the places that add something to the gallery and suit the two of you rather than allowing the venue to become more important than the people in the photograph and I'll also take input from the couple if there are specific areas you would love to utilise.
I have photographed weddings for more than a decade and know that good wedding photography is about reading the room, anticipating what is about to happen and knowing when to guide and when to leave things alone.
You do not need to be naturally confident in front of a camera. I will give enough direction to remove the awkwardness, but I am not interested in making every photograph look staged. Movement, conversation and the way you naturally interact with each other are far more important to me.
Alongside portraits, I am watching the people around you: reactions during the ceremony and speeches, guests reconnecting, the chaos of the dance floor and all the little moments that would otherwise disappear unnoticed.
The result is a gallery that records the whole day rather than simply the parts where everyone knew they were being photographed.
A handpicked Best Day Ever Venues supplier
I am proud to be a handpicked supplier for Best Day Ever Venues and to photograph weddings across their collection, including Foxtail Barns, The Ashes Barns, The Mill Barns, Hanbury Barns and Pendrell Hall.
If you are planning your wedding at Foxtail Barns and would like photography that captures the atmosphere, people and emotion of the day without turning your wedding into a photoshoot, I would love to hear what you have planned.
If you would like to see more before getting in touch, you can explore my additional Foxtail Barns wedding gallery below.
You can also explore more venues in my Wedding Venues section.