Millbridge Court Outdoor Wedding Photography - Natural & Unposed

Clare & Carl’s Wedding Photofilm!

This is quite a special wedding for me for a number of reasons. Clare & Carl treated me like one of the family from the moment we met, I had an absolute blast with them and all of their friends, they bought me a beer when we first met (a perfectly legitimate reason to love a couple). But it’s also because their wedding was the birth of my Photofilms!

If you’ve been following my work for a while you will know that natural, unposed, documentary photography is what I’m passionate about. I believe that wedding photography shouldn’t get in the way or distract from your day. Ever since I launched my Silent Movies about 2 years ago, I’ve been trying to come up with the next step…

And it finally happened, a few weeks before Clare & Carl’s wedding. So I messaged them explaining my idea for a Silent Movie with Audio, or Photofilm as I now call them, and asked if they minded being guinea pigs for me… Fortunately, they trusted me and loved the results.

“For people like us who wanted to hear people’s voices during the important bits, but didn’t want a full videographer it’s perfect!”

– Clare & Carl

I knew I needed to take the same approach to record audio as I do with photography – unobtrusive. So, other than a small discrete mic, that is only worn during the ceremony & speeches, there are no other intrusions from me. It’s business as usual on the day – you do what you do and I’ll do what I do 😉

These photofilms are a new and unique way to remember your wedding. The best way I can describe them is “a mashup of documentary photography, stop-motion images, and recorded audio.” The best way for you to see what I’m talking about is to check out the video above 😉

Millbridge Court A Stylish, Exclusive Use Wedding Venue

A restored 19th-century house on the Surrey – Hampshire border, surrounded by lush green fields and a wildflower meadow, Millbridge Court is one stunning wedding venue. Stylishly decorated throughout there isn’t much you need to do to this venue. There are also eight bedrooms plus a Hideaway cabin at the bottom of the garden.

Getting Wedding Ready at Millbridge Court

Clare and her Bridal Party got ready in the Loft. It’s out of the way of arriving guests and has plenty of room for hair and make-up stations. Plus there’s a sneaky little one-way window which was really handy for spying on people downstairs.

The Hideaway is a cute log-cabin at the bottom of the garden. This is where Carl got ready, and where Clare & Carl would be spending their wedding night. With its own little deck overlooking the meadows and a free-standing copper bath, it’s a really cute place to spend your wake up on your first morning as a married couple.

Carl was a little nervous, but no more than is normal. Once ready we headed up to the house to meet the rest of the Groomsmen to hand out ties etc. One of Carl’s Ushers made the mistake of wearing camouflage on the stag do, and everyone ripped him for it. So, as a joke, Carl switched his tie, with a camo tie.

I left the boys having a beer in the sunshine and headed back up to Clare in the Loft. The atmosphere was electric, nerves and excitement were bubbling over… And the champagne was flowing nicely too!

Surrey Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

At Millbridge Court wedding ceremonies can be held inside or outside. The hall has a high vaulted ceiling with floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed wooden beams. If the weather isn’t ideal this would still be a gorgeous ceremony room…

Clare & Carl chose to get married outside, underneath the oak Arbour. Which I was super chuffed to hear as outdoor ceremonies are my absolute favourite! Surrounded by trees, fields, their closest friends & family and the sound of birds singing it was a gorgeous ceremony.

Carl was a tad emotional while waiting for Clare, which seemed to set off a chain reaction amongst the guests… And encouraged a little bit of heckling from the crowd 😉

Drinks Receptions In The Garden

The Terrace is situated between the two halls and reminds me of Italian Courtyards. This combined with the garden is the ideal space to celebrate with a cocktail or two – which is exactly what Clare & Carl chose to do. The sun was shining, Catherine Wright provided background music and the cocktails were flowing nicely.

Great Food & Hilarious Speeches

After the wedding breakfast, which I can honestly say was one of the nicest meals I’ve ever had at a wedding (thanks Kalm Kitchen), it was time for the speeches. The Father of the Bride & Groom both made great speeches and the Best Men absolutely killed it. If you’ve watched the Photofilm above, I trimmed a lot of the more risqué material out of that!

It’s all about the last dance…

I don’t think I’ve ever met a couple who are looking forward to their first dance. That could be because the couples I tend to photograph generally aren’t mad keen on being the centre of attention or just that the act of having a romantic dance while your mates watch is inherently a bit weird.

For me it’s all about the last dance – that’s where the magic happens. It’s the last dance where everyone is drunk relaxed and on an absolute high. It’s the crescendo, the finale, the climax of the day if you will… I always leave a wedding on a massive high when I’ve stayed until the very end.