I’m still trying to catch up on my massive backlog of blogging, so here’s a wedding from last year – Ruth and Chris’s wedding at the lovely Lympne Castle down on the Kent coast.

Ruth and Chris had a super-chilled, relaxed wedding in the lovely September sunshine down at Lympne. Unlike a few other times I’ve photographed there, there wasn’t a howling gale coming off the sea, so all the guests could make full use of the grounds, with that lovely view out to sea, which is one of the major draws to this stunning venue.

I do love having everything in the same place – bridal prep, the ceremony and reception – so much easier than jumping in the car constantly. And as Ruth had stayed somewhere else the night before (wedding the previous day so all the cottages were booked unfortunately), she got ready in the room right next to the ceremony room, so I didn’t even have to run up and down the driveway 50 times! Ruth and the girls had a few last minute venue-dressing tasks to do, so I started the day photographing all the details, including a beautiful hand-written letter that Chris (the old romantic) had written to Ruth, including a wax seal! Ruth, her mum and the bridesmaids then joined me for some relaxed bridal prep – the girls did Ruth’s hair and she did her own makeup, so I just documented the preps as we went along.

Once the boys had arrived (including Chris’s dad, who is a wedding photographer himself – so no pressure then!) we did the usual groom stuff – buttonholes on, and a few quick portraits before the guests started arriving.

Soon it was time for Ruth to put her dress on and her dad to come and collect her for the short walk along the corridor to the ceremony room for the wedding itself.

After a beautiful ceremony, the guests made their way out into the lovely sunshine and enjoyed drinks and nibbles in the back courtyard.

Once I’d photographed the groups, I kept the bride and groom in the back gardens for some quick relaxed portraits, before they rejoined their guests and I recorded the details in the reception room.

After dinner and a quick portrait session, the happy couple rejoined their guests to enjoy some fantastic speeches (and some hardcore betting on the total length!) before the cake cut, photobooth fun and then dancing!

Congratulations once again to Ruth and Chris! Here are a few of my favourites from their day.

If you’re getting married at Lympne Castle, contact me to discuss your wedding photography.

lympne castle

wedding details

wedding flowers

wedding clutchbag

grooms letter to bride

bride and bridesmaid looking at flowers

girl doing makeup

bridesmaid doing makeup

wedding guest

father of the groom buttonhole

boys walking

groom at lympne

mother doing makeup

bridesmaid spraying face spray

bride doing her makeup

bride putting on shoes

dad seeing daugther in wedding dress

groom and bestman lympne castle

baby in ceremony lympne castle

bridal entrance lympne castle

lympne castle wedding ceremony

exchange of wedding rings

first kiss

granny in wedding

bride and groom exit lympne

lympne castle wedding portrait

bride and groom lympne castle

wedding guest

lympne castle reception details

wedding cake lympne castle

lympne castle bride and groom

lympne castle bride

lympne castle bride and groom

wedding guest laughing

speeches being timed

bride laughing during speech

laughing guest

happy bride

grooms speech

baby during speech

girl with placecard on her head

laughing bestman

bestmans speech

granny in photobooth

first dance lympne castle

bridesmaid dancing

bridesmaid dancing

bride and groom dancing with friends

bride and groom dancing with friends

lympne castle at night

lympne castle at night

All photographs copyright David Burke Photography 2015