Winter Wedding: Nicole & Chris at Hornington Manor

Let’s face it, Summer is over.  One look out of the window will confirm that.  The leaves have turned and today, the wind is blowing them all over the garden.  I’ve shot some fantastic weddings over the summer.  Tipi’s, garden parties, outdoor ceremonies etc.  but now, it’s time to turn our thoughts to the winter wedding.  In particular, this one.  Nicole & Chris’s fantastic, but extremely cold big day at the wonderful Hornington Manor.

The biggest factor on a winter wedding day is without a doubt, the weather.  I’ve shot hundreds of weddings and with that comes a great deal of experience. One thing that falls outside my realms of control though, is the weather.  The best advice I can give is to go with it.  You can’t change it so embrace it.  Venues like Hornington Manor are as beautiful inside as they are outside, so if the weather’s bad, then it’s an indoor wedding.  That’s not to say that we didn’t try to get some photographs outside on this occasion.  You’ll see a few shots in the collection, where we gave it a good go.  Chris and I were fine in our warm suits. Nicole though, she was an absolute trooper and faced the oncoming blizzard in a gorgeous white wedding dress – albeit with pockets.

Another thing to bear in mind about the weather.  Winter in the UK isn’t what it used to be.  I remember being a kid and it seems like the end of November to the end of March was spent under a blanket of crisp, white snow and blue sky.  I suspect that my memory is not entirely accurate, I admit.  The reality is that quite often there isn’t any snow.  Just cold, wet, wind.  That’s why the choice of venue is so important.

Keep it Seasonal

Nicole and Chris were the perfect couple for a winter wedding.  If I had to sum them up in a phrase, it’d be ‘happy-go-lucky’.    It didn’t matter what the sky was doing.  It didn’t matter that the sheep all had a 1″ deep coating of snow, or that the wind was blowing. They took it all in their stride and had a fantastic day.

Everything about the day, from Nicole’s gorgeous flowers, to her choice of dress, with pockets was spot on.   Why isn’t there more wedding dresses with pockets?

One of the tings that I like about Hornington Manor is that on a morning, everyone is there.  It’s almost like having your wedding at home, if your home was a beautiful rural farmhouse and barn with enough rooms for all your family and friends to stay over.  On the morning of the wedding, everyone was in the kitchen enjoying a warming full english fry up.  Possibly the best way to start the day. Officially.

Chris and the groomsmen were busy setting things up for the day while the ladies were upstairs getting ready. There was so much to photograph.

No one noticed the weather by the time evening came around.  I think you can see from the photo’s how the dancefloor descended into the right kind of chaos by the end of the evening.

Supplier Details

Nicole’s dress (with pockets!!!!!) was provided by Ava Rose Hamilton

The beautiful and seasonal bouquet was by Fleur Adamo

Nicole’s hair was by the ever wonderful Anna Stephenson

Nicole’s beautiful make up was  by Liz Andrade

This fantastic big day was hosted by the fabulous Hornington Manor

Booking for 2019 / 2020

2019 is rapidly filling up now, but let’s have a chat about those winter wedding days you’ve got planned.  If you’d like to meet to discuss your big day, please feel free to get in touch.