Natalia & Tim at Rockley Manor
Tim is American, Natalia is Russian, and they got married in Wiltshire. Church ceremony first, then back to Rockley Manor for the rest of the day, with an open-top Rolls Royce doing the running about.
The church
A small village church near the manor. Warm stone, quiet, and the kind of room where you can hear everything — which meant two sets of family listening to vows in a language that wasn’t first for everyone in the building.
The Rolls
They went to the church and came back in an open-top classic Rolls Royce, which on a Wiltshire summer afternoon is about as good as it gets.
Open-top cars are the one wedding car worth paying extra for. In a closed car you get reflections on the glass and a couple you can barely see. With the roof down you can shoot straight in, and you get the countryside going past behind them.
Rockley Manor
The manor has lawns, gardens and a house that holds its own in the background of a photo without taking over.
We took twenty minutes out while everyone was on the drinks, which is the right time to do it — guests are occupied, nobody’s waiting on you, and you get the couple to yourself before the meal.
The evening
Guests had flown in from all over, and it was a summer wedding, so the party stayed outside until it was dark and then carried on anyway.
Congratulations to Natalia and Tim.
Getting married in Wiltshire
A few things worth knowing if you’re planning one:
- Church plus manor is the classic Wiltshire day. Keep the two close together — the drive is lovely but it eats your afternoon.
- Summer evenings are long. If you’re marrying in June or July you’ve got usable light until nearly ten. Don’t do all your photos at three o’clock.
- The county is the backdrop. Hills, downland, big skies. Ten minutes out of the venue gives you something no interior can.
- If guests are flying in, build in a slower day. International weddings run better with more room in the timings than you’d think you need.
I cover Wiltshire from Sussex and it’s an easy run. Have a look at my prices and send me your date.
