Farnham Castle Wedding – Harry & Lex on the Summer Solstice
I’ve shot a lot of Farnham Castle weddings over the years, but Harry & Lex’s Farnham Castle wedding on the summer solstice has to be one of my all time faves. There are three main reasons it stands out. Firstly, it was a truly top tier wedding – these guys pulled out all the stops. Their wedding featured two ceremonies, two dance floors and it was soaked in good vibes. Secondly Harry was, until recently, the Estate Manager at Farnham Castle so the whole day had a one-of-our-own special occasion feel that is quite rare for venue weddings. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, these guys have become really good personal friends.
Initially we bonded over our shared love of luxury travel hacking – Avios nerds unite! Harry and Lex’s honeymoon was nuts. Multiple first class flights, incredible food, amazing hotels. Basically it was The White Lotus without death or bankruptcy. I wasn’t jealous at all! Harry and his bro are now some of my favourite whisky buddies and excellent all-round gents while Lex and her sister Emma (who are both in healthcare) have gone above and beyond to look out for my Mum when she’s been an in-patient at Frimley Park Hospital. There’s a very good reason that I offer NHS discounts – people who work for the NHS are absolute legends and truly deserve it.
Performance Anxiety
Despite being one of my favourite commissions of the year, certain weddings bring with them an extra dose of pressure and a few more nerves. Farnham Castle has been like a second home to me over the past decade so it wasn’t lost on me that doing a stellar job on Lex & Harry’s wedding was… how to put this… a very real business necessity! Mangle this one and the excellent relationship with my local venue might quickly evaporate!
Lex got ready in the gatehouse with her bridesmaids while Harry and the boys had The Pembroke suite in the main Castle. Farnham Castle has just the right sense of scale. It’s a castle, which means there’s bags of room, but nobody feels miles apart. As a photographer, I can bounce between different groups without feeling like I’m missing anything. The morning was a laugh – nothing too serious, nobody too stressed.
The Bishop in the Chapel
Harry’s godfather is an Anglican Bishop and he had the honour of taking charge of the religious and legal elements in Farnham Castle’s beautiful Norman chapel. This first ceremony was really intimate, very much a family affair with only a handful of guests. Once legally married, Lex & Harry wound their way through some of Farnham Castle’s less well known corridors and passages (to avoid arriving guests) before sinking a celebratory glass of champagne at the top of the Grand Staircase. This was one of my favourite moments of the day – we were basically sneaking about on the catwalks, high up in the eaves of the castle – getting to preview the Great Hall and spy guests arriving. After descending down another staircase, Lex & Harry said adieu before heading back to their getting ready spots for a brief spell ahead of the second ceremony.
The Judge in the Lantern Hall
Harry’s uncle is a judge so, keeping things familial, he took charge of the larger second ceremony in the Lantern Hall. I’m not exactly sure what you’d call this one, but at its heart it was a blessing and exchange of rings. One the best things about a Farnham Castle wedding is the range of spaces that can play host to a ceremony. Clearly Lex & Harry agree because they made the most of it! I’ve done a couple of weddings over the years that feature this sort of double ceremony. On the face of it, it might seem slightly unusual, but it always seems to work remarkably well. It makes the smaller ceremony feel more meaningful and the larger ceremony more joyous and it lends the day an amazing sense of occasion. The short interlude in between somehow feels like a perfect exhalation and moment of calm.
Once married by both judge and clergy, Harry & Lex’s guests showered them with confetti, in traditional Farnham Castle wedding fashion, on the Foxes Steps, before we all spilled out onto the lawn for drinks and canapés.
A Midsummer Farnham Castle Wedding
Harry & Lex’s wedding fell on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. For once, the English weather wasn’t an inhibiting factor and we were treated to properly fine midsummer weather. Warm, without being excessively hot, all-day sunshine and a gorgeous balmy evening. We snuck off for a few minutes of portraits after speeches and caught some of the best light I’ve ever enjoyed at Farnham Castle. Harry is an exceptionally modest bloke, but he and the rest of the team had obviously got the castle tuned to a particularly sweet pitch; everywhere and everything looked immaculate.
We came back from portraits just as the band were getting underway for the first part of the evening. Rather than beginning inside, the party started under the stretch tent in front of the castle before moving into the Great Hall later in the evening. I cannot describe just how good the energy was, but I think the photos convey the vibe! When you’ve got Bishops & Judges busting a groove with a cocktail in hand, you can be fairly certain that a wedding is on the right track.
I’m going to stop writing now. My limited facility with words cannot do this superlative Farnham Castle wedding justice and honestly, I’d rather just show you. I’m a photographer after all! My thanks go to Harry & Lex. Thank you for putting your trust in me guys, I absolutely loved shooting for you – here’s to more whisky and dog walks!
