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Beautiful, relaxed and unobtrusive wedding and portrait photography - based in Winchester, Hampshire and covering locations across southern England and London.
RECOMMENDED PHOTOGRAPHER
I am delighted to be listed as a recommended Milton Abbey wedding photographer. Milton Abbey & School combine to offer the most beautiful of wedding venues – it is quite simply a spectacular place to get married, in an absolutely gorgeous corner of Dorset. The School and Abbey, the surrounding hills and countryside, and the neighbouring villages where many of your guests will most likely be discovering charming accommodation: all look as though they’ve been lifted straight from a textbook on quintessential English countryside weddings.
It’s always with a real spring in my step that I return to this stunning location. The magnificent buildings, the gorgeous grounds – landscaped by Capability Brown, no less – provide a Milton Abbey wedding photographer with endless inspiration. Add in the impeccably high-quality service and food all combine to offer a real Rolls Royce wedding experience.
Milton Abbey School lies deep in the Dorset countryside, a few miles west of the town of Blandford Forum and about half an hour’s drive north of Weymouth on the South Coast. The beautiful school buildings are matched by magnificent Milton Abbey which sits right next to it, both looking out over the school’s private golf course to the rolling hills beyond. The location is simply idyllic.
The school is available outside of term times as a high-end, exclusive use wedding venue (so you don’t need to worry about evidence of schoolchildren running around in the background).
Both the abbey and the school can play host to your ceremony depending on your preference for a religious or civil service. Or you can of course opt to marry elsewhere and come on here for your celebrations: following the marriage the school then becomes the focal point for the rest of the day.
You are able to make use of the extensive and beautifully landscaped and maintained grounds and many spots in around the main school building – including the impressive quadrant courtyard – for photos, and then the extremely grand dining room and reception rooms for the wedding breakfast and evening party.
If you opt for the church ceremony Milton Abbey itself is an incredibly beautiful building as a wedding venue, and has the added advantage of side aisles bidden away from the main seating. This is always great news for me as I’m able to cover several angles extremely discretely through the course of the service, all without you ever really noticing that I was even there!
Beautiful buildings, manicured grounds in every direction leading away to gentle rolling tree-covered hills in the distance, it is a joy to be a Milton Abbey Wedding Photographer. The famous grass steps which scamper up the hill behind the school to the chapel of St Catherine. For group photos, inside the quadrant (including the opportunity for a high vantage point for a large group photo of all of your guests). Gorgeous reception rooms for evening celebrations and which will also work wonderfully for group photos on colder or damper days. Basically, heart-lifting beauty in every direction.
For those getting ready in the neighbouring village of Milton Abbas there are several cottages available as holiday lets from the famously photographic rows which adorn either side of the high street. These identical thatched buildings bring real character, warmth and intimacy to these early parts of the day. The village pub – the Hambro Arms – photographs well as a pre-ceremony meeting place for guests or members of the wedding party requiring a little Dutch courage before the main event.
If you’re feeling adventurous and have access to a car for part of the day a short drive will take you even further into those beautiful surrounding hills, with acres of woodland nestled behind the school and sweeping views from surrounding hilltops.
Everything takes place on the ground floor across the two venues so accessibility is good, although there are a few steps to negotiate between some rooms if you’re taking the most direct route.
In-house catering of the highest standard provided by the catering team throughout the day, from your canapes, through your elaborate wedding breakfast in the grand dining hall, through into the evening buffet and signature cheese table (which really has to be seen to be believed: cheese lovers, rejoice!).
All the car parking you could need on site. Nearest rooms are at the very comfortable Hamrbo Arms in the quaint neighbouring village of Milton Abbas. Various inns, B&Bs etc. in the surrounding area, and then further afield you’ve got the larger towns of Blandford Forum and Dorchester.
Milton Abbey School wedding venue is only available on a few select dates each year, outside of term times, so every wedding here has a very exclusive feel. Sunsets are magnificent, as the rooms you will be using in the evening face to the West and out across an enormous view to the rolling Dorset hills. Despite looking on a map like it is in the middle of nowhere (it kind of is!) the school is very easy to find. A full, professional wedding coordinator service provided by the school will guide you through every step of your planning.
Milton Abbey will very comfortably accommodate a couple of hundred guests, but smaller wedding parties do not feel overwhelmed by or lost in the architecture as it retains a very intimate feel.
If you are currently planning your Milton Abbey 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.