Documentary Wedding Photography

Choosing a venue for your wedding can be tricky. Getting just the right place that reflects who you are and has the right feel is important. But for Jessie and Oli, there was probably only one thing for it – get married at work.

Oli is a schoolmaster at Woodcote House School near Sunningdale in Surrey. His father is the proprietor of the school and his grandfather started the school. So it meant a lot to Oli and Jessie to hold their big day on the sweeping lawns in front of the main schoolhouse and get married in the very cute wooden chapel. It all made for one of the most relaxed and personal weddings I’d ever photographed.

When I arrived at Woodcote House School on one of the only sunny Saturdays last August, it was a scene of bucolic calm. Oli was practicing his chipping and putting, and feeling quite literally at home. After a few scene-setting shots I headed over to photograph Jessie and her bridesmaids getting ready.

Steeleye Span band member gets married

Jessie is a violinist playing with the legendary folk rock group Steeleye Span, and has toured with Elbow and Katie Melua, among others. So music was a big part of their day and the evening dance party was something very special, as you can see from the photos towards the end of this blog.

I love getting up close when I photograph a wedding, blending in with the guests. It simply makes for more powerful and intimate pictures. And there’s no better time to do this than after the first dance. And I get to do some dancing myself!

I find that working with the available light, especially on dance floors, with all the multi-coloured lighting, makes for images that are more atmospheric and more real than if I used flash. And it means I can get closer to the action without being noticed. Hope you like them!

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

Getting married in Sussex, Surrey, Kent or Hampshire? Check out this guide to my favourite wedding venues.