A wedding ceremony at St Peter's Church in Winchester followed by a reception at Kimbridge Barn in the Test Valley near Romsey.
Natasha and Matthew’s wedding took place on one of those absolutely perfect Spring days where everything is just bursting into life and the sun shining down just puts a smile on everyone’s face. It was the sort of weather than absolutely makes these kind of wedding photos; so many opportunities to be outside in a variety of locations and with differing backdrops throughout the day, but still with just enough shade to duck into and soften everything up at the right time. Wonderfully golden evening light at the end of the day for some final outdoor photos with the bride and groom out in the Hampshire countryside and two absolutely superb venues. There were two of us photographing throughout the day on this occasion and with so much to capture I was very glad to have John with me too.
A home location for groom prep, while the bride was in a suite at Winchester’s Royal Hotel – just a stone’s throw (or indeed a short, sunny stroll) from the church. Having two photographers of course meant that both sides could be covered which is always nice. The suite we were in at the hotel was fab – a huge space for hair and makeup to one side and plenty of room for hanging dresses and general sorting out of wedding paraphernalia. Unusually for a hotel in Winchester the Royal also has a large formal garden – the perfect spot for a final few pre-ceremony photos before we set off for the church, and with the sun really blazing down by this point we were glad of any shade we could find.
I absolutely love it when the church is within walking distance of the bridal prep location. There’s always something just so fun about the stomp towards the venue and the excitement and energy which is in the air by that point. While Natasha had been busy with all of this Matthew had successfully made his way to St Peters and was in full guest-greeting mode. The church itself is absolutely huge – I’ve photographed a fair few weddings here over the years and don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere near to capacity, but it always feels very intimate. I think it might be something to do with the amount of light inside; it’s a wonderful venue to photograph and the priests there have always been so accommodating. It is of course made much easier when the scale means that you can disappear right into it and capture the proceedings without drawing any attention to yourself. Finally, with ceremony over and bride and groom happily married, it was back down the aisle and out into the sunshine once again to be showered with confetti. Formal family photos (there’s a perfect little garden area tucked away to the side for this) and on to the reception for the second part of the day – the celebrations at Kimbridge Barn…
Kimbridge Barn is an excellent reception venue on the banks of the River Test in Hampshire, sat between the market towns of Romsey and Stockbridge. It’s a lovely, comfortable spot with a big emphasis on the hospitality side of things; the food and drinks always look so beautiful and appealing. The shade in the courtyard is extremely welcome when the skies are clear as it’s a total sun-trap, and then alongside this you have various other spaces which combine to offer a flexible space for afternoon celebrations. For your portrait photo sessions there are a couple of locations I’ve found just a short walk from the doors of the venue. I do actually think it can be quite nice to step away from the busy-ness of the reception for a little while. For starters it removes the occasional well-meant interruptions and distractions which can happen when other guests are nearby (particularly helpful for those who would prefer not to have any kind of audience while they are taking their couple shots). And also – and just as importantly – it can give you a few quiet moments together alone to let everything sink in a bit. For Natasha & Matthew’s wedding we were fortunate that the glorious weather and the timings of the day (Springtime weddings mean that the sun sets at a good, sensible time) combined to give us an absolutely magical golden hour, the light simply glowing around the two of them as we shot away.
Stepping away after the meal for some further photos – we had already taken several during a shorter session in the nearby countryside before the reception proper started – also works well when the venue has a room to turn around ready for the evening party. By the time we returned tables had been moved and the band were set up, ready to get things rocking for the rest of the night.
Many congratulations to Natasha & Matthew. Such a sweet couple and it was a total pleasure to be there and capture their day, both in Winchester at St Peter’s Church and then out in the Test Valley at Kimbridge Barn. It’s so nice to have venues locally which you know well and get to return to – it really feels like you’re making the best use of your knowledge and experience to give the couple everything you can with their photos, and in a way which allows them to just relax and enjoy the occasion while it all just happens around them. Perfect.
Big thanks to John Watson for his, as always, excellent work as photographer #2 on this one. Teamwork makes the dream work!
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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 Natasha & Matthew 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.
Making it happen…
Hair & Makeup: SOPHIE PAMELA BRIDAL
Ceremony: ST PETERS CATHOLIC CHURCH, WINCHESTER
Reception: KIMBRIDGE BARN, HAMPSHIRE
Flowers: POMP & PETALS
If you are currently planning your Kimbridge Barn 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.
