Chichester Guildhall Wedding Photographer | Julie & Lewis

You may remember Julie & Lewis from our very monochrome Pre-Wedding Shoot on a foggy day at West Witterings? Here’s the link to that day. Thankfully their April wedding last year was on a warm and sunny day… our fingers and noses were very happy for this!!

Julie chose the Chichester Harbour Hotel & Spa as their venue to get ready in, a fantastic choice as not only does it have the most stunning Georgian features with sleek, sympathetic interiors… It is mere meters from their Wedding Venue, The gorgeous Guildhall in Priory Park.

As Julie, her parents and bridesmaids were getting ready, I noticed something hugely profound (for me). Julie’s parents were looking back on a photo album that had been brought along on the day. Now, if we have had a conversation, you will likely know that I am a self confessed “Print Diva”! I love printed images, I really believe we as photographers are doing our future generations a disservice if we are only offering digital files. These precious images get lost on a tiny USB, the files corrupted, or even worse the technology has changed over the years and they no longer fit our computers. ALL of my couples get a wedding album, no matter what. It is something I believe passionate about, future generations looking back through their family history with real printed images. Anyhow, I digress! Here’s some more of their getting ready!

As a Chichester Guildhall Wedding Photographer I know the area pretty well. Very handy when you’re popping back and forth between two venues! I nipped across to The Guildhall to see how Lewis was getting on with his greeting of the guests. The venue had been set up beautifully in their colours of Cadbury’s purple and blue with a drop of fuschia in the flowers. A vase on display made by Julie and her girls during one of her hen activities and some other hand made decorations finished it off beautifully. I love how close Julie and Lewis are with their families. The tenderness shown to one another is palpable.

Just before Julie left the Chichester Harbour Hotel and Spa to take the short stroll to the Chichester Guildhall for their ceremony we took a few moments to capture some portraits before she presented herself to her waiting Bridesmaids.

If you’ve not been in the Chichester Guildhall you will find it is as impressive inside as it is outside. Built in 1282 it has a rich history but became a wedding venue for the first time over 730 years later in 2015! With vast, tall ceilings and filled with windows, it is a beautiful bright space. Perfect for your wedding ceremony!

I love the moments caught just before a bride begins her journey down the aisle. Nerve wracking for many, Julie just looked full of joy! The emotion as Lewis waited for his bride to walk down the aisle was clear to see. The moments caught between them capturing their love, playfulness and adoration towards each other was so warming. Family played a key part in the ceremony, from bridesmaids to witnesses and readings.

For the family portraits and group photos, as a Chichester Guildhall Wedding Photographer, using the grounds in Priory Park is a perfect choice! We stayed for a little while here to capture various combinations of the family groups while also being on hand to capture some less formal shots of the guests as they milled around. It’s always funny when the boys get together, mischief seems to follow….It didn’t take long for Lewis to be back by the side of his gorgeous wife mind you 😉

Julie and Lewis had hired Boxgrove Village Hall for their wedding reception, a versatile hall with large grounds set just outside Chichester in the village of Boxgrove. Well placed to also make the most of the other features the hamlet has to offer….Boxgrove Priory and the ruins there being the obvious.

Like with the decor for their ceremony, there were personal and handmade details throughout their reception. Table names were mocked up from Disney films, showing their love for Walt and his crew. The cake with its dinosaur theme made by the talented couple too! The guests enjoyed afternoon tea before heading into the speeches where again, the love and respect they have for each other and their families was clear for all to see and hear. With tears and laughter the speeches were finished by the best man presenting the newlyweds with a card sent over from Disneyland itself, signed by many of their characters!

While the room was being turned around we popped over the road to Boxgrove Priory to capture a few more portraits. The scenery there changes with the seasons, but the ruins remain the same. A great piece of Sussex history to complete the trend throughout the day with historic buildings!

The evening went on with more food, dancing, ice-cream and jolility! My second shooter, Lee and I invite the guests to register their details on the ipad for the online gallery. A great tool to have that enables us to notify the guests with a click of a button when the images are ready (after the newlyweds have seen them first of course!)

While Julie & Lewis went off to enjoy a beach soaked honeymoon, the work continues for us! All the images are gathered, uploaded and backed up before the editing processes begin. My editing happens in 3 stages: Colour correction; Main edit; Final tweaks. Once this is done and the couple see their gallery for the first time, we then work on their photo album. All my wedding albums are handmade in Italy by Graphistudio. A family run company based in the foothills of the Italian Alps.

Julie and Lewis were also driven by the idea that having printed copies of their images was highly  important so they opted to upgrade their collection to the Duet Album. A bespoke creation combining 2 albums in a personally designed box. Using their invitation logo and favoured typography to personalise the box and book covers, this really is a collection that not only holds their whole day in print but represents the theme and styling used on the day too. To complete their collection Julie and Lewis also added Parent Copies to give as gifts. A truly wonderful way to store and present their memories of the most beautiful, love filled day.

I look forward to the next chapters in the Branson Household and wish them every happiness!

Fiona xx

FionaMillsArt | Chichester Guildhall Wedding Photographer