Farnham Castle wedding Photography -

Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer | Siobhan & Matt

I met the lovely Siobhan and Matt during a wedding fair, where we got chatting about the plans for their day…. It turns out that they had actually seen a shot online from a previous Farnham Castle wedding they loved, which happened to be one of mine that I’d won with for the Master Photographers Association “Reportage Photographer of the Year” for my South Central region (see, entering these competitions can come in handy!) … it’s highly likely we also chatted about subjects totally irrelevant to weddings or photography… This often happens!! After a further telephone consultation away from the sensory overload of a fair, I was super excited to be booked to capture the memories of their day.

As with most of my wedding photography collections we continued our journey together with an engagement shoot. The weather and location on our side, West Witterings was perfect for a stroll and a chat while we shot. Here’s one from that session… they had chosen their favourites to be presented in a GoBook Album by Graphistudio as a lasting memory of this time in their lives.

As a Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer, Siobhan and Matt couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful venue…. there’s a little Disney inspired story that led to their choice. It seems Disney and castles in particular had played a major part in their lives over key dates and proposals, so it was only befitting that they marry in a castle.

Naturally, Siobhan and her bridal party got ready in the Gatehouse while Matt prepped elsewhere with the boys. Siobhan has a love for detail, textiles and design so there were so many aspects and details found during the day that tied their theme together perfectly. With gifts galore too, it was lovely to see how the couple had thoughtfully considered their friends and family in their plans.

With Siobhan in the final stages of getting into her gown and the boys all ready and casually sipping on their hip flasks (I mean checking all details are correct and guests happy!!) we were almost ready to get into that nervous anticipation of the ceremony. Farnham Castle has either the Norman Chapel for CofE services, or the Lantern Hall for civil ceremonies. It’s great to have a venue with that flexibility. Siobhan and Matt had chosen a CofE service for their wedding, and the chapel looked beautiful adorned with flowers in their soft colour palate of pinks, whites and blues. This was continued into the Great Hall where we peeked in and noticed every table was named after bands which the couple had seen live… I’ve got to admit, I had some serious gig-envy going on there with some of the names present!

I absolutely love that moment where the father of the bride sees his daughter for the first time, and this was no different. The love and adoration was so very present and heartfelt.

A short walk to the chapel for the Bridal Party and a few extra moments of nervous waiting from Matt and his boys, then a clearly excited Siobhan was ready for her entrance!

The lovely ceremony included readings from Siobhan’s mum and a very personal address from the Vicar. Before the newlyweds were presented to their waiting guests to be assaulted with handfuls of confetti, after the ceremony they were whisked off through the back way to see their decorated Great Hall and have a moment to themselves, celebrating with a glass of fizz.

For a Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer, it is not unusual to use the steps for a group shot straight after the confetti! It’s a perfect way to keep the crowd together before they get tempted by the drinks and canapes! This was also a great time to spend 10 minutes with Matt & Siobhan around the grounds from some newlywed portraits after their family shots… Check out the gorgeous generational image of Siobhan with her Mum & Nan (and grandad waiting patiently lol!!)

I love how the scenery changes so much with the seasons at Farnham Castle, seeing the gardens in full bloom in June is a wonderful sight!

Once the guests were seated in the Great Hall, Siobhan & Matt were welcomed in to a rapturous applause before sitting down to a divine wedding breakfast. The catering at Farnham Castle is superb, and as a supplier who is always well fed there, I’m not just relying on the couples feedback!! The speeches followed with much hilarity as both best men re-told stories from their adventures with Matt, yet despite the ribbing, it was clear he was truly loved by his friends.

While the Great Hall was being turned around for the evening celebrations, many of the guests took the opportunity to pop to their rooms (another super bonus of this venue, incase you need more, they have rooms!!). We used this lull in the day to whisk Mr & Mrs Freeman up to the original castle ruins for some portraiture using the historic features available.

I find that rather than doing one long formal portrait session during a wedding, I much prefer to break it into a couple of smaller, yet well timed sessions. Making use of natural breaks in the day, whilst enabling the couple to actually have some time with eachother alone…. I say alone, I’m often using a long lens at times to give the couple space and distance from me where they can have privacy in their conversations during the portrait session.

The wedding cake had super subtle nods to Disney, can you spot them amidst the mini Mr & Mrs Freeman? With a swift cutting of the cake, we moved on to the first dance before the dance floor was mobbed to the tunes of the live band!

Siobhan & Matt has also chosen to have a photobooth to enable Matt to include his other love…. Marvel!! This was a great hit, with many choosing the booth and others choosing to also grab a more classical portrait with their loved ones!

It was a truly superb wedding day and the service provided by Farnham Castle did not disappoint! What a wonderful way to get to know a couple better than to walk on this journey with them

After the day was finished, our job was not yet done. Once the images were edited it was time to curate these into a collection for Siobhan and Matt that consisted of multiple albums…. The Duet by Graphistudio is hugely popular. The initial 30 page A4 Young Book album containing all their super favourite portraits and moments of the day in the highest quality of paper and printing techniques. From that we create another album, The Primo… 100 A3 pages all bound beautifully into a coffee table style book, enabling so much more of the day to be printed. This is handmade and created to fit both into a bespoke Design Box. The collection was completed with some mini-parent copies and a personalised USB to match the books and box design. Truly, a stunning way to display and view your albums.

Thank you so so much for putting your trust into me to capture your day, we had a blast and it was lovely getting to know you. I can’t wait to hear about the next chapter in your lives and be on hand to document your journey again!

xX Fiona Xx

Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer | Siobhan & Matt