Photographing weddings in Hampshire

I have always loved taking, and looking at, pictures. My family always enjoyed creating a family album together, and I have tons of snapshots from my childhood. I would spend countless hours as a child looking through them. Even now as an adult a picture, or set of photos, brings back the memories of my childhood so vividly. 

As a child, my family and I would visit Hampshire for Summer holidays and one of our favourite places would be the New Forest. Villages such as Brockenhurst, Burley and Lymington I found particularly quaint and would always bring my camera along to see which parts of the Hampshire landscape and coastline I could capture each year.

My background has not always been in photography as I had a previous career as a ballet dancer. During one of my dancing injuries I decided to head to the local camera shop and purchase a DSLR with some lenses to start taking pictures as a hobby. I began taking photos of what I knew - dance - and quickly realised that I wanted to become a professional photographer. As a keen amateur enthusiast I could see how capturing the light and motion together was a passion of mine so I decided to take a diploma in photography and then later moved to specialise with a diploma in wedding photography specifically. 

The photography courses gave me a great understanding of the technical aspects such as a sensor, exposure, shutter speed, ISO, RAW and JPEG files, as well as a few creative techniques such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, contrast and symmetry. All of these principles I still incorporate into each wedding I photograph today. Only ever having used digital cameras I taught myself everything there is to know about Lightroom, Photoshop and all the necessary skills to enhance the photos I take. To say I would be lost in a film darkroom is a big understatement.

Since finishing my diplomas and leaving the dance world, my skills have improved just a little! I love that couples comment on on how colourful and emotional my images are and it still thrills me to this day that I get to photograph weddings as my full time job.

Back in 2011 I celebrated my wedding day in the beautiful New Forest at Rhinefield House.  It was a remarkable day celebrating with my friends and family in the most idyllic of Hampshire wedding venues. It was the first venue we looked at and fell in love with its stunning features and grand feel. This was before I became a wedding photographer and this experience transformed the way I look at weddings.  I am now very privileged to be a preferred photographer for Rhinefield House since 2013 and have had the pleasure of photographing over 220 weddings at the venue to date.

The day you get married will definitely be one of the happiest in your life, the first time you meet as Bride and Groom is always a magical moment and has produced some of my favourite wedding ceremony moments over the years. Whether you’re going for a traditional church wedding or a civil ceremony with a marriage officiant or celebrant, each wedding is truly unique and that’s why I love to be a part of each occasion.

The Hampshire’s river Test is full of stunning views and wildlife. From rolling hills to stags in the Forest so much natural beauty can be found here. The tall Redwood trees on Ornamental Drive and the coastal beauty of Lymington are two very popular areas in the county of Hampshire. This county has so much to offer for photographers wanting to capture the natural beauty of England and produce images full of life. Photographers will often shoot wide open to create pin-sharp pictures of the scenery, which are especially beautiful at golden hour.

Since 2020 there has definitely been a lot more weddings taking place across Hampshire and the New Forest. Some larger celebrations in grand venues like Rhinefield House, Lainston House Clock Barn and Pylewell Park but also much smaller celebrations in family homes, registry offices and rural retreats. Regardless of what size, or the whereabouts of each wedding, I always love the atmosphere these incredible celebrations produce and feel honoured each time I pick up my camera to be a part of one. 

One of the most exciting things about planning your day is getting to choose and ask all your special people to be a part of it, be that bridesmaids, groomsmen, pageboys or flower girls. The connections between you and your favourite people is one that drives me as a wedding photographer. 

I love shooting Hampshire engagements and you can view some information and work here.

Any questions about the way that I work? Read about my process here.