Chichester Harbour Hotel Christmas Wedding
There’s something really special about a December wedding. Not only do you get to benefit from the wonderful Christmas decorations, including the beautiful bokeh effect from the sparkly lights, but everyone seems to be in good spirits and ready for a party. And that was certainly the case for Chloe and Luke. Not only that, but Chloe had informed me of something very special about the father-daughter dance, which I couldn’t wait to see! If you keep reading, you’ll see why…
Luke and his groomsmen prepared for the big day back at his and Chloe’s home in Waterlooville. It was a very chilled out affair, including a MacDonald’s breakfast, nicely finished off by topping up their personalised flasks with a good shot of whiskey to help calm the nerves. Later, they were joined by the extended family and then they all headed off to the venue.
Set in an immaculately restored Grade II-listed Georgian property, and located in the heart of historic Chichester.
Chichester is a beautiful, historic city – from its ancient Roman heritage to its grand Georgian buildings, it is picturesque at every turn. This includes the Chichester Harbour Hotel, a stunning ‘modern meets classic’ boutique hotel, which is where Chloe and the bridal party were getting ready in an opulent, Georgian style suite. The best part for me was watching Chloe receive a beautiful gift from Luke, whilst she was having her makeup done. It was just a perfect moment, with the bride looking radiant and ready for the day!
Chloe and the bridal party made their way down the gorgeous spiral staircase, past the grand Christmas tree to the ceremony room to meet Luke, who was eagerly awaiting her arrival.
Chichester Wedding
The Ceremony went down without a hitch and everyone gathered in the modern interior of the bar to congratulate the bride and groom. Then, out of nowhere, we were told that the couple’s dog was here! The little guy had been allowed to make an appearance in the hotel so that they could get a shot with their pride and joy on their wedding day. Not only was it the cutest dog, with incredibly soft fur, they had even given him a set of doggy socks so that he didn’t slip on the wooden floor!
We then had a short walk, to give the couple some time alone to soak up the moment and to take in Priory Park which is a Grade 1 listed Guildhall. I love that within a short walk, you can take the couple to a variety of beautiful locations that show off the variety of the city.
The speeches were fun and jovial – and the whole venue looked amazing with all of the Christmas decorations, which complimented all of Chloe’s decorative touches. When the sun had set, we decided to go and take in Chichester High Street’s Christmas lights in all their beauty. The market was packing up and everyone was congratulating the bride and groom as they walked along the cobbled streets. I really love the shot I got of Chloe, laughing at something that Luke had said to her, with the beautiful lights in the background – such a wonderful moment that sums up them as a couple and encapsulates their Christmas wedding!
Father-Daughter wedding dance
As we transitioned into the evening party, everyone watched on whilst Chloe and Luke had their first dance. It was followed by a moving moment when Chloe had a dance with her father. She had explained to me that they hadn’t always been close, but that things were getting better in the lead up to the wedding, so they had decided to celebrate this by… doing their own Flash-Mob version of the father-daughter dance! One second, they were traditionally twirling around the dance floor and then suddenly, to everyone’s delight, they were dancing to R’n’B and Hip Hop, twerking and dancing in unison, and the best part was, no one else, including Luke, had any idea about it! It was such a great surprise! It’s the little things like this that make a wedding so memorable and meaningful!
And what a perfect way to start a party! As you can see from the photos, Chloe, Luke and their guests did not shy away from the dance floor! It’s hard not to when they had hired an incredibly talented live singer to help with the festivities. I captured some great moments of everyone enjoying themselves as the night came to a close, including a few people toppling over! I can’t thank Chloe and Luke enough for their generosity and letting me capture their wedding day; it really was a Merry, Christmas wedding!
What did the bride and groom think of their photos:
"Really all we can say is just WOW!!
We are totally and utterly overwhelmed with how incredible these photos are. Because of your documentary style, scrolling through them honestly felt like we were reliving the day.
The photos are so natural and you have captured every detail and every moment so amazingly well.
We are so so lucky that you were a huge part of our day. We honestly cannot thank you (and Megan) enough for your time on the day, how long you stayed, how quickly you’ve got these over to us and for just capturing these moments so beautifully.
We are simply over the moon!
Lots of love,
The Eggleton’s!"