TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins married Mark Herbert at Chichester Cathedral, with the service led by her uncle. After portraits in the cathedral cloisters, everyone made the short journey out to Farbridge for the reception. It was a grand setting for a very personal day.
How Charlotte and I came to work together
I first met Charlotte at a friend’s wedding, where she was a bridesmaid. Not long after, I photographed another friend’s wedding, and she was a bridesmaid again. She liked the photographs from both days so much that she said she’d like me to photograph her own wedding when the time came.
I’ve also photographed Charlotte for promotional shoots for television over the years. So by the time her wedding came round, we knew each other well, and that trust makes a wedding day much easier for everyone.
The ceremony at Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral is over 900 years old. It’s a big, formal building, and it makes a wedding feel like an occasion from the moment you walk in.
What made Charlotte and Mark’s ceremony personal was the minister. He was Charlotte’s uncle. When a family member leads the service, the words land differently, for the couple and for everyone watching from the pews.
Portraits in the cloisters
After the service, we went through to the cloisters for the family photographs and a set of portraits of Charlotte and Mark. The cloisters are made for this. Old stone, arched walkways and soft light.
It also gave the two of them a quiet ten minutes together between the ceremony and the reception.
Familiar faces
Among the guests were Charlotte’s fellow broadcasters Eamonn Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford. They were warm, friendly and great fun on the day. One of my favourite photographs from the wedding is of Charlotte and Mark with Eamonn and Ruth, a relaxed moment between four people who clearly think a lot of each other.
The reception at Farbridge
From the cathedral, the party made the short journey out to Farbridge. Farbridge is a traditional Sussex barn that has been converted into an exclusive-use wedding venue. It has a secret garden, a sunny courtyard for drinks, a smaller barn used for ceremonies and dancing, and a larger barn for drinks receptions and the wedding breakfast.
A cathedral ceremony followed by a barn reception gives you the formal and the relaxed in one day, and it’s a very Sussex way to get married.
Congratulations to Charlotte and Mark.
Planning a Chichester Cathedral and Farbridge wedding
- Use the cloisters. They’re ideal for family groups and a quiet ten minutes on your own after the service.
- Make it personal. A family member leading the service, as Charlotte’s uncle did, changes the feel of a big building.
- Allow for the journey. Farbridge is a short drive from the city, but build the transfer into your timings so the cloister portraits don’t get squeezed.
- Save the secret garden for later. Farbridge’s secret garden is a good place for a few more portraits once you’ve arrived.
More about the cathedral, the Guildhall, Goodwood and other venues nearby is on my Chichester wedding photographer page. For more on photographing Charlotte over the years, see Charlotte Hawkins joins a new breakfast TV programme. Other weddings at Farbridge include Hadji and Rachel and Katya and Alistair. You can also have a look at my prices and send me your date.
