Lloyd Richard
- Mar 1, 2020

New Place Wedding Photography

It isn't often that I have the privilege of photographing the wedding of an old friend at the New Place wedding venue, but luckily for me, the wedding of Ali & James at the end of July allowed me to take a stroll down memory lane while putting my photography skills to good use. I went to school with James, and what made the day even more meaningful was that the ceremony took place in the village of Alverstoke where we all grew up. And on important days like this, you can always depend on the great British weather to hold out and deliver a scorching day at the end of July, right?!...

Real Photography, Real Moments

Shirrell Heath Wedding Photos

While Ali prepared for the big day surrounded by her friends and family in the beautiful home she shares with the groom, James was getting ready with his best men and groomsman at his mum's house down the road, followed by a quick drink at the Old Lodge in Gosport. Then, it was onto the beautiful St Mary's Church in Alverstoke Village, where James anxiously greeted the guests. The day really did seem to pass by so quickly, and it seemed like in no time at all, Ali was arriving and making her way down the aisle.

Wedding Photos outside St Mary's Church Gosport

New Place Wedding Photos

This wasn't just another Hampshire wedding to me, it was a big deal - who on earth wants to let down their old school friend? So you can imagine my horror when it started pouring it down as the couple left the church! What do I do now? The only thing you can do - get stuck in and take as many photos as you can whilst getting soaked! The 10 minutes or so while Ali & James were legging it to their vintage VW camper van and saying goodbye to the drenched guests, ended up being some of the most exciting and adrenaline-fuelled moments I've had at a Hampshire wedding so far, and I loved it! Not only that, but the whole time, everyone still had massive grins on their faces.

Natural Wedding Photos at the De Vere New Place

Next, it was onto the New Place Hotel in Shirrell Heath and the grand setting for the reception in the Arden Suite. To me, the day definitely seemed like it had a 'school' theme to it - Firstly, so many of the guests were old school friends that at times it felt like a school reunion to me, and with both Ali and James now being school teachers, the excellent speeches had teacher jokes galore! I particularly enjoyed the irony behind the fact that James is now a teacher, juxtaposed to the stories from the best men of all the mischief we ourselves caused while we were pupils!

Unposed Real Wedding Moments

As far as wedding photography goes, James and Ali's wedding was a perfect day for me. The rain bought with it some challenges, but there wasn't a moment when the couple weren't smiling, which always makes my job a breeze, and the weather forced me to think outside of the box and produce some images that I am really proud of. Not only that, but it means a lot to me that I got to produce some great work for an old friend. It was a pleasure to shoot this wedding for so many reasons, and I hope you can see that in my work!