Surrey church wedding
A Surrey church wedding is always a pleasure to photograph. Although I don’t mind travelling to shoot weddings, this one was very close to home, being in Shalford and Cranleigh which are only a few miles away.
I could tell when I first met Lydia & Ian that they were the kind of people who pretty much take everything in their stride and enjoy life to the full – which was just as well as their wedding day was one of the wettest we’ve had this summer.
Ian got ready at his parents’ house in Shalford, while Lydia’s preparations were at Barnett Hill in Wonersh which is literally just round the corner from me – so it was all really local.
The rain held off until we got to the church (St Nicolas’ in Cranleigh) so I was able to do some photos with Ian and his groomsmen and Lydia and the bridesmaids, and their respective parents, outside before heading off to the church.
It did stop raining eventually, but was too wet for the guests to enjoy the gardens at Ian’s Dad’s house, so we were pretty much restricted to photos inside the marquee a lot of the time.
But despite the weather, there were lots of smiles and nobody seemed fazed by it, which was good! One of the skills I’ve learned over the years is to be prepared for any kind of weather – and a really hot day with blinding sunshine can be as much of a nuisance for photos as rain and clouds. So although some sunshine would have been nice, it wasn’t a huge problem from my point of view.
Surrey church wedding photos slideshow
Anyway here’s a highlights slideshow and then a selection of photos from the day:
Starting with the boys getting ready. Extreme concentration was required to get those boutonnières fixed!
Lydia and her Dad pictured outside the doorway of The Lodge, Barnett Hill:
Space was a bit tight in The Lodge for photos with the bridesmaids, but we managed!
Lydia was an absolutely gorgeous bride! The fantastic flowers were by Violet and Thyme.
A few photos of details:
St Nicolas’ Parish Church, Cranleigh:
Some grooms get a bit nervous and stressed-out before the service – not Ian: 😉
The rain arrived at about the same time as the bride:
Fortunately we had a splendid and beautifully decorated marquee to shelter in!
The rain held off for a time allowing me to do some family group photos outside:
I like to do a big group photo with all the guests if I can, though it was a bit more of a challenge this time – but with the aid of my trusty stepladder and a flashgun I managed it! This is actually three separate images montaged together:
The wedding breakfast and speeches in the marquee followed. I love shooting reception speeches and capturing those priceless expressions.
Look at that fantastic cake, with white chocolate and strawberries.
More speeches followed…
As it was so wet in the afternoon I decided to wait until just after sunset to take photos of Lydia and Ian on their own. I sneaked them out of the wedding breakfast between courses for a short session in the garden. there was still some light in the sky to work with and provide a blue backdrop. I used a pair of flashes off-camera to light the couple and the vines. Both Ian and his dad Sten are in the wine business, so it seemed appropriate to use the vines as a setting for Ian and Lydia’s photos.
And then it was time to party – with music provided by the excellent Goosebumps
And last but not least, Lydia & Ian took to the floor for their first dance:
Many thanks to Lydia and Ian for inviting me to be part of their special day – and everyone else who made the day such a success.
