Morden Hall Wedding Photographer

What a Morden Hall wedding photographer is working with

Morden Hall sits on the south-west edge of London, but you would never know it once you are inside the park. The house dates from the 1770s and stands in 125 acres of National Trust parkland, with the River Wandle winding through, old snuff mills, meadows and a deer park that is now home to plenty of wildlife.

The house is exclusive use and runs as a string of rooms. Getting ready happens in the Hawthorn, Cherry and Sycamore suites. Ceremonies take place in the light-filled Willow Suite, with a grand staircase at the back for the walk down, or in the Mulberry Suite, whose high vaulted ceiling also holds up to 150 for dinner. The Oak Suite opens straight onto the North Lawn.

Countryside on the outside, the end of the Northern line on the doorstep.

The light at Morden Hall

The first thing a Morden Hall wedding photographer notices is the windows. Tall Georgian sash windows fill the Hawthorn and Willow suites with soft, even light, which is exactly what you want for getting ready and for a ceremony. I work with that daylight and keep the flash away until the dancing starts.

Outside, the park does the rest. The river, the old bridges and the long grass are the backdrop for portraits, and the North Lawn is the natural place for drinks and group photos, with the house behind you.

How I photograph a Morden Hall wedding

Documentary first, but not rigid: family group photos from your list, three short portrait sessions with gentle direction, and as much or as little posing as you want. The rest of the day I am in the background, photographing it as it actually happens.

As your Morden Hall wedding photographer I keep group photos to around half an hour, usually on the North Lawn, from a list we agree in advance. The three portrait slots are about fifteen minutes each: after the ceremony, before dinner and in the evening light down by the river.

If I have not photographed at Morden Hall recently, I will go and walk it before your wedding, at roughly the time of day you are getting married.

Planning your Morden Hall wedding day

Because the house is exclusive use, the day can move from room to room at its own pace, and there is nobody else in the background of your photographs. That makes it a lovely venue for documentary photography.

A few things I would suggest to any couple booking a Morden Hall wedding photographer. Keep fifteen minutes free in the evening for the park, when the light is lower and the river is at its best. Leave a relaxed hour after the ceremony before anyone is called for photographs. And if you want a photograph on the staircase in the Willow Suite, do it before the room fills with guests.

There is no accommodation on site, so most couples get ready at the house and guests stay nearby or travel in by Tube. Everything else we talk through properly a few weeks before, when I help you with the timeline.