Liz & Richard: A Wedding at Nonsuch Mansion, Surrey

Liz and Richard got married at Nonsuch Mansion, in Nonsuch Park in Surrey, on one of those days when the weather simply behaves. Sun all afternoon, good speeches, and a band that ended up with the bride and groom on vocals.

It was smart without being formal, which is the best kind of wedding to photograph.

The morning

I spent the morning with Richard while a second photographer was with Liz and her family in one of the mansion’s suites. Two of us meant both mornings got told properly, not one of them in a hurry. Liz’s dress was simple and tailored, the kind that doesn’t need explaining.

The details

Liz made a lot of the table details herself, and you could tell. The flowers were by Connie Vera Flowers: loose, natural, nothing too arranged. Handmade things photograph differently from hired ones. They have a bit of the person in them.

The lawn

Drinks were outside in the sun. Guests drifted onto the lawn with cocktails, someone started the garden games, and at one point a fox wandered past and briefly stole the show. The speeches were some of the best I’ve heard: funny, warm, and not a minute too long.

Later the two of them slipped away with me for portraits as the light dropped. The grounds have plenty of space, so we could walk rather than pose, and most of what I kept from that half hour is the two of them talking, not looking at me.

The party

After the first dance the band started, and then Liz and Richard got up and sang a song of their own. Nobody saw it coming. The dance floor stayed full well after that.

If you’re getting married somewhere like this

Nonsuch is a little outside my usual patch, but I’m always glad to travel for a day like this one. There’s more on how to choose a wedding photographer, my portfolio has more of the work, and you can get in touch with your date.

Suppliers: venue, Nonsuch Mansion. Flowers, Connie Vera Flowers. Photography, Wychwood Weddings.