Newtown House Hotel Wedding Photographer | Jess and Luke

Some weddings you look forward to for months. This was one of them.

Jess and Luke booked me back in July last year, and before the wedding we did an engagement shoot that is still one of my absolute favourites. Those photos were FIRE.

They also booked a second shooter, so a big shout out to the brilliant Libby at Libby Clark Photography for being my partner in crime all day. As you are about to find out, I genuinely could not have done it without her.

The morning

I started at bridal prep with Jess, and it was all very calm. Very chilled. Everyone relaxed, sipping away, no rush whatsoever.

And then, as always happens, time did that thing where it vanishes. Suddenly the dress needed to go on, gifts needed handing out, and the whole bedroom turned into a beautiful scrum of people making absolutely certain the bride was not going to be late to her own church.

The horse and carriage incident

The horse and carriage pulled up, we grabbed a few gorgeous snaps, and off they went.

Off I went too, about thirty seconds behind, and got stuck. Behind the horse and carriage.

I would love to tell you I was serene about this. I was not. I was doing sums in my head about how fast a horse walks. The only reason I did not fully lose it is that I knew Libby was already at the church covering the guests arriving, which is exactly why a second shooter is worth their weight in gold.

I eventually got past the bride, arrived at the church, and parked in what I can only describe as a bush. Abandoned the car. Legged it.

The ceremony

I got there to find one very nervous groom, and got my settings dialled in while I cooled down from my sprint. The vicar had also given me some fairly firm instructions about exactly where I could and could not stand, so I had those to learn too. I sent Libby out to cover the arrival so I could concentrate on being ready for that walk down the aisle.

The ceremony was gorgeous. There were a few brilliantly funny moments, including Luke accidentally head butting poor Jess as they sat down together, which I will be bringing up for years.

Then Jess started her vows, and got very emotional, and had to take a moment to compose herself. It was one of those scenes where the whole room goes quiet and you can physically feel how much it means to them. Beautiful is the only word for it.

A bubble exit and a moment for Nan

They had planned a bubble exit, and some of the guests had come armed with bubble guns, so the two of them came out of that church through an actual cloud of bubbles. Enormous fun and it looked incredible.

It was a scorcher of a day, so we made the call to skip the family formals at the church and sent everyone on ahead to Newtown House Hotel.

We stayed behind, because Jess wanted to pay tribute to her nan, who is buried in the cemetery just up the path. She laid her bouquet at the grave. It was quiet, and moving, and one of the most special moments I have been trusted with in a long time.

Newtown House Hotel

Over at Newtown House I did a quick recce, grabbed some shots of the room being set up while it was still perfect, then went hunting for shade for the family formals. I found a lovely dark background with a bit of cover out the front of the hotel and decided that was our spot, then dragged my flashes out to get a proper lift on everyone’s faces.

Family formals then got a bit fun and chaotic, as they always do, and I would not want it any other way.

The food was delicious, and Jess and Luke had booked Sean B, the Hampshire Magician, to work the room between mains and puddings, which meant I got to watch some genuinely brilliant magic. I had barely inhaled my own pudding before the speeches kicked off and I was legging it back down to catch them. The speeches were heartfelt, properly funny, and full of tears.

The fake sunset that saved the day

The sun had beamed down all day. All day. And at the precise moment I wanted it, it went into hiding. So I did what I always do, and made my own. Jess had mentioned earlier that she loved the pagoda, so we set up an off camera fake sunset right there.

These two are so much fun and up for absolutely anything. We had lifts, giggles, and a lot of what I can only call drunk walk sober face, which gave us some of the best candid portraits of the day.

Naughty Nanna

We then realised Nan had not had her family formal, because the walk earlier had been a bit far for her, so we nipped off and got those done. We may also have wound her up enough that she flipped me the bird. It is one of my favourite frames of the whole wedding. I do love a naughty nanna.

Cake, first dance, and a bouncy castle

Jess changed into her evening dress, and they cut the cake, where Luke went in for a proper sample and Jess managed a very dainty little bite.

Then the first dance. These two had been practising for MONTHS and it absolutely showed. Lifts, spins, hip dips, the lot. Full Dirty Dancing. The room went wild.

After that the night properly exploded. Everyone was on that dance floor. But we could not let the evening go by without making use of their brilliant bouncy castle, so we got some very sweaty, very joyful shots on there before heading back for more disco. Special mention to the DJ, who was a total legend, came out from behind the decks to dance, and even let guests sing along. It was so much fun that I genuinely did not want to go home.

Jess and Luke, thank you. What a day.

Planning your own Newtown House Hotel wedding?

Newtown House Hotel is a relaxed, friendly venue on Hayling Island, just a short hop from Portsmouth, and it is brilliant for couples who want a proper party rather than a stiff, formal affair. It is fast becoming one of my favourite Hampshire venues to photograph.

If you are getting married at Newtown House Hotel, or anywhere across Hayling Island, Portsmouth and Hampshire, and you want someone who will capture the real, funny, emotional story of your day without dragging you away from your own party, I would love to hear from you.

The dream team

Venue: Newtown House Hotel, Hayling Island. Second shooter: Libby Clark Photography. Magician: Sean B, the Hampshire Magician. Hair: Carley Hoskins Hair. Makeup: Grace Bridal Makeup. Bouncy castle: JJ’s Party Hire. Photography: Emma Staley Photography.