CAMILLA AND MICHAEL’S WOTTON HOUSE WEDDING
Camilla is my best friend Alex's sister, I've known her since around 1992(!) so I was over the moon when she told me that she and Michael were getting married, and even more blown away that they wanted me as their photographer! The thing I was most excited about was capturing the magic between these two; I'd seen how much they'd made each other laugh over the years, so relaxed in each other’s company, and the way they looked at each other… well, it was going to be a photographer’s dream job.
The wedding took place at Wotton House, a country estate hotel in the beautiful Surrey Hills near Dorking. When I arrived, Camilla and her bridesmaids were sipping champagne while the finishing touches were being made to hair and make up. It was quite calm and relaxed; so much thought had gone into this day that there was no need for any last minute stresses. It was only when Camilla, her Dad and her bridesmaids reached the entrance to The Old Library (the ceremony room) that I could see the nerves kicking in… this was the big moment! The room had been decorated with white rose petals, fairy lights and fragranced candles, and after an emotional walk up the aisle (somehow there were no tears!) Camilla and Michael stood together and it was all smiles and nervous laughter from then on!
After the ceremony, there was a big confetti exit down the aisle and then off out into the glorious sunshine for some mingling and congratulating. At this point, my fear of heights was really challenged as I went up above the Roman temple to take the large group photo; thankfully the lovely filmmaker, Ash, was there for moral support (couldn’t have done it without you!) and I survived unscathed! We then had lots of fun doing the portraits in the beautiful grounds of Wotton House, before heading inside for the wedding breakfast. The room looked fantastic, with amazing floristry on the tables and a flower wall behind the top table. After the food came the speeches; Camilla’s Dad said some lovely words, followed by Michael’s heartfelt speech, but the finale was quite possibly the greatest speech I’ve witnessed. Michael’s best man, Jamie, had filmed some celebrities who were posing as Michael’s exes, “the ones that got away” – it had the whole room in hysterics and culminated in a big sing-a-long to ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, it was sheer joy!!
After a few sunset photos, we headed back inside for the cake cutting and first dance. The band were ace and got everyone on their feet dancing, I saw some great moves (I’m talking about you uncle Andrew). Then after dark, we headed outside for the fire show which was incredible! I watched as everyone looked on, completely transfixed by the flames, it was a real highlight of the evening. Seriously, I could talk for ages about how gorgeous this day was, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves – and there are lots – make sure you have plenty of time to soak it all up!
Camilla and Michael, I’m so honoured to have been a part of your special day, thank you for sharing these moments with me. I hope you and your families enjoy these photos for many years to come.
