Farnham Castle Weddings
Leanne and Chris’s stunning wedding took place at Farnham Castle in Surrey. This was my first visit to this opulent and historic castle. And I loved photographing this dream wedding venue, with dramatic backdrops at every turn! As a wow location for a wedding photography Farnham Castle had it all.
A Brief History of The Castle
A grandson of William the Conqueror built Farnham Castle in 1138. From the times of the Norman Conquest until the Tudors, the all-powerful Bishops of Winchester shaped English politics from within these walls. For over 900 years the Bishop’s Palace has played host to meetings and celebrations. Monarchs including King John & Queen Victoria have stayed at or visited the castle during this time.
Location & Setting
Farnham Castle sits in stunning grounds with manicured lawns and combines 12th Century history with 21st century style. The Castle offers a truly unique setting for private celebrations & meetings. The Norman keep & scheduled Ancient Monument offer fabulous views over the town and Surrey countryside. The interiors and exteriors are like an architectural jigsaw puzzle with so many grand additions added over the centuries. Anyone with an appreciation for historic buildings will absolutely love this majestic castle!
Pre-Ceremony
When I’m travelling around the M25 I never like to chance the traffic. So, I arrived a good hour early and managed to capture lots of exterior shots of the castle. I’d already staked out so many photo opportunities during my pre wedding meeting with Leanne and Chris. I was really keen to capture some of these shots before the proceedings started.
Chris and the lads were in the bar nice and early, so I captured a few shots of them relaxing with a beer in hand before the formal proceedings started.
Whilst Leanne and her bridesmaids were getting ready in the stunning turreted castle gatehouse. From the moment I stepped inside this adorable little building, I was smitten by the quirkiness of this charming property, right down to the arrow slit windows! And yes, these windows were now definitely on my radar for a few photo-opportunities before the ceremony.
Leanne and her bridesmaids did a great job in keeping the atmosphere nice and relaxed, I certainly didn’t witness any pre ceremony nerves from the ladies as they smiled away for my camera. Some of my favourite shots were of the ladies in their dressing gowns sat in the big feature window, the expressions, combined with the setting and lighting couldn’t have been any better!
Civil Ceremony in the Lantern Hall
The fabulous Lantern Hall at Farnham Castle is stunning for a wedding civil ceremony, whilst the incredibly high ceilings and gorgeous arched windows were truly divine. And the fabulous floral arrangements just made it even more magical for the ceremony!
Leanne lit up the room with her gorgeous smiles as she confidently entered the ceremony whilst being escorted by her proud father. Chris by now was welling up as they made eye contact, and understandably so, it’s moments like this that make everything so very real!
Once the formalities were over, the joyous newlyweds punched the air before making their way to the castle steps for the confetti aisle and group poses.
Drinks Reception & Group Pictures on The Castle Lawns
The steps at Farnham Castle are fabulous for wedding photography, and especially so a confetti aisle! If ever there’s a series of pictures that truly capture the pure magic of a wedding day, it has to be the confetti aisle for me. And Leanne and Chris’s confetti pictures did not disappoint; the expressions were absolutely priceless throughout!
It was a little chilly on the day. The morning’s blue skies had sadly disappeared by now! So I worked through the group shots as quickly as possible with lots of help from the ushers. It wasn’t long before everyone made their way back into the warmth of the castle. The many daffodils brought a splash of spring colour to the photographs.
The Meal & Speeches
Farnham Castle’s Great Hall is the most incredible interior for the wedding breakfast and speeches. This space is vast, with high ceilings and wow factor stained glass windows all around! Whilst the atmosphere in this room was truly surreal.
All the speeches had the perfect balance of humour and fun memories, and the appreciative guests loved every minute it! Even Leanne decided to break with tradition and make her own speech too, once again this went down really well with her nearest and dearest. I just love some of the reactions in the pictures captured during their wonderful speeches!
Kids Dashing Across The Castle Lawns
When the sun did come out during the meal, I was very keen to seize the moment. At random, I sent out a request for children to volunteer for some fun photos. Before I could blink I was surrounded by lots energetic and smiling children waiting for their instructions for the photo-opportunity.
In no time I had them dashing around the gardens at full speed for my camera. The smiles and laughter in this series of pictures was really worth the effort.
Our Climb up The Castle Steps
Leanne and Chris were really keen to make their way to the top of the castle. The photo opportunities were off the scale if we could all somehow find the energy! So I could totally understand their enthusiasm, this was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Whilst the prospect of climbing over 100 rugged steps right after a three course meal probably isn’t for everyone, the rewards are usually worth it! No doubt the deciding factor was the fact the skies were totally clearing for the first time on the day. The promise of golden sunlight and a sunset at the top of this incredible historic property was just too difficult to resist!
We took our time as we made our way up to the top of the castle, pausing occasionally for a breather. The pictures from this sequence really speak for themselves. I know the happy couple are totally thrilled with the final results!
Floodlit Images Around The Castle Grounds
I’m particularly known for my night-time shots. And again Leanne and Chris were keen to see what I could achieve with their stunning castle reception venue once the light had faded. It did mean they only had a 15 minute break after our return from the top of the castle; heaven knows where they found the energy from! Whilst all around us was now in almost total darkness. The only light was coming from from the dusky blue skies above. But soon my flood lights did their magic and illuminated this majestic castle perfectly. The resulting shots are some of my favourites from the day!
Dancing the Night Away
Leanne and Chris booked a fantastic band for the evening, and the incredible party atmosphere cranked up a gear or two. The children and bridesmaids lit up the dance floor from the start with their energy and enthusiasm. I left for home an hour after the first dance, and the dancing was in full swing with back to back classic party tracks!
What a fabulous wedding, a wonderful couple, and a truly incredible wedding venue. I loved every minute of Leanne and Chris’s wedding day. I hope you enjoy looking at some of my favourite pictures from their special day.
Farnham Castle is one epic location for wedding photography. I hope to return there again in the not too distant future!
Kind Words
We didn’t really know where to start when searching for a photographer for our wedding. However, Mark was recommended to us and we instantly knew he was the right person to have photograph our special day.
His communication prior to the wedding was prompt and professional, and after looking through his work we chose to secure him instantly. We found it such a bonus that Mark wanted to meet at our wedding venue beforehand to talk through details and find the best places for the most amazing photographs. This really did help to save time on the big day, knowing where to go and at what points in the day.
Mark is so in-tuned with the weather and sky line and sunset, he knew exactly when to call us out for the most amazing sunset shots. These were followed by the most epic floodlit shots of the castle at night, We are incredibly grateful to have had such an amazing photographer for our wedding day and we are completely thrilled with the outcome of the pictures, they are truly remarkable.
We would not hesitate in recommending Mark.
