Weddings | Chris Mann Photography

Leatherhead & Surrey Downs wedding | Elle & James

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Leatherhead & Surrey Downs wedding | Elle & James

You could clearly see the happiness bursting out of Elle and James as they got married at Leatherhead Register Office – with plenty of family and friends to help them celebrate at Surrey Downs Golf Club afterwards.

The 18th century Mansion in Leatherhead is a very elegant place to get married, with its mahogany panelling and classical style. After the ceremony we went outside to do the official family photos in the gardens, then everybody drove the short distance to Surrey Downs Golf Club for the reception. (more…)

Nonsuch Mansion wedding | Kate + Martin

Weddings / Surrey weddings

It's always a pleasure to shoot at Nonsuch Mansion in Cheam. This Georgian mansion stands in Nonsuch Park, where Henry VIII used to have a palace in the 16th century. Kate and Martin's civil ceremony took place in the Orchid Room, ably officiated by the registrars from Weybridge Register Office.

Surrey Downs wedding sneak peek | Elle and James

Weddings

Surrey Downs wedding sneak peek | Elle and James

Here’s a “sneak peek” at some of the photos from Elle and James’ wedding – their ceremony was at Leatherhead Register Office and the reception at Surrey Downs Golf Club, Kingswood.

I am busy working on editing lots more pictures from this very happy day so keep an eye on my blog for another update soon! (more…)

Brympton Somerset wedding | John & Jason

Weddings / Featured

If I had to pick one word to sum up this wedding I think it would be "joyful". Weddings are often stressful affairs - there is so much to organise ahead of the big day, and sometimes this carries over into the day itself - but John and Jason and their families and friends sailed through it all very happily, and a hugely enjoyable time was had by all.

Brympton wedding | Jason & John | sneak peek

Weddings

Jason and John were married last Saturday at the beautiful venue of Brympton D’Evercy in Somerset – I’m busy working on their photos at the moment but wanted to post just a couple of shots as a “sneak peek”… (more…)

London pre-wedding shoot | Jason & John

Weddings

London pre-wedding shoot | Jason & John

Last Sunday I travelled up to London (courtesy of South-West Trains) to meet these two fine gentlemen, for a meeting to go over the schedule for their wedding day and make sure I get all the photos they need. The guys are getting married at the very elegant Brympton House in Somerset at the end of June – I’m very much looking forward to shooting there again, it’s one of my favourite places. And with a couple of very friendly and relaxed grooms like these two I’m sure it’ll all go amazingly well! (more…)

Guildford Cathedral wedding | Charlotte & Tom

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Guildford Cathedral wedding | Charlotte & Tom

Charlotte & Tom’s wedding was a great mix of the grand and the relaxed. They got married in the splendid surroundings of the Lady Chapel in Guildford Cathedral, then their reception was a chilled-out family affair at The Stag on the River in Eashing. (more…)

Guildford wedding photography | Tammy & James

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Guildford wedding photography Manor House Hotel | Tammy & James

This was a nice local wedding for me – Tammy and James were married at St. Luke’s Church in Burpham, and their reception was held at the Manor House Hotel Guildford, Newlands Corner. Tammy got ready at the Manor House as well, so that’s where I started the day with some photos there before heading down the hill to St. Luke’s for the service.

(more…)

Guildford engagement shoot | Charlotte & Tom

Portraits / Weddings / Surrey weddings

Guildford engagement shoot | Charlotte & Tom

On of the things I like to arrange with my wedding couples is to do a quick pre-wedding practice photo shoot – it gives them a chance to dispel any nerves they might feel about being in front of the camera before the big day, and I get to know them better and find out their likes and dislikes, photographically speaking. It only takes 40 minutes or so, and is usually good fun! (more…)

Elvetham Winter Wedding | Maddie & Daniel

Weddings / Featured

With a winter wedding you always wonder if the weather is going to be on your side or not - fortunately for Maddie & Daniel's special day at The Elvetham in Hampshire the temperature was an unseasonably warm 15C and the sun shone from a clear blue sky most of the time! Some clouds rolled in later on, just in time to give me a dramatic sky for some spectacular sunset pictures - quite handy that!

Top Ten First Dance Wedding songs

Weddings

Top Ten First Dance Wedding songs

The music sharing site Spotify recently analyzed over 30,000 wedding playlists to find out which were the most popular songs that couples chose for their “first dance” song.

I suspect there might be a slight US bias in their list, but I’ve certainly heard their top pick, Etta James’ “At Last” a few times, and the Michael Bublé song… 🙂 It’s always interesting to see what couples pick – for some it’s “our song”, something that was popular when they first got together, for others it’s simply a song that they can dance to!

Also the choice may be partly driven by how confident the couple feel at showing their moves on the dance floor. Some folks are clearly non-dancers and go for a quick 30-second shuffle before frantically waving for their family and friends to join them on the dance floor. Other couples have clearly put a lot of effort into learning a special choreographed routine, and they are often the ones that come up with an original choice of song.

(more…)

Oxford wedding photos | St Ebbes | Lady Margaret Hall

Weddings

Oxford wedding photos | St Ebbes | Lady Margaret Hall

What does a classic English wedding look like? Well probably quite a lot like Katharine and Stephen’s wedding in Oxford. 🙂 Morning dress for the men, big hats for the ladies, a church service and a reception in a dining hall at an Oxford College…

The ceremony was held at St Ebbe’s church in the centre of Oxford – a church where Katharine and Stephen are regular worshippers and through whose activities (and those of the University) they got to know each other. Al Gibbs who conducted the service was very welcoming and friendly, and solemnized the marriage in great style.

After the most important part of the day (and some confetti throwing!) was concluded we drove a short distance across Oxford to the elegant and historic surroundings of Lady Margaret Hall for the reception. (more…)

Guildford Castle wedding photos | Ewelina & Spencer

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Guildford Castle wedding photos | Ewelina & Spencer

Sometimes I am booked by clients months, even years in advance, sometimes I get a call at the last minute – either way I am happy to help – so when Spencer called me to see if I could photograph his Guildford wedding to Ewelina in a couple of days’ time I said “Sure, no problem!”.

The ceremony took place at Guildford Register Office on Portsmouth Road, with close family and friends in attendance. We took a few photos in the garden at the Register Office then drove back into Guildford and headed for the grounds of Guildford Castle… (more…)

Leatherhead register office wedding | Lindsey & Drew

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Leatherhead register office wedding | Lindsey & Drew

It’s not every day you get chased by dinosaurs in the gardens at The Mansion, Leatherhead Register Office… but that’s what Lindsey and Drew wanted and that’s what they got! 😀 They asked me to recreate a famously Photoshopped wedding image by Louisana photographer Quinn Miller, where the couple and guests all flee in terror from a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex…

I decided to go one better and include two T-Rexes – one for the bride, one for the groom! I don’t normally do this kind of trick photography but it was fun to put this together in Photoshop, with the help of a couple of stock images from fotolia.com. (more…)

Lindsey & Drew’s wedding photos – sneak peek

Weddings

Coming soon – Lindsey and Drew’s fun and relaxed wedding at Leatherhead Registry Office…

Here’s a sneak peek of a couple of images, including the “dinosaur chase” image they requested! 🙂

Lots more to come in a few days once I complete the edit, but I was excited about these and wanted to pick out a few to show straight away… (more…)

Manor House Hotel wedding photography | Donna & Darren

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Manor House Hotel wedding photography| Donna & Darren’s wedding

Many congratulations to Donna and Darren who tied the knot in a civil ceremony at one of my favourite local venues, the Manor House Hotel at Newlands Corner, Guildford.

Donna planned an outdoor ceremony, but on the morning of the wedding the clouds were looming, so it seemed as if the ceremony would have to be moved back indoors. But Donna’s intuition prevailed and she was proved right. When 3pm came around the sun was shining and the wedding was able to go ahead as planned under the gazebo in the gardens.

I arrived an hour or so before the ceremony to photograph Donna and the girls getting ready. Darren like most grooms was a bit more camera-shy but I managed to get a few photos of him and the guests before the ceremony got under way.

(more…)

Manor House Hotel wedding Maria & Chris

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Manor House Hotel wedding Maria & Chris

Chris and Maria’s wedding at the Manor House Hotel, Newlands Corner, Guildford was a relaxed and intimate occasion – just close family and friends, a civil wedding, and drinks and a meal afterwards. I’m just as happy photographing a low-key celebration like Maria & Chris’s as a big “do” in a London hotel with hundreds of guests. It’s usually easier to get to know everybody as well which always helps when taking pictures. (more…)

Gate Street Barn wedding photos – Caroline & James

Weddings / Surrey weddings

Gate Street Barn wedding photos – Caroline & James

I don’t mind travelling to photograph weddings – but it is nice to cover one that’s local to me – and Gate Street Barn is just ten minutes drive away, in the Surrey countryside between Cranleigh and Godalming. So I was pleased to be asked to photograph Caroline and James’ Gate Street Barn wedding, especially as it’s a lovely venue, perfect for a relaxed event with everything in one location.

Caroline and James are huge Doctor Who fans, so there was definitely a Whovian theme to the wedding (check out the table name cards – and the cake) and the “guest of honour” was a life-size Tardis!

(more…)