Wedding Photography at the Matara Centre...

Sophie and Dan's wedding at The Matara Centre near Tetbury...

Good morning, afternoon or evening! I'm not sure how you've stumbled across my page. Hopefully, you were googling "The Matara Centre" or "Gloucestershire wedding photographer" or even' Cotswold Wedding Photographer'. However you got here, I am so glad you did.

With blogs, I always presume your new to my work, so let me introduce myself... Hi, my name is James Fear, I'm a Cheltenham-based wedding photographer. I cover weddings all over the UK, Europe and the World. On this occasion wedding photography brought me to a venue in the Cotswolds near Tetbury. It is a wedding venue just down the road from the village I grew up in (Avening)! The gorgeous Matara Centre. Truthfully, I have photographed so many weddings at the Matara Centre over the years it feels like a home from home. Hi, Geoffrey and Tara if you're reading this!

The Matara Centre ...

The Matara Centre is truly one of a kind. Its Asian inspired architecture and variety of unique spaces create a phenomenal boho-inspired setting for a wedding. However, it's not just the fact that it's one of the most beautiful venues in the West of England that makes it so appealing… It's the relaxed, spiritual vibe it has. It's such a joyous place to be, and makes you feel so zen that you'll not want to leave! Trust me I'm not usually that zen!

The owner, Geoffrey wanted to create a place that reflected his passion for the wellbeing of people and the planet. He's definitely nailed it. With 28 acres of surrounding land, half of which is dedicated to the growth of natural habitats and diverse wildlife, you'll feel so connected to nature you'll wonder why it was ever a good idea to build concrete jungles.

The buildings themselves at The Matara Centre are just as stunning as its surroundings. The main house is a Grade II listed Regency home and has rooms for your loved ones to stay in as well as a bridal suite. The beautiful Chinese cloisters in the courtyard surrounding the tranquillity pond simply look amazing in photos, and the Hilario makes for a great reception room and dancefloor. So much of a good photo is about the backdrop (as well as the feelings behind the people you see in them), so it's no wonder I've won so many photography awards at this venue. With all the interesting shapes and textures to work with and the way the Matara relaxes and brings joy to everyone there, it's a front-runner for getting good pics.

Sophie and Dan's wedding at the Matara Centre...

Soph and Dan had some stunning decorations up for their wedding. There were so many little DIY additions; it was fun hunting them out and featuring them in their photographs. That's the great thing about The Matara; you can truly make it your own. It's a blank canvas with the right vibe there, to begin with, and it's up to you to personalise it. The Matara Centre lets you be you. That is not only rare, incredibly difficult to pull off!

In S&D's case, their personalisation was all about fun, partying, being up for photos, and bringing the most incredible energy. They also brought as their own renovated tandem bike – Ace! Sophie & Dan are so lovely, determined to achieve what they want to achieve and fun. The Matara Centre couldn't have been a better venue to capture their free-spirited nature and the bright future ahead of them.

When the vibe feels like this, the photography flows. So many beautiful moments to capture with so many good people around. What a day team. What a day!

As always, thanks for reading and your interest in my work.

James