Family Photoshoot Gift for Barbara & Bryan’s 50th Wedding Anniversary

While Barbara and Bryan were getting ready to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, their children were busily planning some special gifts to mark the occasion.

Siblings Caroline and Paul opted for a treat to mark each decade of their wedding, including a three-course meal on a luxury train and a photoshoot for the whole family.

Caroline has been an amazing supporter of my photography, right from the start, and is also the most organised person I know.

She liaised with everyone to organise outfits that would work well together, planned where everybody would park and booked lunch in at The Acorn for afterwards.

Caroline also organised and booked a Sarah Plater Photography Gift Certificate well in advance, so when her mum Barbara happened to mention that she’d like some photos of the family, Caroline had to bite her lip and not let the secret slip out!

Finally, it was time to show Barbara and Bryan what they had prepared: Caroline created a book with photos from each decade on one side, and a gift, treat or experience on the other.

Both parents were incredibly moved, with a tear or two shed in reaction to their children’s kindness and generosity.

Next it was time to plan the session, and again Caroline was ahead of the game, with a list of all the possible combinations the family could want: everyone together, each couple/unit, just the grandchildren, with their aunt and uncle and so on.

So finally the day arrived and everyone travelled over to my Bicester photography studio, glad to escape the October drizzle outside.

Paul’s sons, Luca (16) and Stefan (12) were just coming to the end of their half term break, which meant we were all able to meet on a weekday.

Stefan loves go karting and watching Formula One, so he brought along his kit for one of the images on his own, looking every inch the future motoring champion: you saw him here first!

Luca wore his suit from his prom night. He told me he had a great prom, seeing everyone and saying goodbyes as they all set off in different directions for the next stages of their life.

More recently, he’s met a girlfriend, Lauren, who he adores. The family are getting very impatient to meet her, but Luca is going to keep them waiting a little longer!

I had previously photographed Luca when he was just six months old, so it was more than a bit of shock to suddenly find him to be much taller than me now!

After a couple of happy hours interacting, joking and playing mini games to get everyone smiling, the family headed off for a well-deserved meal out before heading back home where they could look planning where to display their new family portraits. 🙂

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If you’re interested in family photography in Bicester, Oxfordshire, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater AMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional newborn and family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

She is the Master Photographers Association Young Families Portrait Photographer of the Year 2022 and Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).