Castle Combe Manor House Wedding Photography - Hazel and Mike

Weddings

19 Jun

When it comes to weddings, I recently posted about how couples are leaning into doing things their own way. The wedding industry has definitely shifted towards more personal celebrations with well-thought out details that break the mould dictated by societal norms.

Such was the case with Hazel and Mike.

Hazel got in touch just a couple of months prior to their special day to enquire whether it would be possible to have just an hour of wedding photography. And, surprisingly, they didn’t want the ceremony captured.

Hazel described their day to me - a very intimate ceremony with just 10 guests followed by drinks and a meal, a tasting menu at the beautiful Manor House in the picturesque village of Castle Combe. They didn’t want a photographer for the ceremony but they did want a photographer to join them during their drinks reception to capture semi-formal photographs of them with their guests as well as some couples photos and finally a confetti shot.

When you think about it, it makes complete sense. A ceremony itself can be over in a handful of minutes and, as much as I would advise having a photographer to capture those special moments, I understand that this might not appeal to some couples. You might be too nervous, you might want to just fully immerse yourself in the emotion of it all without worrying about a photographer capturing every moment. Whereas having a photographer join you after the ceremony means that the official bit is over - the nerves are gone and you can finally relax and celebrate with your friends and family.

And that’s exactly what was happening when I arrived the Manor House in Castle Combe. I spied Hazel and Mike sat with their guests enjoying some drinks whilst I scoped out the best place for their formal photos.

After introducing myself to them and congratulating them on their marriage, we headed en-masse into the grounds for a variety of group shots. Hazel had provided me with a list of shots in advance (something I always request prior to the day of a wedding) but the benefit of keeping things so relaxed was that we were able to slot in additional group photos seamlessly. Everyone was in high spirits (and thankfully the weather was beautiful) so we all had a lot of fun enjoying the grounds before I stole Hazel and Mike away for some couples photos.

My final aim was to get a group photo on the amazing stairs leading up to the Italian Gardens - the perfect spot for a photo with such an intimate group - before we arranged ourselves for the confetti toss. Before I made my exit I was also able to have a quick peek at their private dining room and grab some detail photos to complete their gallery.

I really do love celebrations such as this - relaxed, fun and completely full of joy! Thank you Hazel and Mike for inviting me along to be a small part of your special day.

Below you will find a very small selection of my favourite images from their celebration. To view the full gallery, please contact Hazel and Mike.