Highley Manor - Yanna & Daniel

In July 2024, I had the pleasure of photographing Yanna and Daniel's beautiful wedding at the enchanting Highley Manor, nestled in the Sussex countryside near Balcombe, Haywards Heath. The venue, rich in history and charm, provided the perfect backdrop for their special day.

Highley Manor's storied past adds a unique touch to its grandeur. Once home to the renowned poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in the 19th century, it later served as a base for the Canadian army during World War II. Today, it stands as a meticulously restored country house hotel, dedicated exclusively to hosting weddings. Surrounded by immaculately landscaped gardens with sweeping views of the South Downs, it's easy to see why Yanna and Daniel fell in love with this venue.

Their outdoor ceremony took place beneath the romantic wooden pavilion, adorned with vibrant rainbow-colored wildflowers, masterfully arranged by Karen from Blossom and Bee Floristry. The delicate addition of bubble confetti, paired with the striking yellow butterweed scattered across the nearby fields, infused even more color into the day—brightening the slightly overcast weather.

I was commissioned to photograph their day until the reception, with the couple opting for a more intimate evening celebration shared only with family and close friends. This growing trend among couples allows me to focus on capturing the core of their day, and I’m always happy to accommodate.

Yanna and Daniel kindly shared these thoughtful words with me:

"Thank you so much for the beautiful photos and for capturing our day—we absolutely love them! The bubble shots came out perfectly, and the yellow flowers added such a vibrant touch."

Brookfield Barn - Hannah & Tom

Stunning wedding day at Brookfield Barn, with the gorgeous Hannah & Tom. Such a fun couple, who made the most of every single moment of their day. They couldn’t have been luckier with the weather, with the sun out in a blaze of glory!

I photographed a fairly relaxed Hannah getting ready with her Mum and bridesmaids at Birchwood Cottage, a sweet airbnb, tucked away down a local country lane. Final preparations took place at Brookfield Barn, before Hannah walked to meet Tom, to say “yes”.

It was the hottest day of the year, during a very dry spell and you can see from the pictures, taken out on the golf course, just how yellow the grass was. Despite the sweltering heat, the wedding party were determined to wear their full wedding attire for most of the day, especially for the family and friends photos.

Hannah & Tom are both fun, warm and genuine & the day was simply a pleasure for me to be part of. The only downside was that (even against Hannah’s advice), I admitted to Tom that I support Spurs! This resulted in me being treated to plenty of banter from Tom & his groomsmen for the rest of the day! :-)

Brookfield Barn hosted seamlessly, with perfect attention to detail. It’s such a picturesque location, in a beautiful countryside setting.

Cissbury Ring - Judy & Stuart

Another wonderful time up at Cissbury Barns for Judy and Stuarts wedding.

I was asked to come along for just a few hours to capture a small number of post ceremony photos, mainly family portraits and friends gathered in celebration.

Judy was especially nervous about being photographed & I could see her nerves as she waited to join Stuart in the ceremony. However, like many brides Judy was much more relaxed after the ceremony; lost in the emotions and celebrations and despite her telling me that she didn’t feel that she could smile naturally, she really did.

It’s becoming more popular to be asked to cover just a few hours or half a day, so if it’s something you are thinking about be sure to talk to me about it.





Cissbury Ring - Tash & Nick

Tash & Nick married at Cissbury Barns, hidden away up on the beautiful South Downs. A stunning location for a wonderful couple. Tash and Nick wanted a fairly low key, authentic photographic record of their day, so nothing overly posed, which worked perfectly for me.

The location is truly romantic and full of photo hotspots, whether its the attractive flint walled gardens or the awe inspiring back drop of the South Downs countryside, Cissbury Barns has lots to offer.

We didn’t get a sunset but we did capture some beautiful memories.

“We had Daren as our wedding photographer last year and he was absolutely lovely from start to finish. He was so helpful and gave us some really good ideas for the day. Communication was always fantastic! A really friendly guy, who put us at ease. Would really recommend going for the printed album too.”

Nymans - Sue & Vince

What a perfect setting for a wedding! I felt very priviledged to be asked to photograph Sue & Vinces wedding at Nymans. Nymans holds a lot of family memories, somewhere I have visited often, especially when my children were young.

The grounds are simply beautiful and photo opportunities plentiful.

The Loggia was the perfect setting, for Sue & Vinces small & intimate wedding, with its gothic style and pretty roses, climbing the soft stone arches. The ceremony was really beautiful and charming.

We were totally spoilt for the couple photos, with lots of fantastic locations to choose from. The gardens colourful, with lots of hidden corners and surprises.

After the photos, Sue & Vince continued their amazing day at their Sussex home.

Lythe Hill - Amy & Craig

Amy & Craigs fantastic wedding at Lythe Hill in Haslemere, Surrey! Lythe Hill is set in 22 acres of the Surrey countryside and is a luxury Tudor country house hotel. The weather was kind, so Amy & Craigs ceremony was set under the Gazebo, facing the lake. The reception held in the stunning Ivory Room, which is wonderfully modern & bright. Beautiful day!

“ I would 100% recommend Daren!”

“Me and my husband found him very easy going and we felt really comfortable being photographed by him, it’s not something we’re used to. He scouted out our wedding venue, offering great advice on where to get the best pictures.

We couldn’t have asked for anyone better, he was so attentive to both me and Craig, allowing us to be natural and we really enjoyed it! “

Steyning, West Sussex: Amy & Matt

Wonderful sunny day in Steyning for Amy & Matt’s wedding, which finally took place after the delay caused by the pandemic! From Amy & Matts bedroom window you could just get a glimpse of the reception marquee on the south downs horizon, adding to the anticipation!

Beautiful wedding ceremony at the historic Steyning Parish Church, before taking the short trip to the lush green fields of the farm & reception. The marquee setting was stunning, with the south downs & Chanctonbury Ring sitting perfectly on the horizon.

“We loved the way Daren captured our wedding day and really enjoyed his documentary style as neither myself or my husband are particularly keen on posing for photos. We have so many beautiful photos to look back on and Daren was amazing with communications to ensure the album was just as we wanted and arrived safely.”

South Stoke Barn-Claire&Bill

Claire & Bill got married in the summer of 2021 at South Stoke Barn, near Arundel, West Sussex. I have visited Arundel many times over the years, yet i’d never discovered South Stoke, which is nestled between the River Arun and the South Downs. South Stoke Barn is an original nineteenth century Granary Barn. It is practically unchanged from its original form and really was an idyllic location for Claire & Bills wedding. Claire & her Bridesmaids got ready in a gorgeous thatched cottage, with lovely countryside views, a great setting to relax before the ceremony. Claire and Bill had planned their day exactly how they wanted it, really relaxed, with a great mix of romance, fun and laughter. I was fortunate to have a little time with them, away from their family and friends, so we could explore the sunshine and sweet backdrops.

Southdowns Manor-Lauren&Jason

Lauren & Jasons wedding was my first since the pandemic and so really marked a special moment for all of us. The number of guests was still limited to just 30 and masks had to be worn during the ceremony.. The restrictions and the on & off rainy day, didn’t dampen the magic, with Lauren and Jason’s love really shining throughout. Fortunately there were some sunny breaks in the rainy weather, so we could capture photographs in the wonderful Southdown Manor gardens. Southdown Manor is situated in the heart of the Southdowns national park, in Petersfield, Hampshire.

Sopley Mill-Dorset: Helen and Sam

Helen and Sam booked me for a half day to photograph their halloween styled wedding at the stunning Sopley Mill, set on the edge the wonderful New Forest.

I had been particularly looking forward to this wedding as the New Forest has always been one of my favourite places and having researched Sopley Mill i knew it was a fantastic setting. Sopley Mill is a renovated watermill, surrounded on both sides by the Avon River with uninterrupted views across the water meadows.

Helen & Sam booked me to photograph their wedding ceremony, a few couple photos and a selection of more traditional family photographs before leaving them to the spooky stuff!

The day was generally quite overcast although the sun did show itself on occasion - it was October! The only downside was that i wasn’t on hand to catch the rest of Helen and Sam’s day, as I’m certain it would have been a lot of fun to capture. Really grateful to have been part of their amazing day though and wish them much happiness together.

Some people to thank:

Make up by Helens friend, Emily Hogan.

Helens sister and brother sang in the ceremony

https://www.gracebaileybridalhair.com/meet-grace

http://sopleymill.co.uk/

https://www.redcherrycatering.com/

www.sweettreatcakes.co.uk

Ghyll Manor - Eleanor & Mark

A beautiful summers day poured down on Ghyll Manor for the beautiful wedding of Eleanor & Mark.

An idyllic wedding set in the beautiful Sussex countryside. Ghyll Manor is an elegant 17th century country-house, set in gorgeous private gardens, with lake and summer house.

Shermabury-Henfield-Sussex: Michelle and Mark

Michelle & Mark got married just a stones from where they live! Just opposite their home, hidden half a mile down a country track is St Peter’s Church, set on the bank of the river Adur. It’s one of the oldest Churches in Sussex and described in the Doomsday book, with archeologists dating the chuch back to 1135 - it’s a fascinating place to be married and special too as only a few people get married there each year. It’s also a place which holds fond memories with me as i spent some years living in the area, having spent sunny afternoons picnicking by the river. I was always curious to see a church, so far removed from anywhere and never thought i’d be asked to photograph a couples wedding!. I felt very fortunate to be asked to photograph the occasion.

Michelle & Mark only wanted me to capture a few hours of the day, some photographs at their home & at the church, with close family and friends - very intimate & wonderful.

Goring Church-Sussex-Stephy & Matt

Stephy & Matthew live in Hong Kong and contacted me to ask if I would photograph them here in the UK, before they get married in Hong Kong next June. Unfortunately Matthew’s Grandparents will not be able to travel to Hong Kong next year, so the pre-wedding shoot was a mix of couple shots for Stephy & Matthew and some images of them with Matthew’s Grandparents, to try & replicate some of the shots, which will be missing on their wedding day.

We met at the Methodist Church in Goring, which had been kindly rented to us for a few hours. Stephy surprised me by appearing in her beautiful wedding dress, so we really did have a mini dress rehearsal for the day itself.

For the second part of the styled shoot, we headed to Goring Beach, so Stephy could seek out her first UK beach hut and see the full glory of the sunny UK seaside. We aptly ended the session in the grounds where Matthew’s Grandparents live.