An intimate wedding and blessing ceremony in Winchester’s Lainston House Hotel with an Asian twist.
Lainston House Hotel, just outside Winchester, is an absolutely gorgeous wedding venue and one which I’ve been fortunate to photograph many times over. As well as offering everything a couple might need should they wish to have their whole day there, it’s also proven to be a popular choice as a reception-only venue for smaller and more intimate weddings. On several occasions in recent years I have ended up here with a smaller wedding party following a ceremony at Winchester’s also very beautiful Registry Office. This was precisely the plan for Mahrukh & Andrew’s special day, with the added bonus of an Asian wedding blessing ceremony at the hotel to complement the legal ceremony in town. Great news for me from a photography point of view – we get all of the emotion of the ceremony twice over, and in two of my favourite locations too (along with all the added advantages of beautiful backdrops for couple portraits at both as well).
With a smaller wedding the Basing Room at Winchester’s Registry Office is the perfect choice for the legal ceremony. The building itself really is beautiful both inside and out. I always particularly like capturing people waiting in the corridors outside the ceremony room as the features in that space are so strong. The room itself is very unique and, with its five-sided shape, an interesting one to photograph in. It actually presents a few different options for the couple on the day in terms of the set-up and backdrop. Mahrukh and Andrew option to make use of the grand fireplace as the centrepiece, meaning that I could spend much of my time tucked away by the big bay windows where I wouldn’t be any kind of distraction.
The Registry Office is also superb post-ceremony with many wonderful settings for both group photos and couple portraits, and of course the famous Great Hall should you wish in the background or your confetti. I’m always happy that the team there are so relaxed about confetti as well; that can never be taken for granted! As the rest of the guests headed on to the hotel for part two of the day I kept the couple back for a few shots back inside the venue while we had it all to ourselves, and then a final few portraits around Castle Hill before we followed on to the reception venue, knowing full well that we would also have be spoilt for choice there too when it came to those important couple shots…
Lainston House Hotel was to be the setting for the rest of the day; not only the celebrations – drinks, canapes and dinner – but also a traditional Asian wedding blessing to complement the legal ceremony already completed. This all took place in the charming drawing room of the Hotel – a really lovely, light-filled room with sweeping views out across the gardens. Ceremony complete and wedding formally toasted with champagne and canapes, we headed out into the grounds to make the most of the gorgeous surroundings with some more couple portraits, and a final few family groups as well. There are so many great locations here for your photography; the kitchen garden at the end of the drive, private woodlands, the old ruined chapel and of course the magnificent view from the top of the hill back towards Winchester. I really love that all of this is just a few steps away from the main venue, so you can either steal away for a little tour of the grounds, or just dip in and out at choice little moments as everyone moves from one part of the day to the next
Mahrukh and Andrew were such a wonderful couple to photograph and it really felt like time went by in an absolute flash. I really love to photograph smaller weddings like these – you can really immerse yourself in the day and get to know not just the couple but also their family too – everything’s just so nice and relaxed. Both the legal ceremony in Winchester and the blessing at the Hotel were beautiful occasions and having both on the same day gave such a wonderful contrast, and also of course gave me so much to capture. Huge congratulations to the very happy couple, and I hope that these photos bring a smile every time you look at them.
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The photos above are just a small selection from the day. Friends and family can view the full set in the online gallery but you’ll need to ask Mahrukh and Andrew for the password first. I hope you enjoyed this little blog post. Be sure to come back soon for more photos from other fantastic real weddings.
If you are currently planning your Lainston House wedding and would like to know more about my wedding photography services, packages and prices, please do get in touch to check availability and ask me any questions you might have. I’m only too happy to help however I can.
