Yesterday I joined Chloe & Ivan for their pre-wedding practice shoot up at The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle
It’s up in the beautiful countryside of County Durham
Check this amazing building out!
It’s the Bowes Museum, the first purpose-built museum in the country, built for John Bowes and his wife Joséphine Chevalier, Countess of Montalbo, who both died before it opened in 1892. It was built by both a Frenchman and a Geordie in a grand French style with beautiful ornate gardens
It’s just as beautiful on the inside!
It’s a nationally renowned art collection, paintings by El Greco, Francisco Goya, Canaletto, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher, together with a sizable collection of decorative art, ceramics, textiles, tapestries, clocks and costumes, as well as older items from local history. The early works of French glassmaker Émile Gallé were commissioned by Joséphine, wife of the founder John Bowes.
A great attraction is the 18th century Silver Swan automaton, which periodically preens itself, looks round and appears to catch and swallow a fish
This is the room in which they’ll be eating their wedding meal!
So! After a tour and a catch up with got down to the squirmy business of the practice shoot!
I like to put all my couples through a practice to show them how it feels to be photographed and help them get used to the process.
I think this was my favourite frame from the shoot!
I’m ultimately after the fun, natural moments between a couple.
Impressive place eh?! Â Can’t wait to join them on Saturday for their big day!
Stay tuned…