Sopley Mill-Dorset: Helen and Sam

Helen & Sam’s Halloween Wedding at Sopley Mill, near the New Forest

Helen and Sam booked me for half a day to photograph their Halloween-themed wedding at the stunning Sopley Mill, set on the edge of the beautiful New Forest. It was a wedding I’d been particularly looking forward to, combining a wonderfully unique theme with a venue in one of my favourite parts of the country!

The New Forest has always been somewhere I love visiting, and after researching Sopley Mill, I knew it would be a fantastic setting for their celebrations. This beautifully renovated watermill is surrounded on both sides by the River Avon, with uninterrupted views across the picturesque water meadows. It has so much character and makes a lovely backdrop for wedding photography, especially in the autumn.

Helen and Sam booked me to photograph their ceremony, followed by a selection of relaxed couple portraits and more traditional family photographs before I left them to enjoy the spooky side of their celebrations!

I always love seeing couples put their own stamp on their wedding day, and a Halloween theme offers so many opportunities for personality, creativity and a little bit of fun. Sopley Mill’s historic character and riverside surroundings provided the perfect setting for Helen and Sam’s alternative autumn wedding.

The weather was typically October, with mostly overcast skies and the occasional appearance of sunshine. Thankfully, we still had some lovely opportunities for photographs around the mill and its beautiful surroundings.

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

Source: sopley-mill-halloween-wedding

Highdown Vineyard, Jennifer & Aaron

Jennifer & Aaron’s Wedding at Highdown Vineyard, Sussex

Another wonderful wedding day at Highdown Vineyard! It had been around 18 months since I last photographed a wedding at this fantastic venue, so it was lovely to be back, this time capturing the special day of Jennifer and Aaron. They were certainly lucky with the weather too, enjoying a beautiful sunny day in this gorgeous Sussex setting.

Before the ceremony and reception at Highdown Vineyard, I spent some time photographing Jennifer and her family as they got ready at their family home. There’s always something special about these quieter moments before the celebrations begin, with the excitement building and everyone putting the finishing touches to their preparations.

Jennifer and her dad then made their way to Highdown Vineyard in a beautiful silver Jaguar S-Type. What a stylish arrival! The classic car added a lovely touch of elegance and charm to the day, making for some wonderful photographs along the way.

Jennifer looked absolutely radiant in her wedding dress, and the ceremony was filled with some really sweet and tender moments. One of the highlights was seeing Jennifer and Aaron’s son proudly hand over the rings, playing such an important part in bringing their family together. It was a lovely personal touch and a moment I'm sure they will treasure in their photographs for years to come.

After the ceremony, the celebrations continued with a beautifully arranged reception, expertly set up by the team at Highdown Vineyard. With its picturesque vineyard setting and lovely countryside views, it's always a pleasure to photograph weddings here, and the sunshine made the surroundings look even more inviting.

The day continued with speeches, a sword cake cutting, the first dance and plenty of dancing. DJ Paul Fish kept the celebrations going, with some traditional folk dancing adding a wonderful burst of energy and fun to the evening!

From the relaxed family preparations and classic Jaguar arrival to the emotional ceremony and lively reception, Jennifer and Aaron’s wedding was full of lovely moments and personal touches. It was a real pleasure to return to Highdown Vineyard and capture another wonderful celebration at one of my favourite Sussex wedding venues.

Thank you, Jennifer and Aaron, for having me along to photograph your special day. I hope these photographs bring back all the happiness, laughter and love of your wedding for many years to come!

Shout outs to suppliers for the day go to:

Natalie & Emily - Make up & Hair styling

Velvet Birdcage - https://www.velvetbirdcage.co.uk

Amazing Grace Cars - http://www.amazinggraceweddingcars.com

The Cake Box - https://www.the-cake-box.co.uk

Green Fingers - https://www.greenfingersflorists.com

DJ Paul Fish - https://www.paulfishproductions.com

Great day with fabulous family, friends, suppliers, love and kind weather ….

Quex House-Kent: Tracy & Mark

Tracy & Mark’s Quirky Summer Wedding at Quex House, Kent

“All you need is love.”

Back in the summer of 2019, Tracy and Mark tied the knot at Quex House, in the quaint village of Birchington-on-Sea, Kent. Just a short distance from Margate, one of my favourite seaside towns in the south, it was a real pleasure to photograph their wonderfully individual wedding.

The Quex Estate dates back to the 15th century and was the perfect setting for Tracy and Mark, with its unique character, fascinating history and wonderfully quirky details. The house itself is incredible, with richly coloured rooms and elegant Regency-style interiors, while the gardens offer an equally charming mix of traditional and unusual features.

From the ornate fountain and pretty Victorian walled gardens to the funky greenhouse filled with cacti, there were so many interesting backdrops for wedding photographs. It's a venue with real personality, and I loved exploring its different corners throughout the day.

Tracy and Mark added their own lovely touches, reflecting their shared love of art and music. One particularly thoughtful addition was an outdoor tent where the younger guests could play and enjoy themselves. Although it was designed with the children in mind, it seemed to attract quite a few adults too!

And then came one of the day's most unexpected highlights: a visit from the local Woodland View llamas! They provided a wonderful talking point and a little moment of calm and amusement before the celebrations gathered pace for the evening reception.

I love weddings where couples feel free to do things their own way, filling the day with personal details and unexpected surprises. Tracy and Mark's celebration was a perfect example, with so much warmth, creativity and fun woven into every part of it.

A wonderful couple, a fabulous historic venue and a heartfelt day filled with love, laughter, art, music and even a few llamas! It was an absolute pleasure to capture their special day and all the little moments that made it uniquely theirs.

Amberley Castle-Sussex: Lorraine and Ross

Lorraine & Ross’s Romantic Wedding at Amberley Castle, Sussex

Amberley Castle is such a magical wedding venue, with its medieval architecture, beautiful gardens and tucked-away corners full of character. It was a real pleasure to photograph Lorraine and Ross’s special day in such a breathtaking setting.

From the moment I arrived, the castle provided the most wonderful backdrop for their wedding. Its historic stone walls, romantic surroundings and beautiful grounds make it a truly unique place to celebrate, with plenty of lovely locations for natural wedding photographs.

Lorraine and Ross were an absolute joy to photograph. They both looked so happy and relaxed, which made capturing their connection feel completely effortless. I love those moments when couples can simply enjoy being together, forgetting about the camera and allowing their personalities to shine through.

We explored some of the beautiful gardens and quieter corners of the castle grounds, making the most of the soft, golden afternoon light. It added a lovely warmth to the photographs and complemented the romantic atmosphere perfectly.

Alongside the couple portraits, capturing the candid moments shared with family and friends was just as important. The little glances, genuine smiles and spontaneous interactions often become some of the most treasured photographs, telling the story of a wedding in a way that feels natural and personal.

It was a real privilege to photograph Lorraine and Ross’s intimate celebration at Amberley Castle. With such a wonderful couple, a stunning historic venue and beautiful afternoon light, it was a day filled with opportunities to create photographs they can look back on for years to come.

Source: amberley-castle-wedding

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! “

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.

Boxhill-Leatherhead-Surrey:Jack & Leony

I absolutely loved this shoot because Jack and Leony were so nervous beforehand but totally lost themselves in the moment. They have a great story and a wonderful energy together and I hope the images really capture this. The session took place at Boxhill, Surrey on a lovely autumn afternoon.

Sullington-Hinesh & Janisha Engagement

So wonderful to finally have the opportunity to photograph love and happiness again, after being kept away from such special moments, for so long! I arrived to photograph Janisha & Hinesh shortly after Janisha had said “yes” to Hinesh’s proposal! I always feel so honoured to be allowed in to share such a special moment of togetherness. Hinesh had organised a surprise escape to the country, with the perfect rustic retreat, tucked away in the Sussex countryside.

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.