One of the things you least expect to find at a wedding is a life-size model of a zebra but that is just one of the things that makes Symondsbury Manor the quirky place that it is! I drove to West Dorset for the wedding of Emma and Dan yesterday – what an amazing, hot and sunny day it turned out to be compared to the previous weekend which had been cold and windy. I met the couple at the Manor where the guests enjoyed a traditional English tea party while Emma and her Bridesmaids were getting ready in the house. The ceremony took place in the nearby Chideok Church, a very picturesque church with the friendliest vicar who allowed me to photograph the ceremony. Following the ceremony, we made our way with the Bridal party to Seatown Beach for a few formal shots. The sun was incredibly bright, which is never a photographers best friend but I think we were able to create some fun images, which is what the couple particularly wanted. Then followed a very relaxed reception in the gardens of the manor with fiddlers playing, croquet and badminton on the lawn and some rather strong local cider going round! The speeches were hilarious, although perhaps a little uncomfortable for Dan at times……… Emma and Dan did their first dance to Pencil Full of Lead by Paolo Nutini – I can confirm that Dan’s dancing is very unique to say the least! I had a great day and I am looking forward to catching up with Emma and Dan soon.
About Symondsbury Manor
Symondsbury Manor is a country house wedding venue in the best English tradition — grand reception rooms, formal gardens and the kind of gravel-drive approach that sets the tone from the moment guests arrive. Couples typically use the main state rooms for the ceremony and dinner, with the grounds opening up space for portraits and evening drinks.
A country house wedding tends to reward an unhurried approach. I work in a documentary style for most of the day — capturing guests settling in, the quiet moments before the ceremony and the relaxed pace of a long reception — with a short focused portrait session somewhere that suits the house.
