South Lodge Horsham wedding photography | Lucy & James
Lucy and James chose South Lodge Horsham for their wedding – it’s a classic country hotel (part of the Exclusive Hotels group) set in the South Downs near Horsham, and a really nice venue for any celebration. On this occasion I was shooting with my colleague Bruce Neville to capture Lucy and James’ special day. Having two photographers is not always a necessity, but can be useful for bigger weddings or if pictures of both bride and groom preparations are required and you are getting ready in different locations.
British weather strikes again!
Although we all complain about British weather, in the last ten years I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times when a wedding day has been unremittingly wet – usually it rains for an hour or two and then clears up so we get a chance to go outside. Unfortunately Lucy and James’ wedding day was one of those occasions when it really wasn’t nice enough to go outside – so all our pictures were taken around the hotel. No great hardship in this case as South Lodge is very elegant and has plenty of space for guests to mingle.
Civil marriage ceremony
The civil ceremony took place in the Wordsworth Room on the lower ground floor – after which the couple and their families greeted the guests in a traditional receiving line. As we couldn’t go outside the couple were showered with venue-friendly bubbles instead of confetti!
Reception and wedding breakfast
I always enjoy photographing the wedding reception – it’s an opportunity to get some natural and unobtrusive candids as the couple and their guests relax and chat. Of course despite being in “ninja stealth mode” most of the time, I’m always happy to do the occasional impromptu group photo if guests ask me!
During the reception Bruce and I took the couple into a few quiet areas of the hotel including the dramatic stairwell to get some photos of just the two of them. Normally I would shoot couple photos outside (and the group photos too) but sadly the weather was just too “British”!
After that of course it was time for the wedding breakfast, the speeches (another favourite of mine), and lots of dancing!
For the dancing I usually set up a couple of flashguns on stands in the corners of the room (out of the way of guests) to illuminate the dancefloor. It gives a more “three-dimensional” look to the photos than just having a flash on the camera.
Here’s a selection of some of my favourite photos from the day…
South Lodge Horsham wedding photography | Lucy & James
If you’re getting married at a Horsham wedding venue or anywhere else soon and would like a quote for coverage of your special day, please do get in touch via my contact page!
