Documentary wedding photography

Having enjoyed the pre-wedding shoot with Eleanor and Nick earlier in the year I was really looking forward to the wedding itself in and around the pretty villages of Exbury and Beaulieu in the New Forest.

It was one of those shimmering mid-summer days. I’d spent the morning with Eleanor at her mum and dad’s house not far from the stout, late-Georgian church of St Katherine in Exbury where the wedding ceremony was to be held. As the enormous white Rolls-Royce barrelled through the narrow green lanes it reminded me of something out of Mary Wesley’s ‘Camomile Lawn’ with its faded pastel shades all competing for attention.

I raced ahead to catch up with Nick, already at St Katherine’s Church greeting guests and looking relaxed and nervous at the same time – if that’s possible. Even though I’d already seen Eleanor in her dress, she looked totally stunning as she stepped from the huge wedding car to make her way down the aisle to join Nick. The look on their faces as she reached the altar was priceless.

Montagu Arms wedding photography

Then, after a few formal pictures, we all drove the two miles north to the Edwardian Montagu Arms Hotel for drinks and the wedding breakfast. With its handsome formal garden and wood-panelled dining room the Montagu Arms is perfect for medium sized weddings.

It was one of the first weddings I’d used my new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens. I’m glad I had it in the bag. In combination with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III I was able to shoot without the distraction of flash even after the light had faded around 9.30pm when the ceilidh began.

Thanks again to Eleanor and Nick for being such a fun, charming and welcoming couple.

If you’re looking for a documentary wedding photographer to tell the story of your Montagu Arms wedding, or any other location, I’d love you to get in touch.